ITALIAN QUEEN BEE 13 



of those races that are denominated Honey 

 Bees because they gather honey from the 

 flowers, store it in that dainty white comb 

 so spotless outside, and pure inside the cells, 

 that it is known to be the purest, cleanest, 

 and most wholesome of all natural sweets 

 for people to eat. 



"Mel" means honey and "Apis" means 

 bee. So now you understand all about my 

 name Regina Melapis, and that it signifies 

 Honey Bee Queen. 



The man who named me by my truly 

 scientific and grand name was of middle 

 height, had black hair that curled a trifle, 

 and he had a big fierce mustache, but he was 

 kind natured, very gentle, and his voice was 

 full of melody to me from the time I first 

 heard it. He was a graduate of the Uni- 

 versity of Padua, and I have heard him say 

 he disliked to hear Latin spoken of as a 

 dead language. I also think that is scarcely 

 a proper way to talk, when it is lively 

 enough to fill all those other national lan- 

 guages that I spoke about with such 



