One tale is told by a red ant who recounts organized raids on neighboring colonies, vivid combat, and the seizure of larvae to serve domestic functions, while reflecting on caste, martial pride, and the pragmatic motives for conquest. A passing human observation about captive ants' inability to rear young prompts further reflection on intelligence versus brute force. The companion piece is a pierrot's memoir of early orphanhood in the Jardin d'acclimatation, describing refuge near a large marabout and the formative effects of loss and survival in childhood recollection.