As the children are really enjoying our ant farm, we thought it would be a good time to introduce some ant stories onto their library shelves. One playful story they are enjoying is ….

I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince

When switchman Jack, while eating his lunch by his shack, spies an ant walking along the railroad track he gets worried and knows he has to do something to help …

… before the little guy gets run over by the approaching train.

It’s a nice story with delightful language and illustrations and a happy ending!

Once we discoverd the collective nouns for ants were;

an army of ants – a colony of ants – a swarm of ants

It made us think of that great song, ‘The ants went (go) marching‘. So here are the words as we sing them -

The ants went marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching one by one,

the little one stopped to suck his thumb.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching two by two,

the little one stopped to do up his shoe.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching three by three,

the little one stopped to climb up a tree.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching four by four,

the little one stopped to shut the door.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching five by five,

the little one cheered HOORAY I’M ALIVE!

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching six by six,

the little one stopped to pick up some sticks.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching seven by seven,

the little one stopped to look up to heaven.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching eight by eight. Hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching eight by eight. Hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching eight by eight,

the little one stopped to shut the gate.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah!

he ants went marching nine by nine,

the little one stopped to check the time.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.

The ants went marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah!

The ants went marching ten by ten,

the little one stopped to say “THE END”.

And they all went marching down to get out of the rain.