Original subtitles

It is estimated that there are some 10 quintillion insects

alive at any one time.

But forget about them. This is about ME - Lloyd!

I'm a fly!

Oof!

Hey, Libby! Biscuit?

Just a crumb. Thanks, Gena.

Oh, would you look forward to our book clubs.

It's just so nice to get out of the colony

and away from pressures of queening, you know?

Do you mind eating off the table?

I have no clean plates because LLOYD cannot endure doing a single chore.

Hey, I washed up four plates!

That's four chores.

Uh... Yeah, but they're not clean.

Yeah, well... well, I stop for breakfast,

then a second breakfast, a snack and a nibble.

And the rest.

Eugh!

Yes, it's going to get done.

It's a lot of work. I'm working up to it.

You can't rush these things.

Whoa! Look at her go! That's, like, 50 chores!

Thank you, Annie209, Now, The Grape Of Wrath.

I really didn't expect the grape to be a metaphor. Did you?

Oh, your ant's so hard-working.

Of course.

In my colony, if an ant does not pull their weight,

or rather 10 times their weight,

I expel them.

Never had to do it, though.

Expelled!

Now, isn't that an idea?

Hey, I can work as hard as any ant.

If I was in your colony, you'd see exactly how hard-working I can be!

What a great idea.

I'd love to see how that goes. What do you think, Libby?

About what?

Lloyd coming to the colony and proving how hard he can work.

Uh... What? That's not...

What's the matter, Lloyd? Afraid you'll be expelled?

Of course not. Not possible.

I'll do it! Take me to your colony, Queen Libby.

But, you see, the colony is a finely balanced system of shared labour.

I'd have to leave Annie209 here to even things out.

And I don't want to burden you with that.

You know, I think we'll cope.

I suppose I'd better make the most of you now you're here.

This tunnel needs finishing. Finish it, please.

It's a 42-minute job for an ant.

But, since you're new to this, I'll give you 43.

I'll aim for 41. Oh, and Abacus'll need a spade too.

Hello.

I thought you wanted to prove you could work as hard as an ant

all by yourself.

Yeah, but not without Abacus.

And he's not much help. Look at his little arms.

I'll bet they'll make a difference.

What do I care? Just get it done.

I expect faster work between the pair of you,

so, I'll be back in 40 minutes.

Typical. Can't do anything without Abacus.

"Lacks independence."

PB, what are you doing here? Did Mum send you to check on me?

Do you think I'd send myself? Ugh.

"Questions authority."

Um... What is this? A report to see if I'm worthy of expulsion?

Is it?

Fine. I'm not worried. Report away.

Well, this spade is too flimsy.

That's the problem. This isn't the right thing for the job.

I can design a better tool

and get this whole tunnel done in 39 minutes.

Where's Abacus? Abacus?

Yes, Lloyd?

You can stop digging. I've got a better idea.

I'll show YOU something for your report.

And, with the elastic band for tension,

we'll be able to spin the spoon with enough velocity to remove...

You've spent this whole time procrastinating?!

You what?

It means the act of delaying or postponing something.

And how do you spell that?

P-R-O-C-R-A...

That's not what this is. Look, I'm trying to help you.

With this thing you could build twice a tunnel in half the time.

It's either that or half the tunnel in twice the time.

This is one of my sticky eggs,

and I need you to clean it so it's no longer sticky.

Sounds important. I can do that.

Doesn't sound very hard, though.

You know, I'm looking for hard work.

Oh, don't you worry. It's not the only one that needs cleaning.

All of them? "Lacks commitment."

All of them. No problem. Hand me a sponge and watch me go.

Eugh! You are not sponging my eggs! Use your tongue.

Flies. Honestly. No sense of hygiene.

Here's what we do, Abacus.

We'll start in the middle and work our way out.

Then we'll have a big, neat pile of clean eggs in the middle.

Hm...

Yeah. Looks good.

"Sleeping on the job"!

Where's Abacus?

Abacus?! What are you doing?

Argh!

Ohh!

Ow. Ow. Ow.

