THE POPPIES 169 



taste, those earth walls. You have seen the little 

 round pieces cut from rose-leaves? Yes? Well, 

 sometimes the bee, as I said, cuts pieces out of the 

 poppy petals and covers the walls with the fine 

 crimson. Also she mixes together a little honey and 

 pollen dust from the flowers and makes a little pile 

 of the bee-bread in the pretty chamber. That is for 

 the little fellow to eat before he is become a bee. 

 Then she hangs a little curtain and makes ready the 

 place for another egg." 



"Perhaps the bee puts the poppy petals and the 

 pollen inside so the baby will know what to do for a 

 living when he comes out a bee," suggested Mary, 

 "so he will know the flowers and the pollen when 

 he sees them." 



"Perhaps," admitted Mr. Trommel j "but insects 

 do not have to teach their children anything. They 

 know everything they need to know as soon as they 

 are insects." 



"That must be very very convenient," sighed 

 the under-gardener. 



