A Lesson from an Ant, written by Yolanda Girouard and illustrated by Robert Girouard

A Lesson From an Ant

It's Saturday morning and I don't have to go to school! I'm going to have so much fun exploring nature and perhaps get into a little mischief.

Hey, I'm a kid growing up in the south with a lot of land to play in! So, can you blame me?

The morning begins with Grandma's breakfast fit for a queen, like me. After the "queen's feast," it's time for cartoons.

Grandma said, "If you watch cartoons you might get ideas for getting into trouble."

My cartoons are over and it's time to plot...I mean plan my day. I pretend to rock in the rocking chair until Grandma leaves the house. Every Saturday she picks apples from our apple tree and blackberries from our patch.

I go outside to watch one of my favorite insects, ants! Today I will do something about my curiousity. I find the perfect spot to sit and watch what they are doing.

I wonder where they are carrying all the food? Oh, look, a branch! That will help me dig up their hole to see what they are doing.

Armed wtih a stick and my camera. First, I take pictures of the anthill undisturbed. I observe the worker ants going in and out of their home. I'm getting great action shots.

Just as I begin digging up the anthill a voice shouts, "Stop, in the name of the Ant Law!" Frightened, I drop my branch and camera, but I don't see anyone talking to me. "Back away from the anthill and drop your weapons at once!" Standing on the ground was a talking ant wearing a hat that read, "Ant Law Rules." I must be dreaming!

The ant continued to shout, "Guards! Surround her at once! Young girl, hands in the air, sit on the ground, and no sudden movements." I follow his demands and I suddenly begin to tremble. I hope this is a dream and I want to wake up soon.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Itchmite of the Queen Ants Guard and you are busted! Don't try to move, kid, we've got you surrounded." I can't believe that I am surrounded by hundreds of ants! I was so frightened I couldn't move.

Captain Itchmite shouts, "Guards! Pick up the evidence and bring it to me." Two ants pick up my branch, while four of them bring the Captain my camera. The Captain pulls out a pencil and begins to write on a notepad marked "Evidence." He said, "The branch is Evidence A and the camera is Evidence B. What are you planning to do with Evidence A?" I'm sweating and trembling with fear of what may happen. I decide that it would be in my best interest to tell the truth.

Still frightened, I began to say, "I...I was going to dig up the anthill." Suddenly the ants surrounding me shout together, "Let's take her down, Captain, take her down!" "Quiet," said Captain Itchmite. "And what were you going to do with Evidence B, the camera?" "I was going to take pictures and show them to my class for show and tell," I said, as I broke out into a sweat.

"Let me ask you a question," said Captain Itchmite. "What if I said, 'Hey, I'd like to see what your grandparents' home looks like inside. Oh, I've got an idea: I think I'll get a bulldozer and dig up their home and see what's inside.' I don't think your grandparents would be very pleased. Do you?" "No sir," I said loudly. Do you remember that I'm still talking to an ant?

"Look kid," said Captain Itchmite, "consider yourself warned. We have been watching you watch our home for weeks. My guards have been inside your home and found a few sweet items that our Queen Ant would love to have for herself. If I see you here again, we'll take you down on sight! Stand up, run home and never return!"

I run home as fast as I can and lock all the doors. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears. I sink to the floor, happy to be away from those talking ants. If I told this story at school, my friends would laugh at me every day!

The next morning, I awoke and found my camera lying on my bed with a note attached.

It read: "You forgot your camera, kid, but we had to take your roll of film as 'evidence.' The members of my guard plan to cut it up and use it as a sunroof for their antmobiles. Signed, Captain Itchmite. Ant Law Rules!"

A Lesson From an Ant

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