The Ants and the Grasshopper

THE ANTS were spending a fine winters day drying grain collected in the summertime.

A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him, "Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?

He replied, "I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing. They then said in derision: "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.

Vocabulary Help

• ant - formiga
• dry - secar
• grain - grão
• summertime - verão
• grasshopper - cigarra
• perish - perecer
• beg - implorar, suplicar
• treasure up food - acumular comida
• leisure - lazer
• sing - cantar
• derision - desprezo
• fool - tolo
• supperless - sem jantar