The Song of
Little B
Written by Mabel Jean Kaplan
(c) 2009
Little B's Song
The Song
of
Lttle B
by Mabel Jean Kaplan (c) 2009
Published under the MabelLabel
by Stories for the Telling
Girrawheen, Perrth Western Australia
'This morning, Little B,' said Housekeeper Bee. 'You will gather pollen for the hive and nectar for your Queen. '
Little B stood at the entrance of the dark hive on the first day of her new job. Her wings trembled and her legs tingled as they moved up and down. Where will I find pollen and nectar, she wondered?
Scout Bee buzzed over her head and settled beside her. 'Are you ready to start work, Little B?' she asked.
Little B nodded and Scout Bee flitted and twirled through the air in a dance to show Little B where to find the field of dandelions nearby.
1
Little B flew to the field and landed lightly on the petals of one of the bright yellow flowers.
She stepped into the soft speckled centre and dipped her six little legs in and out, in and out until they were covered with sticky pollen.
She used her front legs to brush the pollen into the tiny pollen baskets on her back legs.
'Pollen for the hive,' she hummed as she pushed her head down into the centre of the flower.
Little B used her long sucking tongue to draw up the sweet juice. 'Nectar for my Queen,' she sang as she felt the juice trickle into her honey sac. .
2
'I'm busy, busy, busy, Little B.
"I won't be home for dinner or for tea.
It'll take me hours and hours
To visit all these flowers.
I'm a very, very busy little bee.'
With a flutter of wings, Dragonfly went on her way.
Little B buzzed over a fence and settled in another patch of golden flowers.
A strange whining voice made her look down.
Below her, Spider perched on the edge of its web. Little B watched as Spider jumped at a black fly. But the fly was just beyond reach.
3
She lifted her wings and sailed though the air and landed gently on a carpet of yellow flowers under a tree.
As Little B was coating her legs with pollen, she heard someone humming nearby.
"Hello," called Dragonfly. "It's a beautiful day to sit in the sun. Would you like to rest with me? We could sip some tea."
Little B's feelers drooped as she remembered her new job. 'Too busy!' she reminded herself. 'Pollen for the hive. Nectar for my Queen. '
4
5
'Excuse me,' said Spider to Little B. 'Could you fly up and sting that black fly so he falls into my web?'
Little B stared down at Spider and up at the fly. What should she do? Her antennae quivered.
'Too busy,' she whispered. 'Pollen for the hive. Nectar for my Queen.'
'I'm busy, busy, busy, Little B
I wont be home for dinner or for tea.
Spider flicked its head. ‘No-one ever wants to stop and help me,’ it whinged - and took another jump at the fly.
6
Little B went on filling the pollen baskets and letting the sweet nectar trickle down into her honey sac.
The warm sun slid down the horizon. Little B knew she must get back to the hive. She didn't want to be late on her first day.
She flew back past the fence. Spider was fast asleep. In its web, caught fast, was the plump black fly. Little B smiled to herself.
As she passed the flowers under the tree, she remembered Dragonfly had invited her to stay for tea. Never mind! she thought. I will soon be having tea with my Queen.
7
Little B thought of how Butterfly had asked her to come and fly. She shook her tired wings. Fly! I've been flying about all day. The pollen basket on my back legs is heavy and my honey sac is full of nectar. Too busy! Pollen for the hive. Nectar for my Queen.
Little B touched down at the entrance to the hive. She rested a moment and closed her wings as she stepped into the darkness. Using her antennae she felt her way toward the Queen. As other bees crowded around Her Majesty, Little B hoped there would be room for her.
8
Illustration goes
on this page
'Come, Little One,' buzzed Housekeeper Bee.
With her tongue, Housekeeper Bee drew the nectar from Little B's honey sac and placed it in the honeycomb store and told the Queen what sweet nectar Little B had found.
'Well done, Little B,' said the Queen as she brushed her wing across the back of her littlest subject.
Little B glowed with happiness and danced her way across the hive to eat her supper with the other worker bees.
10
FACT FILES
* The physical characteristics of
a bee
* The life cycle of a bee
* Life in the hive
* About worker bees,
housekeeper bees,
the scout bees
* The Queen
