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ABOUT 

 ANTS, AMPHISBJENAS, AND BASILISKS 



In the far-off country ruled by Prester John many 

 wonders were to be seen, and among them hills of gold, 

 ' kept by ants full diligently.' Now anybody who has 

 studied the history of ants knows that there is no end 

 to their ingenuity and cleverness ; but they are not usually 

 found as guardians of gold or precious stones. How- 

 ever, these ants were not at all like the little brown 

 creatures we are accustomed to see, but as big as dogs, 

 and very savage, thinking nothing of eating a man, and 

 gobbling him up in one mouthful. So the people of the 

 country found that if they wanted the gold they would have 

 to obtain it by a trick, and began to watch and plan how 

 to get the better of the careful ants. 



Their chance came in the great heat of summer, as the 

 ants used sometimes to fall asleep in the middle of the day. 

 Then the people who had spies on the watch, day and 

 night, collected hastily all the camels, dromedaries, horses 

 and asses they could find, and loaded them with gold, 

 and were off and out of danger before the ants, who were 

 heavy sleepers, woke up. This did very well so long as 

 the weather was hot, but when it grew cooler the ants 

 worked hard all day, melting the gold in the fire ; and 

 then some other stratagem had to be thought of. One 

 thing after another was proposed, but was rejected as 

 being unpractical, till at last a man, who was cleverer 

 than the rest, hit upon a way of turning a well-known 



