44 THE BEES SWARM 



guest. His own view was quite different. He 

 thought that the clover, the corn, and the pinks 

 grew for him, that fern and heather flourished to 

 afford him cover, that hedge and hill rose above 

 the level merely to furnish him with outlook. He 

 even thought that the sun rose to warm him, that 

 moon and stars shone to light his steps ; and he 

 found the world a most delectable place, despite 

 the number of his enemies. 



A somewhat rude awakening befell him on the 

 thirteenth day of his independence, when the field 

 was invaded by the farm folk. Their coming, or 

 rather their inrush, had nothing to do with the 

 harvesting of the barley, which was yet green ; 

 they were drawn thither by an incident of farm 

 life that is attended with as much noise as human 

 beings are capable of making. The hubbub 

 broke out near the house some two furlongs 

 away. Even at that distance the din was dis- 

 quieting, but it grew louder and louder and 

 caused the leveret more and more perturba- 

 tion. Whilst he wondered what it all meant, 

 a swarm of bees came flying over the hedge 

 and settled on the tree. In less than a 

 minute three boys, two men, and a woman 

 came tumbling pell-mell over the hedge, shouting 

 ** Brownie, Brownie," and beating frying-pans 

 and milk-pails. The boy who led soon espied 



