"Why should I? Why should I work at all when I am the King?" The boy stared. "You a King!" he cried "Yes. Did you not know that we have a King and Queen?" asked the Drone. "I knew that you have a Queen; we often hear about her. But I didn't think about a King." "Well, I am the King--at least, I intend to be soon. At present I am a Prince. When my Queen comes out we shall be married, and then I shall be King. There are other drones waiting, but they shall not have her. Listen--she is singing in her golden room now. That means that she is coming out soon. I must be ready for the beautiful Queen." He walked out of the hive into the sunshine. Here he brushed himself and spread his shining wings and looked very big and handsome. There was a stir in the hive, and the young Queen flew out and mounted into the air. With a rush Billybuzz flew swiftly after her, followed by the other drones who had been waiting. Whoever could catch the Queen first was to marry her, so they all did their best. Higher and higher they flew, till they were all out of sight. The boy waited below, and presently the disappointed drones came back, bringing the news that Billybuzz had won the race. So Billybuzz the Drone married the Queen, and became King. A few days later the boy again came to watch the bees. "Where is Billybuzz the King?" he asked a drone who sat at the front door in the sunshine. "Dead!" said the drone. "Dear me!" said the boy. "How did that happen?" "Oh, he just died," said the drone. "We all die very soon after we become kings. We are not made to live as long as the workers or the queens." "Is that so? Then I would rather be born a worker than a king," said the boy. "Everyone to his taste," said the drone. "A short life and a merry one for me." HONEY A little golden flower-cup, A little golden bee. A little store of honey made For Nell, and Jack, and me. A little crystal honey-jar, A little pantry shelf. A naughty little Nelly-girl Falls down, and hurts herself. ON THE HILLSIDE The sun shone gaily, the skylark sang her morning song, and the crickets chirped their merriest; but the things that usually lived so peacefully on the hillside were quarrelling. It was the wind who began it. As he lifted the pollen from one patch of grass-flowers and carried it to the next he cried boastingly: "What a friend I am to you tiny creatures! If it were not for me you could bear no seed. I am indeed useful. I am sure nobody does so much good." "How absurd!" cried the bees. "Anyone would think you did all the work of the world. You certainly carry the grass pollen, but think of the flowers whose pollen we carry. What would the clover here do without us? And the wild flowers, and the flowers in the gardens and orchards all over the world. We are certainly the most useful."