Book 1. The Little Pink Ant, Pets, Dolls and Saving Anastasia
CHAPTER 1 – The Little Pink Ant gets a Pet
Little Pink Ant noticed that many children had pets, and she wanted to have one as well. When a puppy dog came running along the garden path, all by himself, Little Pink Ant asked: “Would you be my pet?”
The puppy shook his head, “I am too big for you, and I am already someone’s pet! He left the gate open, so I went for a run. I must return home soon.”
Little Pink Ant sighed, but cheered up as a colourful butterfly fluttered above them.
“Perhaps the butterfly will be your pet”, said the puppy.
“How would I lead her?” asked Little Pink Ant. “I can’t fly in the air like a butterfly.”
“True”, agreed the puppy, “but I must run home. Good luck, Little Pink Ant!”
Waving goodbye to the puppy, Little Pink Ant noticed a tiny green creature hopping towards her. It was a grasshopper. In fact, it was Little Boy Grasshopper who said, “I like you, Little Pink Ant, I will be your pet! But only for today”.
Little Pink Ant was very pleased. As she walked on the garden path among purple flowers, Little Boy Grasshopper followed. From a blade of blue grass, she made a lead, and led her grasshopper pet along, just as children do with their pets.
All the garden creatures stared. Never had they seen anything like it – a tiny pink ant leading a green grasshopper on a lead, as if he were a puppy!
By evening, Little Boy Grasshopper had to return home. But Little Pink Ant really enjoyed having a pet, even if it was just for one day.
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CHAPTER 2 – The Little Pink Ant gets a Doll
Little Pink Ant liked to take a nap among Anastasia’s t-shirts which were kept in a drawer of the green chest in her bedroom.
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She woke to see Anastasia, in a white nurse’s cap, attending to her doll. The doll’s arm was broken and Little Pink Ant watched with great interest. Anastasia was wrapping her doll’s arm with a bandage and giving it hugs to make it feel better.
Little Pink Ant wanted to do just the same, so she skipped into the garden. There she found a twig, slightly broken, but shaped like a tiny doll of her own!
Now all I need is some glue and a bandage to fix it, thought Little Pink Ant. Searching around the garden, she collected a drop of sap from a tree, which is sticky like glue and a bit of thread caught among the leaves, for a bandage.
On her return, she found Anastasia gone, but the big doll looking as good as new.
Little Pink Ant did just as Anastasia the nurse had done. After giving her own doll a hug, she put it among some fresh clothes in the laundry basket.
Now my doll has a house of her own, as Anastasia’s doll has, and the two dolls are neighbours, so they can become friends.
So thought Little Pink Ant, very pleased with herself.
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CHAPTER 3 – The Little Pink Ant wants Glasses
Little Pink Ant wondered why some people wear glasses. Are glasses like clothes for your eyes – you put them on when your eyes are cold, and take them off when your eyes are hot? Can I wear glasses too?
Being a curious Little Pink Ant, she needed to know. She asked a snail, who with his eyes at the end of long feelers, surely would know. The snail didn’t know, but thought it best to ask the Owl who wore glasses.
Little Pink Ant knew that Owl was a night creature and all the creatures said that he was very wise. So she too, stayed up late, till all the stars were in the sky.
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Owl was sitting on the fence post, his huge eyes shining in the dark. Little Pink Ant could see that Owl did not wear glasses, even though the feathers around his eyes made it look like he did.
The Little Pink Ant came near and asked: “Why do some people wear glasses, and can I wear glasses too?”
Owl explained that “people wear glasses when their eyes are not perfect”. “They need glasses to help them see properly. But I think that you can see perfectly well, almost like an owl. If you put on glasses when your eyes are perfect, you might harm your eyes.”
Little Pink Ant thought for a moment and replied: “You mean that only some people wear glasses because their eyes need help?”
“Yes”, said Owl. “You do not need glasses, because you see so well”.
“Yes!” said Little Pink Ant. “I can see you and all the stars in the sky perfectly well. Thank you. You are a wise Owl.”
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CHAPTER 4 – The Little Pink Ant learns ‘The Secret’!
After explaining about glasses, Owl looked at Little Pink Ant for a while. He said softly, so that no one else would hear: “I want to tell you the secret.”
Excitedly, Little Pink Ant came closer, so she could hear what “the secret” was.
“Anastasia”, said the Owl, “imagined that in her garden all the ants walked on two legs, like people do. She also imagined a very special girl ant which was pink and could understand what people say. This is why you are the extra-special Little Pink Ant.”
“I have not told this to anyone”, Owl continued, “but I am telling you because Spider is very jealous. He wants to walk on two legs like you and the other ants. If Spider knows the secret he will bite Anastasia! If that happens, Anastasia and her imagination will be harmed and all the ants will again walk on six legs.”
Little Pink Ant took a deep breath and listened for more.
“Goodnight Little Pink Ant, my little friend, and be very careful. Do not tell anyone what I have told you!” said Owl, before flying away.
“Goodnight Owl”, said Little Pink Ant, happy that Owl called her “friend.”
But she did not feel happy for long. That is a very big secret for one Little Pink Ant, she thought.
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CHAPTER 5 – The Little Pink Ant tells ‘The Secret’
Owl told Little Pink Ant to keep the big secret! But this secret was too big for one little ant and Little Pink Ant was scared. She just had to tell someone.
She could not tell her father because he would be angry with her for staying up so late.
The next morning, Little Pink Ant met her friend, Ladybird, on top of a daisy.
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The Ladybird said that the Spider must never know the secret because he was mean, tricky and dangerous. They agreed that they must never let the Spider bite Anastasia.
