Resting my hands on the parapet I saw a tiny moving thing that seemed to be a bit longer than an ant. On closer examination I saw that it was in fact an ant. But at first glance it had seemed longer because in its jaws it was carrying the carcass of one of its fellows.
I watched its progress across the top of the parapet as I did warm-ups before taking a walk. Its motions were curious. It seemed uncertain which way to turn; first it headed for the near edge, then the far edge, then right, and then did an about-face towards the left.
Unlike the stream of ants in single file that is usually seen at picnics and such, this solitary insect bearing the burden of its deceased brother seemed to be without purpose. There must have been no scents of other ants for it to follow, no means to message one another across antennae upon meeting in the way ants do.
It seemed quite lost. Yet it was also unable or unwilling to discard the carcass held in its mandibles. The carcass must have been equal in weight to its own, or close thereto, if it had lain desiccated for some time before having been recovered.
I could not wait to see where the carcass-bearing ant would finally go, but I hope that it found a proper resting place for its burden.
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