Part 1 (1/2)

The Adventures of Maya the Bee

by Waldemar Bonsels

CHAPTER I

FIRST FLIGHT

The elderly lady-bee who helped the baby-bee Maya when she awoke to life and slipped froreat respect in the hive Those were exciting days

A rebellion had broken out in the nation of bees, which the queen was unable to suppress

While the experienced Cassandra wiped Maya's large bright eyes and tried as best she could to arrange her delicate wings, the big hive hu thunderstorm, and the baby-bee found it very warm and said so to her companion

Cassandra looked about troubled, without replying It astonished her that the child so soon found soht: the heat and the pushi+ng and crowding were alo by in such swar haste that sometimes one cliether clotted in a ball

Once the queen-bee approached Cassandra and Maya were jostled aside A drone, a friendly young fellow of immaculate appearance, came to their assistance He nodded to Maya and stroked the shi+ning hairs on his breast rather nervously with his foreleg (The bees use their forelegs as arms and hands)

”The crash will come,” he said to Cassandra ”The revolutionists will leave the city A new queen has already been proclaimed”

Cassandra scarcely noticed him She did not even thank him for his help, and Maya felt keenly conscious that the old lady was not a bit nice to the young gentleman The child was a little afraid to ask questions, the i so thick and fast; they threatened to overwhelot into her blood, and she set up a fine, distinct buzzing

”What do you h as it is?”

Maya subsided at once, and looked at Cassandra questioningly

”Come here, child, we'll see if we cannot quiet down a bit”

Cassandra took Maya by her gleas, which were still soft and new and marvelously transparent, and shoved her into an almost deserted corner beside a few honeycombs filled with honey

Maya stood still and held on to one of the cells

”It smells delicious here,” she observed

Her reain

”You ht up several hundred young bees this spring and given theht, but I haven't come across another one that was as pert and forward as you are You seem to be an exceptional nature”

Maya blushed and stuck the two dainty fingers of her hand in her mouth

”Exceptional nature--what is an exceptional nature?” she asked shyly

”Oh, _that's_ not nice,” cried Cassandra, referring not to Maya's question, which she had scarcely heeded, but to the child's sticking her fingers in herto tell you I can devote only a short time to you Other baby-bees have already slipped out, and the only helper I have on this floor is Turka, and Turka is dreadfully overworked and for the last few days has been co in her ears Sit down here”

Maya obeyed, with great brown eyes fastened on her teacher

”The first rule that a young bee hed, ”is that every bee, in whatever it thinks and does, ood of all in mind In our order of society, which we have held to be the right one from time immemorial and which couldn't have been better preserved than it has been, this rule is the one funda of the state To-morrow you will fly out of the hive, an older bee will accompany you At first you will be allowed to fly only short stretches and you will have to observe everything, very carefully, so that you can find your way back hoain Your companion will show you the hundred flowers and blossoms that yield the best nectar You'll have to learn the-- Here, you ht away--clover and honeysuckle Repeat it Say 'clover and honeysuckle'”