THE SHEEPFOLD 23 



elder with their big stomachs were going to distrib- 

 ute the food in the ant-hill. ' ' 



"A foraging ant does not fail to regale itself on its 

 own account if the occasion offers ; and it is only fair. 

 Before working for others must one not take care of 

 one 's own strength ? But as soon as it has fed itself, 

 it thinks of the other hungry ones. Among men, my 

 child, it does not always happen so. There are peo- 

 ple who, well fed themselves, think everybody else 

 has dined. They are called egoists. God forbid 

 your ever bearing that sorry name, of which the ant, 

 paltry little creature, would be ashamed! As soon 

 as it is satisfied, then, the ant remembers the hungry 

 ones, and consequently fills the only vessel it has 

 for carrying liquid food home; that is to say, its 

 paunch. 



"Now see it returning, with its swollen stomach. 

 Oh ! how it has stuffed so that others may eat ! Min- 

 ers, carpenters, and all the workers occupied in build- 

 ing the city await it so as to resume their work heart- 

 ily, for pressing occupations do not permit them to 

 go and seek the plant-lice themselves. It meets a 

 carpenter, who for an instant drops his straw. The 

 two ants meet mouth to mouth, as if to kiss. The 

 milk-carrying ant disgorges a tiny little bit of the 

 contents of its paunch, and the other one drinks the 

 drop with avidity. Delicious! Oh! now how cour- 

 ageously it will work ! The carpenter goes back to 

 his straw again, the milk-carrier continues his deliv- 

 <T\ route. Another hungry one is met. Another 

 another drop disgorged and passed from mouth 

 t> mouth. And so on with all the ants that present 



