September 11, 1999 A Rustle in the Grass “In the tradition of Watership Down comes a remarkable story of a peaceful society turned upside down. When a colony of ants awakens from winter's Long Sleep, they are shattered to learn killer red ants are destroying everything in their path. Can the tiny colony of ants save their world from the marauders?” (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812500687/qid=937068704/sr=1-1/002-9246445-6241439) The preceding paragraph is taken from a webpage, as I have left this beloved book at home. I first discovered this book quite by accident; my family had moved to Arkansas maybe six months before, and we were looking around town one day. We ended up at a flea market. Being eight years old, I was eager to buy something, anything. What I found was a tattered old book called A Rustle in the Grass, for fifty cents. I bought it. A wonderful story woven with magic and nobility and kindness, this book, though written about ants, is a reflection on the human heart. I read it about once a year from the age of eight to fifteen. In sixth grade, I lent the book to my teacher over the summer. (It was returned to me.) When she had my sister two years later, my sister reported to me that Ms. Jones now had a classroom set A Rustle in the Grass. When I entered high school, I forgot about the book for awhile, becoming more involved with school and friends. But in twelfth grade, when I was “bed-ridden” for several days after a reconstructive foot surgery, I again picked this book up. The magic was still there. No book ever captured my interest in such a way. I’m not exactly sure why this story is significant to me. What does it have to do with my life? Maybe I just really like the theme in it: the different ants all gathering together to fight for the same cause. In the end, they make the sacrifice of their lives to preserve that which, above all, is most important: the Queen Ant. Only through the Great Mother can their culture, way of life, and families be preserved. In our lives, we are constantly fighting the battle to preserve what our “Great Father” has given us. Above all, there are certain things we strive for. We have always been caught up in the battle between good and evil, and when the final lines are drawn, it’s hard to know who’s the enemy, and who will fight valiantly until the end. But no matter what the odds, this little story of ants shows us that the small can be more powerful than the great. Every time I finish this book, I feel ready to face the world, to do something good, to prove to these faithful little ants that life is good, people are good, and no one’s sacrifice for the sake of others will ever be taken for granted. |