60 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



how small a thing and in how insignificant a 

 creature resided the principle that could make his 

 body, like his spirit, immortal. But exceeding 

 great power often existed in small compass: wit- 

 ness the adder's tooth, which was to our sight no 

 more than the point of the smallest thorn. Now, 

 in the small ant there exists a principle of a 

 greater potency than any other in nature; so 

 strong and penetrating was it that even the dull 

 and brutish kind of men who enquire not into 

 hidden things know something of its power. But 

 the greatest of all the many qualities of this acid 

 was unknown to them. The ants were a small 

 people, but exceedingly wise and powerful. If a 

 little human child had the strength of an ant he 

 would surpass in power the mightiest giant that 

 ever lived. In the same way ants surpassed men 

 in wisdom ; and this strength and wisdom was the 

 result of that acid principle in them. Now, if any 

 person should be able to overcome his repug- 

 nance to so strange a food as to sustain himself 

 on ants and nothing else, the effect of the acid on 

 him would be to change and harden his flesh and 

 make it impervious to decay or change of any 



