“Sam, do
you want to be the only ant who has ever been held back? You’re already small
for your age,” cried Ace, leader of Troop 11, “Now stop sniffing those flowers
and get back in line or you’ll never advance to the second class.” Sam grudgingly
dislodged his antennae from the gigantic blue flower and moseyed back into the
line with his fellow ants in Troop 11. For the rest of the march back to Arbor
Anthill, he stayed in formation, controlling his impulses to wander off at the
sight of every blade of grass.
Sam was
a Worker Ant in the First Class, who loved to dream and explore new things as
his Troop scavenged for morsels of food each day. Though he always completed
his duties toward Anthill and his colony, Ace was constantly reminding Sam to
get back in the line and stop getting side tracked.
Soon it
was exam time. Sam passed all of his exams with flying colors, but when it came
to the practical exam, the aged evaluator was exasperated. Sam merrily wandered
off into another direction to talk about a flower or to slide down a blade of
grass or once, to the horror of the examiner, to explain the eating habits of a
spider. “You mean to tell me, young ant, that you track those Arachnids! Have
you no sense? Might as well be cavorting with an Enemy!” He fell into a riotous
coughing fit, so Sam reluctantly returned to tracking the hidden morsels in the
obstacle course. As he walked back to the Anthill over the Gray Desert, a vast
barren land that could sometimes take hours to cross, Sam looked over his evaluation.
1. Tracking
Skills: Excellent.
2. Reflexes:
Excellent.
3. Physical
Health: Excellent.
4. Focus
on Task: Poor
5. General
Comments: This Ant has an extremely low attention span and furthermore has acquired
dangerous habits.
6. Required
Action: One month Probation. Sam of Troop 11 must bring in 50 morsels each day
rather than the normally required 20 for a First Class Ant. Furthermore, if he
is seen tracking Arachnids or any other foreign creatures, he will be
suspended.
“This
is so unfair! I’m only trying to understand our environment. It’s for the good
of the colony.” Sam tried to reason with the examiner, but he shrugged him off.
After dinner, he brooded over his punishment and grudgingly filled out his
Career Survey.
His
roommate, Rag swaggered in looking smug. “So… Sam,” he began, “Probation? Of course I advanced to Second Class. But
that was obvious, you know, given my muscles and hunting record and all. But
let’s talk about all that stuff I heard about you,” he taunted.
