Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-09-07

| ground by means of a brick at each
corner. For several seasons in suc-
cession the owner of the bees had been
sadly disappointed in his yield of hon
ey. He could not account for the fail
ure, and was puzzled beyond measure.
| One day he came to the writer's house.
and announced that he had discovered
the thief, giving an invitation to go
down and see the fun. The next night
the writer went accordingly. 1t was,
soft summer evening, and the full
moon shOne directly on the garden.
The writer, by request, took a seat on
the front stoop, with his friend by his
side. Presently the gentleman ex-
claimed, "Look! here they come! See
that dark object moving along by the
side of the houser' The writer looked,
and sure enough something was STIR
ring, but it stirred in bounds, taking
nearly foot at a time. Two or three
yards behind another similar form adj
Vanced, and in the rear of that an
other and another.
''What on earth are they?" the
writer inquired.
Frogs" was the brief answer.
BY this time the first frog had reached
within yard of the bee boxes. Here
he stopped and sat on his launches.
The other fellows came hopping along,
and retired one after another into the
shadow of the house, right in front of
the bee boxes. After a moments
pause, as though he was waiting for
his companions to assemble, the first
frog hoped toward bee box and dis
appeared under it. In a minute there
was terrible row inside. The angry
buzz of the bees rose on the still air,
and presently black cloud of them en-
velOped the box. In the midst of this
turmoil and music dark object was
observed retiring from the bee box, i'll
short and apparently difficult leaps. 1t
was the frog covered with vindictive
bees, and accompanied by an escort
drumming and whirring in awful
wrath. The frog hoped along, pur-
sued by all the bees in the hive, and
directed his steps toward the river
When he reached the bank he plunged
into the water, and disappeared, and
the watchers could see hundreds of
bees who had quilted their hold on
him as he reached the ungrateful ele-
ment, borne down by the current.
"Well, he's got no honey this time"
said the gentleman, land the proba-
bility is that he'll die of his wounds"
Lets go back, and see what the
other fellows are about" the writer
said.
On reaching the front Of the house
nothing could be seen of them. The
bees, however, were returning to
their box, and making an awful hula
balloo.
"They'u soon quiet down. the gen
tleman said, "and L don't think frog
gle will trouble them again.
'EThe box doesn't seem to sit even,"
Ull6 WI1U6I
"That's So" the gentleman said,
and the two went toward it. On the
ground, here and there lay patches If
something that glistened in the moon
light. Examination showed that this
was neither more nor less than pieces
of hOneycOmb.
Here was mystery, and next day
the bees were called off, and the box
examined. 1t had been pillaged thor
oughly, and the ground beneath it was
covered with fragments of the treas
ure. Search showed that there was
track of honey from the hive round
the house, down the walk to the river.
There was only one explanation of this
extraordinary fact. Frog number one
had sacrificed himself for the good of
the commonwealth. Entering the hive
he had allowed the bees to waste their
fury on him to the water, where he
knew he could rid himself Of his load.
Probably not a sting penetrated his
horny hide, so that the inconvenience
of being a packhorse was all that he
suffered. The bees being thus drawn
away from the hive, the other frogs
who waited in the shade sailed in for
the spoils, and in minute or two de-
pleted the treasury and retired to their
aquatic abodes. Subsequently, per-
haps, frog number one was rendered
reception and complimented on the adj
mirable way in which he had hum
plugged the bees-Brooklyfe Sunday
Sun.
Sitting Bulls pure Indian name is
"TatOnha Otehka."