“So the bee flew away, and the little boy thought that he got up, and walked, and walked, till he reached a wood. He came to a sunny bank, and sat down upon it. He had not sat long, however, before he felt a smart pinch on his leg, and leaped up in great consternation,—he looked, and saw an ant; it appeared to him as if the ant spoke. ‘Go away, you idle boy,’ said the ant; ‘see what mischief you have done,—you are breaking down our city walls, and destroying our dwellings. Why do you not work as we do?—Look at us!’
“So the little boy looked, and beheld a great number of ants, some bringing small grains and seeds up the steep bank, some scooping out the ground with their paws, some pushing, some pulling, some running hither and thither, but all busy.
“‘Why, how you do work?’ said Robert.
“‘Yes,’ said the ant. ‘Winter will come, you know; besides, we are never so happy as when we are at work,—that is the greatest pleasure we have. Our fathers worked, our mothers worked, our little ones work,—we all work here.—There is nobody idle.’
“‘Then, if you are so fond of work, you may work by yourselves,’ said Robert; so he walked away, and set himself down upon a little hillock, at no great distance.
“Presently he felt the ground shake under him, and heard a slight noise in the earth: a little animal peeped from the turf close by.—‘Ha!’ said Robert, ‘that is a mouse.—No; it is a ——. What is your name, pray?’
“‘My name is mole,’ said the little animal; ‘I am very busy just now, and cannot stop to talk to you. You would oblige me, however, by moving a little further, for I cannot do my work properly if you do not.’
“‘Work again?’ said Robert.
“‘Yes: I have my castle to build; a great many trenches to place round it; a number of galleries to construct, with various outlets, that I may not be caught napping by my enemies. I have plenty to do, I assure you; but the more I have to do, the happier I am. So, go along.’
“Robert moved off, for he began to be ashamed of himself; and, as he passed through the trees, he felt something pass over his eyes;—it was the long thread of a spider, which had just began to form its web. The spider was suspended from the branch of a tree.