By: RIC CARTER
Re: 4 insects

                           THE FOUR INSECTS

 Once there were four insects: a wasp, a bee, a roach, and a fly. The
 bee was a deeply religious insect, intent on visiting as many places
 as it could and leaving little traces of it's religion wherever it
 had been. Not everyone welcomed such selfish intrusions, for most
 recognized that the bee was doing it only for the glory it thought it
 would bring upon itself. When confronted on it's objectionable
 behavior, the bee would buzz angrily about it's rights and duties,
 and threaten with it's stinger. But, most recognized this to be a
 hollow threat, for no bee would sting and bring misfortune upon
 itself for this, in spite of it's blustering. Bees were known to be
 loud, but not especially courageous.

 The wasp was an angry fellow, and would sting others again and again,
 until they had no will to fight back. Also a religious insect, this
 one used intimidation to get others to believe what it did, for like
 the bee, the wasp believed that the more souls it saved, the more God
 would love it, and the more reward it would have in heaven. Most of
 the other insects avoided the wasp, and over time it began to believe
 that they avoided it because it told the truth, and that they were
 afraid of the truth. In reality, they avoided it because they thought
 it a sick and strange insect, and one better to not be around. And
 the more the wasp was ignored, the more sure of itself it became,
 until it was convinced that it alone was the messenger of truth, and
 none would enter heaven unless they believed exactly what it
 believed.

 The roach likewise was deeply and piously religious. It liked nothing
 better than to engage others in debate, for it was learned and had
 read many books. By every trick known to roaches it would confuse and
 bully and humiliate and insult it's opponent, all the better to
 spread the Word of God, it told itself. It especially enjoyed taking
 what others had said, twisting meanings and taking things out of
 context, so the poor recipient of it's diatribe would have no option
 but to slink back in dismay. The roach would tell itself that it had
 won another battle for God in these cases.

 The fly had no such religious convictions, and most of the time it
 minded it's own business. Sometimes it wondered about God, and heaven
 and hell, but it knew one thing above all else: it was a good fly,
 and if God demanded that it act like the bee or the wasp or the roach
 in order to curry favor, it wanted nothing to do with that God. So,
 the fly carried on with it's life, doing fly things and propagating
 thousands of other little flies, just like it had been programed to
 do, and when asked if it believed in God it simply said: "I've not
 seen one, so how can I be honest and say yes?"

 When the insects died they were summoned to heaven to talk to God.
 The bee and the wasp and the roach preened themselves and puffed up,
 for they were sure they were about to be rewarded beyond their
 wildest dreams. The fly alone was nonchalant, for it was not yet
 convinced. As they crawled into God's office the fly suddenly
 approached God Himself, and stuck out it's arm and touched Him, much
 to the shock and dismay of the others. "Hmmmm", said the fly. "I
 guess you are real. Now I believe." God smiled at the fly, and said:
 "I made you to be a fly, and a good fly you were. You alone shall
 enter my kingdom, I have need of honest flies around here."

 Then, He looked at the wasp and the bee and the roach and frowned,
 and they were instantly turned to mush, and collapsed on the floor.
 The fly saw this with glee, and began to feast on their remains.
 "Yes", laughed God, "I have much need for good flies."

 The end.