The Ant and the Grasshopper

Illustration for the Chinese story “The Ant and the Grasshopper”

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夏天xià tiān的de时候shí hou,蚂蚁mǎ yǐ们men每天měi tiān都dōu很hěn忙máng。During the summer, the ants were very busy every day.它们tā men顶着dǐng zhe大dà太阳tài yang,努力nǔ lì搬运bān yùn食物shí wù,把bǎ粮食liáng shi一点点yī diǎn diǎn存进cún jìn洞dòng里lǐ。They worked hard under the hot sun, carrying food and storing it little by little in their holes.

一只yī zhī蚱蜢zhà měng却què整天zhěng tiān在zài草地cǎo dì上shàng唱歌chàng gē、跳舞tiào wǔ。However, a grasshopper spent the whole day singing and dancing on the grass.它tā看到kàn dào蚂蚁mǎ yǐ工作gōng zuò,笑着xiào zhe说shuō:When it saw the ants working, it laughed and said,“夏天xià tiān这么zhè me长cháng,现在xiàn zài存cún食物shí wù太tài早zǎo啦la!快kuài来lái和hé我wǒ玩wán吧ba!”'The summer is so long, it's too early to store food now! Come and play with me!'

蚂蚁mǎ yǐ摇摇头yáo yáo tóu:The ants shook their heads and said,“冬天dōng tiān快kuài来了lái le,现在xiàn zài不bù准备zhǔn bèi,到时候dào shí hòu会huì饿肚子è dù zi的de。”'Winter is coming soon. If we don't prepare now, we will be hungry then.'

很快hěn kuài,冬天dōng tiān到dào了le。Soon, winter arrived.大地dà dì被bèi白雪bái xuě覆盖fù gài,蚱蜢zhà měng找不到zhǎo bù dào任何rèn hé吃的chī de。The ground was covered with white snow, and the grasshopper couldn't find anything to eat.它tā又yòu冷lěng又yòu饿è,哆哆嗦嗦duō duō suō suō地de爬pá到dào蚂蚁mǎ yǐ家jiā门口mén kǒu:“求求qiú qiú你们nǐ men,分fēn我wǒ一点yī diǎn食物shí wù吧ba!”It was cold and hungry, shivering as it crawled to the ants' door and said, 'Please, give me some food!'

蚂蚁mǎ yǐ打开dǎ kāi门mén说shuō:The ants opened the door and said,“夏天xià tiān你nǐ只zhǐ顾着gù zhe玩wán,现在xiàn zài知道zhī dào难过nán guò了le吧ba?我们wǒ men的de食物shí wù只zhǐ够gòu自己zì jǐ吃chī。”'In the summer, you only cared about playing, now you know how hard it is, right? We only have enough food for ourselves.'说完shuō wán,它tā关上了guān shàng le门mén。After saying that, they closed the door.

蚱蜢zhà měng后悔hòu huǐ极了jí le,可kě已经yǐ jīng来不及lái bu jí了le。The grasshopper regretted it very much, but it was already too late.

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