246 



The Honey-Makers 



A story analogous to the one of not counting your 

 chickens before they are hatched also occurs in the Hindu 

 tales, with the bee instead of the young girl for the victim, 

 and has been thus delightfully translated : — 



" The Bee's Dream 



" * Night will quickly pass, fair will be the dawn ; the sun 

 will rise in beauty, and the glorious lilies will unfold them- 

 selves.' While a bee sleeping in a flower thus dreamed, 

 came, alas ! an elephant and crushed it as it lay." 



One could go on indefinitely culling allusions to the bee 

 from Hindu literature. 



Nowhere has it played so constant and so pleasing a 

 part in the poetry of a people. 



This, no doubt, is in part owing to the universal presence 

 of the bee throughout the whole of that mysterious and 

 luxuriant country. 



Wild bees everywhere in India build their combs and 

 store their honey in the open air, and to-day the honey 

 of the wild bee is gathered and prized as it was in all 

 former times. 



To-day honey is used at sacrifices and other domestic 

 ceremonies, and plays an important part at the wedding 

 and at the birth of a child. 



