The Lazy Ant

In an ancient anthill lived an ant that, due to its discouragement and lack of activity, was called Lazy.

While its companions went out in search of food, they guarded the entrances and assisted the queen in its multiple services, thus ensuring the well-being of the community, Lazy just yawned, slept and slept...

One thing, however, it did not miss: mealtime! It did not go out to get food, but at the time of eating it was the first to arrive.

Lazy's behavior made the queen very sad. Several times it called it and advised it to change and integrate into the tasks, but it only sighed and continued to sleep.

Little by little, it companions became discontented:

"Why do we only work, and does she rest?"

- That's not fair!

- We bring food away and she is the first to eat!

And the comment went spreading, and discontent grew with each passing day.

The workers, disgruntled, relaxed in their tasks. The loaders did not bring more food; the guards went away from their posts and the servants of the queen refused to appear in its studies.

Thus, disorganized, the anthill, once so safe and comfortable, became an easy target for enemy insects, which invaded it mercilessly and destroyed several shelters, leaving the food depot empty.

A few days of downtime had been enough to establish general confusion.

Frightened by the level of hardship it faced, the queen gathered all the inhabitants of the anthill into the central courtyard and spoke to them in tears:

- My dear companions see that we have become reduced by a bad example followed! I know that you were dissatisfied with Lazy's attitude, a companion who did not know how to act correctly, but we cannot let the dismay of one affect the service of the whole! Our anthill was so happy and harmonious! Why should we let it stay like this now, without security and food?

The queen paused for a moment, trying to control her tears.

No voice was heard in the moving assembly, until the queen resumed:

- Without you all working, I can do nothing!

And it could not go on, because of its thrilled emotion.

At this moment and to its surprise, a tearful voice rise from the silence and shouted:

- Forgive me, my queen, for the bad example I gave! I confess before you all my mistake! Now I see the evils that laziness and discouragement can cause!

It was Lazy, the sleeping ant, which now shocked everyone with her sobs.

The queen, also moved, said:

- My dear daughter, I rejoice in your regret, and I am glad to know that you have recognized your error, yet we need more than tears! Don’t you want to help in rebuilding what your bad example destroyed?

Then there was a trembling but sincere answer:

- Yes! I will work to see everything in order again!

Excited and satisfied with the transformation of Lazy, the other comrades soon formed emergency classes and got back to work.

Lazy, that lazy now was only the name, was the most active of all. It worked tirelessly in all quarters, and its activity was so great that in a few days the houses were repaired, the food storage was full, and the normal guard had been restored.

For the queen, great was the joy at seeing the ant hill again in order and all its inhabitants satisfied, but nothing pleased it more than the change of the sleeping ant.

Now, it had called herself Happy Worker, because since it moved to ensure the well-being of others with its work, it discovered that such happiness on every day of sleeping and resting had never offered it!

History withdrawn from the FEB booklet, Module 1, First Cycle, collection 4.
 

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com