36 Buz. 



" How do you know ? " 



"A drone told me." 



" I have several times seen you talking to drones."' 



" I always go to a drone when I want to know any 

 thing." 



" Do you really ? " 



" Yes, of course ; bees who work hard like you, old 

 Hum, never have time to explain, but are always in 

 such a hurry to be off. Now drones are very lazy in 

 every other way, but are tremendous gossips, I find." 



" Ah ! " said Hum ; '' I remember nurse telling me 

 that if I showed her a lazy person, she would show 

 me a gossip." 



" That's it ! " cried Buz. " Well, a drone told me 

 that the custom we all have of touching each other 

 with our antennae whenever we pass, was introduced 

 on purpose to save the trouble of asking after the 

 queen. It's merely a signal that every thing is going 

 on well with her." 



" I can believe that," said Hum," for it's just what 

 I feel." 



At this moment the sun peeped over a bank of 

 morning clouds, and called the bees to work ; and 

 out went Buz and Hum with the rest, the former 

 making her way to the old-fashioned flower garden 

 near the house. 



