The Ant and the Grasshopper
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
While industrious ants spend the summer storing food, a carefree grasshopper spends his days making music instead — a choice that catches up with him when winter comes.
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer.
Num dia claro do final do outono, uma família de Formigas se agitava sob o sol quente, secando o grão que haviam armazenado durante o verão.
A starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
Um Gafanhoto faminto, com seu violino debaixo do braço, aproximou-se e humildemente pediu um pouco de comida.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise. "Haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"O quê!", exclamaram as Formigas, surpresas. "Você não guardou nada para o inverno? O que você esteve fazendo o verão todo?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper. "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
"Não tive tempo de guardar comida", choramingou o Gafanhoto. "Estava tão ocupado fazendo música que, antes que eu percebesse, o verão tinha acabado."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
As Formigas deram de ombros com desdém.
"Making music, were you?" they said. "Very well, now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
"Fazendo música, era isso?", disseram elas. "Muito bem, agora dance!" E viraram as costas para o Gafanhoto e voltaram ao trabalho.
There is a time for work and a time for play.
Há um tempo para o trabalho e um tempo para a diversão.
