THE ANT & THE GOLDFISH

Wood Shack Stories &

Fireplace Tales

David Maman & Patrick Borre

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All we wish is for you to wonder…

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Standing on the shoulders of giants

He who dose not understand history is doomed to repeat it.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's high time to pause and reflect

We most use money for the tool it is

We most inspire by serving others

We most stimulate and maintain our bodies and minds

True heroism is remarkably sober, very un dramatic.

It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

To put the world in right order, we must first put the nation in order, to

put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order, to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life, we must first

set our hearts right.

An individual have not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all

humanity.

A leader is a dealer in hope.

You cannot dream yourself into a character, you must hammer and forge yourself one.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

We are not humans beings having spiritual experiences,.

We are spiritual beings having human experiences.

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Chapter 1. The Anthill

Once upon a time under a great tree

in a forest long forgotten, lived a young Ant.

It was a morning like many others in

the wood ant colony.

“Hurry up you can't be late on your first day.” the old Ant shouted.

“I am coming…”

"Wow"

Said the young Ant when he joined the buzzing morning traffic of the

colony

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“For millions of years our race has

kept our duty. We have kept the forest bed clean and we have built

huge societies that have feed millions and millions of ants for as long as anyone can remember. Do you know how we did all this" the

old Ant said.

"Not this story again" the young Ant thought.

“Everyone one of us knows that

without planning, organization, collaboration and communication – there can be no civilization. The anthill is more important than the

ant but the Anthill is nothing

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without the ant. Because all of us do exactly what is required of us everything works in harmony.

The chemical trail we follow to and from the anthill is reinforced

everyday because we repeat our task with precision.

And everyday our society grows stronger and more efficient”

The old Ant said with a stern look on his face.

“Is it really true that the transporter ants can lift 100 times theire

weight?” the young Ant asked.

“You better believe it young one” the old Ant said proudly

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“But then couldn’t 10 transporter ants together lift 1000 times their

weight?

“Well I suppose so but why would they want to?”

“Because then we could gather a lot

of food at once and then maybe we would have more time to go to the

lake” “Again with that lake, I have never

heard and ant talk so much about water, if I had known it would go to your head I would never have

taken you there” “More food at once, what a crazy

idea”

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“Patience and time do more than strength and passion”

“Remember that young ant” Said the old Ant as he looked up to

greet two ants walking by.

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They walked on a bit in silence

“But aren’t you curious about what is

underneath the water”

“Curiosity did not build this great civilization. Discipline, assigned

roles and persistence is what build our great halls and tunnels.

Remembering and passing on what we know to the next generation is

what keeps us alive. Staying on the trails and following the ant in front of you is what makes us all go in the

same direction.”

“But what about the first ant that laid the trail we now follow?”

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“That happened many generations

past. We have time, let us take the road through the amber halls and

you will see”

The old and the young ant went through one of the many

entrances that spread out across their colony. When they entered

the tunnels the young ant felt the air get colder and more

comfortable.

“Our gardens keep the air flowing through our tunnels and keeps our

home at the right temperature” The old ant said when he saw the look of content on the young ant

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face.

On the walls they walked past where many generations of ants perfectly preserved in amber, displaying the timeline of the colony. Looking at the long history of his colony the young ant felt both proud and sad

at the same time.

“Amazing as it all is”

“There must be more than this”

The young ant thought while whispering.

”Maybe non of these ants ever saw

the lake.”

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Chapter 2. The fishbowl

Donk, donk, donk…

“Food’s here. Food’s here. What a wonderful day to be fish! Come on

little young one. Let’s eat.”

In the little bowl lived an old Goldfish and a young goldfish together with a turtle, a starfish and a pufferfish that would Puff up every time the little casket at the buttom let up

it’s bubbles.

“Tell me, how come every time we get food there is a Donk?” asked

the young goldfish.

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“What Donk?” The old replied

confused.

“Food is here when the surface lights up and little munchies drift down and that wonderful feeling fills up

our stomachs.”

But what about the do…

“LOOK! Isnt it wonderful how the puffer got big when the bubbles came!” Laughed the old goldfish

“Yes but he did the same thing this

morning and the day before this one”

“There was a day before this one??”

