The Bee-Man of Orn and Other Fanciful TalesStockton, Frank R.
Science
The Bee-Man of Orn and Other Fanciful Tales
Stockton, Frank R.
Fairy tales
"That is more than I know," said the Junior Sorcerer. "But one thing
is certain--you ought to be changed back. If you will find out what
you have been transformed from, I will see that you are made all
right again. Nothing would please me better than to attend to such a
case."
And, having a great many things to study and investigate, the Junior
Sorcerer went his way.
This information greatly disturbed the mind of the Bee-man. If he had
been changed from something else, he ought to be that other thing,
whatever it was. He ran after the young man, and overtook him.
"If you know, kind sir," he said, "that I have been transformed, you
surely are able to tell me what it is that I was."
"No," said the Junior Sorcerer, "my studies have not proceeded far
enough for that. When I become a senior I can tell you all about it.
But, in the meantime, it will be well for you to try to discover for
yourself your original form, and when you have done that, I will get
some of the learned masters of my art to restore you to it. It will
be easy enough to do that, but you could not expect them to take the
time and trouble to find out what it was."
And, with these words, he hurried away, and was soon lost to view.
Greatly disquieted, the Bee-man retraced his steps, and went to his
hut. Never before had he heard any thing which had so troubled him.
"I wonder what I was transformed from?" he thought, seating himself
on his rough bench. "Could it have been a giant, or a powerful
prince, or some gorgeous being whom the magicians or the fairies
wished to punish? It may be that I was a dog or a horse, or perhaps a
fiery dragon or a horrid snake. I hope it was not one of these. But,
whatever it was, every one has certainly a right to his original
form, and I am resolved to find out mine. I will start early
to-morrow morning, and I am sorry now that I have not more pockets to
my old doublet, so that I might carry more bees and more honey for my
journey."
He spent the rest of the day in making a hive of twigs and straw,
and, having transferred to this a number of honey-combs and a colony
of bees which had just swarmed, he rose before sunrise the next day,
and having put on his leathern doublet, and having bound his new hive
to his back, he set forth on his quest; the bees who were to
accompany him buzzing around him like a cloud.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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