Pip's Tiny Load

Pip, a little ant, wiggled his nose. A big, round grain sat right in front of him. "Too big!" he thought with a sigh. His tiny legs scuttled around it, trying to find a good hold. The sun was warm on his back. He pushed with all his might. The grain did not move. Pip pushed again, his antennae wiggling with effort. He felt a little tired. He wanted to take the grain to his home. His brothers and sisters would be hungry. He puffed out his cheeks, a speck of dust flying off his little head. He needed to get this grain moving, but how? It was much bigger than Pip himself. A little rustle came from the tall grass nearby. Pip looked up, his eyes blinking. He wondered what was making that sound.

Hopper's Lively Song

The long, green leg belonged to Hopper, a bouncy grasshopper. Hopper saw Pip. He saw the big grain. "What a big, big grain!" Hopper chirped happily. He rubbed his long legs together, making a 'zzzz-zzzz' sound. It was his special grasshopper song! Pip stopped pushing. He looked at Hopper. Hopper's tune was happy and loud. Hopper hopped closer, his big eyes twinkling. "Why are you pushing?" Hopper asked, his head tilted. Pip pointed his antennae at the grain. He wiggled them. "Home," he said, a tiny voice. "My home needs it." Hopper giggled, a tiny 'hee-hee-hee'. He hopped up onto a tall wheat stalk. He sang his song even louder. Pip just sat there, watching Hopper. The grain still did not move, but Hopper's music filled the air with joy. Pip wondered if Hopper would help him.

A Rolling Good Idea

Hopper landed with a soft thump next to the big grain. He looked at Pip, then at the grain. He rubbed his legs together again, but this time his 'zzzz-zzzz' sound was thoughtful. "Too heavy to push!" Hopper declared. He tried to push the grain with his own strong leg, but it just wiggled a little. Hopper scratched his head with a tiny claw. Then, an idea popped into his head! He tapped the grain with his leg. "Roll it!" he chirped. Pip blinked. Roll? Hopper showed him. He pushed the grain with his head, making it turn a little. Pip understood! He wiggled to the other side. Together, Pip and Hopper pushed and nudged. The big grain started to roll slowly. It made a soft 'thump-thump-thump' as it moved over the tiny bumps in the earth. Pip felt a new kind of happy bounce in his step. They were moving the grain! They were a team. But it was still a long way to the anthill.