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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