The Grasshopper and the Ant: NCERT Class 2 Story (Marigold Unit 10)

etmantra13 Nov 20217 min read

This well-loved story shows children why it is wise to work hard and plan ahead. The singing grasshopper and the busy ants are easy to picture, and the ending gives a lot to talk about.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 2, unit 10. NCERT’s newer Class 2 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: The Grasshopper and the Ant

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Past tense with -ed: played, laughed, worked
Season words: summer, winter, snow
Why it is wise to plan ahead
Telling a story in order: first, then, in the end

What the story is about

Once there was a lazy grasshopper who did not like to work. All day he sang songs and played in the warm sunshine. He laughed at the ants, who worked day and night. The ants told him they were storing grain for the long winter, but the grasshopper only laughed louder.

Then summer ended and cold winter came. The wind blew and it snowed. There was no grass, no flowers, no leaves and not even a tiny fly to eat. The hungry grasshopper went to his neighbour, the ant, and asked for food. The ant was angry. She said he had only sung and danced all summer instead of thinking about winter. She shut her door, and the grasshopper stayed as hungry as before.

New words, with Hindi meanings

lazy: not wanting to work (हिंदी: आलसी)
sunshine: the light and warmth of the sun (हिंदी: धूप)
storing: keeping things safely to use later (हिंदी: जमा करना)
grain: small seeds like wheat or rice that we eat (हिंदी: अनाज)
starve: to become very weak or ill because there is no food (हिंदी: भूखा मरना)
neighbour: someone who lives near you (हिंदी: पड़ोसी)
anger: a strong feeling of being upset with someone (हिंदी: गुस्सा)
slammed: shut something hard and loudly (हिंदी: ज़ोर से बंद किया)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What did the grasshopper do all summer?
Why were the ants working day and night?
What did the ant say when the grasshopper asked for food?
What do you do now so that you are ready for something later, like an exam or a trip?

Answers for parents

He sang songs and played in the warm sunshine. He did not work.
They were storing grain for the long winter.
She asked what he had done all summer, said he had only sung and danced, and told him to go away.
For example: I read a little every day so that I am ready for my exam.

Grammar corner: Past tense with -ed

When something has already happened, we often add -ed to the action word. Play becomes played and work becomes worked. Stories are usually told in the past, so you will see many -ed words in this one.

The ants worked hard in the hot summer.
The grasshopper jumped from leaf to leaf.
The cold wind started to blow.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: The grasshopper ___ (laugh) at the ants.
Change to the past: The ant stores grain.
Say one sentence about what you played yesterday, using an -ed word.

Answers: 1. laughed · 2. The ant stored grain. · 3. For example: I played cricket with my friends.

Try this

Act out the story together. One person is the grasshopper, singing and dancing; the others are ants carrying “grain” (a few spoons or small toys) to a corner of the room. Then say “Winter is here!” and shiver. Let the grasshopper knock and ask for food. Afterwards, talk about what the grasshopper could have done differently.

Tip for parents

Talk about the story in Hindi first: “टिड्डा गाता रहा, चींटियाँ अनाज जमा करती रहीं।” Then ask the same questions in English and accept answers that mix both languages. Link it to home life, like storing grain or pickles for later, and praise your child for every idea.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of The Grasshopper and the Ant?

We should work and plan ahead for hard times, like the ants who stored grain for winter. The grasshopper only played, so he had nothing when winter came.

Who are the characters in The Grasshopper and the Ant?

The story has a lazy grasshopper and the hard-working ants, including the ant who is his neighbour.

Which NCERT book has The Grasshopper and the Ant?

It is Unit 10 of NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 2. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 2 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →