The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-10-17
About Hornets.
Golden Days.


ANDY was IL disgrace. and in very bad
humOr as well. ordinarily he was such
pleasant b-ight-faced boy, that one would
hardly believe that the little, cross-looking
chap with the deep scowl over his eyes could
be he
When mamma went otto the sea shore, for
few weeks of change and quiet rest, her only
trouble had been about Andy. Susie and the
baby, nurse could take care oil, she knew;
but Andy, since he had grown to the dignity
of q schoOlbOy, was not as tractabe III the
nursery as he once was, and nurse had more
patience with babies and little girls than she
had for a noisy. restless schOolboy OF eleven
However the doctor said mamma must go,
and leave them all at home. So papa had
carried her Off almost against her will.
Andy made so many promises TO be good
and mind nurse that she was persuaded that
he mean to keep his word. And so ne did.
But nurse was unreasonable, and no boy
likes to be called off from making kite to
run errands- Such "confOunded long ones.
too 1.-THE adjective is Andy's own should
have said very long. Then, upon his return,
when he was only making paste Tor the be-
loved kite, to have it snatched away from
him
True he was mixing it in a cut-glass COB
let; but what matter? One glass was good
as another: indeed, if it had been handy, he
would have preferred tin cup.
Altogether he was much abused boy If
1T were not for mamma he would have serious
thoughts of running away. What lark it
would be to have old nursey flying around,
with her cap strings floating in the air, drum
ming I'D neighbors to hunt for Master
Andy!
81 wish l was not boy. Boys have the
hardest time OF anything in creationl | don't
want 20 be nimiry, pinliry, fol-de-rol OF
girl either L wish L were a bird: they don't
have to mind. Yes I'd even like to be a
hornet Look at that chap, hunting flies
over there. He has no nurse, and I'll bet
does Just as he has mind to-"
These words uttered aloud, were scarcely
out of the little boys mouth, when, wonder
full to relate. the very hornet he had been en-
vying flew up to him and said:
Would you really like to be one of us?
Remember a hornets life is not one of idle
ness He must work hard for his living. like
all the rest OF the Masters creatures. Think
before you decide"
'Do you have nurses"
"Then I'll be hornet"
How strange. At once he felt himself
growing smaller and smaller NOw-yeS, he
could fly. 1t was delightful sensation to
feel himself floating through the air.
Buzz buzz" went the hornet. So it
would have sounded the day before. Now
Andy knew he said, Come with me, and
Tll introduce you to the other hornets"
So, of they went, further down toward
che peach orchard. There the family had
built themselves very curious house. Ii
served as temporary lodging house for
themselves, and was the place where eggs
were deposited. whence the hornets of the
future sprang into life.
Andy remembered looking at this house,
from distance. only day or two before.
Now, to dy right into it was very funny!
All the hornets came to look at him. All
buzZed and salked so fast that he could ha rd-
ly understand a word they said.
He was offered a blue-bottled hy for re-
freshment. and as he shrank from the prof
fered dainty, they all buzzed louder than ey-
eT.
Later his friend took him to a peach tree
and they RECALLED themselves on a ripe
peach. which was much more to Andy's
taste.
That night he slept on a limb of the same
tree--it seemed so stufiy in the hornet
house.
The next day all assembled in their house,
and each received orders from the head of the
colony. Each had to kill so many flies and
bring them home. to be stored mp for the
next generation OF hornets. Some remained
at home to put the finishing layer to their
house
Andy was put among the latter, to
learn their trade Hard work. too, it
was Beginning at early dawn to chew
up paper, moisten it with glue, and smooth
it on the outside of the hornet house. was no
joke All day lor g he worked. No rest. ex
cept two or three short visits to the peach
tree to refresh himself.
Then TO see all the other hornets come
home. each laden with fly, sometimes only
half dead. still struggling in the grasp of its
captor, was to Andy disgusting in the ex-
treme.
Three or four days dragged YEARLY on.
and he was beginning to wish that he could
be boy again, and run errands. when one
morning Andy was sent out with the Others,
TO catch flies.
He few with his old friend little way,
and then they separated. Andy saw large
fly on a window. and made after it, The fly
took refuge in the house. and he flew IN also
How familiar that room looked. IL was