It was autumn in a pretty garden in Kerala. The leaves were turning orange and yellow. Winter was coming.

A tiny ant named Cheeku was working very hard. She was collecting grains of rice, tiny seeds, and bits of food. She carried them one by one to her underground home.

“Why are you working so hard, Cheeku?” asked a grasshopper named Tikku. He was sitting on a leaf, singing songs and enjoying the sunshine.

“I am preparing for winter,” said Cheeku. “When it gets cold, there will be no food outside. I need to store enough food for my family.”

“Winter is far away!” laughed Tikku. “Why worry now? Come, relax and sing with me! The weather is so pleasant!”

“I cannot relax now,” said Cheeku. “If I don’t work today, my family will go hungry tomorrow.”

Tikku shrugged and went back to singing. Day after day, Cheeku worked. Day after day, Tikku played.

Then winter came. It was freezing cold. The ground was hard. There was no food anywhere.

Cheeku and her family were warm and safe inside their underground home. They had plenty of food — rice, seeds, and sugar. They ate well and told stories by the fire.

But poor Tikku was outside in the cold. He had no food. He had no shelter. He was shivering and starving.

Tikku knocked on Cheeku’s door. “Please, Cheeku,” he said sadly. “I am so hungry. Can you share some food with me? I am sorry I did not listen to you.”

Cheeku felt sorry for Tikku. “Come inside,” she said kindly. “I will share my food with you. But next year, you must work hard during autumn. Promise?”

“I promise!” said Tikku gratefully. “I have learned my lesson. I will never waste time again.”

And the next autumn, Tikku worked just as hard as Cheeku!