The Grasshopper and the Ant
And then the wives of the ant and the grasshopper fell ill, and needed to be sent to nursing homes.
Neither had suitable insurance; both applied for Medicaid.
For the grasshopper who had squandered his income over his entire lifetime of travel, partying, and festivities, it was a piece of cake.
Neither he nor his wife had a thing.
Medicaid granted!
But the ant and his wife had scrimped and saved all their lives, living on cold porridge and travelling no further than the next town, doing their best to provide for their "golden years".
They had to give up and sign over everything they had spent a life of sacrifice and prudence to save.
And only then, stripped as naked as the grasshoppers, but not having had the life of ease, riotous living, and heedless pleasure of the grasshoppers, were they given Medicaid.
"Gee," said the ant to himself. "It's as if the state wanted to punish the prudent, the provident, the industrious, the thrifty, the responsible, in favor of the altogether shiftless and thoughtless."
And the grasshopper looked over at the ant. And smiled.
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