“Of course”, said Ladybird, “this means that you must remain pink because Anastasia imagines that you are pink. If Anastasia left the house, you would be black like all the other ants.”
If I were like all other ants, thought Little Pink Ant, they would stop teasing me about being different. This could be a good thing. It is not easy being different, she sighed.
Her next thought was about Anastasia. “She is my friend”, said Little Pink Ant,” if Spider bites her, it would be a terrible thing. What am I to do?”
Meanwhile, hidden under the daisy was Spider, listening with great interest.
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CHAPTER 6 – The Little Pink Ant learns ‘The Plot’
In Anastasia’s bedroom, Little Pink Ant was having a nap in a drawer of the green chest.
A strange voice stirred her from sleep, “I heard Little Pink Ant telling Ladybird the secret about Anastasia’s imagination.”
Little Pink Ant climbed out to check. Was she dreaming?
No! Just below her, were Spider and Centipede, busy plotting.
“It’s not fair”, Spider was saying. “I have to walk on eight legs while the ants walk on two. And you have to walk on – how many?”
“I don’t really know”, answered Centipede, “ I cannot count that far. All these legs make me pretty slow”.
“If we can never walk on two legs”, said Spider, “why should the ants? Let’s get rid of Anastasia and her imagination.”
“But how?” asked the slow Centipede.
“I will bite Anastasia,” promised Spider, and that will be the end of her and her Little Pink Ant!”
Very scared, Little Pink Ant rushed out of the house.
“I must be brave!” she kept repeating, “ I must save Anastasia!”
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CHAPTER 7 – The Little Pink Ant makes ‘A Plan’
Little Pink Ant could not sleep. Big thoughts were whirring around in her little pink mind. Spider and Centipede are huge, horrible and their bites are even worse!
I must protect Anastasia from their terrible plot, but how?
If they harm her, the ants will not walk on two legs anymore… What can I do?
When no answer came, a tired Little Pink Ant started counting polka dots on imaginary ladybirds, like people count sheep when trying to fall asleep.
The next morning dawned clear and bright, and Little Pink Ant felt just the same. I must be brave, she decided.
First, she talked about her problem with Ladybird. This time they made sure Spider was not spying on them.
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“Ask for help from a bird, for it would not be jealous of an ant walking on two legs”, advised Ladybird.
“Parrot?” asked Little Pink Ant, looking up at the colourful bird chattering to a butterfly in the gumnut tree.
“No, I don’t think so”, said the Ladybird, “Parrot is a chatterbox. He cannot keep a secret for long. Spider would soon learn that you know about his evil plan. Why not ask the wise Owl?”
And so she did.
“What you need is a frog which likes to eat spiders”, said the wise Owl.
The Little Pink Ant was aghast! She did not like Spider, but must he be eaten?
And what was a frog?
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CHAPTER 8 – The Little Pink Ant finds a Frog
Little Pink Ant had never been to the garden next door. But Ladybird had, because she could fly.
“I know what a frog is. One lives in a pond in the garden next door. Let us ask Frog for help. He will not be jealous about you walking on two legs, because he can leap and he can swim”, said Ladybird.
“Let’s go and see him!”, replied Little Pink Ant, climbing onto Ladybird’s back.
“You are too heavy”, said her polka dot friend, but I am sure Parrot can carry you”.
And so he did, after promising not to tell anyone what they were doing. The Little Pink Ant climbed onto Parrot’s beak and into the air they flew. Her garden disappeared from view, as they landed in the garden next door.
Ladybird arrived soon after to support her friend.
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Luckily, Frog was at home, sunning himself on a leaf in his lovely lilly pond.
“It will be a pleasure to help you, Little Pink Ant”, said Frog, looking forward to a tasty Spider salad.
“I only want you to scare Spider, not eat him!” she pleaded.
But Frog had other ideas. He had not eaten a spider for a while and saw his chance for a tasty meal.
Frog would not promise to spare Spider, but he would not eat Centipede. “Centipedes taste horrible”, he said.
Parrot, Little Pink Ant and Ladybird flew back to their garden.
It was not so easy for Frog, who had to make a few attempts at leaping over the fence. Success at last, he thought, looking around Little Pink Ant’s garden. But there is no pond!
“That is why your garden does not have a frog, but I’m here! Now, where is Spider?” said the hungry Frog to Little Pink Ant.
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CHAPTER 9 – The Little Pink Ant saves Anastasia
“I bet Spider and Centipede are already inside the house!”, said Parrot.
Little Pink Ant rushed to the house, but Frog could not go in as he was too big to fit under the door.
Anastasia was in her room, happily playing with her doll. But where were Spider and Centipede? Little Pink Ant climbed on top of the green chest so she could see the whole room.
Yes! Spider and Centipede were sneaking up on Anastasia.
“Stop!”, screamed Little Pink Ant.
Spider, his mouth open, was about to bite Anastasia. Little Pink Ant leapt from the high green chest onto Spider’s back, but bounced off, landing on the floor.
Spider was angry. “I can bite Anastasia any time I want”, he said to Little Pink Ant, “but I am going to bite you right now! Your parents will never see you again!”
Spider jumped towards her.
Little Pink Ant ran as fast as she could, out of the room, towards the garden. Spider chasing her, was so quick he nearly caught her as she ran under the door.
Little Pink Ant turned to the side and stopped by the door. But Spider was running so fast that he could not stop.
When Frog saw his lunch coming, he opened his mouth wide — and that was the end of the terrible Spider!
Meanwhile, Centipede was so slow crawling on his many legs that he missed seeing this adventure: how Little Pink Ant saved Anastasia from Spider.