Václav Tille

“ Outside, the sun shone and through the windows the flowers breathed a wonderful fragrance; but he no longer wished to go out, for he knew there only awaited him terrible traps and dangers. He worked sometimes in his garden, or wrote in his diary, or went over to the window to look out sadly between the flower pots to the wide world beyond.
One day, as he was standing on the window ledge and looking into the garden, he perceived on a fuchsia near the window a beautiful, red ladybird with shining wings, crawling on the blossoms and looking sideways at him. ”

“ The herb woman placed her treasure in a covered basket, shut the hens in their coops, put fresh grass in Speckle's manger, let the dog, Rover, into the yard, locked the door of the little hut and went on her way to town. She walked lightly, as if she had grown younger during the winter and did not at all mind the long journey.
In town she was surprised at what she received for her gold; if she should live a hundred years, she could not use all her money. ”

“ Tom saw how the slaves swarmed about them, bringing to them quantities of food. Each fighter simply opened his terrible jaws and the obliging slaves quickly and skilfully thrust in morsels of tasty food. None of them wanted to be kept waiting a minute, and if he did not immediately get his morsel he would pitilessly grasp the slave by the foot and remind him of his duty. ”

“ The entire surface of the town was covered by workers, running and building, while there was a constant crowd carrying burdens through the gates of the town. Tom noticed a strong perfume that seemed to come from the town [Pg 90] itself. After he had dismounted from the rose-bug, he was led through a broad corridor within the ants mound, where in a low, but solidly constructed hall, refreshments had been prepared, consisting of grass grains, delicious, palatable bulbs that seemed to melt on the tongue, and sweet juices of which Tom had never seen the like, but which tasted very good to him. ”

“ Tom was not satisfied with this victory. He sat on his rose-bug and, in his rage, wished to exterminate the Redheads altogether. All his friends begged him not to leave the town, but he was burning for revenge. Leaving the older men on guard, he chose a group of young, enthusiastic workers and hurried with them after the retreating enemy.
Moss, red and blue berries, sped by them as they hastened on and, whenever they came to one of their foes lagging behind, they immediately cut him to pieces. ”

“ So the widow had herself taken across in a boat and, in great anxiety, hurried to the hut to see what changes had been wrought. The garden was covered with mud and on the meadow were little pools of glistening water. Out of the yard bounded Rover barking heartily and, from her stall, Speckle mooed a welcome. The hens came hurrying out of their coop, flapping their wings and cackling, and straightway began to scratch in the ground in search of little worms. Inside the hut, the hall was wet through and in the best room stood little pools of water. ”

“ Tom walked with Chrysomela along the edge of the stubble field, down the road; that was all they knew of their direction—that they must always be going down. They expected that the way would not be long, for they remembered that, in one day, the ants had brought all their possessions from the Godmother's house to the wood. They forgot that the ants knew the direction and therefore walked straight over everything, while they, not knowing where to go, had to travel the path of the humans and therefore traveled in a wide circle. ”

“ When they began to feast, beautiful music sounded. It was the famous Gnat Quartette, two gnats playing violins, a small cicada, the cello and a wood-bee, the bass viol. Joyous strains rang through the warm summer air. Presently, a swarm of gnats hovered over the water close by, dancing a graceful ballet; and, when they had finished, there came a dragonfly who gave an acrobatic performance with giddy jumps and dizzy whirling.
The rest of the kingdom of the lady-birds were sitting all around the shore of the pool on mint and ferns, cheering and shouting with joy. ”

“ Catching Tom in his arms, the bumble-bee carried him up the stem and seated him on a flower with an arched, blue bell over it, and then gave him a push right into the blossom. From the heart of this blue bell extended two horns with thick heads, which powdered him with a yellow dust that made him sneeze. At this, the bumble-bee laughed heartily and began to take long drinks from the cup under the blossoms. ”

“ Returning to his chain he clambered higher and higher, until he came to the powerful cylinder around which the chain was wound. Everywhere, it was dusty and musty with much dark, greasy slime which soiled his hands and clothes. Such a desolate, lonely castle he had never dreamed could exist. Nowhere, a living soul. [Pg 46]
Little Tom sat down on the big cylinder, waiting to see what would happen and wondering what tortures lay before him. Resolutely, he said to himself that he would not scream, no matter if the spectres should tear him into little pieces. ”

“ Taking him to the meadow, she pulled a hair from her head and tied him to a great thistle. Tom was so overcome by the sweet juice of the monkshood, that he lay down and immediately fell asleep.
When he awoke after a while, he had a severe headache. He thought over what he had done and was very much ashamed that he had allowed himself to be misled by the drunken bumble-bee. He saw that he had been tied up and felt very sorry, wondering how he should excuse himself to his Godmother when she should return to him. ”

“ On all sides, were gangs of diligent workers, crossing or walking along the path, pulling beams, stones and dead flies, hurrying in their work and paying no heed to the procession. The nearer they came to the town, the greater became the crowds, while the path broadened and was hard, level and free from all obstructions. Presently, it opened into a broader clearing, from which moss, grass and sticks had been cleared away. In the background, appeared a great mound known as Black Town.
On the way, Mirmex sat with Little Tom on the rose-bug and explained to him how the town was founded. ”