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The old goldfish said with a sly grin on his face.

“Yeah don’t start again…

Yesterday!”

Donk’s and yesterdays, you’r in a strange mood for a goldfish..

Lissen, in our world everything changes every 7 secs or so, we

cannot make them last longer but we can fit as much life into those 7

sec as there is in everything els.

So you should learn from the starfish”

“The starfish? Learn what? He just

lies there day in and day out?!”

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“Yeah but that’s because that is what

starfish do” Grined the goldfish.

“And what do goldfish do?” Asked the young goldfish.

“THERE HE GOES AGAIN!

laughed the old goldfish as the puffer went big.

“Top o´the morning to you sir. Did

you sleep well? The old goldfish said as he turned and faced his own reflection in the

bowl”.

“Argh” the young goldfish shouted

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frustrated.

“Don’t mind him, he’s in a strange mood today.”

The old goldfish said to the bowl.

The young fish swam over to the side of the bowl by the big rock.

“It has to go somewhere, turn into

something” The young goldfish said aloud to himself.

““WHAT’s THAT!” Yelled the turtle.

The young goldfish swam up startled

as the turtle swam out of his rock.

The turtle lived right under the noisy

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water filter and subsequently was almost deaf.

“IT JUST SEAMS LIKE THERES NO

POINT TO IT ALL!” Shouted the young goldfish so the

turtle would hear him.

“NO POINT to what “ The turtle said as he lowered his voice.

“All of this, the bowl, life”

“Isn’t it a bit early for bird talk” The

turtle said with a grin.

Whats a bird? The young goldfish ask puzzled.

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“Never mind that” The turtle said.

“You don’t know how lucky you are young fish starting everyday as

the first swimming around exited by everything you see. Why would

ever want to give all that up, for some muddy thoughts about life.”

“But where did I come from”

“There are a great number of things

you would have to understand first. Before you could understand

the answer to that question. And the more you would learn, the

less you would know.”

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“Now is all there is”

The turtle said with a yarn and rolled over and went back to sleep.

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“Young one. Young one. You have to hear this joke.”

“Knock, Knock”

“Who is there”

The young goldfish said annoyed.

… “Who’s is there!?”

“Who is where?”

The old goldfish said and rolled over

laughing.

“Isn’t it great? The starfish told it to me.”

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“It makes no sense” The young goldfish shouted!

“Who ever said things have to makes

sense to be funny.” The old goldfish said turning serious.

“The one thing you can be sure of – young one – is that life is short and

that no one lives forever. Even though food fall’s from the surface today. What tormorrow brings, no

one knows.”

“Let’s go bubble bathing” The old goldfish said. Returning to

his cheerful self.

KLONK!

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The lights went out and the whole bowl started to shake.

SMACK! A deep rumble started.

WROOM!, WROOM!

The shaking got worse and the young goldfish fainted.

… SPLASH!

The young goldfish woke confused and disorientated. The bowl looked very different and the water had a

weird taste.

“Turtle, starfish, old goldfish.” They were all gone.

The young goldfish turned around

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himself. He looked at the surface and saw the old goldfish floating

on his back. He swam up quickly.

“Old goldfish. Are you okay?” He shouted.

“I am flying”

Mumbled the old goldfish with a strange grin on his face.

“Remember young one.”

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“Also this will change”

The old goldfish said, smiling as he closed his eyes.

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Chapter 3. The Lake

The first night was very strange and

scary for the young goldfish. There were a lot of strange smells

and even stranger noises. Every time he moved the water

would turn muddy and it would become difficult for him to

breath. He was relieved when the light came

back and he could see better.

“ What is this strange place” The young goldfish thought looking

around. There were strange plants drifting in

the water and the new bowl was a

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lot bigger than the old one.

“ I wonder when the food comes down” He said out loud.

“Food coming down? Ha! In the lake

you have to find your own food. That’s the way of the forest”

Said a strange creature swimming

past him and away into the mud.

“ Hey wait! What’s a lake? And what’s the forest?

