Leinigen And Brain
The human brain needs only to become fully aware of its powers to conquer
even
the elements. The human brain is powerful and controls all of a person's
body.
It easily compared to the central processing unit in a computer;
all information
is received, transferred, and sent back out. Without it
nothing would work.
Leiningen, a plantation farmer, was persistent and
followed this motto to help
him overcome many elements, or "acts of God."
Leiningen had met and
defeated these elements which had come against him
unlike his fellow settlers
who had little or no resistance. Something
terrible was coming, about a hundred
yards wide, a flood of ants. All people
except Leiningen, who stood his ground
as the ants quickly approached his
plantation, feared them. He had built this
plantation thinking that someday
the ants may come. Leiningen thought to himself
that he would be ready for
them. He incorporated a horseshoe shaped ditch around
his plantation. The
forth side is a river that can be used quickly to fill the
ditch. Toward the
middle of the plantation lay another ditch that encircled the
barn, house,
stables, and other buildings. This ditch was made of concrete, and
the inflow
pipes of three great petrol tanks could easily be emptied here. If
the ants
had miraculously made it through the first ditch the second one could
be
filled with gas which was sure to stop them. This intricate defense
system
was thought of by Leiningen and built to stop one of the elements,
ants. This
firm man stayed calm as the ants advanced toward him and his land.
Leiningen
used his cool brain to calm his many workers. He reassured them
that these ants
could be easily defeated. The Indians trusted this plantation
planter, who
guided them through many other "acts of God," wholeheartedly.
When one
of there fellow workers had slacked off from his duties he was eaten
alive by
the ants. Leiningen realizing this casualty might plunge his men
into confusion
and destroy their confidence he quickly yelled loader than the
screams of the
dying man. An observer would have estimated Leiningen's odds
of overcoming the
ants a thousand to one, but still Leiningen stood his
ground. As the ants
started to enter the plantation the dam broke preventing
the water to rush in
and wipe out the ants. All Leiningen's men had fled to
beyond the petrol ditch
to seek shelter. That was not enough, the petrol
ditch was filled but the ants
still crossed. Leiningen scourged his brain
until it rolled. Was there anything
he could do? (Then out of the he got an
idea.) Yes, one hope remained. He
thought it might be possible to dam the
great river completely, so that the
water would not fill only the ditch but
overflow into the circle of land which
made the plantation. In little time
the army of ants would be flooded and
killed. It was possible, but he needed
to get to the dam, which was two miles
away. Leiningen knew none of his
workers would make the trip so he would have to
do it himself. Leiningen told
his men he would return. "I called the tune,
and now I'm going to pay the
piper," he told them. He started the journey
and was quickly covered with
ants. Leiningen was so determined to reach the dam
he hardly felt the
venomous bites. As he reached his destination ants covered
his face and were
under his clothes. He successfully lowered the dam and the
river immediately
started to overflow. Leiningen could no longer see and knew if
he stumbled he
would be quickly eaten alive. This determined man, to weak to
walk, tripped
over a rock and fell to the ground. He began having flashbacks of
the stag he
saw the ants devour. He thought to himself he could not die like
this and
something outside him brought him to his feet and he began to stager
forward
again. Leiningen leaped through the fire the workers had set to the
petrol.
He suddenly became unconscious for the first time in his life. There
were
wounds on his body so deep the bone could be seen. When Leiningen
regained
consciousness he said to the men, "told you I would return."
Everyone
knew he would be alright. The human brain needs only to become fully
aware of
its powers to conquer even the elements. This motto has proved true
for
Leiningen for he has met and defeated drought, flood, plague, ants,
and all
other "acts of God." If a person is convinced about something
they
believe in others will follow that belief. This is displayed throughout
the
story Leiningen Versus the
Ants.