CHAP. I.] The Wasps’ Nest. 41 
appearance. ‘ Where’s your shirt, sir?’ “I dinna ken.” 
“What! dinna ken?” addressing his wife—‘‘ Where’s my 
strap?” Tom knew the power of the strap, and found that 
‘there was no hope of escaping it. 
The strap was brought. ‘“‘ Now, sir, tell me this instant, 
where is your shirt?” “It’s in the bole on the stair.” “Go 
and get it, and bring it here immediately.” Tom went and 
brought it, sorrowfully enough, for he dreaded the issue. 
“And what have you got in it? ‘A yellow bumbees’ 
byke.” “A what?’ exclaimed his father and mother in a 
breath. ‘‘A yellow bumbees’ byke.” “ Did I not tell you, 
sir,” said his father, “only the other day, and made you 
promise me, not to bring any more of these things into the 
house, endangering and molesting us as well as the whole 
of our neighbors? Besides, only think of your stripping 
yourself in a wood, to get off your shirt to hold a bees’ 
byke !” 
“But this is a new ane,” said Tom; “it’s made o’ pa- 
per.” “Made o’ fiddlesticks!” ‘Na, I'll let ye see it.” 
“Let it alone; I don’t want to see it. Go to bed at once, 
sir, or I shall give you something [shaking his strap] that 
will do you more good than bees’ bykes !” 
Before the old couple went to bed, they put Tom’s shirt 
into a big bowl, poured a quantity of boiling water over it, 
and, after it was cold, they opened the shirt, and found—a 
wasps’ nest! ‘ 
