Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion by Suzy Kline

Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion

    When Harry and I walked into Room 2B, we couldn’t believe our eyes.
    â€œLook at that!” I said.
    â€œWow! What is it, Doug?” Harry asked me.
    â€œIt’s an ant city.”
    â€œAnts ...” Harry grinned. Then he rubbed his hands together.
    Harry loves anything that crawls, slithers, or slides. He loves slimy things, hairy things, and creepy things.
    Harry loves anything horrible.
    â€œThe ants haven’t arrived yet,” Miss Mackle said. “But they should come any day now in the mail.”
    â€œThe mail?” Sidney made a face. “Eeyew. There’s going to be ants in Miss Mackle’s mailbox.”
    Harry flashed his white teeth, “Neato ...” he said. “Are we going to have an ant monitor?”
    Miss Mackle looked at the list of jobs on the Monitor Chart. “We’re going to need one. Would you be interested, Harry?”
    Harry smiled so wide his silver fillings showed in the back.
    Miss Mackle printed Harry’s name next to Ant Monitor.
    One week later when the class was lined up in the hall by the office, Miss Mackle checked her mailbox. She found a small manila envelope in it.

    When she opened it up, she pulled out a plastic vial. There were a lot of black, hairy things moving around in it.
    â€œTHE ANTS!” the class shouted.
    The school secretary, Mrs. Foxworth, poked her head around the corner. “Ants ... ?” she replied.
    â€œWe’re going to observe their behavior,” Miss Mackle said.
    Mrs. Foxworth tried to smile, but she was shaking so much the pencil that was sitting on her ear dropped to the floor.
    Harry picked it up and handed it to her. “Are you afraid of ants?”
    Mrs. Foxworth ran back to her typewriter.
    Harry grinned. “She’s afraid of ants.”
    â€œWell,” Miss Mackle said, “the directions on this small package say to put the vial in a refrigerator for ten minutes so the ants will go to sleep. It’s easier to put sleeping ants in the ant city.”

    Harry stepped forward. “I’m the ant monitor. I’ll take it to the teachers’ refrigerator for you.”
    Miss Mackle raised her eyebrows.
    â€œCan I pick an assistant?” Harry asked.
    Miss Mackle nodded as she looked at the waving hands.
    â€œI pick ... Doug,” Harry said.
    I beamed.
    Miss Mackle looked relieved.
    We walked down the hall to the teachers’ room with the vial of ants.
    When we opened the refrigerator, we looked for a place to set the vial.
    â€œGee,” I said, “there’s so much diet soda in here, it’s hard to find room.”
    Harry finally set the vial on top of a container of banana yogurt.
    Then we walked back down the hall.
    Mrs. Foxworth was coming toward us. “Hello, boys,” she said in a cheery voice.
    â€œTaking your morning break?” Harry asked.
    Mrs. Foxworth nodded. “Thought I would have a little banana yogurt.”
    Harry and I stopped. We looked at each other.
    Mrs. Foxworth closed the teachers’ room door.
    Then we heard it. A shrill scream!
    Harry and I walked back to Room 2B laughing.
    Ten minutes later Miss Mackle brought the vial of ants back to the classroom.
    Everyone gathered around the science table. “I think I should do this, boys and girls,” Miss Mackle said. “Some ants bite. I don’t want any of you to touch one. Is that clear?”
    Everyone nodded their heads.
    Miss Mackle took the roof off an ant house. Then she took the cap off the vial. We all watched her pour the ants into the small opening.
    â€œTheir bodies look like raisins,” Ida said.
    â€œThat’s the way they sleep, Ida, all rolled up,” Miss Mackle replied.
    â€œEeyew,” Sidney groaned. “They’re gross.”
    The teacher looked at Sidney. “We are scientists. We are observing ant behavior. Someday, someone in Room 2B may be a great scientist and make great