Aesop

The Ant and the Grasshopper

Die Ameise und die Heuschrecke

On a bright day in late autumn, a family of ants dries the grain they stored up over the summer. A starving grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, comes up and humbly begs for a bite to eat. The ants want to know what he was doing all summer.

B15 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

One bright day in late autumn, a family of ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying the grain they had stored up during the summer. Just then a starving grasshopper came up, his fiddle under his arm, and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

An einem hellen Tag im Spätherbst war eine Ameisenfamilie im warmen Sonnenschein geschäftig dabei, das Korn zu trocknen, das sie während des Sommers gesammelt hatte. Genau in diesem Moment kam eine hungernde Heuschrecke mit ihrer Geige unter dem Arm herbei und bat demütig um einen Bissen zu essen.

"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?"

„Was!“, riefen die Ameisen überrascht. „Hast du denn gar nichts für den Winter beiseitegelegt? Was um Himmels willen hast du den ganzen letzten Sommer über getan?“

"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."

„Ich hatte keine Zeit, Vorräte zu sammeln“, jammerte die Heuschrecke. „Ich war so damit beschäftigt, Musik zu machen, dass der Sommer vorbei war, ehe ich mich versah.“

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

The Ant and the Grasshopper · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 139 words · ~5 min · Audio
Die Ameise und die Heuschrecke · GermanB1 Intermediate · 147 words · ~5 min · Audio
Το μυρμήγκι και ο τζίτζικας · GreekB1 Intermediate · 130 words · ~5 min
La hormiga y el saltamontes · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 138 words · ~5 min · Audio
La Fourmi et la Sauterelle · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 160 words · ~5 min · Audio
चींटी और टिड्डा · HindiB1 Intermediate · 157 words · ~5 min
Semut dan Belalang · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 130 words · ~5 min
La formica e la cicala · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 138 words · ~5 min
アリとキリギリス · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
개미와 베짱이 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 98 words · ~5 min
De mier en de sprinkhaan · DutchB1 Intermediate · 155 words · ~5 min
Mrówka i konik polny · PolishB1 Intermediate · 109 words · ~5 min
A Formiga e o Gafanhoto · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 133 words · ~5 min
Furnica și greierele · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 127 words · ~5 min
Karınca ile Ağustos Böceği · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 106 words · ~5 min
Kiến và Châu Chấu · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 172 words · ~5 min
蚂蚁与蚱蜢 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read The Ant and the Grasshopper in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

What level is it?

The original English is B1 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 139 words: around 5 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Is it free?

Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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