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#KingSolomon and the #Ant
(I will tell the story of King Solomon and the ant. I've read a lot of versions of this story and this is my own based on what I know about ants.)
King Solomon continued his journey flying over a vast desert on his flying carpet. Below him his army marched in neat rows. He could see for miles from the great height. "This is magnificent." he thought.
And because he could understand the speech of the animals he heard the birds agree.
#threads #storyTime
1/
"Maybe I am magnificent too." He mused as the desert air ruffled his lovely robes.
But then he heard another voice. A tiny voice but one very self possessed.
"Beware of these men, my daughters! They do not look where their boots may land. Take heed!" Said the tiny but somehow imperious little voice.
It was coming from far far below.
Confused, and a little offended the King brought his magic carpet down to the earth. Settling not far from the voice. 2/
He looked around, but only saw his own soldiers who were now standing wondering why they had stopped.
"And now it seems he's come down to look at us." Said the little voice. "But he's still not even looking where he is going."
Then, at last, King Solomon spotted the source. At his feet in the sand a colony of ants was struggling to cross the road. And amongst them their queen.
"Why do you disparage my men?" Said Solomon.
"Pick me up so we can speak properly." said the ant queen. 3/
So, the king bent over and the ant queen climbed on to his hand. He lifted her up so they could speak eye to eye.
"These are my daughters and colony." She explained. "Your soldiers would have trampled them. I do not 'disparage' I give factual warnings."
And Solomon could see the sense in this. He found it amusing somehow, that the queen was so self-possessed.
"Ant Queen, who do you think is the most magnificent in these lands?" he asked.
The ant queen seemed to think about it for a bit. 4/
"I suppose I must be. I am responsible for many thousands and must guide them past perils like the feet of your soldiers!" Said the ant.
Solomon laughed at this but the ant queen did not join him.
"But you are tiny!" he tried to explain. "How could you be greater than a King like me?"
"We are more alike than not." Said the ant "And anyway, who is resting on the hand of the great King? It is I, isn't it?"
She said.
5/
Solomon told his soldiers to walk with more care and let the queen go back to her people.
After that, as he looked down from his flying carpet at the tiny rows of his own men, he found he had much to contemplate.
He might be magnificent, but on whose palm did he rest? Would any of his works or achievements be anything if not for nature and the world made by God?
The End.
@futurebird I had not heard this lovely story before.
King Solomon and insects is apparently a popular theme. Kipling wrote “The Butterfly Who Stamped” which concerns some overly proud butterflies and wise old King Solomon pranking them.
Commentary:
In reality ant queens don't lead their people much at all. But, I don't think the story works unless Solomon encounters a tiny version of himself.
I do think ant queens feel immense responsibly to lay eggs. And all ants think they are doing the most important project in the world. The scale of the adversaries only proves this more.
@futurebird Ants rule the earth. Our opinion that we are significant is just an accident of scale.
This is a bonfire demo instance for testing purposes
