The Ant and the Grasshopper (1)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (1)

Summer had just begun.

Animals and insects scurried about, enjoying the nice, warm weather and collecting food for the winter.

" Summer's here. The best time of the year ! " the Grasshopper sang happily.

A long line of ants marched past Grasshopper, carrying small seeds and bits of food back to their shelter.

As they walked along, some crumps fell to the ground.

Before the ants could retrieve them, the Grasshopper ate every last morsel !

A wise old ant at the end of the line walked up to the Grasshopper.

" We've worked very hard to gather this food, " said the Ant.
" You should have helped us pick up what we dropped. "

(1/10)
 

The Ant and the Grasshopper (2)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (2)



" That's what's wrong with your summer song, " the Grasshopper sang.
" You work, work, all day long. Summer is for playing, not working. "

" Summer is for planning and gathering, " said the Ant.
" It's time for getting all the food we'll need for the long, cold winter ahead of us. "

" Winter is do far away. I'd rather go outside and play. "said the Grasshopper.
He was about to hop away when the Ant stopped him.

" Wait ! What about the food you took from us ? " the Ant asked.

" Oh, yes. Thank you, " said the Grasshopper, pointing toward a field.
" And over there is a whole field of wheat to replace your crumbs. I like cornfields better myself, but that might be too far for you to walk. "

And with that, he hopped away. 

(2/10)

タグ：The Ant and the Grasshopper アリとキリギリス

The Ant and the Grasshopper (3)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (3)

The Grasshopper quickly forgot about the Ant and headed off to the nearby dornfield to relax.

He leaped on to anice, green cornstalk.

The leaf was just his size and made a perfect bed.

Above him, another leaf roofed just the right amount of shade.

And within reach, an ear of fresh corn gave him plenty of food to munch on.

" Those ants can gather, work, and store. I'll just snooze right here and snore, " he thought to himself.

Then he fell fast asleep to dream of all the fun he would have the next day.

(3/10)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (4)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (4)

Meanwhile, the rest of the animals in the woods were very busy.

The squirrels stored their acorns, and the Ant lined the tunnels of his home with seeds and other foods.



The Grasshopper, however, lay lazily in the cornfield, singing songs to himself.

The Ant walked by carrying a full load of food.

" When winter comes, we'll be snug and warm in our nest, " thought the Ant.

All summer the Grasshopper watched the ants as he relaxed in his comfortable cornstalk hammock.



When he saw them going to a picnic for crumbs, he hopped along to eat his fill.
While they carried food back to their nest, he slept.

Then one day the Grasshopper heard a loud noise in the field.

He jumped from his bed to see what was happening.

The farmer was coming to harvest the corn !

The Grasshopper hopped into the grass just in the nick of time.
" That was a close call, " sang the Grasshopper.
" Now I've lost my food and bed ! I don't know where I'll rest my head. "

(4/10)  

タグ：アリとキリギリス

The Ant and the Grasshopper (5)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (5)

A line of ants was marching past and heard the Grasshopper complaining about his misfortune.

The Ant stopped to offer some encouragement.

" The days are getting shorter, my friend. But there is still time for you to store food and find a winter shelter. It may be fun to play and sing right now, but soon it will get cold and food will be scarce. "

The Grasshopper thought about that for a second.
" Not today, I've got to play, " he sang, and hopped his way through the grass.

The ants continued their hard work all throughout the summer.

Day after day they labored to fill their nest with as much food as they could find.

The grasshopper, though, had not learned anything from his friend, the Ant.
He ignored all warnings and continued to sing the  days away.

One day, the Grasshopper frowned. 
The sun was setting, and it was getting chilly,
In the distance, the farmer was cutting hay.

" Doesn't anybody here know when to play ? " he asked aloud. 

(5/10)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (6)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (6)

The Grasshopper headed off to the apple orchard.
Most of the leaves are gone from the tree, but the Grasshopper found a few small apple on the ground.

He munched on them until he was full.
Then he settled in for a nap near the roots of the tree.



The Grasshopper shivered.

He looked around for a sunnyspot, but the sun had already set.

" Someone needs to tell the sun that its working day is not done, " he sang unhappily.

Indeed, the sun was one thing the Grasshopper didn't moind seeing at work.
With each day, though, it seemed to work less and less.

But while the sun started to work less and less, the ants continued making preparations for the winter.

In fact everyone, from the farmer to the squirrels, was gearing up for the fast-approaching cold weather.

The ants spotted the Grasshopper lying under an apple tree and walked up to him.

" There is still time,  if you work hard, you too can be ready come winter, " said the  Ant.

But the Grasshopper just sat and sang.

(6/10)   

The Ant and the Grasshopper (7)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (7)

The weather got colder and colder, and one day, when the Grasshopper tried to nibble an apple, he found that it was frozen.

" I don't like my apple in ice, " said the grasshopper.

He was so shivery, he couldn't think of a second line to his rhyme.
" Ice, nice, rice, mice..... "

" Hmmm, " he thought.
" Mice. That's a good idea. Maybe I'll visit my friend the mice. I'll bet it's a warm and cheerful in their snug nest. "

It was indeed, and the Mouse family was delighted to see the Grasshopper.

" Thank you for visiting, Mr. Grasshopper, " said Mother Mouse, full of cheer.
" I would invite you to stay, but all of my sisters and brothers are moving in for the winter. Isn't that wonderful ?
Oh, here they are now ! "

A crowd of mice rushed into the nest.



(7/10)

タグ：アリとキリギリス The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Ant and the Grasshopper (8)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (8)

It was nice to see them hugging each other, but the Grasshopper was hoping to find a place to stay for the winter and a bite to eat.

Unfortunately, there was barely enough room for the mice.

The Grasshopper was out of luck at the Mouse house.

Disappointed, the Grasshopper hopped back to the orchard.

The ground was so cold that it hurt his tiny feet.

" Where are those ants, now that I need them ? " he sang sadly.

Snow began to fall.
It covered the Grasshopper, and he fluttered his wings to clear it away.

He began to feel a horrible chill.



He had to get inside or he would freeze !

Hopping as fast as he could, the Grasshopper raced to the Ant's house.

(8/10)  

The Ant and the Grasshopper (9)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (9)

" Is anybody home ? " he called as he stepped into the tunnels.

" Why aren't you outside, playing in the snow ? " asked the wise Ant.

The Grasshopper wanted to say that he had just come by for a visit.

But he could feel the cold wind on his back.
Sadly, the Grasshopper sang, " I should have listened to what you said. Now I'm cold and scared and unfed. "

It certainly wasn't the Grasshopper's best song, but he hoped the Ant would understand.

The Ant did understand, but he wanted to be sure that the Grasshopper understood, too.

" As you know, we got our food for the winter by working hard. If you stay with us this winter, you'll have to work hard, too. "

The Grasshopper gulped.
Months of hard work sounded like too much fro him.
Would he be able to do it ?

Then he remembered the snow and iceoutside, and just how hungry he was.

(9/10)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (10 完)

The Ant and the Grasshopper (10 完)

He made up his mind to try.
" If you will only let me stay, I will work all night and all day, " sang the Grasshopper.

" Wonderful, " said the Ant.
" Your job here will be to sing for us every day, " he laughed, " because winter is our time to play ! "

So the Grasshopper sang for the Ant and his family all winter long.



And the following summer the Grasshopper sang a song as he helped to gather food.

" Summer work is slow and steady.
  But when winter comes, I'll be ready ! "

(10/10 完)
少しGrasshopper に優しい結末の、「アリとキリギリス」かと、ですね。 

次の新物語は、明日から始まります。いつも、ありがとうございます。では。