Praying Mantis - Martini Matrisius
Mottled sun shine filtered down through the dense tree canopy, with one large bright spot on the leafy branch next to Martini Matrisius, a long lean praying mantis. She liked bathing in the sunny early morning, but it was already mid-day and the heat was stifling. So she carefully stayed in the shade just outside the blazing spot of brightness. Martini was sitting at the end of a low hanging branch of great oak near the edge of the great forest.
From her leafy perch, she was close to the leaf strewn forest floor. Nearby, a little further out on her branch was a glistening black beetle. She had already had plenty to eat, but she thought she could fit one more scrumptious beetle in her nearly constantly hungry belly. Carefully she took one stealthy step towards her prey, and then another. She carefully judged the distance remaining between her and the beetle. Having snatched thousands of tasty insects over her lifetime, she was an expert at judging distance, her own speed, and the speed (or lack thereof) of her impending prey. She waited and watched for the right moment, then suddenly, faster than the eye can see, she struck. Her powerful mandibles crunched into the beetles back with lightening speed, just below the neck, and her long powerful arms quickly grabbed the beetle to hold it firmly in place as her mandibles dissected the beetle with expert precision. The diced beetle parts, just the right size to fit into her mouth, slide smoothly into her gullet, topping it off nicely.
With a full belly, Martini again relaxed on the oak leaf near the warm sun spot. She greatly enjoyed the contented feeling of a full belly. She could sit here for hours slowing digesting her mornings collection of insects.
Martini saw Billy Cricket on the ground below her perch. She thought about having him for desert, but was already full and still working on the beetle. Billy Cricket will wait for another day.
Billy Cricket was intently watching a line of ants industriously bringing food back to their nest. He stood staring at them for a while. Martini saw him laugh at the ants for working so hard. She watched him boldly walk up to the industrious ants and steal some of the food the ants are working so hard to gather. The ants helplessly watched Bill take the fruit of their labor and leave while filling his belly on the ants hard work
Martini silently watched Billy Cricket laughing at the ants after stealing their food, but said nothing, busy digesting her juicy beetle meal. Survival of the fittest, that was the rule they all lived by. However, watching Billy, the last thing she thought of was fitness. She had seen Billy many times that summer, taking food from others, always laughing at them.
The ants, and other creatures on the forest floor, continued to work through the summer and into the fall. All the forest creatures saved up food for the long winter to come, all except Billy.
One sunny autumn day, Martini had a nice long talk with Sally Spider. Sally has just completed her lifes greatest work, a nice web covered cocoon protecting her egg sack, her precious babies to be. They spent the warm afternoon talking about motherhood and how precious babies are, being their future since their own lives are so short and unpredictable. Martini told Sally she had her eye on a strong handsome mantis to be the father of her children, and she planned to stalk him within the next day or so.
Finally winter was about to arrive, as it does every year, and the ants were happy with their food stores. However, Billy Cricket having stolen what he wanted during the summer and saving nothing for the winter, was soon nearly starving to death. On a cold cloudy winter day, Martini saw Billy savaging the forest floor for bits and scrapes to eat. She watched Billy as he spied Sally Spider's egg cocoon. She watched Billy sneak up the tree where it was attached, swipe it and have a scrumptious meal of juicy spider eggs. On a leaf high above Billy Cricket, Martini watched, but she was too cold and tired and full to move.
After a long cold winter, the sun was rising earlier every day, and life was stirring on the forest floor more and more each day. Spring came early, and Martini could see that Sally Spider was suffering more and more each day, since all her babies have been destroyed by Billy. She was too old for making any more spider eggs. She talked sadly to Martini about her loss. Martini knew Sally would die soon, either from grief or from just getting old, either way, her life is nearing it's end.
The next day was lovely, a beautiful spring day, and Martini saw Billy Cricket again stealing food from the ants. Billy Cricket laughed at the ants as he wandered off with his stolen food. Martini, who hadn't yet eating anything all day hoping she would find Billy Cricket, watched. Martini followed Billy in her usual silence.
After a short distance Martini darted forward, and stopped in front of Billy Cricket.
"A lovely meal you have there Billy." she spoke in her lovely singsong voice
"Yes, and it's all mine, you go get your own food," grumbled Billy, trying to hide his stolen meal behind him.
Martini smiled very sweetly at Billy, "Oh, I will certainly get my own food, I always do.
"I talked to Sally Spider yesterday, she was quite sad about the loss of all of her babies, it was a horrible site to watch her suffering so."
Billy replied coldly, showing no sign of remembering his mid-winter meal of spider eggs, "This forest is full of dangers and many of us insects die every day in our continual battle for survival.
"Spiders survival, or yours for that matter, are of no concern of mine. My concern is my own survival, and this lovely meal I have here is my survival at this particular moment. So if you would kindly leave me in peace." Billy turns away and begins eating his stolen meal.
Martini sat motionless in front of Billy, "Sally Spider was in such bad shape I could see she would die soon, so to help her end her suffering I ate her."
"Ate her," Billy squeaks with surprise, "I thought you were her friend. You are terrible, a horrible friend."
"I am a survivor and a friend," she spoke softly. "I fulfilled both needs with one simple meal. Sally no longer suffers the loss of her babies or the aches of age, and I had a wonderful meal, even if it was sad to loose my friend at the same time."
Arrogantly, Billy spits out, "Well, you just go find another old stringy spider to eat and leave me be."
Martini continued speaking in her soft singsong voice, "Thinking about Sally Spider reminds me of the last time I saw you. You were visiting Sally Spider. I had just found my mate, he had given me everything I needed to make my own egg sack. I sat on a sunny branch with my new mate while I watched you near Sally Spiders egg cocoon. But I was busy with my mate, I was so happy I could make my very last egg sack, my ootheca, that I got very excited. So excited that I accidentally ate my mates head. Since the head was gone, I didn't think he needed his body any more, so I continued eating until I was so full I couldn't move. That was when I saw you with Sally Spiders egg sack in your mouth. I saw you taking from her all of her babies. I have eaten many creatures in this forest, but I have never eaten all of someone's babies. Our children are the future of the forest. Once, long ago, I watched one of my egg sacks. When my babies hatched they scattered in all directions. I followed a few of them to see what would happen to them. Most of them were eaten within a few days, despite my filling my belly to protect them. But a couple of them were able to find food before they became food themselves. I was very proud of them. I quickly lost track of all of them, I do hope some of them became adults, fulfilling their place in the forest.
"My time is almost over, age is quickly catching up with me, as it did with Sally. But I believe I have time for one last meal before I leave the forest for ever. Since you have been a burden on the forest, doing little for yourself and taking from others, I would be honored for you to be my last meal.
Martini struck with lightening speed, and while holding Bill Cricket's head in her jaws, his last meal still between his jaws. She says "This is in memory of Sally Spider and the children she never had." Her powerful mandibles quickly crunch down ending Billy Cricket's laziness.
By Darla Silvereye