28 ANTS AND CHILDREN OF THE GARDEN 



CHAPTER II. 



July 10 to July 16. 



Florence and the Ant. 



FLORENCE. Say, Ant, what are you good for? 



ANT. What about you? You plow up our homes for 

 bean patches, cave in our ceilings, and bother us. One 

 evening 700 of us had to quit work and go home on account 

 of your big feet. You don't look where you step even if 

 you have good eyes. You act as if everything belongs to 

 you. 



. FLORENCE. Well, the earth is ours. We have to have 

 it to make a living on, there are so many of us. We have 

 society, government, and help one another even other 

 animals. 



ANT. We were here millions of years before you were, 

 and more ants can be found in one county than people in 

 your whole nation. We, too, have society, government, 

 help one another and even other animals. 



FLORENCE. Don't we bring you sugar, flies, cactus 

 apple and seeds nearly every day? 



ANT. Yes, but that is because you are a spy. 



FLORENCE. That's a pretty hard name. 



ANT. Think of the weed seed we carry from your bean 

 patch. And then we plow up the hard ground, mix up the 

 soil, let in air and water and fertilizer to make the soil 

 ready to raise your beans. 



FLORENCE : I don't believe there is a single colony of 

 any kind of ant living in that bean patch or plowing it. 



