Competition is good but sometimes we fall into an idea to defeat or underestimate the others. This short fable Story in English remind us to consider Cooperative Action beside competitive one to solve the problem. This ant story is not story of ant and grasshopper. It is team building short story.
The Ants and Their Big Food
A tiny Worker ant, called Red Head, tried hard to pull a Crumb of bread but it did not move anywhere since the crumb of bread was bigger than he was.
“It’s impossible for a weak worker like you to bring this crumb of bread. I’ll show you my strength,” said a soldier ant, called Big Head.
Bid Head started to pull the crumb of bread but his strength was not enough to move the crumb. Then, he stopped his effort and gasped for breath.
“If a strong soldier cannot bring it, a worker can’t, too,” said Big Head.
“I know how to bring this crumb of bread,” said another worker ant behind them.
“Small Head, you are just a worker. You don’t think that you are stronger than a soldier, don’t you?” said Big Head.
“You said a worker or a soldier can’t but together we can. I’ll show you,” said Small Head.
Small Head waved his antenna and called a horde of ants.
Then, Small Head stood on a small stone and said, “My friends, it’s a big food for us but we need to work together. We need to help each other. We need to do cooperative action to achieve good result. Some of you are soldiers. Some of you are workers. Notwithstanding our difference, we are one team and we are going to work together to realize our dream. Together, we can lift and move this big crumb to our ant hill. We can cut this big crumb into tiny pieces and each can bring them to our ant hill. Together, we can do better.”
The horde of ants cheered. Soldiers and workers started biting and cutting the crumb of bread into tiny pieces. Some of them brought together the rest big part of the crumb. Big Head and Read Head joint the cooperative action of their friends. They marched and brought all parts of the crumb to their anthill.
In the ant hill, Big Head touched Small Head and Red Head’s shoulders and said, ”Friends, I’m sorry for underestimating you. I was wrong when I thought that to defeat the others in every competition was important. To win together in cooperative action is more important.”
The End
This fable can be English short story for teenagers, kids, senior high school or junior high school. This inspirational team building story is written by YW Purnomosidhi a.k.a Mas Wahyu Didik.
