was to be found. Some, however, had a little left, and a few had not been touched; so he began gradually, though with a good deal of trouble, to load himself, when he saw a humble-bee employed in the same work.

"Not much to be found here, young master. Come along with me, and I will show you a bean-field full of flowers, and every flower full of honey."

So the little bee was very glad to go with his great buzzing friend to the bean-field; and as they went, the humble-bee said, "I would not work for other people, if I were you. Suppose you and I club together, and collect a store for ourselves: I have got a store-house under ground, which is half full already."

The little bee was so foolish as to listen to this advice; and, when he had collected a good deal of honey, the humble-bee took him to a cavern under ground, which was entered by a low and narrow passage.

Here the humble-bee lived with his wife and family, and kept very little company, but employed his time in amassing wealth. So, when he had unloaded the little bee's panniers, he sent him out to get another load; and when the little bee was tired of working, and could get no more, the old humble-bee kicked him out of doors, and told him to go about his business.

The poor little bee had received rather a severe lesson on the ways of the world; he had learned in one day the unprofitableness of pleasure, the inconvenience of intemperance, and the danger of covetous

ness; and now, where to go, or what to do, he knew not. The sun was almost setting, the air was getting damp and chill, and he began to fear he should be starved to death. Fortunately, he saw some of the hive-bees flying homeward from their work; so, mounting up again, though with a heavy wing, he just had strength to reach the hive.

As he was creeping in, two sentinels who stood at the entrance observed him.

"Ah, ha," said one of them, "where is your honey, young sir? You must please to go with us to the queen." So one marched before him, and one behind, and, taking him into the royal presence, reported that he had been found entering the hive without any honey.

"Idle little bee!" said Queen Melissa, with a stern and dignified air; "is this the way you keep your promise, and perform your duty?"

The little bee trembled with fear; his knees smote together, and his wings rattled like an old bean-husk. He besought the queen to forgive him this once, after confessing how he had been led astray by wicked insects, and promising to behave better in future. So the queen forgave him this time, but warned him, that for a second offence he would be waxed up solitary cell, and fed on bread and water; and that, the third time, he would be stung to death, and thrown out of the hive.

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The little bee was very glad to get off so easily, and determined to do better in future; and I am happy to say he kept his word. The very next day

he brought home two loads, to make up for his deficiency the day before, and went on so well that he became one of the best working-bees in the hive, and was promoted to the rank of wax-worker.

Ir was not very long after this that a dreadful event took place, which showed the little bee that he had acted wisely in doing his duty. A number of drones got together, and said they did not care for any body, and would not work.

The whole hive was in an uproar, and the operations were at a stand. Those who remained loyal looked to Queen Melissa for her commands; upon which she gave orders that the rebels should be sur

rounded and put to death. They were accordingly driven up into a corner, and the rest of the hive set upon them with their sharp stings, and pierced them through and through, until none remained alive, except a few who forced their way out of the hive, only to perish from want. Such was the end of this rebellion.

There occurred also another very remarkable event, which deserves to be recorded. One night the sentinels gave notice that an enemy was entering the door of the hive. It was a large black snail, who took the opportunity, while the hive was at rest, to effect an entrance, and commit great depredations.

The whole community was in alarm when they saw the gigantic intruder; but Queen Melissa, with her wonted prudence, commanded fifty of the strongest working-bees to be drawn out and attack the enemy. The conflict was severe; for the snail, pierced with the stings of the bees, writhed round and round, and crushed some of his assailants by his weight; others he disabled with his filthy slime.

At last the bees were victorious, and slew the enemy. Then came the difficulty of removing his huge carcass from the hive, for fear he should breed a pestilence. In this emergency, Queen Melissa commanded that the wax-workers should bring a large quantity of strong wax, and cover the monster over; which was accordingly done, and the snail remained enclosed in a mountain of wax near the door of the hive, — a warning to all future enemies that they should not venture to intrude into the dominions of

Queen Melissa. Thus was the community saved from foreign enemies and internal rebellion.

One day, a good deal later in the year, when the hive was nearly full, and the queen was beginning to think of shutting it up for the winter, the little bee was resting on a withered dahlia, surveying the ruin which had been caused by the frost of the preceding night, when he heard a doleful voice near him, and, glancing round, he saw his old friend the grasshopper, looking quite old, and gray, and withered; his voice was cracked, and he sang, in a mournful tone,—

"O dear, what shall I do?

For there's no more morning-dew,

And I no longer live in clover,
And all my hopping and skipping is over!

"O dear! O dear!

I begin to fear:

I've led a gay life, 'tis true;

But now, O, what shall I do?

The little bee was very sorry for his old friend; and, hearing that he had had no breakfast, he gave him a little honey which he had with him. This greatly comforted the old fellow, and he began to sing, as he had done in former days, —

"O, who so blithe as I,

With my hop, skip, and a jump.