Leiningen Versus the Ants
טקסט Storyboard
- At four o’clock that afternoon, the flanking armies of ants reach the ends of the ditch that run into the river and are unable to find a way over. They decide to cross the water. The ants that die in the river become “steppingstones”for those that can still crawl across. Leiningen orders a couple of his workers to dam the river “more strongly” so that more water will flow through the ditch faster.
- Then, darkness descends in the jungle. The humans figure that the ants will be inactive until dawn. Meanwhile, they open the dam wider, allowing more water to flow into the ditch. Leiningen suspects that the ants are preparing “another surprise attack” . He orders some of his workers to keep watch along the riverbank overnight and to shine light constantly over the water. Leiningen eats his dinner and goes to sleep, unworried about the ants.
- At dawn, Leiningen feels refreshed. He mounts his horse and rides along the water ditch. On the ants’ western front, he observes that they are chewing the stalks of the vines on the liana plants. He knows that they’re doing this to provide food for the rest of the army. They then use the leaves to create rafts on which they can ferry themselves across the ditch. Several ants ride on a single leaf. Leiningen rides back to his camp and orders his men to bring gas pumps and spades to the southwestern front.As he rides along, Leiningen sees a pampas stag, covered in ants, keel over. He shoots the shuddering creature to end its misery. He then takes out his watch. He records that it took the ants six minutes to eat the stag. Leiningen rides off. He no longer considers this match against the ants one of simple sport: It’s now a matter of life or death
- Suddenly, Leiningen gets an idea. He decides “to dam the great river completely” , inundating the plantation. One of his workers, however, would have to get to the dam to accomplish this. Leiningen figures that none of his workers would take the risk, nor should they; he resolves to make the dash himself. He announces his decision and tells his workers to “set fire to the petrol” as soon as he gets across the ditch.
- Leiningen reaches the other side of the ditch, and his workers carry him into the ranch house. When the flames die down, the men see that the ants have disappeared into “an extensive vista of water”. Those that aren’t caught in the flood, which soon carries them away into the river, are held off by the wall of flames in the inner moat. The water then rises and puts out the flames. Some ants still try to reach dry land, but they are repelled by “streams of petrol”#160; which carry them to the flood water
- Leiningen rests in his bed. The workers have salved and bandaged his wounded body. The old man who bandages Leiningen tells him that the ants are now gone—“to hell”The old man holds out “a gourd”#160; from which Leiningen drinks a sleeping potion. Leiningen murmurs that he promised his men that he’d be back. He then smiles, closes his eyes, and sleeps.
נוצרו מעל 30 מיליון לוחות סיפור