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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Hive of Busy Bees, by Effie M. Williams
+
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+**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
+
+**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
+
+*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
+
+
+Title: A Hive of Busy Bees
+
+Author: Effie M. Williams
+
+Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7027]
+[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
+[This file was first posted on February 24, 2003]
+
+Edition: 10
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HIVE OF BUSY BEES ***
+
+
+
+
+This eBook was produced by Joel Erickson, Charles Franks, Juliet Sutherland
+
+
+
+
+A HIVE of BUSY BEES
+
+Effie M. Williams
+
+
+
+TABLE OF CONTENTS
+
+How It Happened
+
+The Sting of the Bee
+
+Bee Obedient
+
+Bee Honest
+
+Bee Truthful
+
+Bee Kind
+
+Bee Polite
+
+Bee Gentle
+
+Bee Helpful
+
+Bee Grateful
+
+Bee Loving
+
+Bee Content
+
+Bee Prayerful
+
+Home Again
+
+
+
+How It Happened
+
+[Illustration: Children looking out a window.]
+
+"The sun's gone under a cloud," called Grandpa cheerily over his shoulder,
+as he came into the dining room.
+
+Grandma, following close behind, answered laughingly, "Why, my dear,
+this is the brightest day we've had for two weeks!"
+
+"But look at Don's face," said Grandpa soberly, "and Joyce's too, for
+that matter"--glancing from one to the other.
+
+"Children, children," said Grandma kindly, "do tell us what is wrong."
+
+No answer.
+
+"Only," said Daddy at last, "that they are thinking about next summer."
+
+Grandpa threw back his white head, then, and laughed his loud, hearty
+laugh. "You little trouble-borrowers," he cried, "worrying about next
+summer! Why, only day before yesterday was Christmas; and by the looks
+of the dolls, and trains, and picture-books lying all over the house--"
+
+"But, Grandpa," said Don in a small voice, trying not to cry, "summer
+will be here before we know it--you said so this morning yourself; and
+Daddy says he's going north on a fishing trip--"
+
+"--And so," added Joyce sorrowfully, "Don and I can't go to the farm and
+stay with you as we did last year, and the year before last, and every
+year since we can remember."
+
+Joyce looked anxiously from one face to another. Daddy's eyes were
+twinkling. Mother looked rather sorry, and so did Grandma. But she knew
+at once, by the look on Grandpa's face that _he_ understood. He only
+nodded his white head wisely. "I see," he said. And some way, after that,
+Joyce felt that it would come out all right.
+
+It did.
+
+On the last morning that Grandpa and Grandma were there, Daddy said at
+the breakfast table--quite suddenly, as if he had just thought of it--
+"Mother, suppose we let the children choose for themselves. You and I
+will go to the lake next summer, and catch the big fish; but if they
+would be happier on the old farm, why--"
+
+"Oo-oo-ooh!" cried Joyce delightedly. "Don, you and I may go to Grandpa's
+house next summer, if we like!"
+
+"How do you know?" said Don rather crossly. "Daddy hasn't said that we
+could."
+
+"Why, he said it just now--didn't you, Daddy?"
+
+"Not exactly; but that's what I was going to say," said Daddy, smiling
+into Joyce's shining eyes.
+
+After that, it wasn't a bit hard to tell Grandpa and Grandma good-by.
+"Only until next summer," whispered Joyce when she kissed Grandma for
+the last time.
+
+Long months followed, but June came at last. One happy day the children
+came home and threw their books down on the table; and Don raced through
+the house singing the last song he had learned at school:
+
+  "School is done! school is done!
+  Toss up caps and have a run!"
+
+"And now," said Mother that night, "we must begin to get ready for our
+trips. Are you sure, children, that you still want to go to Grandma's?"
+
+"Sure!" whooped Don, dancing about the room; while Joyce answered quietly,
+"You know, Mother, that nothing could ever change my mind."
+
+"Very well," said Mother. "Tomorrow we must go shopping, for you will
+need some new clothes--good, dark colored clothes to work and play in,
+so Grandma won't have to be washing all summer."
+
+What fun they had in the days that followed! Mother's sewing machine
+hummed for many hours every day. And at last she got out the little trunk
+and began to carefully pack away the neatly folded gingham dresses, the
+blue shirts and overalls, a few toys and other things she knew the
+children would need. A letter had already been written to Grandma, telling
+her when to meet them at the station. And she had written back, promising
+to be there at the very minute.
+
+When the great day came, the children were so excited they could hardly
+eat any breakfast. Mother wisely remembered that when she packed their
+lunch-box. The last minute, they ran across the street to tell their
+playmates good-by. When they came back, Daddy had brought the car to the
+front of the house and was carrying out the little trunk. Mother was
+already waiting in the car.
+
+It was getting near train time, so Daddy quickly drove off to the station.
+He bought the children's tickets, had the trunk checked, and then he
+gave Joyce some money to put into the new red purse Mother had given her
+as a parting gift. He slipped a few coins into Don's pocket, too, and
+the little boy rattled and jingled them with delight. How grown-up he felt!
+
+The children were very brave, until the train whistled and they knew
+they must say good-by. Joyce could not keep the tears back, as she threw
+her arms around her mother's neck; but she brushed them away and smiled.
+"Joyce, dear," Mother was saying, "I am expecting you to be my good,
+brave little daughter. Take care of Don. Remember to pray every day--and
+be sure to write to Mother."
+
+Joyce promised; and then, almost before the children knew what was
+happening, they were aboard the train, the engine was puffing, the wheels
+were grinding on the rails, and they were speeding along through the
+green countryside.
+
+Joyce was trying very hard to be brave, for Don's sake. But a lump _would_
+keep coming in her throat, when she thought of Mother standing beside
+the train and waving her handkerchief as it moved away.
+
+Although Joyce was only twelve herself, she really began to feel quite
+like a mother to eight-year-old Don. She must try to help him forget his
+loneliness. Soon they were looking out the window; and what interesting
+sights were whirling past! First there was a big flock of chickens; then
+some calves in a meadow, running away from the train in a great fright.
+A flock of sheep with their little lambs frolicked on a green hillside;
+and a frisky colt kicked up its heels and darted across the pasture as
+the train went by.
+
+By and by, in her most grown-up way, Joyce looked at the watch on her
+wrist. It was just noon, so she opened the lunch-box; and dainty sandwiches
+and fruit soon disappeared. But they saved two big slices of Mother's
+good cake--to take to Grandma and Grandpa.
+
+After lunch, the train seemed to creep along rather slowly. But at last
+it stopped at the station where Grandma had promised to meet them. And
+sure enough, there stood Grandpa with his snowy hair and his big broad
+smile. Grandma was waiting nearby in the car.
+
+It was late afternoon when they reached the old farmhouse, and Grandma
+soon had supper ready. After supper, Joyce helped to clear away the
+dishes; and then the little trunk was unpacked.
+
+Grandma was watching keenly, to see if the children were lonely. "Now,"
+she said briskly, "it is milking time. Run down the lane, children, and
+let the bars down for the cows to come through the lot; and we will give
+them a good drink of water."
+
+Away scampered Joyce and Don; and soon the cows were standing at the
+trough and Grandpa was pumping water for them.
+
+"Let us pump!" cried Joyce.
+
+"Fine!" said Grandpa--"that will be your job every evening--to water the
+cows."
+
+After that, they watched the foaming milk stream into the shiny pails;
+and then they all went into the house together. It was almost dark now;
+two sleepy children said their prayers, and Grandma soon had them tucked
+snugly in bed.
+
+
+
+The Sting of the Bee
+
+[Illustration: The Sting of the Bee.]
+
+"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" called Don in a shrill voice, dancing into his
+sister's room.
+
+Joyce opened her eyes and looked about her. The bright morning sunlight
+was streaming in through the little pink-and-white curtains. "Wh--where
+am I?" she asked sleepily, seeing Don standing there.
+
+"Where _are_ you?" cried Don merrily. "Why, on the farm, of course!
+Don't you hear that old rooster telling you to get up? There he is,"
+he added, pulling aside the curtain. "He is stretching himself, and
+standing on his tiptoes. Grandpa says he's saying, 'Welcome to the farm,
+Don and Joyce!' Do hurry and get up! We must go out and help Grandpa do
+the milking."
+
+Half an hour later, Grandma called two hungry children in to breakfast.
+After that, they were busy and happy all the morning long. Joyce helped
+Grandma to wash the dishes and tidy the house, and Don followed close
+at Grandpa's heels as he did his morning's work about the farm. He felt
+very grown-up indeed when a neighbor came by, and Grandpa told him he
+had a "new hand."
+
+After dinner, Grandma settled down for her afternoon's nap. Grandpa went
+to help a neighbor with some work, and so the children were left alone.
+
+They began to run races in the wide grassy space in front of the old
+farm house.
+
+But they made so much noise that soon Joyce said, "I'm afraid we will
+wake Grandma, Don. We'd better be quiet."
+
+"Let's go to the orchard," said Don. "We can be as noisy as we like
+there, and she won't even hear us." So away they scampered, to play in
+the shade of the old apple trees.
+
+But Grandma's nap was not to last long; for soon she was awakened by a
+scream from the orchard. Hurrying out, she found Joyce dancing up and
+down, with her hand pressed tightly over one eye. Don stood watching her
+with round, frightened eyes. He could not imagine what had happened, to
+make his sister act like that.
+
+But Grandma knew. Away back in the orchard, Grandpa had several hives
+of bees. Joyce had gone too near one of the hives; and a bee had done
+the rest.
+
+Grandma did not say much. Quietly she took the little girl's hand and
+led her back to the house. Soon Joyce was lying on the couch, and Grandma
+was wringing cold water out of a cloth, and gently placing it on her
+eye. Before long the pain was gone; but the eye began to swell, and soon
+she was not able to see out of it at all.
+
+"It's all my fault that we went to the orchard," said Don, looking sober.
+
+"No, it's mine," said Joyce. "I was afraid we would wake Grandma."
+
+"Well," laughed Grandma, "I guess it was mine, because I forgot to tell
+you about the bees."
+
+When it was time to get ready for bed that night, Grandma bathed the
+swollen eye again. "I wish there were no bees, Grandma," said the little
+girl suddenly.
+
+"Why, you like honey, don't you, dear?" asked Grandma.
+
+"Ye-es, I like honey; but I don't like bees--they sting so!"
+
+"Bees are very interesting and hard-working little creatures," said
+Grandma; "and if they are let alone, they will not harm anyone."
+
+"I didn't mean to bother them," said Joyce, "but one stung _me_."
+
+"That's so," said Grandma; "but they have certain rules, and you must
+have broken one of them. A bee's sting is the only thing she can use to
+protect the hive against intruders--and the bee that stings you always
+dies. That's the price she has to pay to do her duty."
+
+"Oh!" said Joyce, "I'm sorry I went too near. But please, Grandma, tell
+me some more about bees."
+
+"There are lots of things to learn about them," said Grandma. "They live
+in queer little houses called hives. They have a queen; and if she is
+stolen, or dies, they will not go on working without her. Only one queen
+can live in each house; when a new queen is about to come out of her
+cell, the old queen gathers her followers and they swarm.
+
+"The queen bee lays the eggs; and when the eggs hatch, the hive is so
+full of bees that it cannot hold them all. As soon as they find another
+queen, some of them must move out.
+
+"When the bees are swarming, they always take good care of their queen.
+Sometimes they settle on a limb of a tree; and while they are there,
+they keep their queen covered, so no one can find her. They send out
+scouts to find a new home; and as soon as it is found, they all move the
+re.
+
+"Sometimes Grandpa finds the queen, and puts her in the hive. Then she
+makes a sort of drumming noise, and the other bees follow her inside."
+
+"Was it the queen bee that stung me?" asked Joyce.
+
+"No, the queen never uses her sting except when in battle with another
+queen bee; but the other bees take care of her, even if they must die
+for her sake. There are different kinds of bees in the hive. Drone bees
+cannot sting; and they will not work--they are lazy fellows. In the fall
+they are all killed, so that during the long winter months they cannot
+eat the honey which the workers have gathered.
+
+"Bees are busy all the time. On sunny days, they gather honey; and on
+cloudy days they make little wax cells in which to store the honey."
+
+"That's why they say, 'busy as a bee,'" said Joyce. "It means 'busy all
+the time.' I didn't know there was so much to learn about bees."
+
+"I have been thinking about another kind of bee," said Grandma.
+
+"Do they sting, like the bees in the orchard?" asked Joyce with a little
+shiver.
+
+"Their stings are much sharper," answered Grandma, "and the pain lasts
+much longer. There is a hive full of these bees, and they are always
+very busy. But it is bedtime now. Wait till tomorrow night, and perhaps
+I shall tell you about one of them."
+
+Ten minutes later Don fell asleep, wondering what the strange sort of
+bee was like, and hoping it would never sting him as the cross bee had
+stung Joyce.
