"But you haven't got but one bee," said Henry, as they walked along towards the barn. Rollo held the flower, with the bee imprisoned in it, safely in his fingers. "O, I can catch plenty more. I could catch a whole hive of them, in time." "But I don't believe they will stay and work in your hive," said Henry. "They will all fly off and go home to where they belong." "No," said Rollo, "I will plug up the hole, and keep them shut in until they get used to it. When they get wonted to the new hive, they will stay there, after that, I know. That's the way they do with doves." "But you won't have any queen bee," said Henry. "Bees won't work without a queen bee. I read it in a book." "Well, perhaps I can catch a queen bee, some day," said Rollo, rather doubtfully. Rollo was so much interested in his plan, that he was determined not to see any difficulties in the way of it; and yet he could not help feeling that there was some uncertainty about his succeeding in entrapping a queen bee. However, just at this point in the conversation, he suddenly stopped, and pointed down to a flower-pot, which stood bottom upwards, upon a seat, near where they were walking. "There," said he, "that will do for a bee-hive." "Ho!" said Henry, "that is not a box." "No matter," said Rollo; "it is just as good, and there is a little hole for the bees to go out and in at." There is always a little hole in the bottom of a flower-pot. "So there is," said Henry; "but do you think that the bees will make honey in an earthen pot?" "O, yes," said Rollo, "just as well as in any thing. The bees don't care what they make the honey in. Sometimes they make it in old logs." "Well," said Henry, "and we'll call it a honey-pot. And where shall we put it?" "We can keep it on this seat: it is as good a place as any; the bees will be right in the garden as soon as they come out of their hive." So saying, Rollo asked Henry to hold his bee a minute, while he got the honey-pot ready. Henry took the flower very carefully, so as not to let the bee escape, and then Rollo lifted up the flower-pot, and looked inside. It was pretty clean; but as Rollo knew that bees were very nice in their habits, he thought he would just take it to the pump, and wash it out a little. In a few minutes, he brought it back, and replaced it, bottom upwards, upon the seat, and then prepared to put the bee in. He took the flower again from Henry's hand, and then very carefully inserted the edges of it, which had been gathered together with his fingers, into the hole. He then began to knock and push the bottom of the flower, to make the bee go in. The bee, not knowing what to make of this treatment, kept up a great buzzing, but soon went in. "There," said Rollo. "Now, Henry, you be ready to clap your thumb over the hole, as soon as I take the flower away, or else he'll come out." "O, no," said Henry; "he'll fly up and sting me."