"Nor, he give Miss Nancy some honey, whut she love good es de bees does, but Nancy got nuf mann'rs ter tell him she doan charge 'im, but Bizzy pay her enyhow, 'caze his ma done tole 'im dey ain' keerin' ter make no 'quaintance wid nobody 'cep'n wid flow'rs. Miss Queen say: 'Hit's all right ter mix up wid de flow'rs, 'caze dat's biznes', but de res' er de woel kin g'long whar dey's er mine ter.' Miss Queen totin' her haid pow'ful high dese days, 'caze dat gum's full er honey an' she ain' owin' nobody er cent. She say she ain' got no use fur nuthin' 'cepin' biznes'. Dey g'long ter bed mouty biggity, an' feelin' pow'ful rich, but 'long in de night er bad old man come an' take'n ev'r speck er honey in de gum. Miss Queen think she done dremp er nightmar', but whin she git up in de mawnin' sho' nuf dey ain' got er Lawd's bite er brekfus'. Miss Queen, she say: 'G'long in de fiel', chillun, an' git us some brekfus'. 'Tain' gwine be long 'fo' we'll git rich ergin.' "But Jack Frost meet 'em at de do', an' say, 'I'll bite de fus' man dat sticks his nose out.' "Miss Queen say, 'Lawdy, Lawdy, whut we gwine do? De idee er rich fokes like we all wus, settin' hyah waitin' fur po' fokes ter hope us.' "Jack Frost say, 'You done slip up right dar, Sis' Queen Bee, de Lawd ain' nuv'r make nobody so big dey kin git 'long by derse'f, an' ef you had er drapt er lit'le er dat honey 'long side de road whilst yer wus er makin' so much uv hit, you'd er had some uv hit layin' 'round whar Mist'r Bad Man cudn't er foun' hit.'" "Make old Mister Bad Man give 'em back some honey," Willis insisted. "Mister Bad Man done sole dat honey an' got hisse'f er pa'r er shoes ter keep Jack Fros' fum bitin' his foots." Both children were clamoring for the rescue of the bees. "Nor, suh, dey done live by derse'fs whilst dey wus rich, an' now mis'ry done ketch up wid 'em, dey got ter perish in de same way." "Boo hoo, boo hoo," wailed both, "I don't want Miss Bizzy Bee's children to perish." "Hush cryin'." But they continued in genuine sympathy. "Y'uall cryin' so hard, yer can't see Mist'r Good Man comin' wid his han's right full er bee vit'als. But dat ain' gwine be no less'n ter dem bees. Dey gwine do de same thing dis time nex' ye'r, 'caze dey's dem kine er fokes." XVI MISTER TALL PINE'S CHRISTMAS TREE "Mammy, I wanter telephone Santy Claus," fretted Willis, seeking excuse to leave the nursery. "Nor, he done gone erway fum home ter hunt up whar de good chilluns stays at," as she moved about putting the room to rights; "you an' Ma'y Van fix dat lit'le Chrismus tree ov'r yond'r fur Ma'y Van's dolls, an' you be ole man Sandy." "I got ter telephone Santy Claus about little Leonora--he don't know she's come," insisted Willis. "I dunno whut's de rees'n--he brung her hisse'f dis mawnin'," still moving briskly about. "I got to telephone Santy what to bring her," he persisted. "Dat baby ain' got her eyes op'n yit."