+
+
+
+Bee Obedient
+
+"I have something to show you," said Grandma after breakfast the next
+morning. "Come with me."
+
+"Oh, a little calf!" exclaimed Don a moment later.
+
+"Isn't he cute?" cried Joyce. "See how wobbly his legs are. What's his
+name, Grandma?"
+
+"Grandpa says he's not going to bother naming him, when he has two bright
+grandchildren here on the farm," answered Grandma, smiling.
+
+"Does he mean that _we_ can name him?" asked Joyce.
+
+"Yes," replied Grandma, "he means just that."
+
+"Oh, Don," cried Joyce, "what shall we call him?"
+
+"I think Bruno is a nice name," said Don.
+
+"So do I; we'll call him Bruno," agreed Joyce.
+
+"I wonder if he would let me pet him," said Don, gently touching the
+calf on his small white nose.
+
+The little fellow tossed his head and wobbled over to the other side of
+his mother. The children laughed merrily; and they were so interested
+in watching the little creature that Grandma had to leave them and go
+back to her work.
+
+The hours passed by very quickly and very happily--there were so many
+new things to do! Of course Joyce had to write a long letter to Mother,
+telling her about the sting of the bee, the new little calf, and many
+other interesting things.
+
+Late in the afternoon the children remembered about the cows, and they
+thought they would pump the trough full of water ahead of time. It was
+such fun that they kept on pumping until the trough overflowed, and the
+ground around it was all muddy.
+
+After supper, they let down the bars for the cows to come through. The
+cows had just finished drinking, when Don slipped in the mud and fell
+backward right into the trough. He kicked and splashed about, trying to
+get out; and Joyce got a good drenching when she tried to help him.
+Grandpa had to come to the rescue, and fish him out; and then they all
+had a good laugh--even Don. The children could not watch the milking
+that night, because they had to go to the house and put on dry clothes.
+
+Later in the evening, they reminded Grandma that she had promised to
+tell them a story. They drew their chairs close to hers, and she began:
+
+"It was to be a story about a bee, wasn't it? Well, this bee has a sharp
+sting, and it goes very deep."
+
+"I hope it will never sting me, then," said Joyce.
+
+"I hope not," said Grandma. "The boy and girl in my story were stung
+severely; but it was all their own fault, as you shall see.
+
+"Anna and her brother lived near a pond, and when the cold weather came
+it was great fun to skate on the ice. Oftentimes they would slide across
+it on their way to school. One morning, as their mother buttoned their
+coats, she said, 'Don't go across the ice this morning, children. It has
+begun to thaw, and it is dangerous.'
+
+"'No, we won't,' they promised.
+
+"When they reached the pond, Willie said, 'Why, see, Anna, how hard and
+thick the ice looks. Come on, let's slide across it.'
+
+"Instantly the bee began to buzz about Anna's ears. 'Bz-z-z-z-z! Don't
+do it!' said the bee. 'It's dangerous. You promised Mother.'
+
+"'We'd better not, Willie,' said Anna quickly. 'We promised Mother, you
+know.'
+
+"'But Mother'll never know,' said Willie.
+
+"'But you _promised_,' buzzed the bee again.
+
+"'Mother thought the ice was thawing,' added Willie. 'She won't care,
+when she knows it isn't. You may do as you like, Anna; but I'm going to
+slide across right now.'
+
+"When Anna saw her brother starting across the pond, she followed, in
+spite of the bee. But they had gone only a little way when the ice began
+to crack, and then to give way under them.
+
+"Anna turned and hurried back to the bank; but Willie had gone too far.
+She saw him go down in the icy water; and she ran to the road, screaming
+at the top of her voice.
+
+"A man was passing by at that moment. He picked up a board and ran to
+the pond as fast as he could. And he reached it just in time to save
+little Willie.
+
+"Dragging the lad up on to the bank, he called loudly for someone to
+come and help him. Two or three men came running; and they worked over
+Willie, until at last he opened his blue eyes and asked faintly, 'Where
+am I?' Then they took him home to his mother.
+
+"She thanked God for saving the life of her disobedient boy, but the
+danger was not yet past. For many weeks, Willie was a very sick little
+boy. When at last they carried him downstairs, he lay on the sofa day
+after day, pale and quiet--sadly changed from the merry, romping Willie
+of other days. The springtime came; but it was a long time before he
+could go into the woods with Anna to hunt for wild flowers or sail his
+toy boats on the pond.
+
+"There was no more school for Willie that year. As Anna trudged off alone
+day after day, she seemed to hear again and again the buzzing of the bee
+about her ears--'Bz-z-z-z! You promised Mother!'
+
+"'I heard it so plainly,' she would say to herself. 'It must have been
+my conscience. But I wouldn't listen--and I _almost_ lost my brother.'"
+
+The old farmhouse kitchen was very quiet for a moment, after Grandma had
+finished her story. Nothing was heard but the ticking of the
+old-fashioned clock.
+
+"I'm so glad it didn't happen--_quite_!" said Joyce at last. "What was
+the bee's name, Grandma?"
+
+"Bee Obedient," answered Grandma. "It has sometimes stung boys and girls
+so deeply that the hurt has never been healed.
+
+"But," said Grandma cheerily, "this bee will never bother you, if you
+listen to its first little buzz."
+
+"We will, Grandma, we will!" cried the children as they drifted off to
+the Land of Dreams.
+
+
+
+Bee Honest
+
+[Illustration]
+
+It seemed to Don that he had just fallen asleep when he heard Grandma's
+cheery voice calling, "Breakfast!" He dressed as quickly as he could;
+but when he got downstairs, all the others were waiting for him.
+
+After breakfast Joyce dried the dishes for Grandma; and then she helped
+with the sweeping and dusting. Don helped Grandpa to grease the wagon
+and oil some harness; and he handed staples to Grandpa, while he mended
+some broken places in the fence.
+
+The children were kept busy until dinner time; but in the afternoon they
+were free to do anything they liked. Today, they decided to play house
+in the orchard; so they got out some of the things that Mother had packed
+in the little trunk, to fix up their house.
+
+But Don soon grew tired of that sort of play. "Let's play hide-and-seek,"
+he said.
+
+"All right," answered Joyce. "I'll run and hide, while you count to one
+hundred."
+
+Away she ran, and Don began to count. Just as he said, "Ninety-five,"
+she ran to the chicken-house door. It was standing open, so she stepped
+inside.
+
+Now there was something in the chicken-house that Joyce did not expect
+to find. One of Grandpa's pigs was there, rooting around in the loose
+straw.
+
+The pig was not looking for company; and he was so frightened that he
+ran toward the door pell-mell. Joyce, standing just inside, was in his
+way; and as he ran against her, she was lifted off her feet and thrown
+on to his back. Mr. Piggy dashed wildly out of the chicken-house.
+
+Just outside the door was a large, shallow pan full of water, which
+Grandma kept there for the chickens. Joyce fell off the pig's back into
+the pan of water; and then she rolled over in the dirt.
+
+Don stopped counting when he heard her screams, and Grandma came hurrying
+out. Poor Joyce! What a sight she was! And she was so frightened that
+it took Grandma quite a while to quiet her sobs. But a bath and a change
+of clothes made the little girl feel quite like herself again.
+
+That evening when Grandma came up from the milking, she found the children
+on the porch waiting for another story.
+
+"Very well," said Grandma, "I shall tell you a story tonight about Bee
+Honest.
+
+"Many years ago there lived three little boys--Joe, Henry, and Charles.
+They all started to school at the same time. For a long while they kept
+together in their classes; and they were very good friends.
+
+"But when they were about fourteen, two of the boys--Joe and Henry--began
+to go out nights; and it was always late when they got home. Charles
+stayed at home in the evening and studied his lessons for the next day,
+as he had always done.
+
+"Of course, the difference soon showed up in their school work. Charles
+always knew his lessons, while Joe and Henry fell far behind.
+
+"When examination time came, the boys begged Charles to help them.
+
+"'No,' said Charles firmly, 'I will never do anything like that. My
+mother says that my father wanted me to be honest; and I mean to be.'
+
+"'Aw,' said Henry, 'your father has been dead a long time; and your
+mother'll never know.'
+
+"'I say there's no harm in giving a fellow a lift in his examinations,'
+grumbled Joe.
+
+"'It would be cheating,' said Charles quietly; 'or helping you to, and
+that would be just as bad.' And with that he turned to his own work, and
+began to write diligently.
+
+"Of course Charles passed all his examinations with honors; and of course
+Joe and Henry failed.
+
+"After that, the boys tormented Charles in every way they could. They
+called him 'Mother's honest little darling'; and when they saw him coming
+they yelled, 'Go home and hang on to your mother's apron string.'
+
+"Mother knew, by Charles' sober face, that something had gone wrong.
+'What is it, son?' she asked; and Charles told her what had happened.
+She told him how glad she was that he would not do wrong; and how proud
+his father would be of such a son.
+
+"'I shall never be ashamed of you,' she said, 'as long as you are perfectly
+honest. Sometimes you will find it rather hard; but just wait a few
+years, and you will see that it pays.'
+
+"Charles had been almost discouraged; but Mother's words made him feel
+quite strong and brave again. The next time he saw the boys, his honest
+blue eyes looked straight into their faces, unashamed and unafraid. They
+dropped their eyes, and hurried away as quickly as they could. They did
+not bother Charles again; for the principal had heard of their actions,
+and had punished them severely.
+
+"When school was out, the boys began to think about doing something to
+earn a little money. Henry was passing the drug store one day when he
+noticed a sign in the window--'Boy Wanted, Apply in Person.' He went
+into the store at once, and asked for the job.
+
+"The druggist took him to a little room back of the store. 'Here,' he
+said, 'is a chest of nails and bolts. You may sort them.'
+
+"The boy worked for a while, and then he said to himself, 'What a queer
+job this is!' He went back into the store and said to the druggist, 'If
+that is all you have for me to do, I don't believe I want the job.'
+
+"'Very well,' said the druggist, 'that is all I have for you to do just
+now.' He paid Henry for the work he had already done, and the boy went
+home.
+
+"The druggist went back to the little room, and found bolts and nails
+scattered all over the floor. He put them back in the chest; and then
+he hung his sign in the window again.
+
+"The next day Joe passed by and saw the sign; and he too went in and
+asked for the job. The druggist took him to the little room and showed
+him the chest of nails, and told him to sort them.
+
+"When the boy had worked only a little while, he went back to the druggist
+and said, 'Those rusty old nails are no good. Why don't you let me throw
+them all away? I don't like this kind of job, anyway.'
+
+"'All right,' said the druggist; and he paid Joe for what he had done,
+and let him go. As he put the nails and bolts back in the chest he said
+to himself, 'I am willing to pay more than this to find a really honest
+boy.'
+
+"Later Joe and Henry, sauntering down the street together, saw the same
+sign in the window--'Boy Wanted. Apply in Person.'
+
+"'Guess he doesn't want a boy very bad,' said Joe. 'That's no job--sorting
+those old rusty things. Did you find anything in the chest besides bolts
+and nails, Henry?'
+
+"'I'm not telling _everything_ I found,' said Henry with a laugh.
+
+"Joe looked up, puzzled and a little alarmed. 'Now I wonder--' he
+began--but broke off suddenly and started to talk about something else.
+
+"A few days later Charles passed by the drug store and saw the sign in
+the window. He went in and told the druggist he would like to have the
+job.
+
+"'Are Joe and Henry friends of yours?' asked the druggist, looking at
+him sharply.
+
+"'Oh, no, sir.' replied Charles quickly. 'We used to be good friends;
+but something happened between us that I don't like to tell; and they
+wouldn't have anything to do with me afterward.'
+
+"'I'm glad to hear that,' said the druggist. 'I rather think you're the
+boy I want.'
+
+"For two or three hours Charles worked steadily, now and then whistling
+a snatch of tune. Then he went to the druggist and said, 'I have finished
+the job you gave me. What shall I do next?'
+
+"The druggist went to the little room to see how Charles had done his
+work. The boy had found some boxes lying about; and he had placed the
+bolts in one, the nails in another, and the screws in a third.
+
+"'And see what I found!' exclaimed Charles. 'It was lying under those
+old crooked bolts in the bottom of the chest.' And he handed the druggist
+a five-dollar gold-piece.
+
+"The druggist took the money and said with a smile, 'Now you may place
+the bolts and screws back in the chest just as you have them arranged
+in the boxes.'
+
+"After he had done that, Charles was sent on a few errands; and then he
+was dismissed for the day.
+
+"A few days later the druggist gave Charles a key and said, 'You may
+come early in the morning and open the store, and do the sweeping and
+dusting.'
+
+"At the end of the first week, when Charles received his pay-envelope,
+he found the five-dollar gold-piece along with the week's wages.
+
+"One morning not long afterward, when Charles was sweeping the floor,
+he found a few pennies lying near the counter. He picked them up and
+laid them on the shelf, and told the druggist about them. Another day
+he found some pennies, a dime, and two nickels. These too he laid on the
+shelf, telling the druggist where he had found them.
