The Ant and his Hoe September 6, 2009

Once upon a time, an ant and a grasshopper made an alliance.

You see, the winter was coming, and had promised, in writing, to be especially harsh that year. So many animals and insects and fish were forming alliances to get through the season.

Several times during the summer, and then during the fall, the ant attempted to get the grasshopper to meet with him and set down assignments for each to accomplish. However, the grasshopper always begged forgiveness and told the ant they’d meet another day.

By the time the winter finally came, the ant realized he had done all the work: he’d collected the food, prepared the food, stored the food, and made several special dishes that had been taught to him by his mother. The grasshopper, however, had done no work at all.

So one cold day, when the grasshopper was watching his soaps, there was a knocking on the door. The grasshopper gladly opened it. He had been anxiously awaiting the food provided by the ant.

Instead, he found the ant waiting with just his hoe.

The ant proceeded to beat the grasshopper with the hoe then, again and again until he lay bloody and twitching on the floor. After a while, he did toss him in the back of his van and take him to the hospital.

And so the grasshopper survived with only a few scars and a lifelong fear of hoes, but he never took advantage of the ant again.

The End.

Source: The Ant and the Grasshopper, Aesop’s Fables.