Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-02-22
MIN on yellow wings. And a. he lay

influence upon his ear. The drowsy
hum of bees and the inarticulate
voices of the wood lulled him to
sleep. How long he lay there Mickey
could not tell. He was rudely awak.
ened by big black ant which had
crawled up his trousers leg, and
great yellow, hairy caterpillar cross
ing the bridge of his nose. AS he sat
up and brushed away these insects
cat-bird in tree near by began to
jeer at him with what to Mickey's ex-
cited fancy were the words:
"Playing hockey! Playing hookey!"
In some mysterious manner gladness
seemed to go out of the day for little
Mike at this cruel taunt. The odors Of
the flowers were just as sweet as they
had been before, the moss at the foot
of the pine trees was as vivid green,
the swallows dipped as gracefully over
the field of billowy wheat, but the
charm of all this beauteous panorama
was gone. His toe began TO hurt again.
With dropping head and limping gait,
Mickey plunged deeper into the woods.
At the foot of big rock he found
spring. Lying at full length upon the
sward he put his lips down TO the wa
ted and drank deep of the champagne
of the woods. The reflection of his face
in the spring grinned sardonically at
him. And from the brown eyes shin.
ing from the cool depths came n re-
proachful glance which seemed to say:
"The leather strap is waiting for you
in the kitchen!"
All that afternoon he wandered
through the woods seeking happiness,
but finding none. He flew for refuge
to the birch tree, but the bark had
lost all its old-time sweetness. The
sassafras root which often had tasted
like honey in his mouth now took on
the flavor of worm-wood. AS he re-
traced his steps to the stone wall
where he had hidden his books the aw.
full consciousness came to him that he
would be obliged to tell lie in order
to escape whipping. Like thief in
the night he sneaked down the STEEP
hillside up which he had climbed SC
cheerfully in the morning, and five
minutes later entered the shanty. Sc
downcast was he and so furtive in man.
ner that his mothers attention was at
tracted to him. Just at this moment
big humble bee wearing black velvet
vest with yellow stripes Numbered into
the room.
"Are We sick, Mickey?" said his
mother, solicitously.
mo; I'm not sick, mother" said lit
tie Mike, "but me toe is hurtin' me-"
swell, what makes ye act SO
quare?"
This was uttered in such tone OF
solicitude and with so kindly look
that little Mikes eyes began to nyer-
flow as his mother tried to "shoo" the
humble bee out of the room.
I'm glad you're not wicked little
boy, Mickey, like thin Doolans," Con.
tinued Mrs. Finn. IF We were I'd be
thinkin' that humble bee would be
afther stingin' We. Shure that's what
humble bees does be doin'-stingin' liz
tie boys fur their sins!"
Slap went the end of Mrs. Firms
apron against the wall and away sailed
the bee out of the window like an ami.
mated Jewel of jet ard amber.
Ii ke was oppressed with
fea7 uniting consciousness oil
VI weighed him down like
Apurderer. He felt a
IN off his conscience
Pile bee few out of the
believed implicitly that
u flown into the shanty
lose of singing him be-
Fad played "hookey." He
II about the yard, milking
chopping wood. He was
jealous and quiet in thin
his mothers suspicious
ed.
she, "I'm afeerd me lit.
up to mischief, he's actin
Shure, he has berry
-, an there's no berries
isha, I'm afther thinkin
\hookey!"
ickey came into the
mother armful of wood
red at him closely, un
boy, and saw that hi,
kained with grass juice
back Of his jacket clun8
pine needles. But she
Dunsel and awaited de-
isfed that Mickey
} guilt. Another arm.
been thrown unde1
tie Mike looked up to
sted approving glance
when Mrs. Finn cried IN
Hickey; here comes the
vel"
ears of the boy were
turning quickly he
blow at the bee. Tbs
ID the insect, for il
n, flew over the boys
Thin on the back of the
punished the truant and
Sgeance the humble bee
door. AS Mrs. Finn
Jul of mud upon the
little Mike looked up
Place, and, with trem.
of remorse and pain
whisper:
said Mrs. Finn, know,
time of confession had
" continued with CULVER.
" the bee s-s-tung me,
Iase-mother-I i =