Chapter 20 of 20
Chapter 20: The Grasshopper and the Ant
Aesop's Classic Fable, Hard Work, Foresight & Saving for the Future | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Story comprehension: The gay grasshopper spends warm summer days singing, dancing, and mocking.
- The diligent ant: Works tirelessly day and night carrying heavy grain into its underground pantry.
- The harsh winter: Snow covers the earth; freezing grasshopper starves and begs the ant for food.
- The ant's lesson: 'Lazy fellow! You sang and danced all summer. Now go and dance the winter away!'.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (16 Questions)
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Q1
Reading is Fun • Grasshopper's Habit
How did the grasshopper spend his days in summer?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The grasshopper spent his summer days singing songs, dancing, and sleeping lazily in the warm sunshine.
• The grasshopper spent his summer days singing songs, dancing, and sleeping lazily in the warm sunshine.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Singing and dancing
1 M
Sleeping lazily / doing no work
1 M
Q2
Reading is Fun • Ant's Labor
What were the hardworking ants doing all through the summer?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The ants were marching to and fro, carrying heavy grains of corn and wheat into their anthill to store for winter.
• The ants were marching to and fro, carrying heavy grains of corn and wheat into their anthill to store for winter.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Carrying heavy grains
1 M
Storing for winter
1 M
Q3
Reading is Fun • Winter Changes
What happened when the cold winter arrived?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The earth turned freezing cold, thick white snow covered all the grass and leaves, and no food or worms were left for the grasshopper.
• The earth turned freezing cold, thick white snow covered all the grass and leaves, and no food or worms were left for the grasshopper.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Freezing cold and snow covered earth
1 M
No food/leaves left to eat
1 M
Q4
Reading is Fun • Begging for Help
Why did the grasshopper go to the ant's house in winter?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The grasshopper was shivering with cold and dying of hunger, so he went to beg the ant for a little shelter and a few grains of corn.
• The grasshopper was shivering with cold and dying of hunger, so he went to beg the ant for a little shelter and a few grains of corn.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Shivering and starving
1 M
Begging for shelter and grains
1 M
Q5
Reading is Fun • The Ant's Scolding
What did the wise ant say to the lazy grasshopper?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The ant replied angrily: 'Lazy fellow! What were you doing all summer? You laughed at us while we worked! If you sang all summer, you can go and dance the winter away!' and shut the door.
• The ant replied angrily: 'Lazy fellow! What were you doing all summer? You laughed at us while we worked! If you sang all summer, you can go and dance the winter away!' and shut the door.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Reminded him of summer mocking
1 M
'Dance the winter away' quoted
1 M
Q6
Character Comparison • Contrasting Traits
Compare the characters of the Ant and the Grasshopper.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Comparison:
• The Ant: Hardworking, disciplined, wise, farsighted, and prepared for emergencies.
• The Grasshopper: Lazy, careless, irresponsible, pleasure-seeking, and foolish.
• The Ant: Hardworking, disciplined, wise, farsighted, and prepared for emergencies.
• The Grasshopper: Lazy, careless, irresponsible, pleasure-seeking, and foolish.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Ant: hardworking and farsighted
1.5 M
Grasshopper: lazy and irresponsible
1.5 M
Q7
Moral of the Story
What is the important life lesson taught by 'The Grasshopper and the Ant'?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• 'Make hay while the sun shines.' We must work hard and save resources during good times so that we never suffer in difficult times.
• 'Make hay while the sun shines.' We must work hard and save resources during good times so that we never suffer in difficult times.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Make hay while sun shines proverb/concept
1 M
Saving for difficult times explained
1 M
Q8
Opposites • Story Words
Write the opposite of:
(a) Lazy × _______
(b) Summer × _______
(c) Warm × _______
[3 Marks]
(a) Lazy × _______
(b) Summer × _______
(c) Warm × _______
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
(a) Lazy × Hardworking / Active
(b) Summer × Winter
(c) Warm × Cold / Freezing
(a) Lazy × Hardworking / Active
(b) Summer × Winter
(c) Warm × Cold / Freezing
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
(a) Hardworking
1 M
(b) Winter
1 M
(c) Cold
1 M
Q9
Vocabulary • Anthill & Underground Storage
Where do ants store their food? What is their home called?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• Ants live and store their food in an underground anthill (or colony / nest) with chambers and tunnels.
