ow chink. The hornets make their walls, not of wax
like the bees, but of a dry mass resembling porous grey paper.
By the one thread of light she managed bit by bit to make out
her surroundings. Horror of horrors! Maya was almost congealed
with fright: the floor was strewn with the bodies of dead
insects. At her very feet lay a little rose-beetle turned over
on its back; to one side was the skeleton of a large locust
broken in two, and everywhere were the remains of slaughtered
bees, their wings and legs and sheaths.

"Oh, oh, to think this had to happen to me," whimpered little
Maya. She did not dare to stir the fraction of an inch and
pressed herself shivering into the farthest corner of this
chamber of horrors.

Again she heard voices on the other side of the wall. Impelled
by mortal fear, she crept up to the chink and peeped through.
What she saw was a vast hall crowded with hornets and
magnificently illuminated by a number of captive glow-worms.
Enthroned in their midst sat the queen, who seemed to be holding
an important council. Maya caught every word that was said.

If those glittering monsters had not inspired her with such
unspeakable horror, she would have gone into raptures over their
strength and magnificence. It was the first time she had had a
good view of any of the race of brigands. Tigers they looked
like, superb tigers of the insect world, with their tawny
black-barred bodies. A shiver of awe ran through the little bee.

A sergeant-at-arms went about the walls of the hall ordering the
glow-worms to give all the light they could; they must strain
themselves to the utmost. He muttered his commands in a low
voice, so as not to interrupt the deliberations, and thrust at
them with a long spear, hissing as he did so:

"Light up, or I'll eat you!"

Terrible the things that were done in the fortress of the
hornets!

Then Maya heard the queen say:

"Very well, we shall abide by the arrangements we have made.
To-morrow, one hour before dawn, the warriors will assemble and
sally forth to the attack on the city of the bees in the castle
park. The hive is to be plundered and as many prisoners taken as
possible. He who captures Queen Helen VIII and brings her to me
alive will be dubbed a knight. Go forth and be brave and
victorious and bring back rich booty.-- The meeting is herewith
adjourned. Sleep well, my warriors. I bid you good-night."

The queen-hornet rose from her throne and left the hall
acc