The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THERE WAS AN OLD PRISONER WHO WAS CONDEMNED FOR LIFE.
HE WAS ALL ALONE IN HIS CELL AND IT WAS ALMOST
UNBEARABLE. THEN, ONE DAY, HE SAW A LITTLE ANT
CRAWLING ACROSS THE FLOOR. HE PICKED IT UP AND PUT
IT IN HIS HAND. WELL THE MAN AND THE ANT BECAME
FRIENDS AND THE GUY STARTED TO TRAIN HIM. FIRST OF
ALL, HE TAUGHT HIM TO SHAKE HIS HEAD "YES" OR "NO." THAT
ALONE TOOK HIM TEN YEARS OF WORKING NIGHT AND DAY WITH
THE ANT. HE TAUGHT HIM OTHER THINGS AND FINALLY HE
TAUGHT HIM TO DANCE. FORTY YEARS IT TOOK HIM, BUT IT
WAS WORTH IT--THAT LITTLE ANT WAS THE BEST DANCER YOU
EVER SAW. THE ANT KEPT GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND
ALL THE TIME THE GUY WAS DAYDREAMING HOW RICH HE COULD
BE IF HE COULD SHOW HIS MARVELOUS ANT TO THE WORLD.
FINALLY, AFTER OVER SIXTY YEARS IN PRISON, THE GOVERNOR
GAVE HIM A PARDON. THE OLD MAN WAS THRILLED. HE TOOK
THE ANT THAT HE HAD TRAINED ALL HIS LIFE AND SET OFF FOR
THE NEAREST BAR TO PLAN HIS FIRST MOVE. WELL, HE
ORDERED A DRINK AND THEN REMEMBERED HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY
MONEY. BUT HE FIGURED, "I KNOW HOW I CAN GET A DRINK
EASY." SO HE PUT HIS LITTLE ANT ON THE BAR AND CALLED
THE BARTENDER OVER. "BARTENDER, YOU SEE THIS LITTLE
ANT ON THE BAR?" "OH, SURE FELLA," AND HE SQUISHED
HIM UNDER THIS THUMB.

Submitter comment: PLACE OR DATE UNKNOWN, EXCEPT THAT IT WAS IN DETROIT
BETWEEN 1957 AND 1963.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 00-00-1963