+
+"About a month later, when he was sweeping one morning, he found a bright,
+shiny new dollar. How he did wish he might keep it for himself!
+
+"'The druggist would never know it,' whispered a tiny voice.
+
+"But just at that instant, Bee Honest began to buzz around his ears.
+'Don't forget what Mother told you,' said the bee. 'She said she would
+never be ashamed of you, as long as you were perfectly honest.'
+
+"Charles turned the shiny dollar over and over in his hand. The bee kept
+on buzzing--'Never do anything that will make your mother ashamed of
+you. Be honest! Be honest!'
+
+"'Yes,' said Charles at last, 'I will.' He laid the dollar up on the
+shelf; and when the druggist came in, he told him about it.
+
+"The druggist smiled and patted him on the shoulder. 'You are an honest
+boy,' was all he said. And at the end of the week, Charles found the
+shiny dollar in his pay-envelope, beside his usual wages.
+
+"A few weeks later, the druggist began to give Charles large sums of
+money to take to the bank for him. 'I have found that I can trust you,
+my boy,' he would say.
+
+"Charles worked in the store all that summer; and when school opened
+again, he helped the druggist mornings and evenings. His tired mother
+did not have to take in so many washings now; for Charles always gave
+her his money at the end of the week.
+
+"After he had finished school, the druggist gave him a steady job in the
+store, with good wages.
+
+"'Charles,' said the druggist one day, 'do you remember the day you
+sorted bolts and nails for me?'
+
+"'Indeed I do,' answered Charles. 'How glad I was to find work that day,
+so I could help my mother a little! And I shall never forget how surprised
+I was when I found a five-dollar gold-piece at the bottom of the chest.'
+
+"'I put it there on purpose,' said the druggist. 'I wanted to find out
+what sort of boy you were.'
+
+"'You did!' exclaimed the astonished boy.
+
+"'Yes; and when you brought it to me I was pretty sure that I had found
+an honest boy. But I wanted to be able to trust you with large sums of
+money, so I tested you still further. I left pennies and nickels and a
+dime on the floor; and last of all, a dollar. When you picked them all
+up, and laid them on the shelf, and told me about them--I knew then that
+I could safely trust you.'
+
+"'I should like to ask you,' said Charles suddenly--'was there a
+gold-piece lying in the bottom of that chest when Joe and Henry sorted the
+nails, too?'
+
+"'Yes,' said the druggist, 'each of them found a gold-piece there; and
+each of them kept it for himself.'
+
+"'So you lost ten dollars!' exclaimed Charles.
+
+"'Yes, lost ten dollars hunting for an honest boy. But it was worth
+it--for I found one at last!'"
+
+"Is that the end of the story?" asked Joyce, as Grandma paused.
+
+"Not quite," said Grandpa, who had been listening. "Tell them what
+happened to Henry and Joe."
+
+"Oh yes; I must not forget to tell you about them," said Grandma. "Soon
+after Charles started working for the druggist, Henry was caught stealing
+some things from a department store. He was arrested; but his father
+paid the fine, so he was allowed to go free.
+
+"But his dishonest habits soon got him into trouble again. He broke into
+a house while the family was away, and stole some money. He was sent to
+a reformatory for boys; and he had to stay there a long time. After that,
+he never could keep a job long; for he was so dishonest that no one could
+depend on him.
+
+"Joe did not get into so much trouble in his boyhood; but after he became
+a man he forged a check, and was sent to the penitentiary."
+
+"How much better it would have been," said Joyce thoughtfully, "if Henry
+and Joe had only listened to the bee in the first place."
+
+"Yes indeed;" said Grandma, "I have often thought of that; for I am sure
+the bee talked to them, as well as to Charles."
+
+"Maybe," said little Don softly, "they didn't have a Grandma to tell
+them how to be good."
+
+"Maybe not," said Grandpa, smiling as he rose to take the little fellow
+in to bed.
+
+"Didn't they ever change into good men?" asked Joyce.
+
+"I'm afraid not," answered Grandma. "That's the saddest part of the whole
+story. They felt the sting of the bee as long as they lived."
+
+
+
+Bee Truthful
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Every day Joyce and Don went out to meet the mailman; and how glad they
+were this morning when he brought them a letter from Mother! Mother and
+Daddy were having a good time at the lake; and there was a picture of
+Daddy smiling at them, as he held up a day's catch of fish.
+
+"What a string of fish!" exclaimed Grandpa, when they showed it to him.
+"And what fine big ones they are!"
+
+"I wish," said Don, "that we could go fishing, Grandpa."
+
+Grandpa whispered something in his ear; and the little fellow began to
+dance about and clap his hands.
+
+"What is it?" asked Joyce excitedly.
+
+"Only that we're going fishing tomorrow," said Grandpa. "We'll start out
+bright and early in the morning, take our lunch, and spend the day at
+the river."
+
+Joyce and Grandma were busy all morning about the house; and in the
+afternoon they baked cookies, and got the lunch as nearly ready as they
+could for the trip. Grandpa and Don went out to the garden to dig bait.
+
+They soon had a can full of worms; and then Don found a larger can, and
+filled that, too. When Grandpa said they had enough, Don covered the
+worms with loose dirt and set the cans out in the shed. Then they got
+out the fishing tackle.
+
+Late in the afternoon, Grandma called the children and asked them to
+catch a chicken for her, so she could get it ready for their picnic
+lunch.
+
+The children asked if they might pick off the feathers. They had watched
+Grandma do it so many times, they thought it would be an easy job. But
+when they tried it, they found it was not so easy after all. They turned
+the chicken round and round, picking first in one place and then in
+another. It took them a long time to get all the feathers off.
+
+Then Grandma cut up the chicken and put it in a crock, and took it to
+the spring house to keep it cool. "I will fry it in the morning," she said.
+
+How quickly the day passed by! It was already time to do the evening
+chores. Grandma was trying to teach the brown and white calf to drink
+milk from a pail. Grandpa was busy in the barn, so she called the children
+to come and help her.
+
+The calf was kept in a lot near the orchard. "I want you to drive him
+to the corner of the fence for me," said Grandma. "Then I will try to
+coax him to drink the milk."
+
+But the little creature was not so easy to manage. As soon as they had
+driven him into the corner, he would back away; and off he would go
+again, across the lot.
+
+After this had happened several times, Don said, "Just wait, Grandma;
+when we get him into the corner again, I will hold him there."
+
+So the next time, he grabbed the calf about the neck and jumped on his
+back. Instantly the calf turned and galloped across the lot. When he
+reached the farther side, he turned again, and Don rolled off on the
+soft grass.
+
+Just then, Grandpa came to the rescue. He drove the calf to the corner
+and held him there, while Grandma coaxed him to drink from the pail.
+
+"We must go to bed early tonight," said Grandpa as they started for the
+house. "We want to reach the river by the time the sun comes up."
+
+"But you'll tell us a story first, won't you, Grandma?" asked Don.
+
+"Yes," said Grandma, as she sank into her comfortable old rocking chair
+in the kitchen.
+
+"About another bee?" asked Joyce. "Which one?"
+
+"Bee Truthful," answered Grandma. "Boys and girls who will not listen
+to him often come to grief--as the boy did that I shall tell you about.
+
+"Little Milton lived on a farm. His father had a number of mules, which
+he used in plowing his fields. Two of the young mules were very
+ill-tempered. Milton's father was very careful to keep the little pigs and
+calves out of their way, for fear the mules would paw them to death.
+
+"When Milton was almost nine, a little baby brother came into his home.
+His name was Marion. Milton loved the baby dearly, and never grew tired
+of playing with him.
+
+"Their father built a fence around the yard. They were careful to keep
+the gates of the fence closed, so little Marion could not wander away;
+especially after the two ill-tempered mules were put out to pasture in
+the lot just back of the house.
+
+"Late one afternoon, Milton was helping his father in the back lot. Daddy
+had to go and do something else, so he left the boy to finish the job.
+
+"'As soon as you have finished,' said Daddy, 'you may go to the house.
+But be sure to latch the back yard gate.'
+
+"Daddy did not get home until after dark. 'Milton,' he said, 'did you
+latch the gate when you came in this afternoon?'
+
+"Milton knew he had forgotten, but he thought to himself, 'If I tell the
+truth, I shall have to go out and latch the gate now; and I am afraid
+of the dark.'
+
+"Aloud, he said, 'Yes, Daddy, I did.'
+
+"'Are you sure?' asked Daddy.
+
+"'Yes,' said Milton again.
+
+"The little boy suddenly heard a bee buzzing in his ears--'Tell the
+truth, Milton; tell the truth!' But he said to himself, 'It won't matter
+if the gate stands open all night; I will latch it the first thing in
+the morning.' And so he soon forgot all about it.
+
+"The next morning, right after breakfast, Milton's mother sent him on
+an errand. Marion was still asleep.
+
+"'Where's Marion?' asked Milton when he came back.
+
+"'He woke a little while ago,' said Mother. 'After I gave him his
+breakfast, I let him go out in the yard to play--it's such a bright
+morning.'
+
+"Instantly Milton thought of the gate; and he went to look for Marion.
+
+"A moment later he heard his father cry out in alarm; and looking toward
+the pasture where the two young mules were kept, he saw little Marion
+just inside the fence.
+
+"Daddy ran toward the baby as fast as he could; but he was just too late.
+One of the mules kicked Marion, and he fell over in a little heap. The
+mule, seeing Daddy coming, ran toward the other end of the pasture.
+
+"Daddy picked up the limp little body and carried it to the house. The
+baby lay so still that at first they thought he was dead.
+
+"Milton was terribly frightened, and he cried almost all day; for he
+knew this dreadful thing had happened because he did not latch the back
+yard gate--and because he had told Daddy a lie about it.
+
+"Poor little Marion was taken to the hospital. His spine had been injured,
+and it was many, many months before he could sit up. And never again was
+he able to run about like other children.
+
+"It was a long time before Mother and Daddy found out how the baby came
+to be in the pasture with the mules. But one day, after little Marion
+had been brought home, Milton told Daddy the whole, sad story.
+
+"'I'm very sorry,' said Daddy kindly, when he had finished. 'I wish you
+had told me the truth. I wouldn't have sent you out alone in the dark,
+son. I would have gone out and latched the gate myself.'
+
+"It was almost more than Milton could bear, to have his father talk to
+him so sadly and yet so kindly. The sting of the bee went deeper and
+deeper, as he watched his pale-faced little brother day after day.
+Always after that, he was careful to listen to the buzzing of little Bee
+Truthful."
+
+Two very sober children said good-night to Grandma just as the clock
+struck half-past eight.
+
+
+
+Bee Kind
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Don," said Grandma, shaking the little sleeper, "it's time to wake up!"
+
+Don turned over, rubbed his eyes, and with a deep sigh settled back to
+sleep.
+
+"Here, here!" cried Grandma, shaking him again. "Do you want us to leave
+you at home all alone? We're going fishing today!"
+
+Instantly Don was wide awake. He bounced out of bed and began to dress
+as quickly as he could. In five minutes he was in the kitchen; but Joyce
+was there ahead of him, helping Grandma to pack the lunch basket.
+
+Don was so excited that Grandma could coax him to eat only a few bites
+of breakfast. He was the first one in the car, ready to start for the
+river.
+
+The sun was just peeping over the hills, when they drove into a pretty,
+shady nook on the bank of the river. "This is always a good place to
+fish," said Grandpa. They stopped under a tree whose great, spreading
+branches leaned far out over the water; and soon they were untying the
+fishing poles and baiting their hooks.
+
+"I'll give a nickel to the one who catches the first fish," said Grandpa.
+
+Suddenly Don's cork began to bob up and down in the water. Joyce felt a
+strong pull on her line, too. Almost at the same instant each of them
+lifted a fish from the water. Grandpa took the little perch from Don's
+hook, and a catfish from Joyce's; and with his big, hearty laugh he gave
+them each a nickel.
+
+The hours passed so quickly that before the children knew it, it was
+time for lunch. But when Grandma spread out the chicken and sandwiches
+and cookies and lemonade in the shade of the big tree, they found that
+they were as hungry as bears.
+
+After lunch, Grandma lay down in the shade and tried to take a nap, while
+the others went back to their fishing. But the fish did not bite so well
+as they had done in the morning.
+
+They had already caught a great many fish, so they decided to go home
+early. Grandpa had been stringing the fish one by one, as they had caught
+them; and he had let the line hang down in the water. Now, when he lifted
+it out, the children were delighted to see how many fish they had caught.
+
+"That is a longer string of fish than Daddy has in the picture!" cried
+Don.
+
+"We cannot use so many fish ourselves," said Grandpa. "We shall have to
+share with the neighbors."
+
+When they reached home, Don helped Grandpa to clean the fish. Grandpa
+skinned the catfish, and Don scraped the scales from the perch. When
+they had finished, Don had fish scales all over him--even in his hair.
