The Ant and the Grasshopper

Aesop's Fable

In a sun-drenched field, on one scorching summer's day, a lively grasshopper leaped about, chirping and singing with abandon. Nearby, a troupe of ants marched past, their determined strides burdened with kernels of corn. "Where are you off to with such heavy loads?" inquired the grasshopper. Without pause, the first ant replied, "To our humble anthill. This marks my third delivery today."

"Why worry, when you could join me in song?" taunted the grasshopper. "Why to work so hard?"

"We are helping to store food for the winter," stated the ant, "and we advise you to do the same."

"Winter is distant, and today begs to be carefree," sang the grasshopper. Nonetheless, the ants persisted in their diligent labor.

As autumn waned, the air grew cold. All the food lying in the field was covered with a thick white blanket of snow that even the grasshopper could not dig through.

In dire hunger, the grasshopper stumbled upon the ants' colony, observing them handing out corn from their well-stocked reserves. Desperately, he begged them for something to eat.

"What!" exclaimed the ants, astonished. "Have you not prepared for the bitter winter? How did you spend the entire summer?"

"I had no time for such preparations," complained the grasshopper. "Lost in music, I failed to prepare for the changing season."

Disappointed, the ants turned away from the grasshopper, resuming their tireless work.

What is the theme of this story?