156 



AN HOUR WITH AN ANT. 



If you want to know how to accom- 

 plish a hard task, come with me and 

 watch a little ant for an hour. 



She was a small, black ant, and, s-eeing 

 a brown worm eight times as large as her- 

 self, she was seized with the ambition to 

 take it home in triumph. 



Now will you tell me how she knew 

 that she could have no power over the 

 worm while he was on his ten feet, that 

 stuck to the sidewalk like' glue? Before 

 she attempted anything, she fastened her 

 mandibles into his side and turned him 

 over on his back just as you see Bridget 

 turn the mattress. Then running to his 

 head she again fastened her mandibles 

 and dragged him for a couple of inches. 

 While pausing to get her breath, the 

 worm took the opportunity to get on his 

 feet once more. The ant did not seem to 

 notice the change in position till she tried 

 again to drag the body. As soon as she 

 felt it sticking, around she ran to the 

 side, over went the worm in a trice, and 

 once more the two started on their jour- 

 ney. Now they were close to a crack in 

 the broad sidewalk, and I, thinking to 

 help the little worker, in whom by this 

 time I was quite interested, lifted the 

 worm across the crack. 



Did you ever try to help some one and 

 find too late you had done exactly the 

 wrong thing ? Then you know how I felt 

 when that little ant began rushing around 

 as if she were crazy, and when she got 

 hold of the worm again, began to drag it 

 back across the very crack I had lifted it 

 over. Can you guess why? She was 

 taking a bee-line to her house, and I had 

 changed the direction. But how was she 

 to get that big body across a crack that 

 could swallow them both? That was 

 what I waited anxiously to see. Soon the 

 worm felt himself going down, down into 

 a dark abyss, and of course caught hold 

 of the side to save himself, and when he 

 once felt he had a hold on life how he did 



hold on ! The ant was not to be daunted ; 

 balancing herself on the edge, and hold- 

 ing on by her feet, she reached down her 

 mandibles and dragged him by main 

 force straight up the perpendicular wall 

 to the top ; nor did she stop till he was 

 carried far enough from the edge not to 

 get down again. 



In this way three cracks were safely 

 crossed, and it was plain to see the worm 

 was losing heart, although every time the 

 ant paused for breath he would get over 

 on his feet and have to be tossed back 

 again. 



And now a new dif^culty arose. The 

 w^orm had been dragged about eighteen 

 inches over the boards. Fourteen inches 

 more would bring them to the ant's 

 house, or, rather, hill. But the way was 

 now ofif from the sidewalk, and no soon- 

 er did the worm feel the stubble under 

 him than he gathered all his strength, 

 turned over on his feet, and held on to 

 every spear of grass for dear life. 



Indeed, it was his last chance, and I 

 felt tempted to snatch him from the cer- 

 tain death awaiting him. but curiosity to 

 see how this new obstacle would be over- 

 come induced me to wait. The ant now 

 felt justified in calling for assistance, and 

 soon a dozen ants had come to help. Only 

 five could work to advantage, so the rest, 

 for ants never like to do the "heavy look- 

 ing on," left to find other employment. 



The first thing to be done was to get 

 the worm on his back, and this proved no 

 easy task. He could fasten his feet just 

 as fast as the ants could unfasten them. 

 At last two ants went to one end and two 

 to the other. Each one of the four seized 

 a foot in her strong mandibles and held 

 it out as far as possible, while the fifth 

 one turned the captive. It was the fun- 

 niest sight ! It was easy now to drag 

 him two or three inches, but breath had 

 to be taken, and again the worm fastened. 

 In vain they tugged and pulled. He had 



