Editor’s note: Amos is a church mouse, unable to use the keyboard shift keys and unschooled in the art of punctuation. the great aphid rodeo boss i m sure you ve noticed the big doings here in the church pew underworld i m sure you ve seen all the little bugs and field mice dressed in their little chaps spurs and bandanas it s bugtussle s biggest celebration of the year - the great aphid rodeo in conjunction with oldtimer bug days we ve got banners across the alleyways and all the bugtussle merchants offer special discounts to cowboy ants and military bugs all the cowboy ants and dairy ants come to town for the aphid rodeo each year during the year cowboy ants herd the aphids and other plant lice from plant farm to plant farm and the dairy ants milk the aphids for a sugary liquid called honeydew — the aphids suck juices from plants and the dairy ants stroke or milk the aphids with their antennae to get them to release the honeydew — but i m sure you already knew that boss the cowboy ants protect their herds of aphids by fighting off any other bugs or insects that threaten the herd at any rate the great aphid rodeo is a big deal in the underworld territory some of the favorite events at the aphid rodeo are the bucking flea hoppers and the wild aphid milking contest even some of the local merchant ants try their antennae at it other special events are the plant lice wrestling event and the baby aphid stroking — it takes real skill to do those boss — you have to have a lot of strength for the first one and pretty quick antennae for the second but the most exciting event is the bull aphid riding event — those bull aphids are bred just for rodeo and fighting purposes — no self-respecting ant would ever try to milk a bull aphid boss i met a cowboy ant who works as a rodeo clown-bull aphid fighter the other day the objective is to keep the cowboy ant safe says eddie the clown ant i m always willing to take a shot for any cowboy ant aren t you afraid when you go in the arena says me every day i have a close experience with the bull aphids says he i ve had broken ribs and a lung punctured but the lord has protected me through it all i just claim psalms thirty- four verse four before i go into the arena — i sought the lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears boss if it were me he would need to deliver me from my occupation amos