THE LIFE OF A BEE 



"Why don't you get to work?" 



Up to that moment I had done nothing nor had I 

 even then thought of it, but at the suggestion I made 

 off, following to the entrance and then into the air a 

 worker bound for the unknown treasure-field. I got off 

 a little more slowly than he, but to my surprise I 

 found I could easily outfly him. We had gone but a 

 short distance when he began to descend, and, with 

 no ceremony, landed at the same instant on the alight- 

 ing-board of a strange hive where a thousand bees 

 were struggling. I discovered immediately that many 

 of the bees around were strangers to me and that all 

 acted like mad pushing, pulling, and fighting., Some 

 were struggling to get in and some to get out. I saw 

 at once that those outward bound were heavily laden 

 with honey, and that they had to fight the hungry bees 

 scrambling for a taste of the nectar. I collided with an 

 old fellow heavily loaded and was about to attack him, 

 when he hurled me aside. I was now aflame with the 

 passion of acquisition. Honey I must have, even if it 

 cost my life! 



I scrambled along with the rest to get in and finally 

 succeeded. But there the trouble began. Whether 

 it was because I looked young or was really ignorant of 

 the procedure, the first thing I knew a bad-tempered, 

 elderty bee attacked me. I learned long afterward 

 that he was one of the last survivors of the colony, 

 fighting to the end. First, he seized me by the leg, but 

 I kicked him off; then, undaunted, he got me by the 

 wing in such a way that I could not shake him, and the 

 next thing I knew he was about to sting me. Other 

 bees were rushing pell-mell over us. I felt the tiniest 



35 



