236 ANTS AND CHILDREN OF THE GARDEN 



ALBERT. Did you notice that some of our ants were 

 still dusty, as if they had left their mines and gone right 

 into battle ? 



FLORENCE. The result of the battle might have been 

 different if the annex had been finished. 



DOROTHY. How can our ants get along in that one- 

 room cave after living in a house with a place for every- 

 thing ? 



CECIL. The same as man's bankrupt family, start all 

 over again all eat, sleep and live in that one room. Eggs, 

 babies (maybe), kings, queens, 2,000 workers, guests and 

 only one bed. 



ALBERT. It's but six hours since the battle, and our 

 ants have gone to work. That's courage for you ! 



KENNETH. Yes, a battle in which ours lost their lands 

 and home, 250 patriots, and probably about all their babies. 



FLORENCE. Can't we help our ants get their old home 

 back? 



KENNETH. I'm going to pour seven gallons of boiling 

 water into the new part of the house and one in the old. 

 The Robbers are in there and must be thirsty after the 

 battle. 



FLORENCE. Why only one gallon in the old part? 



KENNETH. So our ants won't have a half bushel of 

 mud to carry out if they come back to the old part soon. 

 Then, I suppose, they have their grain stored in the old 

 part, and that I really ought not to -pour any water in 

 that. They can live in the old part while the new dries 

 out. 



ALBERT. Well, it's time for the funeral, isn't it? 



FLORENCE. What funeral? 



ALBERT. Here's a thimble with a penny for a lid. It 

 isn't every ant that gets a copper casket. There, I've put 



