156 The Bee People. 
and carry heavy burdens, while the judge 
hands the drones over to be executed. 
We know the truth about bees now, 
and yet we like to read these old stories. 
It used to be thought that bees carried 
little stones in their feet on windy days, 
so as not to be blown away. Probably 
the people saw their pollen balls and mis- 
took them for ballast. 
They used to think, too, that when the 
bees were belated and had to stay out 
all night, they would lie on their backs to 
keep their wings dry. 
A good many people, even yet, will not 
sell bees, because they think it is unlucky; 
and when bees swarm, they sometimes 
use charms to keep them from going away. 
An old German bee-keeper, who lived in 
the United States, had such a charm. 
He told it to a little girl, but said it 
would bring bad luck if she were to repeat 
it to another girl. She might tell it to a 
man, or a boy, and he to another girl, and 
