TheAnta

ndTheGr
ass
hope
r

"
Youa
remys
uns
hine
,myonl
ysuns
hine
!"

Thi
sisRa
ghu.Ra
ghui
sagr
ass
hoppe
rwhol
ove
stos
inga
ndt
opl
aya
ndt
odonot
hingbutl
ie
a
round!Hel
ove
ssumme
randt
hegr
eengr
ass
!Ra
ghui
saha
ppygr
ass
hoppe
r.“
Oh!HowIl
ove
t
hes
umme
r!Thef
res
hsme
llofgr
ass
,thef
rui
ts
!Thewa
lki
ngf
rui
ts
!Wa
it
,wha
t?!Whyi
sthe
f
rui
twa
lki
ng?
”

Ra
ghuwa
ssc
are
d!Hec
aut
ious
lyc
reptt
owa
rdst
hewa
lki
ngf
rui
t.“
Fff
f.
.f
ff
f…f
rui
t!Tt
tt
…tt
t.
.t
el
l
mewhoy
oua
re!A gh.
.gh.
.ghos
t!Mu… mu.
.mu.
.ma
gic
!”.Thef
rui
tke
ptc
omi
ngt
owa
rds
Ra
ghu.Sl
owl
ysl
idi
nga
gai
nstt
hegr
eengr
ound.The
nsudde
nly!“
Hel
p!He
lp!Thef
rui
tis
r
unni
ngt
owa
rdsme
!He
lp!Thef
rui
tisa
tt
acki
ngme
!”

“
Wai
t,wha
tist
hatnoi
se?
”.AsRa
ghul
is
tene
dcl
ose
ly,hehe
ards
omevoi
cegi
ggl
ing.Andt
her
e
i
twa
sadoz
ena
nts
.Ri
ghtu
nde
rthef
rui
t!

“
HAHAHA!Aa
h!He
lp!He
lp!He
lp!t
hef
rui
tisa
tt
acki
ngme
!HAHAHA!Ar
eyoua
fra
idofa
f
rui
t,Ra
ghu?
”

“
Ah!Iwa
sn’
taf
rai
d!Don
’tyouknow?I
'm agr
ass
hoppe
r.Hoppi
ngi
smyj
ob!Yous
il
lya
nts
!
HAHA!Ia
m bi
gandmi
ght
y,Idon’
tne
eda
nybody’
sas
sis
tanc
etoc
arr
yaf
rui
t!Doyout
inny
one
sne
edhe
lpt
ofi
nis
hthef
rui
t?
”

“
Ver
yfunny,Ra
ghu!Butwea
renotc
arr
yingt
hisf
rui
ttoe
at.Wea
rec
oll
ect
ing.Lookt
her
e.”

Andc
oll
ect
ingt
heywe
re!Ast
hea
ntpoi
nte
dout
,Ra
ghus
awmor
etha
nadoz
ena
ntswa
lki
ngi
n
l
ine
stowa
rdsabi
ghol
eint
hegr
ound
!The
yca
rri
edt
oma
toe
s,be
rri
es,c
orna
nda
lsoba
byc
arr
ots
!
Ra
ghuwa
snowc
uri
ous
.“Wha
tar
eyoua
lldoi
ng?Wh
yar
eyoudr
oppi
ngt
hef
oodi
ntheg
round?
Ha
vet
hef
rui
tgoneba
d?”

“
Oh,no!Nota
tal
l!Wea
res
tor
ingf
ood.Soon,t
hes
umme
rwi
llbegonea
ndwi
nte
rwi
llbeupon
us
.Thef
rui
tsa
ndl
eave
swi
llbegone
!Weha
vet
obepr
epa
redf
ort
hat
.El
sewewi
lls
tar
ve!
”

“
Raghu,youmus
tst
oret
hef
oodt
oo!Al
lthef
rui
tsa
ndt
hegr
eengr
asswi
llbegones
oon.
”

“
Oh!Youa
lla
res
oti
ny!Iwi
lldoi
tinama
tt
erofda
ys!Ti
llt
henIwi
lle
njoyt
hebr
eez
eandl
aze
a
roundi
nther
ive
r.”
Oneda
y,a
shewa
slyi
ngont
het
hic
kla
yerofgr
ass
,hes
awal
ongl
ineofa
nts
.Ca
rryi
ngt
wigs
a
ndl
eave
s.“
Wha
tist
his
?Whe
rea
reyout
aki
ngt
hes
ele
ave
sandt
wigs
?”

“
Wea
ret
aki
ngt
hist
oke
epusc
omf
ort
abl
edur
ingt
hewi
nte
r!Youmus
tcol
le
ctt
oo,Ra
ghu!
Wi
nte
rwi
llbeve
ryc
old!
”

“
HAHAHA!Wi
nte
rsa
rea
lwa
ysc
old
,yous
il
ly!Youa
res
oma
ny!Tha
t’swhyyouha
vet
owor
k
s
oha
rd.Ia
mjus
tme
!Iwi
lls
ure
lyf
inds
ome
thi
ng.Whywor
rya
boutt
omor
row.
”.Thea
ntkne
w
t
hatRa
ghuwi
llnotl
is
tent
ohe
r.Shet
urne
dtol
eave
.Jus
tthe
n….

