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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL^ 



Bee. 30, 



must cease at such a titije in their busy Isingdom. Imagine 

 their dismay when the Queen also issued an order command- 

 ing that the stocltings of every baby fairy be forthwith 

 brought and hung about the royal fireplace. 



"Who ever heard of fairies wearing stocl<ings ?" said 



some. 



" What on earth can her Majesty want of stoclsings ?" 



quoth others. 



And there were others who declared — " Verily, the Queen 

 is mad. We must seeli a new ruler." 



Now, of course, this was as foolish as it was impossible, 

 for fairy queens are born with the greatest care, pomp and 

 circumstance, and it would take at least sixteen days before a 

 new queen could be raised to the throne. There were likely to 

 be many chilly, wet days before spring and summertime would 

 come, and such weather would hardly do in which to rear 

 such delicate creatures as baby queens. Besides, at this time 

 of year there were no elves nor spectres nor brownies to look 

 after home affairs, take care of the little ones, or make a big 

 roar when things were not attended to just right. They would 

 not come to life until springtime. The raising of a new queen 

 to the throne was, therefore, quite out of the question. 



Nevertheless, the fairies made a great hubbub about the 

 matter, the noise sounding more like the roar of a waterfall 

 than the voices of fairies. 



When the Queen heard the commotion, she sent her Privy 

 Council to inquire the cause. When this august body re- 

 turned, the venerable Countess Marie de Poncefort Pompom, 

 Attendant Extra-ordinary and First Keeper of the Royal 

 Dust-Brush, rose to her feet and addrest the Queen. Although 

 the Countess' wings were torn and tattered — by much experi- 

 ence with the world — because of her great wisdom she was 

 always shown the greatest deference and listened to with 

 markt attention by the Queen and her subjects. 



"O Queen," said she, "may it please your most noble 

 Majesty to know that the populace without fails to compre- 

 hend your Majesty's desires when your Majesty declares a 

 season of festivities and idleness on such a sunshiny day as 

 this, and furthermore demands the stockings of all the infants 

 of our race. They protest (and, your Majesty will allow, with 

 ample justification), that no one ever heard of fairies wearing 

 stockings, and, moreover, there is not such a thing in all the 

 kingdom." 



Now, instead of getting angry, as some queens have been 

 known to do, and stamping her foot and crying, " Off with 

 their heads," Queen Mab realized that she had made a griev- 

 ous mistake, and like a very sensible queen quietly said : 



"Since my subjects know not the use of stockings, I will 

 not expect of them impossible things. I will withdraw my 

 dictum. Go forth unto them, my Lady, and say to them that 

 when I, the Queen, made my bridal journey, I read something 

 on the leaf of a maple tree, saying that the children of the 

 great human giants, who are as big as mountains, always 

 hang up their stockings at Christmas time in expectation of 

 beautiful gifts from their patron saint, Santa Claus ; and, 

 having at heart the welfare of my children, I thought 

 that this great spirit might remember our little ones if we 

 only hung up our stockings. And if I may express the opin- 

 ion, the giants are big and strong enough to look out for 

 themselves and need presents less than we. 



" We will, however, proceed with the feast. Call my 

 couriers and send them forth to gather fresh stores". Let us 

 eat, drink, and be merry, in honor of Him who loves even 

 such small creatures as we." 



The fairies were much Imprest by the Queen's wisdom and 

 thoughtfulness, and all voted that she was a most learned and 

 loving ruler. 



Immediately on hearing the summons, a thousand fairies 

 leapt Into the air, spreading their gauzy wings, which glinted 

 In the bright sunshine like irridescent gems, as they sped over 



hill and dale. They flitted from flower to flower, stripping 

 stamens of the grains of gold and packing them in little 

 baskets which they carried for the purpose. They were not 

 long in gathering a sufficiency of the golden fruit, and the 

 feast was soon prepared. 



Hardly had the fairies gathered about the festal board, 

 when there was a sudden shrill cry of danger, and the guards 

 came rushing in from the gates of the city, shouting: "To 

 arms ; to arms ; the enemy is at hand." 



Although dismayed at this sudden challenge, the fairies 

 were not long in falling into line of battle, each carrying a 

 sharp spear ready to pierce the foe. They soon began pour- 

 ing out of the gates — first a line of skirmishers ; then the reg- 

 ular army in platoons and solid-flankt regiments until the air 

 seemed seething with millions of angry fairies, clad in beauti- 

 ful brown-and-gold uniforms. 



The battle soon began. The enemy, rascally cannibalistic 

 fellows in coats of yellow and black, were fierce and blood- 

 thirsty, fought like demons, and dragged down many a brave 

 fairy to be devoured alive. The fairies fought bravely in de- 

 fense of home and country, and soon the battlefield was 

 strewn with dead and wounded. Charge after charge was 

 made, but the ranks of the fairies became badly broken, and 

 it was evident one more charge would tell the tale and write 

 its history on the page of this beautiful Christmas day. On, 

 on, dash the brave fairies ; on, on 



* 

 » * 



Golden-locks' head tost, a sigh escaped from the pouting 

 lips, the great wondering eyes opened once more justi as a 

 buzzing bee, which had been hovering over a blosson on the 

 trellis near by, winged its way out of sight. 



" Wy, papa, I just deemed 'at 'ose horble yellow jack'ts 

 were just a-eatin' up all 'oor bees aden " — for Golden-locks' 

 papa kept bees in the land of milk and honey, the land of 

 fruit and flowers, the land of the setting sun. 



San Francisco Co., Calif. 



[We regret that the above story did not arrive in time for 

 last week's issue of the Bee Journal — it would have been a 

 little more appropriate then. But it will doubtless be read as 

 eagerly by the young folks now as earlier in the holiday sea- 

 son. — Editor.! 



A Ne'W Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 



American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 



subscriber who sends us 20 cents. It is called "The Wood 



Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 



arrangement. Full printed directions accompany each Binder. 



Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 



Journal as fast as they are received. They are invaluable for 



reference, and at the low price of the Binder you can afford to 



get it yearly. 



*-»-* 



I^angstrotb on tfaie Honey-Bee, revised by 

 The Dadants, Is a standard, reliable and thoroughly complete 

 work on bee-culture. It contains 520 pages, and is bound 

 elegantly. Every reader of the American Bee Journal should 

 have a copy of this book, as it answers hundreds of questions 

 that arise about bees. We mail it for §1.25, or club it with 

 the Bee Journal for a year — both together for only $2.00. 



Xbe Names and Addresses of all your bee- 

 friends, who are not now taking the Bee Journal, are wanted 

 at this office. Send them in, please, when sample copies will 

 be mailed to them. Then you can secure their subscriptions, 

 and earn some of the premiums we are offering. The 

 next few months will be just the time to easily get new sub- 

 scribers. Try it earnestly, at least. 



Xlie DIcEvoy Foul Brood Xreatment' is 



given In Dr. Howard's pamphlet on " Foul Brood ; Its Natural 

 History and Rational Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 —both for $1.10. 