“ Chrysomela pressed close to Little Tom, but she was so weary, she could hardly stand on her feet. Tom feared to leave her, lest he might lose her, so, supporting her as best he could, stumbled on with her along the furrow until they came to a broad hole. He wanted at once to step in with Chrysomela, not caring who was there, and to ask for shelter, when, suddenly, out of the darkness, came a gigantic animal in a fur coat, with bristling whiskers and puffed out cheeks. It was the Hamster. ”

“ He understood what a human dwelling was, a garden, a path, a brook and a lime tree; and he was not afraid of anything. He decided to go over the same way his Godmother had taken him around the hut, so that he might see for himself all its surroundings.
First, he went around the fence to the field, crossed the path and passed into the thick, rustling grain. He felt he was in a vast, old forest. Above him buzzed wasps, flies, gnats and gadflies. All around him were worms, insects and caterpillars, which took no notice of him whatsoever, but kept diligently about their own work. ”

“ The old lady listened happily, gazing at the gathering of the gnomes, lighted by the trembling rays of the candles, now almost burned out. Many of the young men had clambered into the branches of the tree and were swinging in the paper chains and sitting astride the golden nuts and red apples. Little girls were sliding back and forth on the slippery surface of the press, while serious old men and grayhaired women walked sedately in groups around the base of the tree. There were so many of the little people that they could not be counted. ”

“ Tom placed Chrysomela on a few dried leaves under the briar and offered her seeds of beech nut and a nice red berry, but she was not hungry and only drank thirstily the blackberry juice from his bottle. Her hands were hot, her little forehead burning; she trembled all over with cold, while her eyes were shining with fever's brightness.
Tom stroked her hair and soothed her by telling her how comfortable they would be at Castle Easter Egg with the Godmother. ”

“ On the way, they did not meet a single living creature. All the little animals were already hidden and only tiny spiders were wafted above them on silvery threads. The cold breeze blowing through the stubble field was becoming stronger and turning against them. Chrysomela began to cough. She controlled herself as best she could, but finally she was obliged to ask Tom if they could rest a bit, as the walking was tiring her.
By this time, they had reached the end of the stubble field and had come to a wild briar bush, behind which was a freshly ploughed field full of glistening furrows. ”

“ He preferred to die in the wood rather than to spend the rest of his life in captivity with the Black Ants.
When, next day, Tom came with his guards to the brook, there was no sign of Seven Spot. The last beams were prepared and only waiting to be carried to the nest. Tom stooped to take up one, wondering how he should reach the brook, when out of the pile he saw two great, bulging eyes looking straight at him. The pile moved a little, then appeared a pair of fierce whiskers and two pincer-like feelers and out came a giant Wood-bug with broad shoulders and a powerful breast. ”

“ Mirmex went himself to announce the sad news to Chrysomela and the Ladybird kingdom. There was no thought of rescue. In their defenses the Red fighters were invincible. This the Black Ants knew very well. Therefore they gave up the idea of trying to free Tom. They again took up the work that had been interrupted by the fight and could no longer be delayed, as they were preparing for the winter.
In the meantime, Tom was lying wounded and unconscious in the nest of the Redheads, who crawled over him and looked at him with the greatest curiosity. ”

“ During the day, Little Tom recovered from the adventures of the morning and looked forward to the evening, when he was to hear something new. After their supper, the Godmother spoke about the wickedness in the world and told him that, in the next world, would come justice and rewards; that those who had lived rightly and stood the trials of this world patiently, would live in Paradise, where there is eternal life and pleasure, where beautiful flowers grow, sweet fruits ripen and angels fly about the blue heaven and sing ”

“ A terrible being, twice as big as himself, all in shining armor and with great whiskers, came quickly from out of the darkness and stood directly in front of him, looking at him, till his heart grew faint. Tom thought he was lost, but determined to defend himself with all his might.
Drawing his cutlass, he waited. The cockroach raised his feelers and ran towards him. Little Tom stood firm and when the cockroach drew near, he thrust his sharp cutlass under his chin up to the very hilt. The cockroach fell dead on Little Tom, throwing him down by his weight. ”

“ While Mirmex talked, he became very affable. Tom listened to him most attentively and while he did not understand everything that was told him, nevertheless, he recognized that there was a great difference between the realm of the ants and that of the ladybirds. The latter were living a carefree life, dancing and making merry the whole day long, while the ants had a very strict discipline, divided their work carefully among themselves and made provision for the welfare of their descendants and for the protection of the town. ”

“ Here they were sheltered, at least, from the wind and, crawling out from the leaf, they looked around them, but everywhere they could only see black earth slippery and soft like high hills with nowhere any sign of human traces. ”

“ Tom thought that the ants wanted to eat their young, but soon saw that from the white coverings, little black heads with shining black bodies were trying to get out and with what pleasure the nurses were welcoming them, cleaning them, stretching their cramped legs and their bent-up feelers, bringing them food and teaching them how to eat. ”

“ Every evening, he told his Godmother all the things he had found under the cupboard and the linen press and around the hearth, and she was surprised to learn how her room appeared when looked at from the floor.
Then she told him more stories and became as interested herself in the fairy tales as when she first heard them as a child. Often they sat thus together even into the night. Little Tom could not hear enough of the sweet princesses taken away by the wizards into deep caverns; the brave heroes fighting the dragons and the witches ”