THE LIFE OF A BEE 



"I'm tired," he said, right plaintively. "I can't do 

 as much as I could once." 



"Why don't you rest?" I begged of him. , 



"Rest! What word is that? Did ever a bee rest 

 when there was work to do?" 



With that he hobbled a little farther on his four legs, 

 his poor old body half carried and half dragged. But 

 his wings were still powerful and lifted him instantly 

 into the all-absorbing space. 



This time I took an entirely different direction 

 from any I had thus far traveled. On and on I flew, 

 mile after mile, until presently I scented something 

 and went for it. It proved to be a field of June corn, 

 in silk and tassel and, oh, what quantities of pollen ! 

 I gathered a little and hastened back to report. Almost 

 at once a string of my brothers were flying to and 

 fro, laden with bread. 



We had now stored up a great surplus of food, and 

 the Queen-Mother broadened her brood areas. She 

 deemed it wise to enlarge her family ; first, because she 

 had a premonition that a wild winter would soon 

 break upon us, and, for the further reason, that half 

 the battle was to be strong in numbers in the spring, 

 when the honey-fountains opened. 



When I returned with my last load, well toward 

 sunset, I found Crip waiting at our rendezvous, my 

 ancient cell. 



"You have done well to-day," he said, "and I 

 wanted to tell you so. Five miles is a long journey to 

 go for a load, but it was worth it. I, too, made one 

 trip but have pity on me only when I got there did 

 I remember that I had no basket-legs; hence I was 



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