“They didn’t say a word,” replied the children, “until you came.”
This made Uncle Benjamin so angry that he swung his switch and chased all the children before him back to the place where the table of the ants’ picnic had been spread. Way over to one side was the ant’s aunt all alone. She had her handkerchief to her eyes, and was crying as though her heart would break.
“Why, what’s the matter?” asked Uncle Benjamin. “What in the world has happened?”
“Why, can’t you see?” replied the ant’s aunt. “A miserable man came this way and stepped right on the table, and when he lifted up his foot everything was ruined.”
“Come on, children,” said Uncle Benjamin, “Let us all go back to the men’s picnic. After he has treated us this way, he deserves that we should tease him and all his family.”
That is the reason that, when men and women give picnics all the ants in the neighborhood go and plague them.
THEIR FAT FRIEND
