"Lemme tell yer sump'in, yo' pa know mo' 'bout pol'tics dan he do 'bout bees. 'Caze I knows whin bees starts ter stealin', dey's de bigges' rogues in de woel. An' dese black bees whut I'm talkin' 'bout, wus scan'lus steal'rs, too. Bimeby, hyah come sum mo', an' mo', tell Miss Queen holl'r out fur her fightin' squad! Dem Bizzy Bee boys swarms quick whin dey heahs de war holl'r, an' 'tain' long 'fo' de Bizzy Bees an' de Black Bees wus er buzzin' an' er clippin' at one nuth'r's wings, tell de wings wus fallin', 'round thick es gnats. I tell yer Miss Queen Bee's chillun had er mouty hard fight ter keep der honey, but bimeby dey run all de Black Bees off 'cep'n dem whut dey kilt." "The Black Bees didn't hurt any of Miss Queen's children, did they?" asked Mary Van. "'Cose some uv 'em got hurt'd, an' some uv 'em wint so far es ter git kilt, but--" "Wasn't Miss Queen mighty sorry for 'em?" sympathized the little girl. "She ain' know nuthin' 'bout hit, 'caze Miss Queen Bee's chillun dat gits sick er hurted doan nuv'r come home. Nor, suh, dey g'long off an' die by derse'f." "I don't want 'em to go off. I want all of them to sleep with their mama till they get well;" Mary Van nudged the old woman's knee, "make 'em go and tell their mama wherebouts they hurt." "No, mam, Miss Queen say she ain' got no time ter nuss nobody, 'caze Mist'r Rattlesnake crawlin' 'roun' her gum right now, an' she gittin' pow'ful nervious. She know Mist'r Rattlesnake know how rich wid honey she is, an' Rattlesnake know her boys comes home wid der pockits full ev'y trip. Ole Grab-All Spider know hit, too, an' he crope up on de uth'r side er de gum ter ketch de Bee boys whin dey lights. Whin Miss Queen see Mist'r Rattlesnake an' ole Grab-All Spider settin' 'long side er her do', she sen' Buzzy Drone Bee ter tell de fightin' squad ter git reddy ter fight ergin whin dey heahs de war holl'r." "Why didn't she ask Mister Man to help her?" Willis stood up and leaned against her knee. "Miss Queen ain' gwine ax nobody ter hope her do nuthin'. She fixin' ter have er set'lement herse'f, but jes' es she fixin' ter git reddy, Mist'r Rattlesnake an' ole Grab-All Spider start ter gobblin' de Bee boys es dey lights." "Please, Mammy, make 'em stop!" Mary Van was up tugging at Phyllis' shoulder. "Quick, Mammy, before they eat any more!" "Lawd, chillun, Miss Queen so mis'erbul 'bout dem chillun, she plum crazy by now--she tell her chillun ter light out fum dar an' sting ev'y thing dey kin git on, an' dey does hit, too, fer de Bizzy Bees allus tends to dey biznes'." "They stung old Grab-All and old Rattlesnake first, didn't they?" Willis was half in her lap.