Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-24
Queen Bee and Major Grasshopper

quaintance was the queen. he beheld her
coming out for few minutes sun and
air. But he noticed that she did not
seem to mind the sudden cold. AS she
glanced down into the frostbitten grass
she saw her chance acquaintance. Maj.
Grasshopper. But how changed. Instead
of hopping and chirping gaiy about like
two-month-old. he was all drawn up
and shivering. his wings held closely to
his sides in 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
morning. 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
grasshopper gay who had whiled the
summer away. and with winters first
roar found himself poor.
"Ah. my dear Major replied Queen
Bee, in a sympathetic voice. lit hurts
me to see you suffer and not to do some
thing for you. But 1t is impossible for
me to give you what YOU ask"
But YOU have hive, and can GER
tainly share 1t with me- walled Major
Grasshopper. II ask for but one snug
corner where l may sleep ana eat during
the winter
But suppose. Major. I should find a
corner in my hive for you, what would
you subsist on? You have no winter S
supply of food stored up" spoke the
queen.
But you have plenty of honey in your
hive, and will surely offer me share of
it, declared Major Grasshopper.
The Queen Bee famed her wings a
minute, then said: MY dear fellow, dur
ing all the summer you have played and
made merry, while my workers have
toiled to fill this hive with winters food.
And now you come to me and ask to
share that which you had no part in
earning. No. were I to respond to your
request, my dear sir, you could not live
kill off the drones. and you would be a
drone. never having done a days work in
all your life l warned you about week
ago that winter was coming, and you
only laughed and said you lived for to-
day and would let tomorrow take care
of itself. Well, here is that tomorrow,
Major And it is taking care of itself:
but not for you. No. l cannot do any
bees that no drone be allowed to live on
them. You have not helped to build this
hive. therefore you may not share it's
shelter. You have not assisted with fill
ing the combs with honey, therefore you
may not eat of 1t. The hive belongs to the
lines. The honey to the gatherers and
their assistants in various work. And
must now be about my own duties. SO,
good morning-and farewell. Major Grass
hopper. Should you survive the winter
that Is now upon us take the warning
you have had and learn to make provi-
sion for that tomorrow which hitherto
you held in such scorn.''
Then the Queen Bee flew into the hive
and Major Grasshopper sat shivering in
the cold, dead grass.
81 guess it's too late for me to turn
over a new leaf he sighed. But, after
all. It's well to prepare for cold weather
in time of sunshine and warmth. though
no grasshopper on earth could be made
to understand It. Ah, that was a wise
saying. that the grasshopper gay whites
the summer away. and with winters first
roar finds himself poor! Poor. indeed,
am l and my kind with the first frost
And now 1 must return to the other hop
pers and huddle with them under a dead
tuft of grass till death shall come and
relieve us Of our suffering. All. it's very
hard to end ones days like this. but the
way of the idler is hard. very hard"
And old Major hoped YEARLY away.