Fairy Tale Story

Link Video Storytelling : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1glt8pyG6vXlkI1kzyDHoouGhgd-nmiIn/view?usp=drivesdk

The Ant and the Dove

    One hot day, an ant was searching for some water. After walking around for some time, she came to a spring. To reach the spring, she had to climb up a blade of grass. While making her way up, she slipped and fell into the water.

    She could have drowned if a dove up a nearby tree had not seen her. Seeing that the ant was in trouble, the dove quickly plucked off a leaf and dropped it into the water near the struggling ant. The ant moved towards the leaf and climbed up there. Soon it carried her safely to dry ground. Just at that time, a hunter nearby was throwing out his net towards the dove, hoping to trap it.

    Guessing what he was about to do, the ant quickly bit him on the heel. Feeling the pain, the hunter dropped his net. The dove was quick to fly away to safety.

QUESTION
1.How many characters are there in the story above?
2.Who helps the ants? 
3."After walking around for some time, she came to a spring." what is synonym of the tilted word? 
4."Soon it carried her safely to dry ground."(paragraph 2), the underlined word refer to?
5.What can we learn from the story?