+
+But this trouble was all forgotten at supper time, when Grandma set a
+large platter of fish on the table. Grandpa said it tasted better than
+the fried chicken.
+
+In the evening, the children came to Grandma for their usual story. They
+sat down on the porch, with the soft summer dusk gathering about them.
+
+"I shall tell you a story tonight," began Grandma, "about a bee that
+every child should listen to and obey. Its name is Bee Kind.
+
+"James and Richard lived near each other, and they were playmates. One
+day they were flying their kites in a vacant lot, when they saw a dirty
+little puppy. Richard began to stamp his feet and try to scare it; but
+as he could not chase it away, he threw stones at the poor little thing.
+
+"A stone struck the puppy on his head, and hurt him very badly; for he
+began to turn round and round, whining and howling pitifully. Richard
+laughed, as if he thought it a great joke.
+
+"'Shame on you!' cried James, 'for treating a poor little puppy like that!'
+
+"'You're a sissy,' said Richard, 'or you wouldn't care.'
+
+"'You may call me what you please,' said James, 'but I shall never hurt
+a poor little dog that can't help himself. Maybe he's lost.'
+
+"With that, he lifted the little creature in his arms and carried him
+home. The puppy's head was bleeding where Richard had struck him with
+the stone. James washed the blood away and gave the little dog something
+to eat, talking to him kindly and petting him all the while.
+
+"When his father came home that evening, he told James that the puppy
+showed marks of being a very good dog; and that if the owner never came,
+he might keep him for his own.
+
+"James was delighted. He named the dog Rex, and at once began to teach
+him to do all sorts of tricks. Rex learned to walk on his hind feet, sit
+up straight and beg for something to eat, play 'dead dog,' roll over,
+chase his tail, and run through a hoop.
+
+"In a few months, Rex had grown to be quite a large dog. By this time,
+James had taught him how to swim; and when the boy would throw a stick
+into the water and say, 'Go get it, Rex,' the dog would bring it back
+in his mouth.
+
+"All the boys in the neighborhood liked Rex; and he liked them all--
+except Richard. Whenever he came around, the dog would growl and show
+his teeth.
+
+"Two years later, one warm Saturday afternoon in April, James called Rex
+and started for the pond. Oftentimes fishing parties visited this pond,
+so a number of small boats were tied among the willows fringing the
+shore. On this particular afternoon, Richard and his little brother Harry
+had also gone to the pond; and Richard untied one of the boats to take
+a ride. Of course he had no right to use a boat that did not belong to
+him; but he thought that no one would ever know.
+
+"Just as James came around a clump of willows, he saw the little boat
+tip over; and Richard and Harry fell in, at the deepest place in the
+pond. James knew they could not swim; so he began to call for help as
+loudly as he could. Rex ran back and forth whining, looking first at
+James, then at the boys in the water. Suddenly a happy thought struck
+James. Pointing to the two boys, he said, 'Go get them, Rex!' Immediately
+the dog jumped into the water and began to swim toward the boys. He soon
+had Harry's collar between his teeth, and was swimming back to shore.
+
+"James helped Harry to his feet; and then, pointing to Richard, he said,
+'Go get the other one!'
+
+"Richard had gone down the second time when Rex reached him; but as he
+came up to the surface of the water, the dog caught him and began to
+swim back. It was a hard task, as Richard was heavier than Harry; but
+at last Rex brought him safely to shore.
+
+"All this time James had been calling for help; and now several men came
+running toward the pond. They began working with Richard, and after some
+time he came back to consciousness.
+
+"'Who got me out of the water?' he asked, as soon as he could speak.
+
+"'Rex,' answered James.
+
+"Tears rolled down Richard's face as he said brokenly, 'Just think! I
+almost killed him when he was a little puppy! I know one thing--I'll
+never do such a thing again.'
+
+"Everybody petted and praised Rex for what he had done. Richard's father
+bought a beautiful new collar for him. But although the dog had saved
+Richard's life, he never would have anything to do with him afterward.
+He could not forget how cruelly the boy had treated him in his puppyhood."
+
+"Daddy promised to get a puppy for me soon," said Don. "I shall name him
+Rex, after the good dog in the story."
+
+"And I'm quite sure," said Grandma, "that you'll always be as kind to
+him as James was to Rex. But I know a little man that will be asleep in
+about five minutes. Hustle him off to bed, Grandpa, or you'll have to
+carry him upstairs."
+
+Don said a sleepy good-night; and sure enough, five minutes later he was
+fast a-sleep.
+
+
+
+Bee Polite
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When the children came down to the kitchen in the morning, they found
+that Grandpa had eaten his breakfast, and had gone out to build a pig-pen
+behind the barn. Don hurried out to help him; and Joyce went to the
+spring house to do the churning for Grandma.
+
+The little girl plunged the dasher into the thick cream, lifted it, and
+plunged it again, until her arms ached. At last the dasher began to look
+clean, and tiny particles of golden butter clung to it and she knew that
+the butter had "come." Then she took the butter paddle and the bowl and
+cooled them in the spring, just as she had seen Grandma do. She lifted
+the butter from the churn with the paddle and began to work it to get
+the milk out. She had watched Grandma do this many times, and it had
+looked very easy; but she found it quite another thing, when she came
+to doing it herself.
+
+After she had worked for some time, she had a solid roll of butter. She
+salted it, and worked it some more; and then she called Grandma to come
+and see it.
+
+"I could not have made better butter myself!" said Grandma. So Joyce had
+something new to write about, in her next letter to Mother.
+
+After dinner the children went to the orchard to play. They found an ant
+hill; and it was very interesting to watch the ants as they worked.
+
+One ant was carrying a bread crumb several times larger than herself,
+and the children were watching eagerly. The old turkey gobbler came
+strutting toward them; but they did not notice. Joyce was bending over,
+watching the industrious little ant, when suddenly the gobbler perched
+upon her back and began to beat her with his wings.
+
+"Grandma!" screamed Joyce.
+
+It was a comical sight that Grandma saw when she came to the door. There
+was Joyce, running toward the house, with the gobbler after her, and Don
+coming behind.
+
+The gobbler was right at Joyce's heels, when suddenly the little girl
+dodged behind a tree and began to go round and round it, keeping the
+tree between her and the gobbler. At last Don found a stick and chased
+him away.
+
+When Grandma had comforted Joyce, she explained that it was the little
+girl's red dress that the gobbler didn't like. Joyce declared that she
+would never wear that dress again while she was on the farm. She never
+did; and so the gobbler did not bother her any more.
+
+At bedtime, the children were ready for their usual story. They clambered
+up on to the arms of the old rocker on the porch, while Grandpa sat down
+on the step.
+
+"What do we hear about tonight?" asked Grandpa. "I believe I like to
+hear the stories as well as Don does."
+
+"All boys are just alike--big and little," said Grandma with a smile.
+"My story this time is about Bee Polite."
+
+"Oh," said Don, "I know a little verse about politeness. I learned it
+at school:
+
+  "'Politeness is to do and say
+  The kindest thing in the kindest way.'"
+
+"Then politeness means kindness, doesn't it, Grandma?" asked Joyce.
+
+"Yes--and more than that," replied Grandma. "A polite person is never
+rude. The story is about two children who were stung by Bee Polite just
+once--but they never forgot it.
+
+"Daisy and Dan were twins. When they were babies, their mother took them
+from their home in the East to live in a far Western state. They could
+not remember their grandmother, who still lived back in the old home
+town. All they knew about her was what their mother had told them; and
+she often wrote long letters, and sent them lovely presents.
+
+"One day they received a letter from Grandma, saying that she was coming
+to spend a few weeks with them. They could hardly wait for Thursday to
+come when she was to arrive at the station.
+
+"The train was due at six o'clock in the evening, and Mother promised
+the twins that they might go to meet Grandma. After school she sent them
+to the store to buy some things for supper, and she gave them ten cents
+to buy candy.
+
+"Now there were some children living in the neighborhood who were very
+rude. For this reason the twins were never allowed to play with them.
+But today, on their way to the store, they met these children, and all
+went on together.
+
+"They crossed a vacant lot, where there was a pile of crushed rock. Near
+the rock pile, they met an elderly woman carrying a small satchel. She
+spoke kindly to them; but one of the boys answered her very rudely, and
+then stuck out his tongue at her. The lady turned to him and said, 'My
+boy, you need someone to teach you how to be a gentleman.'
+
+"'Oh, do I?' said the boy roughly. And picking up a stone from the rock
+pile, he threw it at her. Another lad did the same, and still another.
+
+"Now the twins had been taught to be polite--especially to old people.
+Just now little Bee Polite began to buzz about them. But when children
+are in bad company, it is always hard for them to hear the small voice
+of conscience. For a moment they stood and watched the boys throw rocks
+at the old lady; and then they began to throw them too.
+
+"No matter how hard she tried, Daisy could not throw a stone straight.
+But Dan had a better aim, and he threw a rock which struck the old lady's
+hand.
+
+"When the twins reached the store, there were several customers ahead
+of them; so they had to wait their turn. It was nearing supper time
+when they came out of the store with their bundles. The rude boys had
+waited outside for them all that time; and the twins gave them some of
+their candy.
+
+"When Daisy and Dan reached home, they were much surprised to find a
+visitor there. It was the old lady whom they had treated so unkindly.
+Mother was crying, as she bathed the hand that had been hurt by Dan's rock.
+
+"'Children,' she said, 'this is your dear grandmother who has come to
+see you. She came on an earlier train than she expected; and she inquired
+the way, and walked out from the station alone. Some rude children treated
+her very unkindly on the way. You will have to very good to her, to make
+up for it.'
+
+"'Well, well,' said Grandma kindly, 'is this Daisy and Dan? I should
+never have taken them to be my grandchildren.'
+
+"The twins expected her to add, 'So _you_ are the naughty children who
+threw stones at me.' But she did not say it; and Daisy and Dan hurried
+out of the room as quickly as they could.
+
+"So the good times the children had expected to have with their grandma
+were spoiled in the very beginning. After that, whenever they went into
+the room where she was, they felt very uncomfortable.
+
+"'I don't understand why the twins act so strangely,' said Mother one
+day, as she and Grandma sat mending together. 'I am really ashamed of
+them. They had planned to do so many things to make you happy during
+your visit. But they seem to keep away from you all they can.'
+
+"Daisy, who was passing outside just under the window, heard every word
+distinctly. Her heart pounded like a hammer, and she held her breath,
+to hear what Grandma would say.
+
+"Grandma went on mending, without saying a word. 'Dear Grandma! She won't
+tell on us for throwing stones at her,' said Daisy to herself. 'Then
+I'll tell, that's what I'll do!' she added with a sob.
+
+"An instant later, Mother was surprised to see the little girl dash into
+the room with tears running down her cheeks. She threw herself down by
+the chair and laid her head in her mother's lap. She was crying so hard
+that for a moment she could not speak.
+
+"'There, there, little girl,' said Mother, 'what has happened? Tell
+Mother all about it.'
+
+"Then Daisy told the whole story. When she had finished, she threw her
+arms around Grandma.
+
+"'I'm so sorry, dear Grandma!' she cried.
+
+"Just then Grandma looked up and saw Dan standing there. He had come in
+so softly that no one had noticed.
+
+"Grandma held out her hands to him; and he burst into tears. 'It was my
+fault, lots more than Daisy's,' he sobbed. 'I threw a stone before she
+did; and besides, it was my stone that hit your hand.'
+
+"Grandma talked to the twins for a long time, then, in her own quiet
+way. She told them that children who were in bad company were almost
+sure to do wrong themselves; and that polite boys and girls usually grew
+up to be the best men and women.
+
+"'I know that such a thing will never happen again,' she said, kissing
+them both; 'so now it is all forgiven and forgotten.'
+
+"But the twins could not forget. Two or three weeks later, Grandma went
+home. She still wrote letters and sent presents, just as if nothing had
+ever happened. But for many years--long after Daisy and Dan had grown
+up--every time they thought of their dear grandmother, they felt the
+sting of their rudeness and cruelty to her."
+
+Joyce winked the tears out of her eyes, as she threw her arms around her
+grandma's neck. "I could never treat you like that, dear Grandma!" she
+cried.
+
+"Neither could I," said Dan soberly, kissing her good-night.
+
+
+
+Bee Gentle
+
+[Illustration]
+
+In the morning, another letter came from Mother. "Daddy and I are getting
+lonesome for you," she wrote.
+
+"We're having a better time than Mother and Daddy are," laughed Don. "If
+they had come with us to Grandpa's, they would not have been so lonesome,
+would they, Joyce?"
+
+"I should say not!" answered Joyce. "The days go by too fast for that;
+and besides, something is always happening. If it's nothing else, the
+old turkey gobbler chases me around the tree." Don and Grandma laughed
+heartily and Joyce joined in.
