The Ant and the Grasshopper by Joseph C. Lincoln
A hardworking ant prepares for winter by storing food, while a grasshopper spends the summer singing and playing. When winter comes, the ant is prepared and the grasshopper must beg the ant for help. The ant refuses, teaching the grasshopper a lesson about responsibility and preparation.
By Joseph C. Lincoln · First published 1902 · Genre: Fable, Allegory, Children's Literature · 386 words
First lines
You know the story -- it's centuries old -- / How the Ant and the Grasshopper met, we're told, / On a blustering day, when the wind was cold / And the trees were bare and brown; / And the Grasshopper, being a careless blade, / Who all the summer had danced and played, / Now came to the rich old Ant for aid, / And the latter "turned him down."
It's only fancy, but I suppose / That the Grasshopper wore his summer clothes, / And stood there kicking his frozen toes / And shaking his bones apart; / And the Ant, with a sealskin coat and hat, / Commanded the Grasshopper, brusque and flat, / To "Dance through the winter," and things like that, / Which he thought were "cute" and "smart."
What this Textopian page supports
The Ant and the Grasshopper is listed on Textopian as a fable by Joseph C. Lincoln, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Joseph C. Lincoln
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Allegory, Children's Literature, Poetry, Humor
- Length: 386 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Ant and the Grasshopper by Joseph C. Lincoln
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
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Genres
- Fable — The story conveys a moral lesson through anthropomorphized characters, typical of fables.
- Allegory — The characters represent broader themes of hard work versus carelessness, illustrating deeper societal values.
- Children's Literature — The narrative style and moral lesson are suitable for a young audience, making it accessible and educational.
- Poetry — The work employs a rhythmic and rhyming structure, characteristic of poetic forms.
Tags
Fable · Moral_Tale · Short_Story · Children's_Literature · Animal_Fable · Summer · Hard_Work · Responsibility · Preparedness · Consequences · Reward_and_Punishment · Cautionary_Tale