The Ant and the Grasshopper

A very good morning to the honourable judges, teachers and my fellow

friends. My story today is ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’ by Yanny Tan. Well...this
is how it goes.

It is a sunny day. The sun is shining bright. Two insects are playing in the
garden, the ant and the grasshopper. They are good friends. Food is plentiful on the
sunny day. The ant eats and plays all the time. The grasshopper does the same. They
have no worries.

Sunny days are gone and rainy days are coming. The weather turns cool. The
wind blows and blows. The leaves on the trees begin to fall. The sky turns dark and
cloudy. It is harvest time for the farmers. They cut the rice stalks and bring them
home. They will store up the rice for the rainy season.

The grasshopper is still playing in the garden. The ant advises him, “Friend,
it’s time to work. We must start to store up some food.” “Why worry, Ant,” the
playful grasshopper replies. “There is plenty of food around. There is no need to store
any.” So the grasshopper continues to play by himself.

The farmers carry the grains from the field to their homes. On the way, some
of the grains drop. “These grains are just good for me,” the ant says. The ant picks up
the grains, one at a time. He carries the grains on his back and brings it home. He
knows he must store up the grains for the rainy season.

Soon the rain comes. The weather turns cold. The ground is wet. The ant does
not come out anymore. He stays at home and he has food to eat. The grasshopper is
still outside. He is hungry but he can’t find any food. It is cold and rainy. The garden
is flooded.

The grasshopper goes to see his friend, Ant. He wants to ask Ant for some
food. But the ant’s home is covered with mud and water. The grasshopper cannot
reach him. The grasshopper is hungry and lonely. He is all by himself. He has no
friends and no home to go back to. He is shivering with cold. The grasshopper is
regretting. He says, “I should have listened to Ant. I should have worked hard on
sunny days. I should have stored up some food.”

Soon the grasshopper drops on the ground. Night falls. The grasshopper is
lying still. He is too weak to move. Rain falls on him. Next morning, the grasshopper
is dead.

Now my friends, what did we learn from this story? I’m thinking, I’m thinking, I’m
thinking….Oh yes! It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

With that, I end my story. Thank you.