+
+Grandma had promised to make some cookies this morning; so with Joyce
+on one side of her and Don on the other, she mixed up the dough and
+rolled it out on the large board. Then she got some cutters from the
+pantry, and cut out the cookies in all sorts of shapes. There were
+different kinds of animals: a bird for Joyce, and a queer little man for
+Don. His eyes, nose, and mouth were made out of raisins; also the buttons
+on his vest. Then she put the cookies in the oven to bake.
+
+When they were done and Grandma took them out, Joyce's bird stuck to the
+pan and its tail came off. And Don's man had grown so fat that he had
+burst one of the buttons off his vest.
+
+A long time ago, when the children's mother had been Grandma's little
+girl, she had lived on this very farm. In those far-off days she had
+planted a lilac bush and a cluster of prickly pear. Grandpa did not like
+the prickly pear, but he had let it grow all these years because his
+little girl had planted it.
+
+"Isn't the grass nice and soft here?" said Don. "It feels just like a
+velvet carpet. Watch me turn somersaults on it."
+
+With that, he began to turn somersaults, going in the direction of the
+prickly pear. Joyce called to him to be careful, but it was too late;
+he came down right in the middle of the cactus plant. The long thorns
+pierced him like sharp needles; and although he tried to be brave, he
+could not keep back the tears.
+
+There was nothing to do but pull out the thorns one by one, and it took
+Grandma quite a while to do that. And although Don turned many somersaults
+afterward, he was always careful to keep away from the prickly pear.
+
+When story time came, Grandma, gently rocking back and forth, began: "I
+shall tell you tonight about a bee that it is very necessary to have in
+the home; and it is also much needed by those who have anything to do
+with animals. Its name is Bee Gentle. Have you ever noticed how gentle
+Grandpa is with all his animals?"
+
+"Yes, I have noticed it," said Joyce. "And the horses love him for it,
+too. Whenever he goes to the pasture, they trot up to him and begin to
+nose about his pockets."
+
+"He usually carries something in his pockets to give them," said Grandma.
+"He has raised all his horses from little colts; and he has always treated
+them kindly. Some men think they must treat animals roughly, to make
+them obey; but that is not so.
+
+"Jake and Jenny were a brother and sister who loved each other dearly,
+but they were quite different in disposition. All the animals about the
+place were afraid of Jake, for he treated them roughly, and sometimes
+beat them. But they loved Jenny because she was gentle with them. The
+dog would follow her about, and the cat would curl up on her lap and
+purr itself to sleep. When she went to the pasture, the horses would
+trot up to her and rub their noses on her shoulder. She often gave them
+lumps of sugar, or other dainties that horses like. No matter how wild
+or shy they were with others, Jenny could always catch them easily.
+
+"Of all the horses in her father's pasture, Jenny loved best a beautiful
+swift-footed mare called Fanny. Sometimes she would ride about the country
+on Fanny's back. But as gentle as the mare was with Jenny, she was afraid
+of Jake and would not let him catch her in the pasture.
+
+"'It would be much better,' Jenny would often say to her brother, 'if
+you would not treat the animals so roughly. See how easily I can handle
+Fanny--just because I am always gentle with her.'
+
+"'Oh,' Jake would answer with a laugh, 'that is all right for a woman,
+Jenny; but a man, you know, must show his authority.'
+
+"Very early one morning, Jake's father came into his room. 'Jake,' he
+said, shaking the boy, 'wake up, son! Mother was taken very ill in the
+night. Catch Fanny and go for the doctor as quickly as you can.'
+
+"The hired man was sleeping in the next room, and he heard what Jake's
+father said. He also got up and dressed, and hurried out to the pasture
+to help Jake catch the mare.
+
+"The two were gone quite a while. At last they came back to the house,
+and Jake said, 'I can't catch Fanny, Father. She has jumped the ditch a
+dozen times. What shall I do?'
+
+"'Try again,' said his father. 'I can't leave Mother long enough to go
+to the pasture; and she must have help soon.'
+
+"Just then Jenny came in. 'I will catch Fanny for you, Father,' she said,
+and hurried out to the pasture.
+
+"'Fanny, O Fanny!' she called; and the beautiful creature turned her
+head and trotted toward her. But an instant later, to Jenny's surprise,
+she galloped away across the field. Glancing behind her, Jenny saw Jake
+and the hired man coming up the lane."
+
+"'She sees you coming,' called Jenny; 'that's why she won't let me catch
+her. Go back to the house and wait; I'll bring her to you.'"
+
+"Jake and the man went back; and Jenny went further into the pasture,
+calling, 'Fanny, O Fanny!' Instantly the mare turned and trotted toward
+her. She came close; and when Jenny gave her a lump of sugar, she rubbed
+her nose against the little girl's shoulder."
+
+"Quickly she put the bridle on the mare, and led her through the lane
+to the barn. Then she harnessed her and hitched her to the buggy, and
+called to Jake. The boy hurried out, looking rather pale and worried;
+and as he stepped into the buggy Jenny stroked the mare's neck, saying
+gently, 'Now go along, dear Fanny, and do your best for Mother.'"
+
+"Fanny rubbed her nose against Jenny's shoulder again, as if to say, 'I
+will, little mistress; you may depend on me.' Then as Jake lifted the
+reins, she trotted down the road at a rapid gait."
+
+"Jake found the doctor just sitting down to breakfast. When he heard the
+boy's story, he did not stop to eat. He rode right back with Jake, and
+in a short time he was at the mother's bedside. She was indeed very ill.
+'If I had been a little later,' said the doctor in a low tone, 'I could
+have done nothing for her at all.'
+
+"When Jake heard that, he went into the kitchen, sank down on a chair,
+and leaning his head on the table, he sobbed like a child. Jenny found
+him there a little later.
+
+"She stood there beside him, gently stroking his hair. 'Jake,' she said
+at last, very softly, 'don't cry any more, because God was very kind to
+us and didn't let it happen. But just think what might have been, if I
+hadn't been able to catch Fanny this morning. Don't you think it would
+pay to always be kind to the animals?'
+
+"Jake nodded; he could not trust himself to speak.
+
+"The sting of little Bee Gentle went very deep. Never again was Jake
+cruel to animals. He tried hard to make friends with Fanny; but she would
+have nothing to do with him. She remembered how roughly he had treated
+her in the past; and being only a horse, she did not understand that he
+never would do so again."
+
+"How glad Jenny must have been," said Joyce, "that she had treated Fanny
+kindly! Because Fanny brought the doctor, the doctor saved her mother's
+life."
+
+"And besides," added Grandma softly, "people are always glad when they
+know they have done right."
+
+
+
+Bee Helpful
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"What are you going to do with that rope?" asked Don, as Grandpa came
+from the shed with a coil of rope on his arm.
+
+"Come with me, and you will find out," answered Grandpa. "And you may
+call Joyce, too, if you wish."
+
+Don ran to the house to get Joyce, and soon the two came back together.
+They followed Grandpa down the lane toward the pasture where he kept his
+pigs. The children kept asking him what he intended to do, but he would
+only answer, "Wait and see."
+
+Grandpa had a good many grown hogs, and ten little pigs. He opened the
+pasture gate and called to them, and they all came out into the lane,
+grunting and squealing. Then he coaxed them toward the pig-pen that he
+had been building. He closed the gate, and turning to the children said,
+"Now if you watch me, you will see what I intend to do with the rope."
+
+When the children were both safe on the other side of the fence, Grandpa
+climbed into the pig-pen and coiled the rope a number of times in his
+hands. Then he cast it from him, and it fell over one of the little pigs.
+He drew it in, and the pig was caught. Then he lifted him and placed him
+in the pen. How the little fellow squealed, and how hard the old hogs
+tried to get to him! Some of the larger ones started toward the fence
+where Don and Joyce were perched on posts. Grandpa laughed to see how
+quickly the children scrambled down.
+
+"Now," said Grandpa, "you see why I wanted the fence between you and
+those hogs, don't you? If they could get to you, they might tear you in
+pieces; for they want to take care of the little pigs."
+
+Grandpa coiled the rope again, caught another of the little pigs, and
+then another and another, until all ten of them were in in the pen. Then
+he opened the gate and turned the others back into the pasture.
+
+Grandpa had caught the pigs so easily--only once or twice had he had to
+try a second time. "I don't see how you could catch them when they were
+running away from you," said Don. "I couldn't catch them if they were
+standing still."
+
+"Perhaps not," said Grandpa. "But I can catch you if you try to get away
+from me. Just try it."
+
+At that, Don began to run as fast as he could; but he had not gone far
+when he felt the rope slip over his shoulders, and he was lifted off his
+feet.
+
+"What fun!" shouted Joyce. "Now try it on me."
+
+Grandpa spent quite a while catching first one and then the other. Joyce
+was the hardest to catch, for after a few times she learned how to dodge
+the rope.
+
+"Why did you put those little pigs in the pen?" asked Don, following
+close at his heels.
+
+"They are getting in the cornfield," answered Grandpa, "and eating too
+much of my corn."
+
+"But can't you keep them out?" asked Don.
+
+"No," said Grandpa; "for when I mend one place in the fence, the little
+pigs are sure to find another place big enough to squeeze through. So
+the only way I can keep them out is to pen them up. Don, you may carry
+water for the little pigs--and they will need plenty, too, because it
+is so warm."
+
+That pleased Don, and he began at once to fill the trough which Grandpa
+had placed in the pen.
+
+That evening, Grandpa and Grandma and the children sat on the porch,
+listening to the chirp of the katydids and the call of the whippoorwills.
+
+"Grandma," said Don, "what kind of bee will you tell us about tonight?"
+
+"Bee Sleepy, and go to bed," said Grandpa, with a wink at Grandma.
+
+The children laughed. "No," said Don, "I don't want to hear about that
+bee--not yet."
+
+"All right," said Grandma, "we'll have our story first; but we must begin
+right away, because it is almost bedtime. The bee I am thinking about
+tonight comes often to us all--especially to little children.
+
+"Once there was a boy named Alfred who was the only child in his home.
+He was very selfish; and often he was determined to have his own way.
+But he had his good points, too.
+
+"Alfred lived in the country; and during the Christmas holidays, he
+visited a friend of his who lived in the city. Then his friend in turn
+visited him during the summer vacation.
+
+"As soon as his company came, Alfred thought it was quite too much for
+his mother to ask him to help her. He forgot how very ill she had been,
+and how frail she still was. Indeed, it was hard for him to think of
+anything but having a good time with his friend.
+
+"The two boys had planned to spend a certain day at the creek, fishing.
+Of course they were eager to start as early as they could that morning.
+After they had gathered together everything that they needed for their
+trip, they went out to the kitchen and found Alfred's mother packing a
+lunch for them.
+
+"'Alfred,' she said, 'I wish you would help me a little with the work
+before you go. I am afraid that I shall not be able to do it all alone.
+Would you mind stopping long enough to wash the dishes and clean up the
+kitchen for me?'
+
+"Alfred began to pout, but his mother continued, 'I really wish you were
+not going fishing today. Your father will be away all day; and I would
+rather not be left alone, for I do not feel as well as usual. But I will
+not keep you, if you will wash the dishes before you go.'
+
+"'Now, Mother,' said Alfred angrily, 'why do you ask me to do that, when
+you know I want to get started early? If I have to wait half the day, I
+don't care to go at all.'
+
+"Just then the bee began to buzz about Alfred's ears. 'Help your mother!
+Help your mother!' it said. But Alfred did not pay any attention. 'Let
+the dishes go,' he cried. 'I don't care whether they are ever washed or
+not.' And picking up the lunch which his mother had packed so nicely for
+him, he started toward the creek. He did not even look back to say 'good
+-by.'
+
+"The boys found fishing very good that day. They caught a fine string
+of trout, ate their lunch, and in the middle of the afternoon were ready
+to start for home. Alfred was much pleased with their catch, and on the
+way home he said over and over, 'Won't Mother be glad we went fishing
+today, when she sees our string of trout? She is so fond of trout.' But
+even while he was saying it, he could not forget the tired look on his
+mother's face, or the hurt look in her eyes when he had refused to wash
+the dishes for her.
+
+"When the boys reached the house, it seemed strangely quiet. They found
+the dishes cleared away, and the kitchen neatly swept. Alfred's mother
+was lying on the couch, and she seemed to be resting very comfortably.
+
+"'See, Mother,' said Alfred, 'isn't this a nice string of trout?'
+
+"But Mother did not answer. Alfred spoke to her again. Still no answer.
+He touched her hand then, and found it icy-cold.
+
+"Then the awful truth dawned upon him--his mother was dead! She had died
+while he was fishing; but she had done the work that she had asked her
+boy to do.
+
+"All his life, poor Alfred felt the sting of the bee that had buzzed
+about him on that summer morning. What hurt him most deeply was that he
+would never again have a chance to help his frail little mother who had
+done so much for him."
+
+"I'm so glad," said Joyce, "that I still have my mother, and that I can
+do things for her when she is tired."
+
+"It's a sad story, Grandma," said little Don, "but I'm glad you told it
+to us. I'm going to remember it always."
