The Ant and the Grasshopper

Once, long ago, on a green grid of grass, lived a grasshopper fiddler at play.
His songs kissed the air of summertime fair and his laughter would echo all day
For life was a breeze warmed by smiles from the sun, and food was abundant and ripe.
And trouble was far from his fun-loving mind - he wasn’t the worrying type.

Close to his home lived a serious ant in a colony buzzing with work;
To see this ant marching so busily by made the wide-grinning grasshopper smirk.
From the moment the sun stretched her arms to the sky, this ant carried kernels of corn
‘Til night stole the light, and the sleepy ant slept, starting over again every morn.

One Sunday the curious grasshopper asked, “Why not join me in singing and dance?”
“I’d rather be ready for cold,” said the ant, “then to take such a dangerous chance.
It’s imperative, friend, to store food for a time when the fields are frozen and dry.”
But the grasshopper laughed, ignored his advice, and giggled a foolish good-bye.

Like clouds passing by, the summer days drifted and gradually fell into fall
Though the sun smiled on, she was father away and began to seem suddenly small.
The ant now worked faster, and harder, and more - but the grasshopper, still lost in song,
Would snicker and grin at this tiny ant running and lifting his loads all day long.

One afternoon, the clouds met in the sky and decided to throw down some snow;
The grasshopper paused all his romping and play, for a chilly wind started to blow.
He shivered and crept to his hole, where he slept ‘til a hunger came wandering in
And then looked around for some food: “I’m all out!” he complained with a frowning chagrin.

He remembered he’d laughed at the worker wee ant and decided to beg him for food.
When the ant saw who it was at his door, he pronounced “listen up, I don’t mean to be rude,”
But aren’t you the fiddler who mocked all my efforts to stock up on good things to eat?”
The grasshopper nodded and couldn’t reply; he looked down at the angry ant’s feet.

The industrious ant, though, was softened of heart and he opened the door for his guest
And, embarrassed, the grasshopper tiptoed across the kind ant’s small but orderly nest
All winter he repaid his tiny new friend, entertaining with fiddle and fife;
And every song rang with the same grateful lyric: “Thank you for saving my life!”