But the strange creature was

already gone and the young goldfish was non the wiser.

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Hours went by while the young goldfish waited - but still no donks

and no munchies came.

7 secs later…

“Well if munchies wont come to me I will come to the munchies… But

where are they I wonder? Maybe the bowl is upside down I will look

for munchies on the bottom.”

As the young goldfish swam around the bottom looking for food, he was

blissfully unaware that his flapping fins was making the

water more and more muddie.

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- Meanwhile at the Anthill -

The ant looked out over the lake the moon was full and there was two of them, one in the water and one in

the sky. He heard a voice far away

wwaaakke…Uuuppp…

“Wake up!”

“Hurry up you can't be late on your second day.” the old ant shouted.

the young ant got out of bed his body

still sore from yesterdays work but his mind wide awake and with

the dream still fresh in his head

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the old ant stated talking before he was even out of bed

“For millions of years our race has

kept our duty. We have k…..”

“I have to get back to the lake but how..” The young goldfish thought

“…huge societies that have feed millions and millions of ants for as

long as anyone…”

“!Transporter ants to the lake!” “!Transporter ants to the lake!”

The food alarm interrupted the old

ants speech “I guess it is your lucky day young

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ant, To the lake!”

“I hate these unexpected jobs, they mess up the schedule”

The old ant mumbled annoyed.

But the young ant was trilled with excitement.

Arriving to the lake the view was even more beautiful then he

remembered, flowers was blossoming and the tress were

stretching they’re branches out over the lake. It was so beautiful that without noticing he started

leaving the home sent all over the place

“ What are you doing! Your going to

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confuse the other transporters we are here to pick up food not to

scout out a new home” The old ant shouted angrily.

The young ant woke from his trance

and his eyes caught something strange in the water

“Whats that?”

“Whats what? Don’t change the

subject – it’s serious. The home scent is for the anthill and in case

of fire only!

“But look - the lake surface”

“Stop that nonsense and get back to

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work!”

While they worked, the young ant could not let go of what he had seen. It seamed like mud was coming from underneath the

water.

Something is down there

he thought

They wont notice if im gone a second.

While the others were busy the young ant slipped away.

On the way to the lake he heard a

bump. He rushed over and saw a

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big wallnut cracked open wide. Inside were 30 or so of the

smallest ants he had ever seen.

They were all rushing around trying to save their queen and her eggs.

At first it look chaotic. No one took charge and everybody was

running around randomly. But as more and more ants found their

way to shelter a new system emerged.

After the first scouts found a new

wallnut, they laid down heavy home scents, this attracted more workers laying even more sent bringing the queen and eggs to safety. Finally the rest of the

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colony followed.

“That’s amazing. I need to tell the others. The others!

he looked up. It was getting dark and

could no longer hear them.

“What a fool I have been. Now I am alone in the dark. The ant is nothing without the anthill. I

should have listened to the old ant”

The young ant found a grass shelter. He promised himself that as soon as the light came back he would

make his way back to the anthill. He curled up and felt asleep.

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Chapter 4. Imagine

SPLASH!

The ant woke with a shout

“im comin im coming”

It took a second for the Ant to realize

he was not in his bed.

“i can check out the lake one last time before I go back”

he thought and made his way to the lake side.

“What a wonderful day to be fish”

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A strange orange creature breached the surface and the ant jump back

startled.

“but im not a fish” the ant said confused

“really..what are you then” laughed

the Goldfish

“I am an Ant”

“wow! whats an Ant”

“Ants work together and accomplish things they never could do alone”

“you mean there more of you?

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Millions more..Are there not more fishes in there”

“you know I didn’t check, I saw a

strange creature when I first got here but it disappeared quickly”

“Well but how do you gather food and

build shelters”

“Funny you ask iv been trying to figure out the same thing

No luck so far, but im sure if I just keep swimming around the

munchies will come”

“Well last time I was here the lake was clear and you could see the

botthem maybe all your swimming

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is sturing up the mud. I think if you stop swimming awhile it will clear and you will find the, what did you call it.. “munchies”? and

maybe even the other fishes”

“that’s a good idear but what will I do with the other fishes?