+
+
+
+Bee Grateful
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Another morning came to the farm--another day for the children to roam
+about the fields and enjoy themselves in God's big, free out-of-doors.
+How much more pleasant than having to play in their own yard in the city,
+these hot summer days!
+
+In that long-ago time when the children's mother had lived on the farm,
+Grandpa had given her a pony of her own to ride to school in the village.
+Old Ned was still on the place. Grandpa was always ready to saddle and
+bridle him, whenever the children wished to go for a ride.
+
+Today, as the children wandered to the back of the orchard, wishing for
+something to do, Ned stood on the other side of the fence and neighed
+at them. That gave Don an idea.
+
+"O Joyce!" he cried, "let's ride Ned around in the pasture."
+
+"Without a saddle?" exclaimed Joyce.
+
+"Of course," answered Don in his most grown up tone. "Why not?"
+
+"All right," said Joyce a little doubtfully.
+
+They went out through the barn lot, leaving the gate open behind them.
+Then, letting down the bars, they soon found themselves in the pasture.
+
+Joyce led old Ned to the fence, holding to his mane. She climbed up on
+the fence, and then onto the horse's back. Don quickly climbed on behind
+her.
+
+In his younger days, Ned had been taught a number of tricks, which he
+still remembered. He would shake hands, and nod his head, and ride up
+the steps. And when a rider was on his back, if he gripped his knees in
+Ned's sides, the old horse would gallop away as fast as he could.
+
+Always, before this, the children had ridden with a saddle; and so they
+had never had to hold fast with their knees. But today Joyce knew she
+would have to hold on tightly, so she pressed her knees hard against old
+Ned's sides. Instantly he started to gallop across the pasture. He went
+up the lane, through the open gate into the barn lot, and on to the
+watering trough. Joyce still held to his mane with all her might, gripping
+him tightly with her knees. Don bounced up and down behind her, with his
+arms about her waist.
+
+When Ned reached the watering trough, he stopped. Suddenly he lowered
+his head, and both children slipped off into the trough. It was about
+half-full of water, and Joyce fell in face downward. Such sputtering,
+puffing, and blowing, as they scrambled out of the trough! And there
+stood old Ned, looking at them as if to say, "How did you like your bath?"
+
+Grandpa came hurrying up to see if they were hurt. He told them that old
+Ned was only doing as he had been taught when he was a colt; and that
+they could not expect him to do otherwise, if they rode him like that.
+
+That evening, as twilight settled down, Grandpa and Grandma and the
+children sat on the porch and listened to the lonely call of a whippoorwill
+from the neighboring woods.
+
+"I see the Big Bear," said Don--"and the Little Bear, too."
+
+"What is the Milky Way, Grandma?" asked Joyce.
+
+"When men look through telescopes they find millions of stars--so close
+together and so far away that not one star can be seen by the naked eye.
+The Indians used to say it was the path which all Indians must travel
+after they died, to reach the Happy Hunting Grounds."
+
+"See how bright the stars are in the Dipper!" exclaimed Don.
+
+"When I was just a little girl," said Grandma, "I learned a rhyme about
+the Milky Way:
+
+  "The Man in the Moon that sails through the sky
+  Is known as a gay old skipper.
+  But he made a mistake,
+  When he tried to take
+  A drink of milk from the dipper.
+
+  "He dipped it into the Milky Way,
+  And was just prepared to drink it,
+  When the Big Bear growled,
+  And the Little Bear growled,
+  And it scared him so that he spilled it."
+
+The children liked the queer little rhyme, and said it over until they
+knew it by heart.
+
+At last Grandpa said, "I guess it's about time to turn in for tonight."
+
+"Oh, no," said Don--"not till Grandma tells us our story."
+
+"All right," said Grandma; "I shall tell you this time about a little
+bee called Bee Grateful. It has a very sharp sting, as you will see.
+
+"Far away, under sunny Italian skies, there is an old, old town by the
+name of Atri. It is built on the side of a steep hill.
+
+"A very long time ago, the king of Atri bought a great golden-toned bell
+and hung it in the tower at the market-place. Fastened to the bell, there
+was a long rope that reached almost to the ground.
+
+"'We shall call it the bell of justice,' said the king.
+
+"He proclaimed a great holiday in Atri, and invited everyone to come to
+the marketplace and see the bell. It shone like gold in the bright
+sunlight. When the king came riding down the street, the people whispered
+to one another, 'Perhaps he will ring the bell.'
+
+"But he did not. Instead, he stopped at the foot of the tower and raised
+his hand. All the whispering and talking stopped; for the people knew
+that the king was about to speak.
+
+"'My good people,' he said, 'this bell belongs to you. No one must ever
+pull the rope unless he is in trouble. But if any one of you--man, woman,
+or child--is ever treated unjustly, you may come to the marketplace and
+ring the bell. The judges will come together and listen to your story;
+and the one who has done wrong will be punished, whoever he may be. That
+is why this is called the bell of justice.'
+
+"Year after year passed by, and the great bell still hung in the tower.
+Many people who were in trouble had rung the bell; and in every case,
+the judges had been perfectly fair, and had punished the one who had
+done wrong.
+
+"The rope had hung there so long in the sun and rain, and had been pulled
+by so many hands, that it was almost worn out. Some of the strands were
+untwisted; and it had grown shorter and shorter, until only the tallest
+man or woman could reach it.
+
+"'We must have a new rope,' said the judges at last. 'If a little child
+should be wronged, he could not reach high enough to ring the bell. That
+would never do.'
+
+"At once the people of Atri set about to look for a new rope; but there
+was none to be found in all the town of Atri. They would have to send
+someone to a country across the mountains to get the rope. But that would
+take quite a while; and what should they do, while they were waiting?
+
+"One man thought of a plan. He ran to his vineyard and came back with a
+grapevine. Then he tied the vine to the rope.
+
+"'There!' he said, 'the smallest child will be able to reach it now, and
+ring the bell'; for the vine, with its leaves and little tendrils, trailed
+on the ground.
+
+"The judges were pleased. 'Yes,' they said, 'that will do very well,
+until we can get a new rope from the country beyond the mountains.'
+
+"Near the village of Atri, higher up on the hillside, there lived an old
+soldier. When he was a young man, he had traveled in far-distant countries,
+and had fought in many wars. And he was so brave that his king had made
+him a knight.
+
+"He had had one true and faithful friend all through those hard and
+dangerous years. It was his horse. Many a time the brave steed had saved
+his master's life.
+
+"But now that the knight was an old man, he no longer wished to do brave
+deeds. He cared now for only one thing: gold, _gold_, GOLD. He was a miser.
+
+"One day, as he passed his barn, he looked in and saw his faithful horse
+standing in his stall. The poor creature looked almost starved.
+
+"'Why should I keep that lazy beast any longer?' said the miser to
+himself. 'His food costs more money than he is worth. I know what I will
+do. I will turn him out on the hillside, and let him find his own food.
+If he starves to death--why, he will be out of the way!'
+
+"So the brave old horse was turned out to graze as best he could on the
+rocky hillside. He was sick and lame, and he grew thinner every day; for
+all he could find was a tiny patch of grass or a thistle now and then.
+The village dogs barked at him and bit at his heels; and naughty boys
+threw stones at him.
+
+"One hot afternoon, the old horse limped into the market-place of Atri.
+No one was about the streets; for the people were trying to keep as cool
+as they could in the shelter of their homes. As the horse went picking
+about trying to find a few blades of grass, suddenly he discovered the
+long grapevine trailing on the ground at the foot of the tower. The
+leaves were still green and tender, for it had been placed there only a
+short time before.
+
+"The horse did not know that the bell would ring if he pulled the vine.
+He only knew that here was a juicy bit of dinner for him, and he was
+hungry.
+
+"He nibbled at the end of the vine; and suddenly, far up in the belfry,
+the huge bell began to swing back and forth. From its great throat,
+golden music floated down over the town of Atri. It seemed to be saying:
+
+"'Some--one----has--done----me--wrong! Ding--dong----ding--dong!'
+
+"The judges put on their robes, and hurried out of their cool homes into
+the hot streets of the village. Who was in trouble, they wondered?
+
+"When they reached the market-place, no one was there; but they saw the
+starving old horse, nibbling at the tender grapevine.
+
+"'Ho, ho!' cried one, 'it is the miser's brave old steed. He rings the
+bell to plead for justice.'
+
+"'And justice he shall have!' cried another.
+
+"'See how thin he is,' said a lad with a kind heart.
+
+"By this time, many people had gathered in the market-place. When they
+saw the old horse, a murmur of astonishment swept through the crowd.
+
+"'The miser's steed!' cried one to another. 'He has waited long; but he
+shall have justice today.'
+
+"'I have seen the old horse wandering on the hillside day after day, in
+search of food,' said an old man.
+
+"'And while the noble steed has no shelter,' said his neighbor, 'his
+master sits at home, counting his gold.'
+
+"'Bring his master to us!' cried the judges sternly.
+
+"And so they brought him. In silence he waited to hear what the judges
+would say.
+
+"'This brave steed of yours,' they said, 'has served you faithfully for
+many a long year. He has saved your life in times of danger. He has
+helped you to hoard your bags of gold. Therefore, hear your sentence, O
+Miser! Half of your gold shall be taken from you, and used to buy food
+and shelter for your faithful horse.'
+
+"The miser hung his head. It made him sad to lose his gold; but the
+people laughed and shouted, as the old horse was led away to a comfortable
+stall and a dinner fit for the steed of a king."
+
+"Hooray!" cried Don. "Good for the brave old horse! Grandpa, I'm so glad
+you aren't a miser!" He was thinking of old Ned, with his sleek, shining
+black coat.
+
+"Bedtime!" announced Grandma, as she led the way into the house.
+"Good-night, children--and happy dreams to you!"
+
+
+
+Bee Loving
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When the children ran down to meet the mailman in the morning, he handed
+them another letter from Mother. She and Daddy were going home next
+Friday, she said; and they must be there Saturday, to start school on
+the following Monday.
+
+"Only three more nights to be here," said Joyce, taking the letter in
+to Grandma. "I want to go home and see Mother and Daddy, but I wish I
+could stay on the farm, too."
+
+"And only three more stories about bees," added Don. "We must remember
+them all, Joyce, so we can tell them to Mother."
+
+"What do you want to do today, children?" asked Grandma.
+
+"After our morning work is done," said Joyce, with her most grown-up
+air, "we must finish weeding the flower-bed."
+
+"Grandma," called Don a little later, "come and see how nice it looks
+where we pulled the weeds yesterday."
+
+Grandma stood a moment thoughtfully looking down at the half-weeded bed
+of flowers.
+
+"Children," she said suddenly, "If you wanted a flower this morning,
+where would you pick it--in the part of the bed that is full of weeds,
+or in that patch over there that you have weeded so nicely?"
+
+"I would pick my flower where there aren't any weeds," answered Don,
+wondering why she asked. "I would take that pretty big red one right
+over there."
+
+"And so would I!" declared Joyce, pulling up a stubborn weed.
+
+"But why wouldn't you take this one?" said Grandma, as she parted the
+weeds and showed another red beauty.
+
+"Well," answered Don, "I s'pose it's just as pretty, but some way the
+weeds make it look ugly."
+
+"That's just what I was thinking about," said Grandma. "I have seen
+children who were like this flower in the weeds. They had beautiful
+faces; but they let the weeds of disobedience, selfishness, deceit, and
+pride grow all about them until you could not see their beauty for the
+ugly weeds.
+
+"This garden makes me think of two cousins that I knew once. One was
+obedient, unselfish, and kind to everybody; and although she did not
+have a beautiful face, she was loved by all who knew her. The other girl
+had a beautiful face; but she had such an unlovely disposition that
+nobody cared for her, and so she was left very much to herself. Her
+beauty, like this lovely flower, was quite hidden by the ugly weeds
+growing up all around her.
+
+"These weeds in the flower-bed were very small in the beginning; but
+they grew and grew, until now they are taller than the flowers. And the
+weeds in God's child-gardens are small at first, too. To begin with,
+there springs up the weed of telling a story that is not quite true. If
+it is not pulled up at once, soon it grows up into a big ugly lie weed.
+Other weeds--disobedience, selfishness, and unkindness--spring up around
+it; and soon the beautiful flower is hidden by the tall weeds. And when
+the Master of the Garden wants a lovely flower-child to do a kind deed
+for Him, He never thinks of choosing one that is surrounded by weeds."
+
+"What a nice story!" exclaimed Joyce. "But it wasn't about a bee,
+Grandma."
+
+"Yes, it was," said Don--"Don't Bee Weedy."
+
+"But there haven't been any Don't Bee's in the stories before," said
+Joyce. "Besides, I wouldn't call that Don't Bee Weedy; I'd call it Bee
+Clean."
+
+"That's a good name for it," said Grandma. "I hope you'll always keep
+your lives clean from the weeds that children so often allow to grow up
+around them."
