Unhappily Ever After: A Collection of Feary Tales

The Ants of Clover Hill

THE ANTS OF CLOVER HILL

The grasshopper awoke from his slumber as the first frost coated his summer jacket. Little puffs of white fell from his lips with every breath. It was strangely quiet. Usually, the ants would be making a terrible racket with all their scurrying as they traveled back and forth. All summer he rested and played while the ants worked hard to store food for winter. Shivering, the Grasshopper made his way to the ants' home on Clover Hill.

One of the guard ants stopped him at the opening.

"You are trespassing." one said.

"Let me in. It's cold out here." The grasshopper said clutching his thin jacket closer to his body.

"No one is allowed in and no one is going to leave until winter is over." The guard said.

"Get Rift. He's a worker ant. He'll vouch for me." The grasshopper demanded.

Minutes later a familiar face appeared.

"Hey Rift. Tell this joker that he needs to let me in."

Rift shook his head. "No can do, Legs. I told you back in spring and all through the summer that you needed to be prepared for the coming cold. There is no place for you here. We worked hard for everything that we have and gathered enough to last us through the winter. You have to leave."

"But I'll die out here!"

"I warned you, Legs."

"Come on! You can't be that heartless!" 

"It's not about heart. It's about survival." Rift said practically. "If we let you in then we'll be endangering ourselves and the young ones. Leave now and do not return."

"Come on, Rift. RIFT!" Legs called out as the guards shoved him away.

The grasshopper's legs shook with the cold and a chilling breeze caused his body to shiver. "I ain't going down like this." He muttered. "It's not fair that the ants have all that food. I mean they have plenty. More than enough and they won't share. It's no fair at all. The Jerks!"

He grabbed a leaf and wrapped it around his body as the morning sun slowly warmed the frozen earth. Checking everywhere he searched for food. The once abundant tender grains of wheat were now stiff and dry, all the green grass was now brown and brittle. Legs knew that his time was limited unless he could store food and find a warm place to live.

Around midday, the grasshopper found an old log that was warm and humid inside. He felt his luck was looking up. It was much more pleasant in here than the outside. He quickly chased away the other bugs that were encroaching in his chosen space. He used a piece of the outer bark to put up a barrier and packed the sides with dirt.

Waking up the next morning, he was pleased that his new home was secure and the outside temperatures were not penetrating the thick walls. This would do quite well. A loud grumble of his stomach reminded him of a more pressing issue. He needed food.

Walking out further than he had ever walked before, Legs tripped and rolled down an embankment. Heart beating faster that a hummingbird's wing he found himself in the midst of a group of jumping spiders.

"Hm. Looks like food found us." Said one of the ugly creatures as they began to circle the helpless hopper.

Thinking quickly, he said, "Why just have one starving grasshopper when there are millions of plump juicy ants just over that hill."

"Ants, you say?" one asked.

"We love ants." Another said drooling.

"Come with me and I'll lead you there." Legs said standing up.

"Any tricks and we'll end you." The first spider threatened.

"No. No tricks. It's quite a walk but the rewards will be worth it."

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The battle was brutal. The ants did not stand a chance and the spiders relished their triumph. Taking full advantage of the spider's gruesome victory, the grasshopper pillaged the ants' winter store and stole their hard-earned bounty.

Seeing that the spiders were just about done with the fighting, Legs decided that this would be his last trip. His log home was bursting at the seams and it was growing dark. He felt a tug and looked down startled. A lone ant that was missing half of his body grabbed the grasshopper's leg with outrage in his dark eyes.

"You!" Rift growled. "You thief! You lead those spiders here didn't you." He accused.

The grasshopper jerked his leg away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Help me." The ant groaned.

"I don't think so." Legs said as he headed to the exit.

"How could you be so heartless?"

Legs paused and turned towards the pitiful creature. "It's not about heart. It's about survival. You got what you deserved for being so selfish. You would have let me die."

Turning from the destruction and death, the grasshopper left the ant hill and made his way to his new home to outlast the freezing winter.

THE END
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I was slightly irritated by this story but in terms of life's basic goal of survival, the grasshopper was successful.

I would like to know what y'all thought.