The Gnats of Knotty Pine is a 1975 children's storybook by Bill Peet.
An unhappy group of animals gather to discuss their strategy for the upcoming hunting season. Nate the gnat speaks up, saying he and his friends have come up with a plan for dealing with the hunters. Is the gnats' strategy enough to stop the hunters and their guns?
This book contains examples of the following tropes:
- Attack on One Is an Attack on All: While the animals are discussing how to handle the hunters who will soon invade the woods in search of trophies, an opossum suggests that they band together to protect each other. A fox sneers, saying they would all end up getting killed together.
- Bystander Syndrome: During the strategy meeting, a bear grouches about the waste of time, saying that it's only the deer who should worry because the stags and their antlers are what the hunters want. The deer retort that it's everyone's problem because if the hunters can't kill a prize deer, they'll shoot at anything on four legs.
- Fly Crazy: The gnats organize into groups, buzzing the hunters' heads as they try to enter the forest. The hunters take swings at them with their guns and do no good because they're swinging at a group of tiny insects. When one of the hunters is nearly shot by accident, the group decides to call it a day.
- Guile Hero: Because the gnats can't overpower a single hunter, let alone all of them, they resort to using their wits. It's pretty effective, especially because the hunters can't use their guns on the swarm.
- Hat Damage: One of the hunters gets a bullet through his hat when one of his friends accidentally pulls the trigger while swinging at the gnats. This finally convinces the hunters to leave.
- The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: A squirrel tells a dream of aiming a gun at two hunters. The gnats turn the tables on the hunters in a less deadly but no less effective way.
- Victory Pose: The gnats organize themselves into a "V" for "victory" after chasing off the hunters.
- Villain by Default: The hunters are the antagonists because the heroes are woodland animals that naturally don't want to be shot and take a dim view of hunting season.
- Zerg Rush: The gnats swarm the hunters all at once, blinding and annoying them.
