Member-only story
Mina and the clever ants
Mina was a curious 4-year-old girl. Every weekend, she visited her grandparents, who lived in a village nearby. Their backyard was like a magical forest. There were tall mango trees, rows of bananas, guava plants, chikoo trees, and even coconut palms. Flowers climbed all over the garden, and a tiny stream of fresh water flowed through it. It was Mina’s favourite place to explore.
In one quiet corner of the backyard, there was a small ant hill. It was home to tiny black ants that loved munching on the garden’s treats. Mina loved watching the ants as they hurried here and there. But sometimes, Mina’s curiosity got the best of her. She would collect ants in a little matchbox, take them to the stream, and float them on leaves like tiny boats. Sometimes, the poor ants would fall into the water. She even poked at the anthill, which upset the ants.
The black ants were tired of Mina’s games. They knew she was just a little girl who would outgrow her mischief, but they worried they might not last until then. Every weekend felt like a scary adventure.
The queen of the ants was a very clever ant. She had an idea to solve their problem. She called her cousins — the red ants — and invited them to move into the garden. “We will build you a new home right next to ours,” the queen said.
The red ants, who had visited before, knew how wonderful the garden was. They agreed happily. The black ants worked hard, and within a week, a brand-new ant hill was ready. Just before the weekend, the red ants moved in.