The Six Ants of the Grey Desert

In a big and wide desert, there was an anthill on a high place. The desert was so grey and dusty that it had no green grass and no flowers. Sometimes rain would fall but since there were no seeds or plants, it stayed forever grey.

The black ants faced hunger and hardship. They would tie their waists while they worked under the hot sun, searching for a single grain of food.

One day, six friends who were very hardworking and clever spoke:

“Come, let’s get out of this grey desert. It has no flowers and no green plants. Even if the desert is big and wide, our hearts feel tight.”

It wasn’t long before the six ants made their decision and started their journey to an unknown place.

They traveled for days and nights and were very tired when, at last, they reached a place filled with beautiful plants. The friends were happy. When they had rested, each one climbed to the top of a pretty flower where they walked on soft petals and wet their mouths on drops of clear and nourishing dew.

“Our home will be right here,” they said. “We will live with happy hearts and enjoy a beautiful life."

A bird flew overhead. When it saw the ants, it landed on the flowers and pecked at them but they ran quickly and hid beneath the stem where they would not be seen.

“In our old home, even if it was dry, we could walk freely and live in peace,” one ant said.

“We spent very good days and nights with our cousins …”

The ants were scared so they stayed hidden and the beauty and fun of flowers was forgotten while they thought about how to keep safe.

The bird flew off, and a red butterfly landed in its place.

Big, red wings opened and closed. When the new insect looked down, it could see ants clinging to the stem.

“Who are you, and why are you hiding here?” it asked.

The ants were nervous and could not answer.

“Don’t be afraid. I can help you,” the butterfly said.

With this, the ants moved a little in their place. They told the story of their grey desert, how they became separated from their families, hardships of the journey, and what had happened with the bird.

“It is not good to be separated from your people but since you have the thought of progress, I can work with you,” the butterfly fanned the ants with its wings. “Your only path is to work hard and find a way to change the fate of your dry desert.”

“Tell us quickly! We are ready to face any kind of trouble!” the ants said together:

“Come, three of you sit on this wing, and three on the other,” the butterfly said. “I will take you to a different place.”

Without thinking, the ants sat three by three, on the bright red wings as the butterfly flew high into the air. They held on until their guide arrived in a field filled with plants. Under each green leaf were tiny seeds.

“Each of you must take one in your mouth,” the butterfly told the ants. “Next you must find a place in your desert where the sun will not be too strong.”

The ants climbed back onto the wings and the butterfly flew back towards the desert.

“You can go on from here,” the creature flapped its wings to say goodbye. “May your desert be filled with flowers!”

When the friends returned to their home, relatives gathered around and hugged them tightly. When they could speak, the six told their story. It wasn’t long before a decision had been made and all the families helped to carry the seeds, one by one, to be planted near a rock.

In a few days, from the seeds, small plants grew. The sun was hot but the big rock’s shadow covered the new plants for half the day. When rain fell, the roots stayed wet until the stems grew tall with beautiful flowers.

Every day the ants watched. When the flowers dried, new seeds had formed inside and the strong autumn winds spread grains across the sand. By springtime, the six flowers had became one hundred … Within a few years, the grey desert was filled with blooms with petals as bright as the red of the butterfly’s wings.

At the centre of each flower, black dots could be seen to remind the ants of friends whose love and bravery had brought colour to their desert.

Original Pashto text