t, I will pay you."

The little red Ants helped him to load his ass, and the Merchant-insect
drove his ass to the market, put down his sacks in the midst of the
market-place, prepared the ground, spread his mat there, and having
sold his ant-heads, he bought his things, and the market people began
to disperse.

Then the Merchant-insect started on his way home, and as he went the
little red Ants saw him, and said to him, "Father-merchant, give us
what thou owest us."

The Merchant, however, refused them their due, and went on his way.
Now as he went he got fever so that he sat down under a tree, tied his
ass fast, and took off the sacks from his ass's back. As he sat there
the fever overpowered him, and he lay down. On seeing him lying the
little red Ants assembled and came to him. Now the fever was consuming
the Merchant-insect's strength, and when the little red Ants saw this
they assembled together and killed him.

There was one Insect who saw them kill him, and he ran to our Lord, and
said to him, "All the little red Ants assembled together and killed a
man in the midst of the town--that I saw it."

When our Lord heard what the Insect said he called a man and sent him,
saying: "Go and call the little red Ants which kill people and bring
them to me."

The messenger arose, went, called all the little red Ants and brought
them before our Lord. On seeing the little red Ants, our Lord asked
them, "Why did you kill the man?" The little red Ants answered, and
said to our Lord, "The reason why we killed this man is this: When he
went to market and his ass had thrown off the sacks, those sacks were
too heavy for him to take alone, so he called us, and when we came to
him, he said to us, 'Please help me to take my large bag and load it
upon mine ass, that I may go to market. When I have sold my things and
come back, I will pay you.' Accordingly we helped him to load his ass;
but when he had gone to market and sold all his things there, we saw
him on his return home, and went to him, to ask him for what he owed
us; but he refused it, drove his ass, and went homeward. However, he
was only gone a little while, when he got fever, sat down under a tree,
tied his ass fast, took off his sacks and laid them down; and on the
same spot where he sat down, the fever overpowered him that he lay
down. Then on seeing him lying we went, assembled ourselves and killed
him, because he had refused what he owed us."

Our Lord g