the ants were spending a fine winter’s day drying grain collected in the summertime. a grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. the ants inquired of him, “why did you not treasure up food during the summer?’ he replied, “i had not leisure enough. i passed the days in singing.” they then said in derision: “if you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.”