A TALE IN THREE PARTS CONTINUES

Part 2 - THE THREE BRAVE ANTS

I hope you like the story so far. Don't worry, nothing scary happens:

Several families of Ants also liked to go to the Animal's Picnic.

Some of the Ant families traveled for weeks before they arrived at the clearing in the forest where the picnic was held.

The Ants enjoyed the food, listened to the Old Aardvark's tales and stayed to gather up grapes, peanuts, berries, pie crumbs, the odd pea, and whatever was left behind, even after the animals did their best to clean up their picnic grounds.

There was lots of work to be done!

If the Ants were not wasteful, the food they gathered after the picnic could last them well beyond the Winter and into the early Spring.

The Ants were very grateful for the Animal's picnic; they also enjoyed the Old Aardvark's tales and were more than a little sad that nobody knew it.

One day they got together and discussed it and decided to do something about it. They chose the three smallest, bravest Ants and sent them to speak to the Old Aardvark.

The three brave little Ants prepared their back packs, put their hiking boots and travel hats and said goodbye to the Queen Ant, their brother and sister Ants, and took off for the Old Aardvark's home.

It was a long trip for someone as small as an Ant. And these Ants happened to be very small indeed. It took them quite a bit of time to get there, but get there they did.

When they finally reached the Old Aardvark's house they climbed the entry step and knocked at the big, wooden front door.

The Old Aardvark was home washing dishes that evening, and barely heard the knock. Yet, heard it he did.

He went to the front door and opened it.

He did not see anyone there!

He looked around a bit in the gathering darkness and finally shut the door and went back inside to finish his chores.

The Ants knocked on the door a second time.

A second time the Old Aardvark opened the door and looked around. He still did not see them.

He stepped back and shut the door once again.

The Ants knocked the door a third time.

At this point the Old Aardvark was done washing the dishes and was now drying them.

The Old Aardvark answered the door a third time, carrying a damp dish towel in his paws.

"Who's there?" he asked. He was more than a little upset at this time.

"Look down below!” answered the Ants, yelling the loudest they could.

The Old Aardvark looked down and was able to only see three tiny specks below him.

He was not as young as he used to be. And his eyesight wasn't very good.

"Please wait here." he requested "I'll be right back."

The Old Aardvark went back inside, slowly walked into his study to get his trusty magnifying glass, and went back to the front door.

He kneeled down the better to see the three little specks.

"So, what's this all about then, eh?" The Old Aardvark asked.

"Every Summer all the animals in the forest get together for your big picnic," answered the first Ant.

"You prepare fried chicken and biscuits, green beans and sweet corn, chilled watermelon and lemonade (with a little hint of mint.)"

"You play games and have contests and you swim in the lake." Continued the second Ant.

"Everybody has a grand old time, and after everyone has had their fill of the good food and is tired from playing all those games, they all get together to listen to your tales."

"You tell them the story of the time when the Elephant got her trunk stuck in a butter churner and how only the old Tortoise was smart enough to help her get it out.

Everyone laughs and cheers at that story." Proceeded the third Ant.

"You then tell the story of the time when the Bear triplets sneaked into the Rabbit's garden for some sweet, tender carrots, only to get caught and to get sent home with empty stomachs and tender behinds.

That story gets bigger laughs and more cheers." Continued the first Ant.

"And you always finish with the story of when the Hippos got a hold of Mrs. Squirrel's buckets of paint and got in a paint fight amongst themselves, and how anyone in the forest could see pink, yellow and purple splashed Hippos, even days later.

That story always gets the biggest laughs and the loudest cheers." Finished the second Ant.

"You always tell these stories. And everyone enjoys them.

We now want you to tell our story." Proposed the third Ant.

And what do you think the Old Aardvark did then?

To be continued…