+
+Grandma went back to the house, while the children set to work weeding
+the rest of the flower-bed. They were very careful not to pull up any
+of the flowers with the weeds. When they had finished, the flower-bed
+looked beautiful, cleared as it was of all weeds and grasses.
+
+"I surely don't want any ugly weeds to grow in _my_ garden, so I shall
+always listen to Bee Clean," said Joyce softly, as she walked slowly
+toward the house.
+
+"Will you make us a kite, Grandpa?" asked Don after dinner.
+
+"Yes, do!" cried Joyce. "It will be such fun to fly it."
+
+"Well," said Grandpa, "you children hunt around and find some sticks.
+Then ask Grandma for some paper and paste and string; and bring them out
+to the woodshed, and I'll try my hand at making a kite."
+
+After it was made, they had to let it lie in the sun for a while, to
+dry. Then they took it out to the pasture. There was a soft breeze
+blowing, and Grandpa said the kite ought to fly. Don took the string and
+ran along with it for quite a distance. The wind lifted it a little; but
+after it had darted back and forth, it fell on the ground. This happened
+several times, and at last Grandpa said, "It's too bad, children, but
+my kite won't fly. But I'll see if I can make something else for you."
+
+Then Grandpa took some thin boards and whittled out darts. He took a
+short stick, and tied a string to it; and then he fitted the string in
+a notch which he had cut in one end of the dart. He threw the dart up
+in the air, ever so high. It came down just a few yards from Don. The
+sharp end stuck fast; and there it stood, upright in the ground.
+
+Don was as much pleased with this as he would have been with a kite that
+would fly. Soon he and Joyce were shooting darts into the air, to see
+whose would go the highest.
+
+They had so much fun that the afternoon flew by very fast. It was nearly
+suppertime when Don gathered up the darts and took them to the house
+with him. He carefully put them away in the little trunk, saying, "I'll
+show the boys how to throw darts when I get home."
+
+That evening, as they sat on the porch in the quiet twilight, they heard
+the faint tinkle of a cowbell in the distance. They talked a while, and
+then they sang some songs together.
+
+"It's story time, isn't it?" said Grandpa by and by. "And who is going
+to get stung tonight?" he asked, winking at Joyce.
+
+"I hope _I_ don't," she laughed, remembering the time the bee had stung
+her on the first day of her visit.
+
+"No one shall be stung tonight," said Grandma. "I have a very sweet
+little bee to tell you about. And because the little girl in my story
+listened to its buzz, it made honey for her all her life. Its name is
+Bee Loving; and it can do things that nothing else in the world can do.
+You know people can sometimes be _loved_ into doing things that they
+could not be persuaded to do in any other way.
+
+"Gene was a very little girl who had been left alone in the world. She
+had never seen her father; and her mother had died when she was only two
+and a half. Some kind people had taken care of the little girl when her
+mother was ill; and when she died, they tried to find her relatives, to
+ask what should be done with Gene. But they could not find any trace of
+them.
+
+"When Gene was three, these kind people wanted to go away for a couple
+of weeks, and they asked a lady to take care of the child while they
+were gone. The lady was very glad to do this, for she loved little
+children. And so Gene came to stay in the big mansion where the lady,
+her husband, and grown-up daughter lived.
+
+"The lady's husband did not like children very well, and it always annoyed
+him whenever little Gene came near him. She had a sunny disposition and
+a very sweet smile, and she tried to make friends with the man; but he
+would not pay any attention to her.
+
+"He always read his paper in the morning before he went to work, and in
+the evening after he came home. Little Gene would peep up at him under
+the paper, with her sweetest smile. He would lay the paper down, and
+walk away; but soon he would come back and pick it up and begin to read
+again. And in a moment, there little Gene would be, peeping up at him
+again with her lovely smile.
+
+"One day when Gene had been living in the home about a week, the man was
+reading his paper and she was peeping under it with her usual smile.
+Suddenly he laid the paper aside and took her in his arms. He kissed her
+on her forehead, saying tenderly, 'It doesn't matter how hard a man tries
+to keep from loving you; you just love your way right into his heart.'
+
+"Gene threw her small arms about his neck, and laid her curly head on
+his shoulder, saying in her pretty baby way, 'Gene woves oo, big man.'
+
+"That completely won his heart; and when the two weeks had passed and
+Gene's friends came after her, he did not want to give her up. So he
+decided to keep her and bring her up as if she had been his own little
+girl. This also pleased his wife and grown-up daughter very much, for
+they had loved little Gene from the beginning.
+
+"Gene is grown now, but she still has the same sunny disposition and the
+same sweet smile, which make her beloved by all who know her. Nothing
+but love could have won for her the beautiful home she has had all these
+years. And to this day, Bee Loving is still helping her to win her way
+through life. The greatest victories are always those that are won through
+love."
+
+"I know someone that I love," said little Don, throwing his arms round
+Grandma's neck.
+
+"So do I," said Joyce as she kissed Grandma good-night.
+
+
+
+Bee Content
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Listen to the mocking bird!" exclaimed Joyce, early the next morning.
+"It sounds as if he would burst his throat. Sometimes his song is loud,
+and then again he whistles softly, like our canary."
+
+As they listened, the bird whistled shrilly, like the cardinal; then he
+trilled like the canary, and chirped like the sparrow. He gave a call
+like the hen quail's, and sang a song exactly like the song of the
+bluebird. Then he twittered like a number of smaller birds, sang the
+song of the robin, and came back to the whistle of the cardinal.
+
+"Did you ever hear such a wonderful song?" cried Joyce. "I could listen
+to him all day long."
+
+"I like to hear him sing in the daytime, too," laughed Grandma; "but
+during the night I don't enjoy it so much. Last spring the mocking birds
+built their nest in the same tree where that little fellow is singing
+now; and such music, all night long, during the time when they were
+nesting! It was beautiful, but it kept me awake many an hour when I
+should have been sleeping. Mocking birds usually build their nests near
+houses, to protect themselves from robbers."
+
+"Robbers! What kind?" exclaimed Don.
+
+"Sometimes larger birds; and sometimes cats, or snakes. You can always
+tell when a robber is about, by the fuss the old birds make. Last spring
+I heard a great commotion in that tree, and I went out to see what was
+the trouble. I looked about for quite a while before I discovered the
+nest; and all the time, the birds were darting here and there and giving
+their sharp little cries of distress. When at last I found the nest, I
+saw a big black snake crawling toward it. I got the garden rake and
+pulled him loose from the limb; and when he fell to the ground, I killed
+the cruel thief."
+
+Joyce stepped out into the yard, to get a better look at the little
+songster as he sat swinging at the top of the old apple tree. Just then
+he flew across the orchard and down to the creek, alighting among the
+willows along the bank.
+
+That afternoon the children went to the creek, to see if there were any
+water lilies in bloom. As they neared the clump of willows, Don said,
+"Let's be quiet, and see if we can find the mocking bird." So they walked
+softly, and talked in whispers; but they did not catch a glimpse of the
+lovely songster. Suddenly Don stopped and pointed to a big green frog
+sitting on a lily pad in the middle of the creek.
+
+"Oh-h-h!" exclaimed Joyce. Instantly there was a splash, and the frog
+was gone. There were splashes all around, as other frogs disappeared in
+the water.
+
+The children hid behind the willows, and waited quietly for some time.
+Soon they saw a big green fellow swim toward the lily pad and climb up
+on it. Others began to swim about in the water, and a number of them
+came out along the bank.
+
+Suddenly Joyce caught sight of something else, which made her forget the
+frogs. Just beyond the spot where the frog sat perched on a lily pad,
+there was a lovely water lily in bloom.
+
+"O Don," she whispered, "do you think we can get it?"
+
+"I'd rather have the frog than the lily," answered Don.
+
+"Yes, but you can't get him, you know," said Joyce. "Will you help me
+to get to the lily?"
+
+Don nodded, and came out from behind the willows where he had been
+crouching. Instantly there was another splash, and Mr. Froggie was gone.
+In a moment there was not a frog to be seen anywhere.
+
+To get the lily, the children had to cross the creek and then step out
+on an old log. The creek was so shallow that they knew there was no
+danger of drowning, even if they should fall into the water; so Joyce
+steadied the log with her hands, while Don stood on it and reached for
+the lily. It took him some time to get it, for it had a tough stem which
+was very hard to break. But Joyce was so pleased when he handed her the
+beautiful lily, that he felt repaid for all his trouble.
+
+About three o'clock the children found some empty spools and went to the
+corner of the orchard, and sat down in the cool shade of the lilac bush.
+Soon they were blowing many-colored bubbles and flying them in the air.
+
+Tabby, Grandma's pretty Maltese cat, lay curled up in the shade. One of
+Don's bubbles lit on her back, and then burst. By and by another lit on
+her nose, and burst immediately. The old cat jumped to her feet and began
+to sneeze. Then she sat down and washed her face with her paw, as if to
+say, "Thank you, I'd rather wash my face without any soap."
+
+That evening, as they sat on the porch, Joyce said a little sadly, "It
+will not be long now before we shall hear the noisy street cars again,
+instead of the katydids and whippoorwills. Only one more night after
+this, and we shall be home."
+
+"Yes," added Don--"only two more stories about the bees." He clambered
+up on to the arm of Grandma's rocking chair, while Joyce sat down at her
+feet.
+
+"We're ready for our story, Grandma," said Don.
+
+"All right," answered Grandma. "I shall tell you this time about a little
+bee called Bee Content. Its buzz is often heard among children at play,
+when things happen that no one can help. Some will not listen to it, and
+so they complain and make everyone about them miserable.
+
+"Willie was a poor boy who lived on a farm. Although he had to work hard,
+helping his father, he always went about whistling or singing. His clothes
+were old and patched; and he did not have things to play with, as other
+boys have. But he did not mind being poor, because he had parents who
+loved him dearly.
+
+"One day when Willie was working in the field, he looked up and saw a
+great cloud of dust. A team was running away. The horses were hitched
+to a buggy; and as they came rushing toward him, the thought flashed
+into Willie's mind that he must try his best to stop them. A short
+distance down the road, there was a bridge. If the horses should run
+into the railing,' he thought, 'they would tear the buggy to pieces, and
+perhaps hurt themselves.'
+
+"The boy leaped over the fence, and braced himself; and as the horses
+came near, he grabbed one by the bridle and held on tightly. This was a
+very brave thing to do; for if he had missed catching hold, he might
+have been thrown under the horses' hoofs and trampled to death. His
+weight swinging on the horse's bridle soon stopped the team.
+
+"Soon a man came running along the highway; and when he learned what
+Willie had done, he said, 'You are a brave boy. What do I owe you for
+your trouble?'
+
+"Willie smiled his friendly smile as he answered, 'I did not stop the
+horses for pay, sir. I thought of the railing on the bridge; and I was
+afraid the horses would break the buggy, and hurt themselves.'
+
+"Noticing that Willie's clothes were badly worn, the gentleman said,
+'Will you not let me give you some money to buy clothes?'
+
+"'I have a better pair of shoes than these--and a better suit of clothes,
+for Sundays,' answered Willie. 'And these clothes are all right to work
+in.'
+
+"'But you will need some new books for school this fall,' said the
+gentleman.
+
+"'I have some books that were given to me,' replied the lad; 'and Mother
+glued in the loose leaves, so that I can use them very well, thank you.'
+
+"'Wouldn't you like to have a ball and bat?'
+
+"'I made a ball from some old wool that Mother gave me,' answered Willie;
+'and I whittled out a bat which answers the purpose very well.'
+
+"The gentleman laid his hand on Willie's shoulder, saying kindly, 'My
+boy, I understand now why you have that smile; for you have learned a
+secret which few people know--the secret of contentment. I shall have
+to call you The Contented Boy.' And with that, he drove away.
+
+"A few days later, a large box came to the village, addressed to Willie.
+The express agent sent word out to the farm, and Willie's father drove
+in to the village to get it.
+
+"When Willie opened the box, he found a large card lying on top on which
+were written the words: _To the Contented Boy, From a Grateful Friend
+and Debtor_. He knew then that the box had come from the man whose team
+he had stopped a few days before.
+
+"It contained a new suit of clothes, some shirts, overalls, stockings,
+a warm cap and mittens, and a new baseball and bat. When he lifted out
+the overcoat he felt in the pockets and discovered a five-dollar bill.
+
+"How pleased Willie was! As he went back to his work in the field, he
+whistled more cheerily than before.
+
+"But that was not all. At Christmas time, a wonderful bicycle came from
+his new friend. You will believe me when I tell you that he was the
+happiest boy in the country."
+
+"That's the best story you have told us yet," said Don. "I think Willie
+was a brave boy."
+
+"And he deserved everything he got," added Grandma; "for he had learned
+the secret of being content with a very little."
