Little Tom

by Václav Tille

Returning inside into a different hall, Little Tom was given a surprise. On the floor were lying many chrysalises and on them were ants biting and tearing their silk coverings. Tom thought that the ants wanted to eat their young, but soon saw that from the white coverings, little black heads with shining black bodies were trying to get out and with what pleasure the nurses were welcoming them, cleaning them, stretching their cramped legs and their bent-up feelers, bringing them food and teaching them how to eat.

It was touching to see the little fellows, looking around in surprise, falling clumsily about and throwing themselves eagerly on the sweet porridge. From the hall led two other corridors, sloping downward, and, as Tom was looking into them, Mirmex came to him and said: »These are safety exits. When danger threatens, through one of these the workers carry the chrysalises outside, where they crawl on the flowers and the grass, as our enemies cannot reach these heights. Through the second, they can go into the depths of the town and there hide the chrysalises in the secret chambers.«

As Mirmex led him through the first exit which opened at the opposite end of the town, directly into the highgrowing grass, which the ants had spared, Tom wondered what sort of enemies threatened the ants. As they walked along Mirmex enlightened him.

»Since unremembered time, the ants have had a great enemy, the Redheads. They are larger than we, ugly, red fellows and cruel, rough fighters. From early childhood they do nothing but perfect themselves in fighting and robbing. They do not understand work and do not even know how to eat by themselves. The have long jaws sharp as a lance, with which, at one stroke, they can pierce an enemy's head. Their slaves do all their work, build their town, care for their children, gather their stock and also feed them. The slaves are in greater numbers than their masters and could let them die from hunger, yet they never revolt, having no idea of the freedom and liberty of the ants in their independent realm. That is because they have never lived in freedom. The Redheads are not interested in their grown-up enemies, whom they slay, but they steal the chrysalises, which they give into the care of the slaves. These the slaves care for, bringing up the little ants and teaching them how to work for their masters. The youths know nothing of the life of the nation from which they came, only knowing how to work for their masters and their descendants.«

»You see how efficiently one works here with us. Everyone knows exactly his task and does it unceasingly until his last breath, and all work for the good of the community. The workman gladly performs his task. He is modest and knows neither pleasure nor idleness. His only consolation is the proper result of his labors, but he feels himself free, knowing that he is creating strong and healthy descendants and is insuring the freedom and liberty of the whole nation.«

»Our descendants would prefer to die rather than serve foreign masters. This the Redheads well know and, therefore, they take the ungrown children, who know nothing of the world, and train them as their slaves. Many, many thousands of our people are serving them truly and devotedly, but are forever lost to us.«

»But why do you not instruct them,« asked Tom excitedly? »Why do you not explain how degrading it is to deny one's own people and serve strangers, altogether abandoning one's own nation?«

»That is all in vain,« replied Mirmex. »Who grows up a slave will remain a slave. They are quite satisfied with their fate and do not understand why they would be better off with us. If they should leave their masters, they would not feel happy with us.«

»Then why do you not prepare yourselves and not let them capture the chrysalises? Why do you not perfect yourselves in fighting and kill them when they come against you?« Little Tom was almost beside himself with anger and longed to lead an expedition against the Redheads and destroy them, but Mirmex remained cool and undisturbed.

»They are stronger in body and more skilled in fighting,« he answered. »If we wanted to ruin them, we should have to give up our manner of living; we should have to devote ourselves to fighting, warring and gaining skill in arms. Who among us would then attend to the agricultural work? Then we should be like them, murderers and robbers, living only on the work of others, and that we do not wish to be. We try to defend ourselves and at the same time not change our mode of life. We build our towns far from the Redheads and, if necessary, would rather move away from them. We station guards over our entire territory and, if we are attacked, meet the enemy bravely. We also know how to fight. Our workmen are skilful and when the worst comes, they become very good fighters. We have often defeated the Redheads and driven them away from our town; but we do not attack their towns or rob them. The Redheads avoid our large towns and attack those that are young and newly established. Only when they lack slaves, do they attack our principal communities. As for us, we are satisfied to stand up for our rights, defend our liberty and our young ones, and live according to our destiny.«