"Leiningen Versus the Ants" (German: "Leiningens Kampf mit den Ameisen") is a short story by Carl Stephenson, published in German in 1937. A translation, probably by Stephenson himself, was published in the December 1938 edition of Esquire. Leiningen, the owner of a plantation in the Brazilian rainforest, is warned by the district commissioner that a swarm of ferocious and organised soldier ants is approaching and that he must flee. Unlike his neighbours, Leiningen is not about to give up years of hard work and planning to "an act of God", as he believes in the superiority of the human brain and has already made preparations. He convinces his workers to stay and fight with him.
Adaptations (1)
Leiningen Versus the Ants was adapted into a 1954 film.
