Stop That!

A wonderful mom created a wonderful story with a wonderful purpose. 

"The queen ant was directing her workers, urging them to push a huge ball of horse manure up the cone of the ant pile.  You ARE aware of the food and heating value of horse poop to an ant, right?  She was directing her workers with antennae sign language because, as you should also know, ants don't speak English.  As the lump approached the steepest part of the hill, some of the ants started to goof off, thinking the job was essentially done.  The queen called for larger numbers to ease it over the crest.  But the extra workers didn't respond quickly enough,  The ball teetered, and froze, the pushing crew straining against it's weight.  More ants scrambled to help, but the number of slacker ants was growing as well.  The ball started to rock, seemed to lean, and began to creep back down the hill.  The gathering mass became terrified, and several colonists were crushed, but the army continued to grow heroically, everyone looking to the resolute Queen, firmly on the battle line, signing orders to her workers."

At this point, the mom made a fist, then extended her index and little fingers, waggling them at her rapt little audience like the queens antennae.

"The colony was at risk, and the Queen made sure they knew it.  Not one ant quit.  Even the goofoffs gave their all.  It took everything the community had, but they managed to change the momentum, and eventually, under the direction of their unbending queen (waggle, waggle), the dungball was wrestled into the burrow, and the colony survived the winter warm and well fed.  (yuk)  Of course you know what the Queen was signing, right? (waggle again)  She was saying...  STOP THAT HORSE SHIT!!!"

When this mother was in public with her sometimes unruly children, even after they were grown, all she had to do was waggle, and they would giggle, and settle down to pitch in.  Her family is warm and well fed.