BOTTLED BUMBLE BEES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2714, 9 December 1876, Page 3

BOTTLED BUMBLE BEES.

! " ■ «>."., . < > ; ■■ • t No man can toll when a boy of nino or ten years is going to break out in a new spot. A jOaisfarm lad, who has boen idtod for hit' jquiet demeanour and steady ways, all atonoo took a. notion to hunt humble-bees. He armed himself with a wide mouthed bottle and tramped over lots and fields and entrapped many a luckless stinger. After scouring them he had no further pleasure exoopfc to see them 'orawl upand down tho sides of the bottlo and whaok thoir stingers into eaoh other. Ho was out early yesterday morning, gathering in tho ,boc» while they wore benumbed, and when he entered the house for breakfast he had about thirty groat overgrown, wioked looking hum* blo«bees. They wero paokod into the bottle heads and tails and other ways, and the father, toatohing sight of them, spoke vp :;>> •> "See horo, boy, I don fc want any more of this fooling around after bees. After breakfast iypu Jioave, tho bottle out: doors, and' don't j bring another bee around this house." | Tho boy placed the bottle behind tho dining i room stovo. .There waa a, gentle fire, and the 'botfclQ, had no cork. The family had got 'through with tho first oup of ooffoo, when i they heard something going. ; "Jing — ring — dingi-»ong-)»long--rong-g-I D PL - j The fire warmed, tho bees up, and they loft I the bof/tle to warm tho family up. It wai a business affair, and tho boos went in to do ' thoir best. The boy slid out at tho first alarm, but the old folks flourished their napkins until sliding out would have done no good. The old gent got a sting on his loft oar and another on Jbiis head at tho « aoQ ° second, while tho old ladY was punbtutod in the shoulder and yelled " Murder !" with all her might. "Maul— maul em I" shouted the old gent, waving tho butter dish around and getting another needle into his neck. > . "Police!' Police!" squealed the old lady, diving under the table as a big boo settled on tho lobe of her ear. It was a very oven fight for a whilo, but then the man got down oollar and tho woman flew for a bodroom, the one's deep bass voioe shouting, " Gimme tho camphor, Betsoy 1" and the other B(iuoaking out, "lf you love me go foradooto*!" No one Knows what became of the boy. Ho i» reported as missing. Seated under tho swaying head of some stunted thorn tree on tho odmmpns, he looks longingly toward home, but ho realises , that his reoaption will boredhdt. '* :i '"' „', ".;'