+
+
+
+Bee Prayerful
+
+[Illustration: Bee Prayerful]
+
+Another morning came; the morning of the last day Joyce and Don were to
+spend on the farm. They followed Grandma about the house, eager to do
+something to help. After the usual work was done, and they had taken
+turns at the churning, Grandma said she would make cookies to pack in
+their lunch-basket the next day.
+
+So she gathered together eggs, sugar, flour, milk, butter, baking powder,
+and spices. Quickly she made the dough and rolled it out on the board.
+The children stood close to her watching as she cut out the dough in
+different shapes.
+
+She made quite an army of cookie men; and after they were baked, she
+covered them with icing. She made their eyes out of cinnamon drops; also
+the buttons down their vests.
+
+"Aren't they lovely?" cried Joyce. "Put plenty of them in our lunch-basket
+tomorrow, won't you, Grandma? Then we can take some home to Mother
+and Daddy."
+
+"Yes," said Grandma, "and there will be enough for your little friends,
+too."
+
+In the afternoon the children's trunk was brought out, and Grandma helped
+them to pack. There were so many things they wanted to take home with
+them, that this was quite a task. At the last moment, just as Grandma
+was ready to close the trunk,
+
+Don ran and got the kite that Grandpa had made. "Maybe Daddy will know
+how to make it fly," he said. But there was no room for it in the trunk,
+so he had to take it back to the woodshed.
+
+"I can put it away in a safe place," he said. "It will be waiting for
+us when we come back next summer."
+
+That evening the children did all they could to help Grandpa with the
+chores. They gathered the eggs, pumped water, filled the wood-box, and
+did many other things.
+
+"You are certainly fine little helpers," said Grandpa when they had
+finished.
+
+"When you get home," added Grandma with a smile, "you must tell Mother
+and Daddy that we need you to help us on the farm."
+
+"We will," promised the children with beaming faces.
+
+When they had gathered on the porch for their last evening together,
+Joyce stole up to Grandma's chair and said softly, "Tonight you must
+tell us the very best bee story that you know."
+
+"It couldn't be better than the one about Bee Content," said Don.
+
+"I shall tell you about the bee that is perhaps the most important of
+all," said Grandma thoughtfully. "It does wonderful things for those who
+listen to its buzz; but those who refuse to listen are sure to be sorry
+afterward. It is called Bee Prayerful." The children were eager to hear
+the story, so Grandma began at once:
+
+"William Sutherland was a boy who lived in the state of Maryland. When
+he was thirteen years old, he gave his heart to God and became a Christian.
+After that he would often steal away alone and spend a few minutes talking
+to God.
+
+"When he was fourteen, Willie began to work in the bank as an errand
+boy. The banker soon found that he was honest, and trusted him with large
+sums of money. One of his errands was to carry the payroll to a mill
+town several miles away. He made this trip every two weeks; and he always
+set out in the afternoon, and returned the following morning.
+
+"There were no automobiles in those days, and no good roads. William had
+to ride a pony, leaving the main highway and riding over a trail that
+had been blazed through the forest.
+
+"As he started out one afternoon, his mother said to him, 'Son, I'm
+afraid to have you carry so much money over that lonely trail.'
+
+"'Oh, there is no reason to worry, Mother,' replied the lad cheerfully,
+as he swung into the saddle. 'You know I have always made the trip safely
+before.'
+
+"'Yes,' replied the good woman, 'but I feel fearful today. I shall be
+praying for you while you are on your way.'
+
+"William waved to her, as he turned his pony about and started on his
+journey. He had placed the payroll in his saddle bags; and as he looked
+at them he said to himself, 'How glad I am that my master trusts me with
+so much money.'
+
+"He whistled and sang, as he rode along; but as he neared the lonely
+forest trail, a strange feeling of fear came over him. He reined in his
+pony and sat still for some time, wondering just what he ought to do.
+Then Bee Prayerful began to buzz about his ears. He had heard its little
+voice many times before, and he had learned always to listen and obey.
+He rode on to the spot where he must leave the highway and set out upon
+the forest trail; and then he slipped from the saddle and knelt down
+beside the bushes growing there.
+
+"'Dear God,' he said aloud, 'I don't know why, but I feel very much
+afraid. Take care of me, as I ride through this lonely place. I believe
+You will, because You have written in Your Book, "I will never leave
+thee, nor forsake thee."'
+
+"And as William knelt there, alone with God, all feeling of fear melted
+away. He arose, mounted his pony, and rode on with a light heart.
+
+"The mill men knew he was coming, for they could hear his cheerful whistle
+before his pony came into view. He gave the payroll to the foreman, spent
+the night in the little town, and the next forenoon returned safely to
+his home.
+
+"His mother met him at the door. 'Son,' she said, 'something peculiar
+happened to me yesterday while you were away. I was very busy, but a
+little voice seemed to tell me that I ought to stop my work and pray for
+you. I felt that you were in danger, and that I should ask God to keep
+you safe. So I laid my work aside, went into my room and knelt down, and
+stayed there until I was sure that you were quite safe.'
+
+"Then William told her how he had felt just before he reached the lonely
+forest trail, and how he had knelt down among the bushes and asked God
+to protect him. After that, they often talked about this strange happening,
+and wondered what it could mean.
+
+"William worked in the bank for quite a long while, and then he went
+away to college. After he had graduated, he became a minister. Soon after
+this, God called away his good mother to her home in Heaven.
+
+"One day William received a letter stamped with the postmark of a town
+in a distant state. 'I am very ill,' said the writer, 'and the doctor
+says I shall never recover. I must see you, as I have something very
+important to tell you before I am called away to meet my God. Please
+come to me as quickly as possible.' There was no name written at the end
+of the letter. It was signed, 'A friend.'
+
+"William turned the letter over and over in his hand. He knew no one in
+that faraway place, and for a time he was very much puzzled. Then he did
+as he had been in the habit of doing for many years--he slipped away to
+spend a few moments alone with God. And a voice in his heart kept saying,
+'Go; someone is in need, and your work is to minister to every soul who
+asks for help.'
+
+"'But whom shall I ask for, when I arrive?' asked William, still perplexed.
+And the voice answered, 'Only go; God will take care of the rest.'
+
+"Hastily packing a few things in his traveling bag, William boarded a
+train and started for the town in the far-distant state. Arriving at the
+end of his journey, he stepped out upon the station platform. He was
+astonished when a gentleman came up to him and said courteously, 'Is
+this Reverend Sutherland?'
+
+"'Yes,' replied the minister, 'I am he.'
+
+"'I have been sent to meet you, sir,' said the stranger. 'I have met
+every train during the past week. Will you come with me?'
+
+"A few minutes later, he led the minister into a darkened room where a
+sick man lay. As they tiptoed into the room, he looked up eagerly, and
+his breath came fast. Holding out his hand, he asked in a feeble voice,
+'Is this Reverend Sutherland?'
+
+"'It is,' said the minister gently, clasping the thin white hand. 'Where
+have I met you before, my friend--and what can I do for you now?'
+
+"'You have never met me before,' said the sick man, and his voice sank
+to a whisper. 'I saw you only once and that was many years ago. But I
+have kept track of your whereabouts all these years. I have sent for you
+now, sir, because--I am dying.'
+
+"The sick man sank back upon his pillows and rested a moment; then,
+fixing his large eyes on the minister's face, he went on:
+
+"'Mr. Sutherland, one afternoon many years ago you were entrusted with
+a large sum of money to take to the foreman of a certain mill. In a wild
+and lonely spot, you slipped from your saddle and knelt down by some
+bushes and asked God to protect you. Do you remember it?'
+
+"'As if it had been yesterday,' said the minister. 'But, my good
+friend-what do you know about it?'
+
+"'Far more than you do,' said the sick man sadly. _I heard that prayer_.
+I was crouching among the bushes nearby, with my rifle pointed at your
+heart. I had planned to kill you, take the money, and ride away on your
+pony. But while you were praying something passed between us; I did not
+know what it was, but I believed that God had sent it to protect you. I
+sat in those bushes, too weak to pull the trigger, and watched you ride
+away--perfectly helpless to do any harm to you. But it has haunted me
+ever since--the thought of what I wanted to do, and what I should have
+done if God had not answered your prayer. I could not meet God without
+telling you all this. Can you forgive me?'
+
+"Again William grasped the hand of the dying man, saying in a husky
+voice, 'My friend, as God has forgiven my sins, I freely forgive you.
+Ask now for God's forgiveness, and be at peace.'
+
+"The minister stayed with the man for some time, talking and praying
+with him; until at last the light shone in his dark soul, and God forgave
+his sins.
+
+"He died soon after that, and William Sutherland was asked to preach his
+funeral sermon. He chose as his text those words from the book of Proverbs:
+'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
+understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
+paths.'"
+
+The children sat very still for some time, after Grandma had finished
+her story. "I think Bee Prayerful is the best of all," said Joyce at
+last. "I shall remember that story as long as I live."
+
+"I hope you will, dear," said Grandma. "No matter where you go--no
+matter how busy you are--always listen to the gentle buzz of Bee
+Prayerful."
+
+"We will, Grandma," said the children soberly.
+
+"And now," said Grandma, "it is bedtime for two little folks who will
+have to be up bright and early in the morning. You know the train leaves
+at eight o'clock."
+
+"Good-night, katydids and whippoorwills," murmured Don a little drowsily.
+"We shall come back to hear you sing again next summer."
+
+With that, two tired children crept upstairs and tumbled into bed; and
+very soon they were in the Land of Dreams.
+
+
+
+Home Again
+
+[Illustration: Home Again]
+
+The sunlight was streaming in at their bedroom windows, when Joyce and
+Don awoke the next morning. They dressed quickly, and ran down to watch
+Grandma pack their lunch for the trip home. At the breakfast table, they
+talked of all the nice times they had had during the past few weeks; and
+they promised to persuade Mother and Daddy to come with them to the farm
+next summer.
+
+When everything was ready, Grandpa lifted the little trunk to his shoulder
+and carried it out to the car; and soon they were on their way. When
+they reached the station Grandpa bought the tickets, checked the little
+trunk, and gave the children a story book to read on the train. Dear
+Grandpa and Grandma! They always knew just what to do to make the children
+happy.
+
+As the train whistled in the distance, Don caught Grandpa's hand and
+held it tight. Joyce threw her arms around Grandma and whispered, "Dear
+Grandma, I love you! And I've had such a happy time!"
+
+The train pulled up, and the conductor called, "All aboard!" After Grandpa
+had helped them on to the train, and had gone back to the station platform,
+the children waved and threw kisses through the window. As the train moved
+away, they pressed their faces to the window and watched Grandpa and
+Grandma as long as they could. But they soon were left behind, the train
+moved faster, and the little village passed out of sight. Happy vacation
+days on the farm had come to an end.
+
+For a few moments the children had to fight to keep back the tears. Then
+Joyce opened the book that Grandpa had given them, and soon their
+loneliness was forgotten.
+
+There was a story about a little lame dog that came to a man's house one
+cold winter night and whined about the door. He let it in, bound up its
+foot, and gave it some food and a comfortable place to sleep.
+
+The man liked the dog so well that he decided to keep it. One night,
+when everyone was asleep, the house caught fire; and the dog awakened
+the man in time to save the whole family from burning to death.
+
+There were stories about cows and horses; and a long, long one about the
+interesting animals to be seen at the zoo.
+
+One story was so funny that when Don read it, he burst out laughing; and
+the other passengers looked at him and smiled. It was about a mischievous
+monkey at the zoo. One day a gentleman who wore a wig came by, carrying
+his hat in his hand. The monkey reached through the bars and caught hold
+of the wig, pulling it off his head.
+
+When it was time for lunch, Joyce opened the basket that Grandma had
+packed for them. They spread out a napkin on the seat in front of them,
+and ate their lunch off this "table" in the most grown-up fashion. Grandma
+had tucked in several surprises; and how good the cookie-men tasted!
+
+In the middle of the afternoon they began to pass through the suburbs
+of the city, and soon familiar sights came into view. When the train
+backed into the station, there stood Mother and Daddy waiting for them.
+
+"O Mother," cried Joyce with a bear hug, "I've had a good time, but I'm
+so glad to see you again!" Don, big boy that he was, had jumped into
+Daddy's arms. Soon the little trunk had been placed in the car, and they
+were driving toward home.
+
+"What did you enjoy most of all, during your vacation?" asked Mother,
+as they were eating supper that evening.
+
+"Fishing," replied Don quickly.
+
+Joyce did not answer; she sat quite still, with a far-away look in her
+eyes.
+
+"And what did my little girl like best of all?" asked Mother at last.
+
+"O Mother," said Joyce, her eyes shining, "I was happy every minute--
+even when the old turkey gobbler was chasing me around the tree. But
+what I liked best was to sit out on the porch in the evenings, and listen
+to the katydids and whippoorwills, and watch the stars come out one by
+one. And then it was so nice to sit close to Grandma's old rocking-chair
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's A Hive of Busy Bees, by Effie M. Williams
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HIVE OF BUSY BEES ***
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