HAPPY 



saved me. The little boy came hurriedly up, stooped 

 over me and helped release me, and in a moment I was 

 circling round to get my bearings. The little boy 

 and the Master and even the dog watched my move- 

 ments with an expression of satisfaction on their faces. 

 I flew straightway home and was thankful still to be 

 alive." 



"Tell me more about this Master," I begged, for I 

 was now growing vastly interested in his activities 

 and in those of the Little One, and even the dog which 

 once I tried to sting, because he came so close to our 

 hive. 



"Some say he is good some say that he is bad. I 

 only know him as the chopper of weeds about our home 

 and as my rescuer. Many times since the day he saved 

 me have I heard him shooting bee-hawks. Indeed, I 

 had heard the little thunder of his gun before that day, 

 but I did not understand its meaning. They say, too, 

 that he takes away our honey and he did take some 

 of ours once and frightens us nearly to death with 

 the prospect of starvation. And they fall upon him and 

 sting him, trying to drive him away. But all this is 

 useless, they report, since he comes armed with fire 

 and smoke. 



"Others tell of him that in the dark, cold days, if 

 provisions run low, he brings honey and closes the door 

 against blizzards. But I know nothing of this. I have 

 not lived through a winter and I fear I shall never 

 know what it means." 



Thus I became infinitely interested in the Master 

 who passed from day to day about the yard. But I 

 was confused in mind about him, Somehow I in- 



