these it can brush and comb itself very 
well. 
Keeping very clean is one thing that 
ants never neglect. Since they live 
underground, they cannot permit either 
their bodies or their homes to get dirty. 
If they did, they might become sick and 
die. Even the ant colony itself might 
grow smaller and die out at last. Ant 
colonies sometimes last longer than a 
man’s life time, and one reason for this 
is the fact that the ants are so clean. 
OUTDOOR WORK 
Dusted and cleaned, the ant hurries 
after its fellows. It must get back to its 
job as quickly as it can. Like all worker 
ants, it is driven by something inside 
itself to toil all the time. It does not 
know such a thing as play. 
All the ants are moving very fast. 
Suddenly they stop. Their path is 
blocked by a trickle of water. Ants can- 
10 
