Stowaways on the Ark

Stowaways on the Ark is a German animated adventure film from 1988. It was released in German theaters as *In der Arche ist der Wurm drin* (literally "The Worm Is in the Ark") on March 24, 1988, by United International Pictures. The story takes inspiration from the biblical account of Noah's Ark. In the United States and Canada, the film was distributed by Harmony Gold.

The plot is framed by an old woodworm living in a small piece of wood near a mountaintop, who recounts the story of his ancestors aboard the ark. His oldest ancestor, Willi, lives in a hole in a trunk with his wife, Alice. One day, their home shakes violently because the trunk is being used to build an ark by a carpenter named Noah, who is discussing plans with God. God tells Noah that he and his family will be saved, and that he must take a pair of every animal species. The trunk is cut further to fit the ark's structure, panicking the woodworm couple inside.

After construction finishes, God throws a bottle at the ark to celebrate, but it doesn't break. He tries again, and a second bottle breaks, scattering termites from its cork onto the deck. God instructs crows to inform the animals about the ark. As Noah and his family help the animals board, a female dragon carrying an egg tries to enter, but her egg falls and breaks; without a partner, she is denied entry. God sends rain to start the flood, and the ark sets sail. Willi discovers dark tunnels and fears something terrible. Over time, Willi and Alice have many baby woodworms. The bears on the upper and lower decks try to organize the animals with music and singing, but the groups annoy each other. The food displeases everyone, and each deck blames the other. Willi sends his children to explore the tunnels; their drilling is heard, worsening tensions between the decks. Noah and his sons find water entering the storeroom due to termites. Willi informs his children about the termites, but few animals believe them. Willi sees termites have captured Alice. Learning that ants release a smell that distracts termites, Willi and two sons drill from the ants' location to free her. As the bears continue blaming each other, floors inside the ark crumble, animals fall, and the ark floods. The bears find honey sticky enough to plug the holes and become friends. Noah spots a termite mound near the bow; it crumbles and floats away.