HAPPY 



" You're a poor excuse for a bee! If you had helped 

 we should have done for him by this time. We have 

 still a chance to save ourselves. Now, when I dive 

 in upon him, he will probably rush out, throwing me 

 from the combs. Then you must do your work. 

 Hold him until I come, and between us we can manage 

 him." 



"Shall I sting him?" Tasked. 



"No, you idiot! It's not so desperate as that. 

 You ought to know that only in a great emergency 

 should a bee sacrifice his life. Now mind you; here 

 I go!" 



With that he lurched forward, and instantly back 

 he came, the worm plunging along with him. I also 

 seized the intruder, and the three of us dropped to the 

 floor. Round and round we were thrown until I 

 thought I was about to be beaten to death, but I had 

 made up my mind to die rather than have fresh slurs 

 cast upon my courage. I am doubtful whether we 

 could have won the battle if two other active bees 

 had not come to our assistance. The four of us soon 

 had the breath out of the worm's wriggling body, and 

 then we dragged him to the front of the hive. After 

 vain efforts to fly away with him in the burial fashion 

 of our people, we found the best we could do was to 

 drop him to the ground from the edge of our board. 



I was quite out of breath, and stood panting on 

 the spot, when, lo! from the clouds dropped Crip. 



"What's the matter?" he inquired. 



"Nothing much. We've just captured a great 

 worm one of our enemies. There he lies on the 

 ground." 



68 



