Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-08
Queen Bee and Major Grasshopper
BY William wallace. Jr.

worm spot somewhere, but to no avail.
Everywhere on the ground the cold struck
with a terrible force, and when the sun
rose on the next day the g~rasshoppers saw
that everything was covered by frost.
ugh! Ugh" was all they could say, and
no more did they hop about, chirping as
gay, as %thoughtless fellows do. They
shivered in punches, keeping close together
in the hope of getting warm. And how
they suffered! The frost had sucked the
life out of everything, and not one morsel
Of food could they get, The grass was
without one drop of juice. and want and
misery stared them in the face. Yes. even
death seemed now within a few days Of
all grasshopper kind.
"Ah, l know what I shall do said
Major Grasshopper. one of the sufferers,
I'll go right down TO the edge of the
meadow and ask for shelter and food from
Queen Bee. She's an acquaintance of mine
and therefore must be my admirer No
one ever could know me without admiring
me-"
So saying the poor, vain, benumbed fell
low hoped lamely away from the group
of his suffering friends. And it took him
some time to reach the edge OF the meadow
where the bees lived in their coy and
y WIN ANN2s rs AN 4 ICdI " the
hive where his acquaintance was the
queen, he beheld her coming out for a few
minutes sun and air. But he noticed that
she did not seem to mind the sudden cold.
AS she glanced down into the frost bitten
grass. she saw her chance acquaintance.
Major Grasshopper. But how changed!
Instead OF hopping and ohirping gaily
about like a 2~-month-old. he was all drawn
up and shivering, his wings held closely TO
his sides in a vain endeavor to keep what
little warmth there was in his body, And
how hungry he looked, too! Queen Bee
felt sorry for him, and spoke kindly to
him:
Good morning, major! You do not seem
in very good spirits this cold, frosty morn
ing. Are you ill?"
"Oh, kind Queen Bee, I'm both cold and
starving. Give unto me shelter and food
or I shall perish" Thus walled the grass
hopper gay who had whiled the summer
sway, and with winters first roar found
himself poor.
"Ah, my dear major" replied Queen Bee,
in a sympathetic voice, "it hurts me to
see you suffer and not to do something for
you, But it is impossible for me to give
you what you ask"
Blu you have a hive. and can certainly
AANAo ~ NAN nv MalAN MdJOI GIdSS-
hopper. II ask for but one snug corner
where I may sleep and eat during the
winter"
But suppose. major, l should find a
corner in my hive for you. what would
you subsist on7 You have no winter,
supply of food stored up" spoke tn,
queen.
but you have plenty of honey Inv YOU
hive, and will surely offer me a share Of
t." declared Major Grasshopper.
The Queen Bee famed her wings a min.
ute, then said: MY dear fellow. durinS
all the summer you hav played and mad,
merry, while my workers have toilsd L
fill this hive with winters food. And nov
you come 10 me and ask 10 share tina
which you had no part In earning. No
were l TO respond to your request, m,
dear sir, you could not live in this hive tel
minutes, for the workers kill off the drones
and you would be a drone. never havinJ
done a days work in all your life.
warned you about a week age thai winte
was coming, and you only laughed and sal
you lived for today and would let tomor
row take care OF itself. Well, here is tina
/. tomorrow, major. And It is taking care o
itself; but not OF you. No, ! cannot d
anything for you, for II is the law OF tn
4 bees that no drone be allowed to live o
: them. You have not helped to build thi
4 hive, therefore you may not share Il
/ shelter You have not assisted with film
4 the combs with honey, therefore. you ma
I not eat Of 1t. The hive belongs TO IN
- builders and their assistants In variou
a lines. The honey TO the CATERERS an