THE STORY OF THE FLOUNDERING BEETLE / 



out again. No sooner did he get to the edge 

 than he spread his great buzzing wings, and away 

 we went over the world, higher and higher, miles 

 high, over big oceans and mountains. I could 

 see them all beneath me as I clung to the under- 

 side of the bee. I believe I must finally have got 

 dizzy and faint, for I remember at last finding 

 myself at rest in a queer thicket of greenish poles 

 with big yellow balls at the top of them, and 

 great giant leaves fringed with long, glistening 

 hairs. They told me afterwards it was a willow 

 blossom. 



" It seemed a very good place to rest, so I 

 dropped off from my bee and remained. Every- 

 where about me, as I looked, the air was yellow 

 with these blossoms, and full of the wing -music 

 of the bees. But, as I have said, I was a restless 

 baby, and having had a taste of travel I soon tired 

 of this idle life, and began to get ready for another 

 ride. My chance soon came. This time it was a 

 honey-bee. She alighted in the flower next to 

 mine, but I quietly piled over and clutched upon 

 her leg, and was soon snugly tucked away under 

 her body, with my flat head between its segments. 

 And now for the first time I began to feel hun- 

 gry; and what was more natural than to take a 

 bite from the tender flesh of this bee, so easily 

 available ? I did it, and liked it so well that I 

 adopted this bee for my mother for quite a long 



