THE LIFE OF A BEE 



They stand around the hive until the time comes for 

 them to die. He is nearly the last. For almost a 

 month we have been driving them away, and when 

 they won't go sometimes we sting them. You see, 

 they never work and are useless. Of an afternoon 

 they fly up into the sky with a deal of buzzing. Some- 

 times they follow the Queen into the deep of heaven. 

 If they would stop there! But worse than that, they 

 bluster about over the hive and eat a lot of honey. 

 Besides, they get in the way and are just a nuisance.'* 



I was listening very intently to this speech, when 

 the very same drone that had collided with me came 

 tearing past me with two mad workers clinging to his 

 wings. 



" Poor fellow," I cried, "are they driving you away?" 



He headed straight for me, as though a friend had 

 come to his rescue, and the next thing I knew I began 

 to fall and fall, until I landed plump on the bottom- 

 board of the hive. 



In all my life I never fell quite so far again, al- 

 though once I was high in the air with a great load of 

 honey when a whirlwind caught me and hurled me 

 to the earth. You see, I then knew nothing of distance. 



I got up on my legs as quickly as I could and stag- 

 gered about a bit, trying to get my bearings. Now, in- 

 deed, I had gone a long way from the tiny cell-house 

 where I was born; but strangely enough, I knew the 

 way back to it without even thinking. I had, up to 

 that time, moved but a few inches away from it, but 

 suddenly the world seemed to have yawned and swal- 

 lowed me up. However, I quickly regained my com- 

 posure, for around me bees were running, humming 



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