Children of Noah


Roosevelt and Deelya were astonished when Noah selected them to
be the ants to represent their species in the ark. After all,
they were considered inferior by the other ants in the anthill
because of their large odor sensors. In humility they bowed
before Noah and said "We is honored to join you in this here
boat" although they weren't really sure what a boat was. In
fact, just that same day they had heard a couple of termites
joking about "Noah's Folly", saying the wood wasn't any good
for chewing.

Roosevelt and Deelya were glad they were small, because Noah was
really packing the animals in, and things were getting crowded.
Just when it seemed there was absolutely no room for anything else,
water began to fall from the sky and Noah shut the doors. Soon the
ark began to rock, and it floated off into the growing storm, with
all hands (several thousand, including itty-bitty flea feet)
accounted for.

It was the middle of the night when the ark struck the side of Mt.
Ararat (originally called Mt. Watchoutforthat). The sudden jolt
and list to starboard woke the animals abruptly from their slumber.
In the ensuing melee, Padre Porcupine accidently stuck Signor Skunk
in the buttocks, causing the poor skunk to emit a full charge of
"eau de pew" into the chaos.

Noah had his hands full trying to secure the ark and get everybody
quieted down. Some accounts, particularly from the giraffes, had
God appearing with a clothespin on his nose, which uniquely altered
his stentorian voice. But most likely God answered Noah's frantic
prayer by giving him a spontaneous clear insight.

In any event, Noah located Roosevelt and Deelya hiding in a coil of
rope and said, "Friends, I need your help. I have all I can handle
securing this arc and calming the bigger animals. God has told me
that you have a special gift for getting rid of this skunk stink.
Will you help me?"

Deelya looked at Roosevelt. "What gift be dat?" she asked. "Only
things different 'bout us be dese puffy noses, and child, they is
getting a workout right about now."

But Roosevelt, although unaccustomed to considering a higher
calling, decided "If the Good Lord says it, it must be true."
So he and Deelya went all around the ark, sniffing up the skunk
stink with all the gusto they and their large odor sensors could
manage. Before too long came the golden dawn of a new world.

Noah had life's major constraints in place, and had called all
the animals to a meeting outside the ark. The agenda centered
mainly on God's providence and the necessity to begin repopulating
the earth.

Roosevelt and Deelya had sucked up all the stink and were a
little bloated, but they responded to the call for them to come
forward. Noah honored them in front of the assembly for their
free use of their special gifts and the likelihood of a future
anthill full of special noses.

As they returned to their place, Roosevelt realized out loud
"Y'know, we be de de-scent ants of Noah!"