ll die.-- Did you ever!" He turned to the other sentinel.
"Have you ever seen the like, and before daytime too?"

Now Maya pronounced the password by which all the bees knew one
another. The sentinels instantly released her.

"What!" they cried. "You are one of us, and we don't know you?"

"Let me get to the queen," groaned the little bee. "Right away,
quick! We are in terrible danger."

The sentinels still hesitated. They couldn't grasp the
situation.

"The queen may not be awakened before sunrise," said the one.

"Then," Maya screamed, her voice rising to a passionate yell
such as the sentinels had probably never heard from a bee
before, "then the queen will never wake up alive. Death is
following at my heels. Take me to the queen! Take me to the
queen, I say!" Her voice was so wild and wrathful that the
sentinels were frightened, and obeyed.

The three hurried together through the warm, well-known streets
and corridors. Maya recognized everything, and for all her
excitement and the tremendous need for haste, her heart quivered
with sweet melancholy at the sight of the dear familiar scenes.

"I am at home," she stammered with pale lips.

In the queen's reception room she almost broke down. One of the
sentinels supported her while the other hurried with the unusual
message into the private chambers. Both of them now realized
that something momentous was taking place, and the messenger ran
as fast as his legs would carry him.

The first wax-generators were already up. Here and there a
little head thrust itself out curiously from the openings. The
news of the incident traveled quickly.

Two officers emerged from the private chambers. Maya recognized
them instantly. In solemn silence, without a word to her, they
took their posts, one on each side of the doorway: the queen
would soon appear.

She came without her court, attended only by her aide and two
ladies-in-waiting. She hurried straight over to Maya. When she
saw what a state the child was in, the severe expression on her
face relaxed a little.

"You have come with an important message? Who are you?"

Maya could not speak at once. Finally she managed to frame two
words:

"The hornets!"

The queen turned pale. But her composure was unshaken, and Maya
was somewhat calmed.

"Almighty queen!" she cried. "Forgive me for not respecting the
duties I owe Your Majesty. Later I will tell you everything I
have done. I repent. With my whole heart I repen