Well for starters you could ask them

where to find the munchies and then you could help each other

build caves so you can keep warm when winter comes”

“sounds like fun.. but what are

caves? and is that winter Ant nice?

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“Winter isn’t an ant, its what we call the cold..it comes after the trees

let go of there hairs and caves are houses you dig so you can have

shelter”

“really that sounds weird but if you ants always work together

how come your alone?”

“I had this stupid dream about the lake so I sliped away from the

others to see it”

“Well, how is it then, im in it you see so I cant really see it”

The ant looked out over the lake and

was again struck by its beauty

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“Its beautiful”

the ant said with tears in his eyes

“if you love it so much why don’t you and the other ants move here?”

“because there is systems and regulations in place. They have been there forever and keep the

colony strong, who am I to challenge that”

“well you never know things might

change, in fact they always do” All you can do is to be ready to use

what you know when the time comes”

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“That’s an interesting thought”

An interesting what…? You know what you could do..You

could use the hole at bottem of that tree as the main cave and

then you could gather the munchies at the branches.

I saw these small things - kinda looked like you - do it, but theire

house fell down from the tree yesterday”

“ I saw them!! they where small

ants!” the ant shouted

But the fish was deep in his vision and did not hear the ant.

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“Then you could use the water lilys as boats and we could gather

munchies together” and when I find the other fishes you

can teach us how to build the caves, that would be fun, and then the winter cold cant get us, living by the lake seams like an exelent

idear.. Go get the other ants!!

The ant looked at the tree

“It all sounds fantastisk but it is not

possible the other ants would never go for it”

The ant turned around and the fish

was gone

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“Fish, Fish!

But the fish was nowhere to be seen Suddently a big flower came floading

over to the ant and the flower said

“Get on”

The ant stood frozen and stared at the talking water lily

Suddenly the fish came round from behind the flower

“Get on already”

The fish had bitten of the stem of the

water lily and it was now floating freely in the water and the fish could

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push it around. “ Il have you back before you know it

Fish honor.”

The ant hesitated for a sec then jumped on the flower that started to move away from the lakeside until there was water all around the ant

“This is unreal!! I had hoped to see the lake, not even in my dream did I think I would ever

be ON it!!”

The ant shouted to the fish. “And before today I never imagined I could build caves under water or

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that trees could let go of their hairs

“So you see Ant..We can’t possibly know what’s possible, now can we”

The fish said as he dropped the ant

back on land.

“I geuess not fish” The ant was sad.

“ I don’t know if I will ever see you again fish but I will never forget you

or the lake” “Ohh I’m sure we’ll meet again before

you know it”

The fish said with a grin.

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Chapter 5. The challenge

The ant made his way back to the

anthill deep in thought.

“ On one side the old ant makes a good point, our colony flourishes and works because we do what we

have always done” “But what I saw the wallnout ants do,

must mean that Ants can always adapt to change.

So why not change for the better”

The ant stopped in his tracks

“That’s it! I have to convince them. When I get back Im gonna find the

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old ant and make him take me to the queen, il make her understand that our colony would be better of by the lake. When I tell about the water lily

she has to believe me”

the ant walked on with a smile on his face.

!FIRE! !FIRE! !FIRE!

The ant woke from his thoughts and

chaos was all around him.

Transporter ants where carrying around the eggs and trying to get the

queen out. Everybody was running around

randomly with out direction.

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The system was broken.

For a moment everything moved in slow motion. He was not scared and

every fiber in his body knew what he had to do.

“ Follow me! “

The ant ran over to a group of five

big transporter ants.

“Lay down as much home scent as you can and keep following me, I

know where to go”

He said in a firm voice he couldn’t recognize as his own.

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The ant kept running till his legs were sore then he slowed down. As turned around he could not believe

his own eyes. The group of five transporter ants

had grown and now as far as he could see the entire colony was

following him. A chill ran down his spin.

“They are all looking to me to save

them, how did this all happen so fast. No time for doubt”

He told himself

He looked up and in the distance he saw a fleet of the yellow water lilys

waiting by the bank of the lake.