• Ants live and store their food in an underground anthill (or colony / nest) with chambers and tunnels.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Anthill / colony identified
1 M
Chambers/tunnels explained
1 M
Q10
Sentence Construction
Make a sentence using the word 'starving'.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Sample Sentence:
• The poor stray dog was shivering and starving in the cold rain until a kind girl fed him warm milk.
• The poor stray dog was shivering and starving in the cold rain until a kind girl fed him warm milk.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Meaningful sentence with 'starving'
2 M
Q11
Science Fact • Ants' Strength
How much weight can a tiny ant lift compared to its own body weight?
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• A tiny ant can lift and carry objects 10 to 50 times heavier than its own body weight!
• A tiny ant can lift and carry objects 10 to 50 times heavier than its own body weight!
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
10 to 50 times body weight stated
1 M
Q12
Saving Habit for Children
How can school children apply the ant's lesson in their daily studies?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Answer:
• Study and revise school lessons every day throughout the year instead of procrastinating.
• If you work daily like the ant, you will never panic or struggle when final examinations arrive.
• Study and revise school lessons every day throughout the year instead of procrastinating.
• If you work daily like the ant, you will never panic or struggle when final examinations arrive.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Daily study and revision habit
1 M
Avoiding last-minute exam panic
1 M
Q13
Spelling Check • Insect Names
Fill in the missing letters: G R _ S S H _ P P _ R (jumping insect).
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• G R A S S H O P P E R = GRASSHOPPER.
• G R A S S H O P P E R = GRASSHOPPER.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
GRASSHOPPER correct
1 M
Q14
True or False
State True or False:
(a) The grasshopper stored five sacks of grain for winter.
(b) The ant worked diligently even in hot summer afternoons.
[2 Marks]
(a) The grasshopper stored five sacks of grain for winter.
(b) The ant worked diligently even in hot summer afternoons.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
(a) False. The grasshopper stored zero food.
(b) True. The ant worked tirelessly in all seasons.
(a) False. The grasshopper stored zero food.
(b) True. The ant worked tirelessly in all seasons.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
(a) False with reason
1 M
(b) True
1 M
Q15
Chapter Reflection
Why is 'The Grasshopper and the Ant' one of the most famous fables in human history?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Summary:
• Because it vividly warns against the dangers of laziness and procrastination, while honoring the dignity of labor, foresight, and self-reliance.
• Because it vividly warns against the dangers of laziness and procrastination, while honoring the dignity of labor, foresight, and self-reliance.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Dangers of procrastination and value of labor summarized
2 M
Q16
Reading is Fun • Summer and Winter
What did the grasshopper do all summer long, and what did the hardworking ants do?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The lazy grasshopper sang songs and played in the warm sunshine all day.
• The hardworking ants toiled day and night storing food in their granary for the cold winter.
• The lazy grasshopper sang songs and played in the warm sunshine all day.
• The hardworking ants toiled day and night storing food in their granary for the cold winter.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Grasshopper sang and played
1 M
Ants stored food for winter
1 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
The Winter Grasshopper and Ant Contrast
All through the warm sunny summer, the grasshopper did nothing but play his fiddle, sing merry songs, and lounge on soft green clover. Whenever he saw little ants sweating under heavy kernels of golden corn, he laughed: 'Foolish ants! Why work so hard in the sunshine? Life is meant for fun!'. But when freezing winter arrived, thick snow buried the fields. The grasshopper had not a single crumb or fly to eat, while the ants stayed warm in their underground tunnels with piles of sweet grain.
Analytical Task: How did the grasshopper spend his summer? What were the ants doing? Why did the grasshopper suffer in winter?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
1. The grasshopper spent his summer singing, dancing, and mocking the ants without doing any work.
2. The ants were working tirelessly, collecting and storing corn and wheat grains for the cold winter ahead.
3. The grasshopper suffered in winter because he had saved nothing, and thick snow covered all natural food sources, leaving him starving and freezing.
2. The ants were working tirelessly, collecting and storing corn and wheat grains for the cold winter ahead.
3. The grasshopper suffered in winter because he had saved nothing, and thick snow covered all natural food sources, leaving him starving and freezing.
Rubric: 1 M for grasshopper's summer laziness + 1 M for ants' hard work + 1 M for winter consequence