THE LIFE OF A BEE 



minable time that I stayed under the water; but pres- 

 ently I came to the surface and caught my breath. 

 Cold as I was, I still clung with all the tenacity of my 

 being to the floating branch that was hurried onward 

 by the raging torrent. I was beginning to feel a little 

 more comfortable when over went the branch again 

 in the seething water, and again I seemed to go down 

 to immeasurable depths. This time I felt my legs 

 giving way in the rush of the waters. My head swam 

 and I strangled, but just as it seemed all over with 

 me the branch again came to the surface. I caught 

 my breath, shifted slightly my footing, and hurriedly 

 emptied my honey-sac. This gave me more con- 

 fidence in spite of the numbness that had nearly over- 

 come me from the cold and water. There I sat shak- 

 ing, awaiting the next turn of the branch, which now 

 seemed merely to be bobbing up and down in the waters. 

 The wind was still whistling through the trees, the rain 

 was falling in torrents, and the thunder rumbled in 

 unabated violence. 



How long I clung to the branch in desperation I do 

 not know. But after a time the rain ceased, the wind 

 fell to a whimper among the bushes, and the darkness 

 broke along the horizon. It began to grow a little 

 brighter. Imagine my joy, therefore, to find that my 

 perch was now quite clear of the flood waters, the 

 branch safely nestling in the top of a bush. In a short 

 space it grew warmer, and I took courage; I began to 

 dry myself and to preen my wings. The light gained, 

 and before long, after trying out my strength, I found 

 that I could again mount into the air, and with one 

 wide sweep I made for home. 



59 



