Part 9

The Ladybug said she would come here often, then, for her afternoon tea, and always call for Clover Lodge honey with the delicious Wild-Rose tea cakes he knew so well how to make. This pleased the keeper of the tea house so much that he told them that if they would stay for the evening he would serve them large portions of his newly invented Wild-Rose Ice Cream free of charge. He knew they would like to have it. At a certain table he would give them they could hear the band concert with the brook accompaniment and have the best view of the Firefly illumination. Though it was late in the season for Fireflies, he had engaged some to come for the evening, and it might be worth while. They accepted his kind invitation at once.

It was one of the happiest evenings the Ant ever knew. They talked of the trip on the boat and wondered where the poor thing was now. The new ice cream must have been magic. It was different from any they ever had tasted before, and sent little thrills of joy all through them. Yet each one somehow knew that the whole happiness of the feelings they all had, came from the fact that Anthony Ant had at last come to his full cure. They and he all knew he was doing the right thing in going home hard and fast.

“I am not going to write a book when I go home,” said he thoughtfully, before they separated that night.

“Oh, aren’t you?” asked the Ladybug. “What are you going to do?”

“Just work!” said Anthony Ant joyfully.

THE ANT VENTURE OF AN EMBROIDERED MOTTO

Good luck followed Anthony Ant all the remainder of the way home. It even seemed not to be following him, but waiting for him ahead at every turn. His feet did not get blistered and sore. His lunch basket once more had been slyly filled at the Wild-Rose Tea House, but this time by the good-natured keeper himself, who packed it with enough nourishing things to last the Ant for the final part of the journey. A good floating bit of stick was already waiting for him at the edge of the brook, and soon floated gently to a small stone, and from that to a branch that hung out from the home side of the shore. Then he had no trouble finding the old trail to Ant-Hill Manor, and when he passed the Angleworm’s doorway he saw no sign of her.

[Illustration: _Mrs. Angleworm turned back to get her broom_]

Now, since Anthony Ant had learned a few lessons by the way, he thought all at once about the nice old fubbly gentleman Bumblebee’s good, kind trick. He decided, for fun, to play a nice, good trick on Mrs. Angleworm. He took one of the prettiest of the cakes from the Wild-Rose Tea House and then rapped at the doorway. Out she soon came.

“Mercy, gracious!” she cried. “Here’s that horrid book agent again!”

She turned back to get her broom, but Anthony Ant bowed politely, and said, “Oh, do wait just a minute! I am not an agent for anything, and here is something free of charge to prove it!”

He held out the cake, and when she saw that, she did not know what to say. She took the cake, as he insisted, and she said she was sorry. You see she had caught sight of the motto in his hat: “DON’T GET ANGRY AT NOTHING AT ALL, AND DON’T GET ANGRY AT ANYTHING!” Besides, she saw the other motto: “DON’T BE AFRAID OF WORK!” Even if the Ant was an agent, it was his work, maybe, and of course he must not be afraid of it. She wished him good luck if he ever did sell books, anyway.

It was that very day, and still morning, when Anthony Ant stole up to the high ground above Ant-Hill Manor and peeked down at it. What a happy lump came up into his throat! What a dear place it was!

Ah, there they were, all busy at work. And there was the tool house with door wide open as it was until time to put back the wheelbarrows at night, though it should have been closed each time to keep out any dampness. He knew that when it was left open like this his little sister, Antonia, was the one to blame. She always forgot to close that tool-house door.

He knew what he would do! He would steal down behind it, and crawl around it to the open door. When they did not see him, he would get out his own little wheelbarrow--he could see it near the door--and, without letting them see him at first, he would work till they found him out!

[Illustration: _Anthony knew what he would do! He would get out his own little wheelbarrow_]

He had no trouble carrying out this plan. He had been working for an hour before one of them stopped to look up at all, and then suddenly discovered him.

“Why, here’s Anthony back again!” cried the discoverer.

Then, I can tell you, they crowded about him! They dragged him inside to Mother Ant. Then they all had a surprise. Nothing surprises mothers much, as you may find out some day. Long before, she had had all kinds of wireless messages. Don’t ask how, for I don’t know exactly, except that they are always inside mothers, somehow. So there was a fine party waiting for them all in a thicket near Ant-Hill Manor. To this thicket she led the way.

There, whether you believe it or not, the noon meal was spread. At the head of the table, ready to carve, was none other than Dr. Alexander Beetle Bug!

Were there other invited guests? Well, I should say there were! And there they sat. Even the Angleworm was there; and the jumpy monstrous Spider that had become gentle; and the fussy, fuzzy Caterpillar; and the Ladybug; the small Spider, Size Two; the Mole of Molesworth Hall; the August Croaker; the Robin; the Squirrel; the Flicker, who promised not to touch an Ant today; the Grasshopper; the Firefly; the Woodchuck and all the creatures that were kept from the rain in Hollow-Log Inn; the nice old fubbly gentleman Bumblebee; the Yellowbird; and the Dragon Fly.

Oh, what a time they had! Anthony Ant sat at the end of the table with his mother. Everyone laughed and talked at once and had the best time you can imagine.

Not everyone is rewarded for doing the right thing as Anthony Ant was--that is, not by receiving presents and being praised, and all that sort of thing. But Anthony Ant knew inside his bones that it was reward enough just to come back to his good little wheelbarrow again. He had had all the change he wanted!

[Illustration: _The insects suddenly tuned up, to the joy of everyone_]

The celebration had to last until after dusk for a special reason. That reason was that the night insects could come with their surprise. They had read the wireless messages. Wishing to add something of their own to the joy, they stole into that thicket until, unseen by the company, they had surrounded the merrymakers, and at a signal from all the Fireflies they could muster so late in the season they suddenly tuned up, to the joy of everyone. You never heard such a serenade in all your life, I am sure!

In the midst of the enjoyment the Ladybug handed Anthony Ant something in a large paper. He looked inside, and there was the motto she had promised, all framed! It was embroidered in a new stitch that looked as your mouth looks when you smile--a curve with the points turning up.

“I could not embroider the motto in _cross_-stitch,” said she. “I preferred to make it _pleasant_-stitch instead.”

And so to this day, in Ant-Hill Manor, there hangs, nicely framed and most delicately embroidered in pleasant-stitch, this motto:

“NEVER THINK OF THE GOOD-BY PART OF A PLEASURE UNTIL THE GOOD-BY PART COMES!”

That is one reason why I am not going to say a word about the good-by part of this party. I should much rather have you sit and chuckle at the way Dr. Alexander Beetle Bug is digging the nice old fubbly gentleman Bumblebee in the ribs instead of feeling his pulse, while they both giggle and buzzle over old jokes they knew when they were but young Beetle Buglet and Bumblebeelet. And I should much rather have you listen to the music of those joyous insects with their flutes, violins, zippers, and zingers, and zoomers, and buzzoons, and drummerinos, and all the funny instruments only night insects know how to play. If you look and listen until it all soaks right into your mind, you will know how wonderful was that very most greatest peace of Anthony Ant!

Transcriber's Notes:

Italics are shown thus: _sloping_.

Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.

Perceived typographical errors have been changed.