“
Ah!Ouc
h!Myl
eg!
”

“
Oh!Wha
tha
ppe
ned?Ar
eyouOK?
”

“
Oh,myl
eghur
ts!Ic
an’
twa
lknow.
”

“
Tha
t’sf
ine
.Youc
ans
itonmyba
cka
ndIwi
llf
lyyout
oyourhome
!”

“
Oh,r
eal
ly?Youwi
lldot
hat
?”

“
Ooh,whyno
t?Comeonn
ow.
”

Ra
ghuf
lewa
waywi
tht
hea
ntonhi
sba
ck.Thea
ntha
dne
verf
elts
oha
ppy!Ast
her
eac
hedhome
,
Ra
ghuwa
ssu
rpr
ise
d!The
remor
ead
oze
nant
s.Hes
atdowna
ndt
heba
bya
nts
li
ddownhi
sba
ck.
“
Tha
nkyouMr
.Ra
ghu.
”

“
Eh… OK,Ba
byAnt
!Hopeyoue
njoye
dyourr
ide
!Of
fyougo.Ta
kec
areofyourl
eg.
”

Da
yspa
sse
dandt
hes
umme
rwa
sre
adyt
ole
ave
.Tr
eess
tar
tedt
oshe
dit
sle
ave
s.Andgr
assha
d
be
gunt
ocha
ngei
tsc
olour
.Ra
ghul
aze
dar
oundt
hewa
teronadr
yle
af,l
ooki
nga
tthebr
ights
ky,
e
ati
ngt
hel
it
tl
egr
eenl
eave
stha
twe
rel
eft
.

Andt
henwi
nte
rca
me.Snowha
dcove
redt
hewhol
egr
ound.Gonewe
ret
hegr
eengr
assa
ndt
he
r
ipef
rui
ts
.Ra
ghus
ear
che
dands
ear
che
dforas
ingl
egr
eenl
eaf
.Butc
oul
dnotf
inda
ny.He
s
ear
che
dforawa
rmpl
acebuts
nowha
dbui
ltl
aye
rsa
ndl
aye
rsupont
hewa
rmgr
ound.Het
hen
r
eme
mbe
redt
hatt
hea
ntsha
dta
kenal
otoff
ooda
ndt
wigsunde
rthegr
ound.Hef
oundt
hepl
ace
a
ndknoc
kedont
hei
rdoor
.“Ca
nanybodyhe
arme
?”

“
Whoi
sit
?OH!Ra
ghu!Wha
tha
ppe
nedt
oyou?
”

“
It’
sco
ldouthe
re.I
’mhun
gry.Doyouha
ves
hel
te
randf
oodf
orme
?”
“
Oh,butt
hewi
nte
rsa
rea
lwa
ysc
old,yous
il
ly!Youwe
ret
heonewhoke
pts
ayi
ng‘
Whywor
ry
a
boutt
omor
row!
’Wha
tha
ppe
nednow?
!”

“
ButI
…”

Ra
ghuha
dcol
la
pse
dont
hegr
oundwi
that
hud.

“
Oh!Wha
tha
ppe
nedt
oyou?
”

“
Oh,no!weh
avet
osa
vehi
m!Hewi
lls
tar
ve.Af
tera
llhedi
dhe
lpmeonc
ewhe
nIha
dinj
ure
d
myl
eg.
”Thea
ntna
rra
tedt
hei
nci
dentt
otheque
en.Shee
xpl
ai
nedhowRa
ghuha
dhe
lpe
dhe
r.

“
Hmmm… br
ingouts
omel
eave
sandwa
rmhi
mup.Weha
vee
noughf
ood.Wec
ans
har
eitwi
th
hi
m.”

Thea
ntswr
appe
dupRa
ghui
nsomel
eave
stoke
eph
imwa
rm.The
yfe
dhi
mhots
oupa
nds
ome
f
rui
ts
.Soon,Ra
ghuwa
sba
ckonhi
sfe
et.“
Tha
nkyou
,yourhi
ghne
ss!Tha
nkyouf
ors
avi
ngme
.I
oweyoumyl
if
e!”

“
Youa
reani
cei
nse
ct,Ra
ghu!Youhe
lpame
mbe
rofmygr
oup!Wewi
llhe
lpyouf
ort
his
wi
nte
r.Wea
reaf
ri
end.Wemus
the
lpe
achot
her
.Butr
eme
mbe
r,a
lwa
ysbepr
epa
redf
ort
he
f
utur
e.”

“
Iknowi
tnow,youhi
ghn
ess
!Yous
houl
dnott
owor
ry.Wemus
tha
ves
oli
dar
it
y.Buta
lwa
ysbe
pr
epa
redf
ort
omor
row.Ne
verbel
azy.
”

-THEEND-