54 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 



thing, and to find himself recklessly, almost 

 breathlessly, looking on at what is nothing else 

 than a great informing pageant of life. 



He stands, as it were, a stranger at the gates 

 of a city, inhabited by the most interesting, and 

 in some respects the most advanced, people in 

 the world. Of the inner life of the city, apart 

 from the deep busy murmur that surges out to 

 him, he learns nothing, and will learn nothing 

 until he puts sentimental pride in his pocket, and 

 makes pilgrimage to the great bee-farm on the 

 hill. But here, in the meanwhile, is food enough 

 to satisfy the keenest appetite for the marvellous. 

 In and out through the yawning entrance-gate 

 of the city, under the hot May sunshine, there 

 are thousands of busy people coming and going. 

 The broad threshold of the hive is completely 

 hidden under opposing streams, the one setting 

 out towards the fragrant fields and hedgerows, 

 the other tumbling and seething in, almost every 

 bee dragging after her some kind of mysterious 

 treasure. 



The outgoing bees start on their journey in 

 two different fashions. Some emerge from the 

 hive and rise at once on the wing, lancing straight 

 off into the sunshine ; and these are foragers, who 

 have already made several journeys afield since 

 the sun broke, hot and rosy, over the eastward 

 hill. But others, essaying their first excursion 

 for the day, creep out of the murmurous darkness 



