Short Stories

A Bund Ant named George

by Ramona Cook 
06/02/19
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I was assigned the word ABUNDANT, about which I should write at least one paragraph. So, I thought and thought, “What can I do with this word?”

My first effort was that I broke it down like this: A BUND ANT.

My next action was to prove to myself that BUND is a word at all, so I went to my friend Google and discovered that IT IS!

FYI: A BUND is a group of people working together in an organization, such as The German Bund.  
It is also a causeway around a body of water.
The word was first used in 1840.
That is how I came to make-up this story about,

A BUND ANT Named George

I’d been shopping all morning and began to feel the need for food. I sighted a picnic table in the Courtyard of the Mall so there I sat down.

It is customary for me to carry a small snack, just in case it is needed, and so with anticipation I opened my food and placed it on the picnic table.

Oh no! What is the one thing you can depend upon to accompany you at a picnic table? Yes, ants! Except that I was seeing only one ant. Looking at the ant I asked, very intelligently, “Why do you always show up to share the food?”

It is natural to ask a rhetorical question in an irritated situation, even when you do not expect an answer, but there was an answer. “Well, I get hungry too!”

With my eyes wide open I blinked and said, “You can talk?”

“Sure, I’m not as dumb as I look!”

“That’s the problem with you humans, all of you think that you are the only creation with intelligence.”

Pausing for a moment to think, to comprehend this most unusual encounter, I thought, “Here’s a chance to get inside information about ants.”

I asked, “Do you have a name?”

“Well certainly, my name is George.”

“George,” I said, “I’m writing an article and I wonder if I may interview you, and thereby enlighten my human race about ants and ant living?”

There was a short space of silence… and then George spoke. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you will leave me half your sandwich, then I will.”

“Deal!” I said.

“So, tell me George about ants.”

“Well,” said George, “You may be surprised to know that there are at least 26,000 different species of ants around the world. We tend to live with our own species, and we live in Bunds. We are very organized social beings.”

“Bunds,” I asked, “What is a Bund?”

George answered, “A Bund is an organization of a species of ants, in which we live, they are what you call colonies.”

“We are strictly organized, and each group of workers is diligent to do their assigned duties. There are three groups: The Queen Ant, some Bunds have only one Queen and others have more than one. The Queen’s duty is only to lay eggs. Queens can live a very long time. Some males, on the other hand have the duty to mate with the Queen and they die shortly thereafter.

The regular female population are the workers inside and outside the colony.

The third group are males who are assigned to protect the Queen, and to be warriors to protect the members of the Bund. When we engage in a fight, it is a fight to the death. Like I said, we are a dedicated society and we are highly organized.”

“Tell me George about your body, do you have ears?” I wasn't sure, but I was not seeing ears.

“Not like yours I don’t. My feet are extremely sensitive so I hear by picking up vibrations through my feet.”

George continues, “I also do not have lungs.” The Good Lord made me with holes in my body through which Oxygen enters and Carbon-Dioxide exits.”

I must have had an inquiring look on my face because George followed with, “Don’t think that is strange! You have holes in your body for the same purpose.”

George was an encyclopedia of information that continued flowing: “When ants travel they leave a scent by which they can return, or know that they have already walked that area. Ants can lift 20X their weight, bet you can’t do that,” he said.

“You are correct George, I can’t, that would mean I could lift 2,600 pounds, no way I can do that!”

“George, do ants have blood?”

“Ants do not have blood, but we do have a lymphatic system with serum that contains white cells, similar to yours.”

“You might also like to know that ants take care of their wounded and dead. When a warrior ant is killed it puts off an aroma that allows others to find the body and return it to the colony for proper burial, and wounded ants are assisted by the Bund in their recovery.”

I had not thought about the time, but now, looking at my watch I said, “George it has truly been a pleasure to speak with you, but I must go finish my shopping and get home to prepare the meal for my family.”

“It’s been my pleasure also” said George. “I will now call out my crew to help get this food to our table.”

Rising from the bench I said, “Take care of yourself George.”

“Oh, you bet, I’ll do the best I can! Thanks for the food.”

CONCLUSION:

All the while I continued shopping I was thinking about the verse in the Bible where we are told, “Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise.”

So, what are the “ways of the ant?”

*They are orderly and organized.
*They work diligently for their food.
*They take care of each other.
*They live in community observing chain of command and assigned responsibility.
*They defend themselves against enemy invaders of other species.

I need to think about this information. Hmm, "Consider the ant and be wise."

Ramona: 09/24/2018

Sources:
https://www.google.com
https://pestworldforkids.org/pest-guide/ants
Proverbs 6:6 The Holy Bible