One fine winter day, some ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had become damp after a long spell of rain. Presently, a grasshopper came up and begged them for a few grains. "For," she said, "I am simply starving."
The ants paused in their work, though it was against their principles. "May we ask," they said, "what you were doing all last summer? Why didn't you collect a store of food for the winter?"
"The fact is," replied the grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I had no time."
"If you spent the summer singing," replied the ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled and went on with their work.