Part 20 (1/2)
”Of course, of course,” Maya observed thoughtfully ”But have you no relations?”
”No, dear child I earn , and doubt I doubt”
”Oh! _What_ do you doubt?”
”I was born doubting I must doubt”
Maya stared at him in wide-eyed bewilderment What did he mean, what could he possibly mean? She couldn't for the life of her make out, but she did not want to pry too curiously into his private affairs
”For one thing,” said Tho I doubt whether you have chosen a good place to rest in Don't you knohat's over there in the big ?”
”No”
”You see! I doubted right away if you knew The city of the hornets is over there”
Maya turned deathly white and nearly fell off the elder blossoht, she asked just where the city was
”Do you see that old nesting-box for starlings, there in the shrubbery near the trunk of the -tree? It's so poorly placed that I doubted fros would everthe sunrise, every decent bird will think twice before taking possession Well, the hornets have entrenched theest hornets' fortress in the country You as a bee certainly ought to know of the place Why, the hornets are brigands who lie in wait for you bees So, at least, I have observed”
Maya scarcely heard what he was saying There, showing clear against the green, she saw the broalls of the fortress She al
”I must fly away,” she cried
Too late! Behind her sounded a loud, h At the saht by the neck, so violently that she thought her joints were broken It was a laugh she would never forget, like a vile taunt out of hellish darkness Mingling with it was another gruesoo with all his legs at once and tuh the branches into the water-butt
”I doubt if you get away alive,” he called back But the poor little bee no longer heard
She couldn't see her assailant, her neck was caught in too firilt-sheathed are head with dreadful pincers suddenly thrust itself above her face She took it at first to belong to a gigantic wasp, but then realized that she had fallen into the clutches of a hornet
The black-and-yellow striped ht, hearing, speech; every nerve in her body went faint At length her voice cairlie,” said the hornet in a honey-sweet tone that was sickening ”Never mind It'll last until it's over” He so! Or I'll sting you in your heart”
”In ht away? Very brave But there's ti all her strength, she twisted herself around, uttered her shrill battle-cry, and directed her sting against the middle of the hornet's breast To her a his breast, swerved on the surface The brigand's arleamed in his eyes
”I could bite your head off, little one, to punish you for your impudence And I would, too, I would indeed, but for our queen
She prefers fresh bees to dead carcasses So a good soldier saves a juicyto her alive”
The hornet, with Maya still in his grip, rose into the air and made directly for the fortress
”This is too awful,” thought the poor little bee ”No one can stand this” She fainted