THE LIFE OF A BEE 



a pause had been made for them, the crickets and 

 katydids began a frightful chattering, which was 

 punctuated betimes by the far hooting of an owl. 

 The air grew chilly, and I began to feel cold and stiff, 

 and held none too securely to my bush. It was a for- 

 tunate thing, I thought, that the wind had died away. 



How tired I was ! This had been one of the hardest 

 days of my life. As I reflected on it, it seemed very 

 long ago that it began; and I heartily wished for the 

 dawn. I must have drowsed awhile, for when again 

 I looked about me a mellow light brooded on the 

 horizon and a great star beamed above it. Soon wide 

 streams of gold flowed across the pale-blue sky, quench- 

 ing the fires of the stars. Then, as if in compensation 

 for their loss, fleecy Gulf clouds caught the early rays 

 of the sun and filled the world with showers of rain- 

 bow lights. 



Presently I could see well enough to rise on my 

 wings, and in spite of the chill in the air, up I went 

 until I got my bearings. A strange fit seized me. 

 "Fly to the sun!" I heard in my ears; and off I went. 

 Up and up I flew higher and higher until below me 

 I could scarcely see the white houses of the apiary 

 where I lived and the white house of the Master. But 

 under me the waters of Lake Espantoso glimmered like 

 a mirror, and in the dark fringe of trees that bordered 

 it I remembered a swarm of my little brothers had 

 taken refuge, and I wondered how they fared. Far as 

 I could see stretched the undulating hills over which 

 I had flown in search of treasure hills now clad in 

 their robes of autumn. A fragrance reached me at this 

 great height, which came from I knew not where, 

 v 99 



