58 ANTS AND CHILDREN OF THE GARDEN 



Kenneth's Experiment. 



DOROTHY. What on earth have you in that half-pint 

 bottle, Kenneth? 



KENNETH. Three of our ants; six of our kind, but 

 from another colony; four Carpenters; one live fly; one 

 dead fly fifteen in all. I want to see who'll get the fly. 



ANT. They are in prison and will not act as if free. 



KENNETH. I'll make them act some way for I've 

 dropped a bee into the bottle. One of the Carpenters is 

 carrying the dead fly around. 



ALBERT. Look ! The four Carpenters have tackled the 

 bee, and one of them has closed its jaws on one of the 

 hind legs and she has stung it to death. I'll take the bee 

 out or they will kill her. 



FLORENCE. Well, what are you dancing about? 



ALBERT. Pull this stinger out of my finger ! Can't you 

 see anything ? Get a move on you ! 



CECIL. I suppose the bee could pull its stinger out of 

 the soft joint of the ant it stung, but not out of the tough 

 skin of your finger. You know the stinger has barbs on it 

 like a fishhook has. 



FLORENCE. Ours can't quit work. See them carrying 

 pieces of straw around. 



KENNETH. Of the four Carpenters, one is eight times 

 as large as the others. They say the largest ants of a 

 colony can stand the greatest hardship. Let's leave them 

 all until morning. 



DOROTHY. But Florence and I'll not be here in the 



morning. 



***** * 



ALBERT. Good morning, boys. Well, what have you 

 got in the bottle? 



KENNETH. Here's the report: The two flies The 



