The Ant and the Grasshopper
蚂蚁和蚱蜢
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.
When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.
夏日的一天，一只蚱蜢正在一块庄稼地上蹦来跳去，无忧无虑地唱着歌。 这时，一只蚂蚁从它身边爬过。蚂蚁正十分费劲地拖着一个玉米棒子，它是要把玉米棒子拖回到蚂蚁巢里面去。
“过来跟我聊聊天吧，”蚱蚂说，“用不着那么辛苦地工作吧？”
“我正帮忙收集过冬用的粮食，”蚂蚁说，“我建议你也去收集点粮食。”
“为了过冬用不着这么费劲吧？”蚱蚂说，“我们现在有大把的粮食”。
蚂蚁没有听它的，而是继续辛苦地拖着粮食往回赶。
冬天来了，蚱蚂没有粮食，都快要饿死了。 这时，蚱蚂看到蚂蚁们正分发他们在夏天时收集并储存起来的玉米和谷物。 蚱蚂明白了： 什么事都要提早做好准备，将来才有好的结果。
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