The Ant and the Grasshopper is a classic tale, retold here in calm, simple words for children to enjoy with a grown-up. An ant works hard all summer to save food while a grasshopper plays, and in winter the ant kindly shares and the grasshopper learns to plan ahead.
Before you start: No loud or scary parts. There is a cold, snowy part that ends with a warm, cosy home.
Listen together Read aloud by Genevieve · 2 min 31 s
Read the story: The Ant and the Grasshopper
It was summer. The sun was hot. The grass was green and tall.
In the field lived a little ant. The ant was busy every day.
The ant carried seeds. She carried bits of corn. She carried them, one by one, to her home under the ground. Carry, carry, carry.
In the same field lived a grasshopper. The grasshopper liked to play music. He liked to sing and hop all day. Hop, hop, hop.
“Little ant,” said the grasshopper, “why are you working so hard? Come and sing with me.”
“I am saving food for the winter,” said the ant. “In winter there will be no food in the field. You should save some food too.”
“Winter is a long way off,” said the grasshopper. “There is lots of food now.” And he went on singing.
Every day, the ant worked. Carry, carry, carry. Every day, the grasshopper played. Hop, hop, hop.
Then summer ended. The leaves turned orange and brown. The days got shorter. The air got cooler.
Then winter came. It was cold. Snow covered the field. There were no seeds. There was no corn. There was no green grass.
The ant was warm in her home. She had lots of food. She felt safe and cosy.
But the grasshopper had no food. He had no warm home. He felt cold. He felt hungry. He felt worried.
The grasshopper went to the ant’s door. Knock, knock. “Little ant,” he said, “I am cold and hungry. I did not save any food. Please can you help me?”
The ant looked at the grasshopper. She thought for a moment. Then she opened the door wide. “Come in,” she said. “I have enough to share.”
The ant gave the grasshopper some seeds and a warm place by the fire. The grasshopper felt grateful. “Thank you,” he said. “You are very kind.”
“Next summer,” said the grasshopper, “I will save food too. I will plan ahead.”
“And I will listen to your music while we work,” said the ant with a smile.
So all through the long winter, the grasshopper played soft songs, and the ant listened. They were both happy.
When summer came again, the ant and the grasshopper worked together. Carry, carry, carry. And when they were finished, they sang together too. The end.
On this page
Picture cards to talk about
- Ant carries seeds in summer
- Grasshopper sings and hops
- Snow covers the field
- Grasshopper knocks on the ant’s door
- Ant shares food by the fire
- Ant and grasshopper work together
Talk about The Ant and the Grasshopper together
- What did the ant do in summer?
- What did the grasshopper do in summer?
- How did the grasshopper feel in winter?
- What was kind about the ant?
Feelings in this story
Busy, Cold, Hungry, Worried, Grateful, Happy.
What the story teaches: It helps to get ready for later, and it is kind to share with someone who needs help.
This version is our own gentle retelling of a public-domain tale. You can read about the history of the original story on Wikipedia.
Find more calm stories on our Stories page, or play together in the Playground.