The Life of the Fly 



a spot where custom decrees that there is just 

 room enough for one household only? What 

 reasons have made the recluse become a con- 

 gregation ? I asked the owner of the spinney 

 about the matter. 



'It's like that every year,' he said. *The 

 clump is overrun by Nightingales.' 



'And the reason?' 



'The reason is that there is a hive close by, 

 behind that wall.' 



I looked at the man in amazement, unable 

 to understand what connection there could be 

 between a hive and the thronging Nightin- 

 gales. 



'Why, yes,' he added, 'there are a lot of 

 Nightingales because there are a lot of Bees.' 



Another questioning look from my side. I 

 did not yet understand. The explanation 

 came : 



'The Bees,' he said, 'throw out their dead 

 grubs. The front of the hive is strewn with 

 them in the mornings; and the Nightingales 

 come and collect them for themselves and 

 their families. They are very fond of them.' 



This time I had solved the puzzle. De- 

 licious food, abundant and fresh each day, 

 had brought the songsters together. Contrary 

 to their habit, numbers of Nightingales are 

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