The Ants and the Grasshopper

Scene 1

The Sunny Meadow

Once upon a time, in a big sunny meadow filled with wildflowers and tall green grass, there lived a little family of ants.

Scene 2

Meet the Ants

The ants were busy little workers. Every single day, they marched in a long line, carrying seeds and berries back to their cozy underground home.

Scene 3

Meet the Grasshopper

But nearby, there also lived a grasshopper. He didn't carry seeds or berries. Oh no! He carried something much more fun — a tiny fiddle!

Scene 4

Grasshopper Plays Music

Every morning, the grasshopper would hop up onto a tall flower and play his fiddle. The music was so beautiful! Even the butterflies stopped to listen.

Scene 5

The Ants Work Hard

While the grasshopper played, the ants worked. They found big golden seeds and tiny red berries. They carried them one by one, all the way home.

Scene 6

Come Play With Me!

"Come and play with me!" called the grasshopper. "It's a beautiful day! Why work when you can dance?"

Scene 7

No Time to Play

The little ant smiled but shook her head. "We can't play right now," she said kindly. "We're saving food for the winter. You should save some too!"

Scene 8

Winter? What Winter!

The grasshopper laughed. "Winter? That's so far away! There's plenty of time to worry about that later." And he hopped away, playing a happy tune.

Scene 9

Summer Days

All through the long summer days, the ants worked and the grasshopper played. The sun was warm, the flowers were bright, and everything felt wonderful.

Scene 10

Grasshopper Naps

Some days, the grasshopper would lie on a soft leaf and nap in the warm sunshine. "This," he sighed happily, "is the life!"

Scene 11

Leaves Start to Change

But then, something started to change. The green leaves began turning yellow and orange and red. Can you see? Autumn was coming!

Scene 12

Ants Work Faster

The ants worked even faster now. They knew winter was getting closer. Back and forth, back and forth, carrying food all day long.

Scene 13

Getting Colder

The grasshopper felt the cool wind blow. "Brrrr!" he shivered. His fingers were getting cold, and it was harder to play his fiddle.

Scene 14

Where Did Summer Go?

"Where did the summer go?" wondered the grasshopper. He looked around. The flowers were gone. The butterflies were gone. Everything felt so quiet and cold.

Scene 15

Winter Arrives

Then winter came. The snow fell softly, covering the whole meadow in a thick white blanket. Everything was cold and still.

Scene 16

Hungry Grasshopper

The grasshopper was so hungry. His tummy rumbled and grumbled. He had no food saved up — not even one tiny seed.

Scene 17

A Warm Light

Then the grasshopper saw something. A tiny warm glow, shining through the snow. It was coming from the ants' home! Could they help him?

Scene 18

Please May I Have Some Food?

The grasshopper knocked softly on the little door. "Please," he said quietly, "may I have just a bite to eat? I'm so very hungry."

Scene 19

What Did You Do All Summer?

The little ant looked up at the grasshopper. "Oh my!" she said. "But what did you do all summer long? Didn't you save any food?"

Scene 20

I Was Making Music

The grasshopper looked down at his fiddle. "I was making music," he said softly. "I played and I danced and I sang. And before I knew it… summer was gone."

Scene 21

The Ants Share

The kind little ant smiled gently. "Come in," she said. "Sit by the fire and have some supper. Everyone needs help sometimes."

Scene 22

A Warm Meal

The grasshopper sat by the warm fire and ate the most wonderful meal. "Thank you," he said, with tears in his big golden eyes. "Next summer, I promise I'll work hard too."

Scene 23

End Card

And the grasshopper kept his promise. The next summer, he worked AND played. Because there's a time for work, and a time for play. The End.

Story Creatures: Live