The Giant and The Ant.

 

On one particularly hot summers day, a giant was out walking; he strode across the open lands of a faraway kingdom. With a bat the size of a small tower in one hand, and the sense of destruction in his heart, he felt that today was going to be a good one. Lots of scaring to do, and manipulating the townsfolk into giving him all their crops. The usual things you might expect a giant to do. With the warmth on his back and the sleep of a mountain the night before, there was surely nothing that this giant couldn’t take for himself.

As he walked, stepping over a large pond, he noticed a tiny golden ant resting on his shoulder. Obviously, to a giant, an ant wouldn’t really cause much concern, if any, nevertheless it was fair to say that the giant wasn’t too pleased.

“Do you have any idea who I am?!” the giant bellowed.

To the giant’s surprise, the ant simply smiled.

“I am the biggest, and most-strongest creature in all the lands. There is nothing in this world that can even compare to me. These hands have ripped trees from the very ground their roots had buried in. These arms of mine, for they have blocked rivers from flowing. And my legs, and my feet, they have squashed farm lands and farm houses. I am godly, and you shall fear me and my anger!”

The ant nodded, and came closer to the giant’s ear so that he could hear its faint words of choice.

“Oh great and powerful giant, I cannot deny that you speak the truth. And there is no possible way that I could argue with your mightiness. But, I must tell you not to be so bold and sure. For as you state, you are without compare, but this alone does not make you fearsome. As I may be small in comparison to yourself, this means nothing when I meet with my family. All seven billion of us. As we are many, and you are one.

“You tell me that your arms have ripped trees from the ground, well let me assure you, that when my army marches the jungle itself bows down to our strength. The rivers that you have blocked by arm alone are the same rivers we rafted across, battled against and tamed with ease. And for every one farm that you have destroyed, we have built ten more. We have strung together and bonded, we have farmed and fed a billion hungry mouths while you have only fed your own. And where you only wish to topple nature in all its beauty, we have become one with it, mastering its ability and working out its harmonics.

“So please, oh mighty giant, tell me, who is the stronger of us two?”