When the eggs were laid, she waited 
a while longer. She didn’t eat anything 
or drink anything. Then one day the 
little eggs broke open. Out came a lot 
of little live white things without heads 
or legs. They looked like tiny worms. 
These were the larvae that would later 
turn into slim strong ants. 
To feed the larvae, the Queen laid 
more eggs and mashed them into a tasty 
dish. After a while the larvae began to 
spin cocoons, just as caterpillars do. Now 
they were no longer larvae. They were 
pupae. Their cocoons were like baby 
blankets. In the cocoons the pupae slept 
for several weeks while their bodies grew 
and changed. 
At last the cocoons began to open. 
Weak as she was from lack of food, the 
Queen helped the new-born ants out into 
the world. Then she laid more eggs to 
feed them. The young ants were still 
pale and yellowish. Their bodies would 
27 
