"I should like to go with you," said the grasshopper. "May I?"
"Of course!" answered Billy. "Shall we run a race?"
They were off like the wind, but the grasshopper hopped such big hops, he had to wait for Billy to catch up after each hop.
"Stop running!" he called out as he sat waiting. "You might tread on this ant."
When Billy came up, he saw an ant trying to pull a piece of bread to the door of her house. How hard the ant was working! Up hill and down hill, for ridges of earth in the road seemed like great hills to the little ant.
"Why don't you help the ant, Billy?" asked the grasshopper.
"That's so!" said Billy. "I will!" He brought a green leaf and said, "Now Mrs. Ant, if you will pull the bread on this leaf, I will help you to get it to your home."
"O, thank you!" said the ant. "My babies are very hungry." So she put the bread on the leaf and sat down beside it and Billy drew the leaf to the little hill of sand that he knew was the ant's house.
"Thank you!" said the ant. "You are very kind, little boy!"
"You are welcome," said Billy and he and the grasshopper went on their way.