Odd Notions about Bees. 159 



born she gave him to the care of the 

 Curetes, — a Cretan tribe who were very 

 true to their charge. 



They .used to dance about the young 

 god and drown his cries by rattling bronze 

 weapons, so that Saturn might not hear 

 and so find the royal infant. Jupiter was 

 fed upon milk and honey by the goat 

 Amalthea and the bees. This is the 

 end of the story, so far as bees 

 are concerned, but perhaps you 

 will be glad to know that when 

 Jupiter grew up he married Metis, 

 whom we would call Prudence, and 

 she administered a draught to Father 

 Saturn, which caused him to disgorge all his 

 children. Then Jupiter and his disgorged 

 brothers, Neptune and Pluto, made true 

 the words of the oracle by dethroning their 

 very unfatherly father, and dividing his 

 kingdom among them. Jupiter took the 

 heavens for his portion, as you know, 

 while Neptune took the sea, and Pluto 