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As goldfish watched the ant walk

away, he now for the first time in his life felt alone.

“ Why are ants living together in

millions while goldfish swim alone”

He taught to himself

“Could it be because we are always changing, maybe changing to much.”

As these thought were running

through the goldfish’s head he laid quietly at the bottom with his eyes

closed.

Many times 7 sec. past by.

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When he open his eyes the water had

cleared and he saw the most breathtaking landscape he had ever

seen. Thousands of colorful fish, some like him some different. Hole underwater

forests were dancing in the water and everywhere he looked there

where munchies.

“Its like a dream” He thought

Then he remembered the ant.

As he looked around his new world he couldn’t help but imagine how amazing it would look with caves,

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halls and tunnels, just like the ants world.

“ Maybe we can use the same

systems the ants do… but how do I get the ants and the fishes to meet…”

“THE WATER LILYS!”

A light went on in his head

He swam down to a group of strange looking fish.

“ Top o the morning to you good gentlefish”

He said merrily

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“I am new to your beautiful world but I think that together we can

make it even more beautiful”

“What more do you need, there is munchies, the water is clear and

beautiful fish are all around” a big carp said with a grin

“ Well yesterday I had an interesting

conversation with an Ant”

“ An Ant? Why would you want to talk to an ant, all they do is repeat

the same things over and over again”

“Yeah but they have great halls and tunnels and they stay warm in the

winter”

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“The winter? we are in spring, what kind of goldfish thinks of winter in

spring”

The goldfish realized that he would have to show the fish what he meant,

they had to see it for themselves.

“ You know in my old pond there was a fisah like you”

He said to the carp

“He could chew over the stem of a

water lily in only 7 secs.”

“Ha” The carp laughed, “I can do it in 5 sec”

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“ I can do it in 2 sec” another fish

said

“Well, I can cut one in a single mouthful, less then a sec”

A big fish said

“well lets see it then”

They all started to chop down water lillys and soon there were many

floading around in the water.

“Im impressed” The goldfish said

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“Now lets se who can push theire water lilly to the lake side the

fastest, 1..2.3..go!”

All the fish started pushing the water lily’s and one by one they

reached the lakeside until there was water lily’s all along the lake.

“ LOOK!”

a small fish yelled and all the fish

turned towards land. What they saw non of them had ever

seen before. An entire ant colony was heading

towards the lake. They all looked at the goldfish.

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The ant came huffing and puffing to the side of the lake almost fainting.

“What took you so long”

The goldfish said with a grin.

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Chapter 6. The new place

Imagine, if you can, two worlds

dancing.

Floating on the mirror surface of a forest lake, hundreds of colorful flowers all filed with the buzzing

activity of ants.

Thousands of colorful fish swimming along the edges of the flowers,

making it look like an unfolding masterpiece being painted.

Free minds drawing a fantasy

together.

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Pasteur’s of waving sea grass being cut and trimmed by hordes of frogs working in teams, all laughing and

competing to see who can gather the most.

Because the whole lake is now

working together, there is more munchies then any fish can remember there ever being.

The ants having adopted the

delicious sea grass as the main part of their diet, now spent more time

making their halls and tunnels bigger and more beautiful. Work has turned to play.

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The ants teach their building skills to the fish and the fish share their

visions with the ants. Philosopher turtles debate poems of the past.

The fireflies arrive at night giving

everything a starlight glow. The grasshoppers play their songs while dun beetles keep the rhythm on hollow tree trunks. All the while giant shadows are dancing on the

trees around the lake.

There are two moons One in the lake & One in the sky.

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Epilog

Whenever spring comes and you sing the song about “the night the forest danced” It is that magical night you

are singing about.

“But what about the ant and the goldfish?”

“And what happened with the fire?”

Easy now young ants and goldfish.

One at the time.

“Where do you come from?”

That is an even longer story.

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One that must wait for next time. For it is late and I must fly.

“What is flying?”

Flying is what Fireflies do, like Ants live on land and Goldfish live in the

lake, my home is the sky.

“Really?”

Makes you wonder doesn’t it.

The End.

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