Ayradth Was an Ant

                                                Ayradth Was an Ant

                                                By Daryl Campbell



         Ants worked hard under a warm sun and among the ants was Ayradth. She was a smart ant, very beautiful and daughter of the queen. Mom and Dad had sent her to learn the colony's jobs.

         Ayradth dug tunnels so ants could travel through the city. She built tall buildings so business ants could work, houses for ant families, and parks for little ants to play in.

         She not only learned the jobs, Ayradth had to go to school too. She took lessons on being a queen: how to instruct workers, teach other ants fairness and honesty, to read and write, to understand maps, and to know weights and measurements.

         The hot day faded and the moon ran to take its place in the sky. Ayradth went home and ate dinner with her family. She was tired, but sat and talked with Mom and Dad after they tucked her brothers and sisters in.

         “Tomorrow, you’ll take the gatherers for supplies,” Mom said.

         “Mom, I’ve been working hard. I need to take a break.” Ayradth frowned.

         “You’ve only been working for two days,” Dad spoke.

         Ayradth liked how Mom looked, green eyes, a long shape, and a crown of gold. Dad was a great ant too, smart and handsome.

         “I’m tired. I want to play with my friends in the park,” Ayradth said.

         “Honey, we'll send your friends on the gathering too,” Mom answered.

         “And scouts,” Dad added.

         “Make a list and I’ll have them meet you in the morning. You need to brush your teeth and get to bed.” Mom spoke softly.

         Ayradth woke the next morning, kicked the pink blanket off, climbed out of bed, and got dressed. Her friends, Alex, Megan, Kelly, and Pamela and two scouts were waiting when she reached the kingdom’s gates.

         “My mom made me get up early,” Megan, in a blue dress, said.

         “Ours too,” Alex and Pamela spoke together. Twins, they dressed alike: white and black striped shirts and red shorts.

         “What’s this about?” Kelly, in a yellow dress, asked.

         “The queen wants you to work as gatherers today,” one scout answered.

         “She wants you to help the princess,” the other scout added.

         “Work! I wanted to play,” the ants moaned.

         “So did I,” Ayradth paused, “but I’m an ant.”

         The princess took charge outside the gate. They were headed to the Great Can and she knew where to go.

         “We need to speed things up, Princess,” one said.

         “We have to be back by dinner,” the other added.

         “We’ll find our way to the Great Can and get the food. We’re ants. This is what we do,” Ayradth announced.

         They reached a waving jungle. Thin, green trees climbed high overhead and swayed in the wind. Alex was brave. He showed his friends what to do. They climbed the flat edges of the trees, waited for them to bend, and jumped into the next tree until they crossed the jungle.

         They came to a desert next. Ayradth remembered how well Alex handled the jungle and put Pamela in charge of the desert.

         Pamela was smart. She and her friends soaked themselves in a nearby lake, filled their canteens, and made their way over the hot sand.

         After a long walk, they found a rock walkway for giants. They'd heard of the walkway in scary campground stories. Ayradth put Kelly in charge.

         Kelly was strong willed. She knew millions of ants had crossed the walkway. If it was done then, it could be done now. Kelly led them over the walkway without a giant being seen.

         The Great Can appeared in the distance, a bright yellow can that grew taller as they moved. It nearly blocked the sun by the time they reached a dark brown sea.

         “Never heard of a sea in the kingdom.” Ayradth sat to rest.

         “It's not on the maps, Princess,” one scout answered.

         “I don’t see how we can get to the can,” the other scout said.

         “There’s got to be a way.” Ayradth wanted it done.

         The sea was wide and none of the ants could swim so far. The princess put Megan in charge of crossing the sea.

         Megan was creative. She grabbed a dry leaf, bent its edges, and folded the corners to hold the shape. When she finished, the gatherers got in the boat and floated on the sea to a beach near the can.

         The ants climbed in the Great Can through doors torn in its bottom. They loaded the leaf-boat with what they could: banana peals, pretzels, cheese, and bits of salted popcorn. When they were done, the gathers headed home.

         At dinner, the princess sat at the table with her family. She told the story of her day with the gatherers and their adventures. After she ate, Ayradth went to her room. She was tired, closed her green eyes, and drifted into dreams of purple and pink flowers and the mushy, sweet food marked chocolate she and her friends shared at the Great Can.

         Mom and Dad checked on her, happy to see her asleep.

         “I think she learned what it is to be an ant,” Mom said.

         “I think she did,” Dad agreed. “Tomorrow she can play.”

         “That’ll make her happy.” Mom kissed her on the head. “She’ll make a great queen some day.”

         “Good night, Ayradth. We love you.” Dad pulled the pink blanket up above her shoulders.