It's not looking good, Lloyd.

But, now Libby's got you doing literally nothing,

you might be able to turn this around.

Defending the pantry against invaders is not nothing, PB.

I'm hoping we function more as a deterrent.

I'm not built for combat.

Tough! We have to be ready for anything.

Rival colonies. Birds. Fish! Spiders!

Spiders?

Fish? Anything!

Though, probably not right now, since there's no food.

What?!

We're guarding an empty food store?!

Yep. At least until the foraging party gets back.

Now, foraging - that's the real work.

Not for me, though.

I like the steady inactivity of guard duty

punctuated by short, brutally violent battles.

"Abandoning post."

I don't think you're taking my desires seriously here.

How can I prove them hard-working if my work isn't hard or work?

You don't understand what's at stake.

I could be thrown out! And not just by you, but my own mother.

Just ask PB. She's documenting it all!

Just tell me what you want, Lloyd. What do you need to do to be done?

I want to do the REAL hard work. I want to forage.

Oh. Yes. Foraging. Perfect!

You pick up food, you bring it back. Not a lot you can do wrong there.

You'll not even be in the colony for most of it.

Yes! Do that!

Yes!

Finally, this is where I prove once and for all

what a super and amazing hard worker I am.

I won't let you down, Lloyd. I appreciate that, Abacus.

Uh-huh! There!

I have foraged.

Alright?

"Pitiful performance."

Here, Abacus, you can have this one.

I have bigger food to forage, like...

...that!

Would it not be easier to roll it?

Like some sort of lazy ant?

No way!

PB, you better put my massive chickpea in your report.

"Unreasonable demands."

Is that salt and vinegar?! Give us a bite!

So, when do you break up? Do you do brunch or straight to lunch?

Lunch? There's no scheduled break until bedtime.

Oh, so more an as and when. Nice. I can go with that.

What are you doing?!

Uh... What's happening? Why have we stopped?

If you want to work hard, you need to take regular breaks

so you don't tire yourself out.

Demerara sugar?!

The Queen's favourite!

Oh, excellent job, wood pig. Keep up the good work.

Where's the rest? That's not it. Where's the rest of the line?!

Oh. where's Lloyd?

The line. It's been...

...broken!

This is unprecedented! Everybody panic immediately!

The line has been broken!

This is awful! What if something's happened to Lloyd?!

You are so right, Lloyd. Breaks are amazing.

I'm way more ready to work hard now.

Or soon. Ish.

Lloyd!

You're alive! I thought you were dead...

...or... worse.

"Unauthorised snacking."

Uh... This is not a snack. This is a well-earned carb boost

so later we can work at maximum efficiency.

Oh, good.

There was some mild concern back at the colony,

but it's probably nothing to worry about.

We broke the line!

The colony! The Queen!

What have we done?!

Oh, no!

Oh, no! No again!

What did you do?! All you had to do was forage!

I did. I foraged this chickpea.

Agh!

OK, I may have nibbled it during a tiny break, but...

I needed a sit-down.

I work too hard too soon. That's my problem.

Just give me another shot.

No! I told you this colony is an efficient, interlocking system.

But your laziness is contagious!

It's thrown the entire colony into chaos!

You're expelled.

All of ya!

Guards, remove these insects from the colony.

No, no. Please, let me stay!

I'll work harder! Do better! Shorter breaks! No breaks!

Please?!

Maybe Mum will understand.

It's the trying, not the doing.

I did try. Mostly.

Your mum expelled me!

I've been expelled!

What?!

If SHE'S been kicked out, what chance have I got?!

I can't eat off these! They're too clean!

She alphabetised all my books! I can't find a thing!

Mum, I CAN work hard. Before you look at PB's report...

Lloyd! Finally, you're here. We need your skills.

This house must be de-cleaned and un-tidied immediately!

Yes!

Oh. Yep. Thank you.

With all this hard work I'm doing, does this mean I can stay

and you can ignore everything in PB's report?

Report?

What report?

PB!

Captions by Red Bee Media

Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation