Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-21
The Ants of Antic.

Triple went to drive home the cows
There were seventy-seven, each OF beau
tiful green color, and each named Aphls.
The pasture was in rose bush, but Tippie
could not get them all. for some had wings
and flow away. Instead of milk they gave
honey Ant cows are made that way. II
is the best way for ants
Triple brought in the nice, fresh, foaming'
warm honey-milk and the Aunt Ants eacn
had glass before going to bed. Aunt Han
nah Ant had two.
Myra could not eat she was too busy. She
was trying to learn to be butterfly. she
had the Cyclopedia Bright-Antic-a. This
told all about butter Also all about files.
Myra made notes as follows, Butter' some
thing made from milk. Fly, an insect.
Now" said Myra, u am an insect my
self and have plenty of Aphis milk; the
question is, how much OF each TO mix. II
was a hard problem. Myra added long col
urnns of figures, then subtracted them, ana
multiplied them and divided them by every
number she could think of, but the answer
would not come. She worked all night.
Morning came as usual; the sun arose,
the COWS were MIXED, the Aunt Ants were
IN: Triple had breakfasted; still Myra
worked; she was trying decimal fractions
now.
Breakfast was served; the Aunt Ants ate;
Tippie ate, too. Dinner passed, teatlme
Myra called her Aunt Ants to her and ad-
dressed them thus:
"If l could fiutter then I might fly. If /
were butter, then 1 might try to be but
terry. Or In other words, II butter couio
lutter, I might try to fly"
Then something happened to Myra- She
did not fly, she swooned and no wonder.
She had worked too many hours without
rest or food. They put her to bed. Aunt
Annie Ant warmed her feet, Aunt Fanny
Ant cooled her head. and Aunt Hannah
Ant stood around and said, DO this, do
that"
Myra was well again next day, and her
aunts gave her some advice. Said Aunt
Annie Ant at Is better to have a sensible
ambition than a foolish one. If you should
study until you were black in the face you
are almost that now) you could never fly"
Said Aunt Fanny Ant. Take my advice.
and just be nice.
Then Tippie came in and said. There's
an agent here with new book
What Is it?' asked Myra.
1.-THE Perfect Ant said Tippie.
81 will buy a copy and study itI' ex-
claimed Myra.
She did.
It was a beautiful harvest moon. Myra
thought so; the Aunt Ants thought so. and
Tippie thought so too. The sky was
robins egg blue. The grass was emerald
hue, and fresh with sparkling dew. Every
thing looked new, while every flower that
grew and every bird that flew. and every
wind that blew, sang of the good and true.
The Aunt Ants said they must go to their
own home today because winter would come
soon.
Il wish you would stay with me all win
ter" said Myra. All three said. they would,
so that was settled.
Now, we must get our harvest home"
said Myra. "and you must all help" They
worked hard, bringing grains and fruits
from the fields. and filling pantries closets
and cellars.
Upstairs and down they went out and in
the door, rushing here and rushing there,
carrying heavy loads, hurry-hurry, scurry-
scurry up and down, in and out over and
under, and around about.
By set of sun their work was done.
Now. when winter comes" said Myra,
I'VE will have plenty; IL we empty all the
we can eat the furniture in the
dining room" True. For the dining table
was a dried mushroom. the chairs were
wheat kernels. the sideboard cracked nut
and the dishes which they called cut glass
were really grains of sugar.
But" said Aunt Hannah, as she toasted
her feet by the blazing fire, why did Tip
reau In the third closet from the corner of
the hall with prlckly nettles?"
1--WE may need Them" said Myra-
1t happened next day. at forty three min
utes and thirteen seconds past thirteen
o'clock thus wise:
The ant-eater came. He put his tongue
right through the front door and licked all
the pictures off the walls of the hail. He
was gigantic. The Ants of Antic were
frantic
That awful tongue came again. This time
II took all the furniture in the hall. and the
little twisty-twirly end went into the sitting
room and caught Aunt Hannah by the hair
But that was really lucky, for Aunt Han
nahs hair was a wig and 1t came Off
Dear Aunt Hannah. your wig Is gone, but
l am glad you are left" said Myra- sI must
DO something" Suddenly she did
She went to the third closet from the cor
per OF the hall. opened the door, went in,
counted the ninth bureau from the left
opened the seventh drawer from the bot
tom. took out the priekly nettles and threw
them all over the hail.
Just In time. too. The ant-eater's tongue
came for the third time. It took all the net
ties. It never came any more. But winter
came. The Aunt Ants lived with Myra till
spring. When they went home they tipped
Myra well. They tipped Ttppie. too.
Through