AN IDYL OF THE HONEY-BEE 



ently do not recognize the place, and their first 

 instinct is to fall to and fill themselves; this done, 

 their next thought is to carry it home, so they rise 

 up slowly through the branches of the trees till 

 they have attained an altitude that enables them to 

 survey the scene, when they seem to say, "Why, 

 this is home," and down they come again; behold- 

 ing the wreck and ruins once more, they still think 

 there is some mistake, and get up a second or a third 

 time and then drop back pitifully as before. It is 

 the most pathetic sight of all, the surviving and 

 bewildered bees struggling to save a few drops of 

 their wasted treasures. 



Presently, if there is another swarm in the woods, 

 robber bees appear. You may know them by their 

 saucy, chiding, devil-may-care hum. It is an ill 

 wind that blows nobody good, and they make the 

 most of the misfortune of their neighbors, and 

 thereby pave the way for their own ruin. The 

 hunter marks their course, and the next day looks 

 them up. On this occasion the day was hot and 

 the honey very fragrant, and a line of bees was soon 

 established south-southwest. Though there was 

 much refuse honey in the old stub, and though 

 little golden rills trickled down the hill from it, and 

 the near branches and saplings were besmeared with 

 it where we wiped our murderous hands, yet not a 

 drop was wasted. It was a feast to which not only 

 honey-bees came, but bumblebees, wasps, hornets 

 75 



