AN UPHEAVAL IN BEELAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19412, 21 August 1926, Page 4 (Supplement)

AN UPHEAVAL IN BEELAND.

BY MAUD DAVIDSON. Something must be very wrong in the Honey Villa, Foxglove Bow, thought the inmates of the neighbouring beehives. So there was. Even the lazy old drones felt that there was something unusual in the air. The causo of all this hubbub was a baby queen, who had broken her cell that very morning. Nothing her nurses would do would make her stay quietly like any other well-behaved princess. The old queen tried to reach her to sting her to death. She had always been jealous of this little princess, but nov/ she was more so than ever. " I won't have it," said she. " Fancy having such a baby ruling over mo.!' As several of her most honoured courtiers agreed with her that it would be unbearshe summoned all her loyal supporters, of whom there were not many, as most of the hive had turned traitors and flocked to tho new queen's standard. It looked as though civil war would rage when the old queen flew from her hive surrounded by her faithful retainers, but not until they had vent their passions on the lazy old drones, who basked in the sun at the door. On and on they flew, over the moss-grown stonewall, through the brilliant foxgloves and sunflowers, into the orchard. There, on the old gnarled apple tree, the queen called a halt and sent one of her attendants to ask the old apple gnome permission to swarm there. Out came the old elf, shrivelled and wrinkled like the tree itself. Ho was dressed in the prettiest shade of applegreen, the only other colours about him being his pale pink cheeks and his white beard, from which he got the tints for painting his blossoms. He came forward making a low bow which the queen returned graciously.

"X am very pleased to let you swarm here," said he. " This is not the first time Royalty has housed in my branches." The queen made herself at home and her courtiers gave a hum of pleasure as they clustered round their queen at night, amid the sweet scented flowers.

Late that night the owner of the orchard was passing down the flagged path that ran past the old tree, when he hoard the droning sound, and ; said, " There has been an unrest in the hives to-day, and a swarm detached themselves from the rest. They are somewhere round here from the sound."

Early next mornng a quaint thatched hive was placed beneath the tree and the bees were shaken into it. What a time they had exploring every nook and cranny. Amid those lovely flowers they made the best honey ever produced on that bee farm; and needless to say, in the spring, when the apple blossoms were out, they always visited the old gnarled apple tree. Though many more baby queens were born, the nurses took great care that the cells were firmly sealed.