Why the Worms live Underneath the Ground

Why the Worms live Underneath the Ground, a Nigerian folktale

Long ago when King Eyo III ruled the people and animals, he would invite his subjects to feast. Afterwards (and after plenty of palm wine had been drunk), it was customary for guests to make speeches.

After one of these feasts the head Driver Ant stood up and bragged that he and his people were stronger than anyone, and that no one, not even the Elephant, could stand before him and his army.

He was particularly offensive in his allusions to the Worms (whom he disliked very much), and disparaged them as “poor wriggling things.”

Naturally, the worms were very angry and complained vociferously! The king then ordered that to decide who was stronger, both sides must meet on the main road and fight it out between themselves.

The king decreed that the contest would be held on the third day after the feast, and all the land's people and animals turned out to witness the epic battle!

The army of the driver ants left their nest in the early morning, millions upon millions, marching in an inch-wide line so densely packed that it was like a dark brown band moving over the country.

Spearheading the rolling column were the sharp-eyed scouts, the veteran advance guard and the agile flankers, with the main body of troops in their countless multitudes following closely behind.

When they came to the battlefield where the worms awaited, the moving band spread out to meet them... the whole piece of ground was a roiling, boiling mass of ants and clusters of struggling worms.

The fight was over in mere minutes as the worms were bitten to pieces by the sharp pincer-like mouths of the driver ants. The few worms who survived squirmed away and buried themselves out of sight.

King Eyo then rose and proclaimed the driver ants to be the victors, and ever since then the worms have always been afraid, and have lived underground.

So filled with fear were the worms that if they come to the surface after it rains, they hide themselves underground whenever anything approaches, as they fear everything from ants to eleph-ants.

(adapted, via World of Tales)

(images via My Short Stories: Leiningen Versus the Ants, IGN, and The Nollywood Reporter)