ugh now to carry a baby."

"Thank you," said the Bee-man; "but I can take it myself. I like to
carry something, and I have now neither my hive nor my doublet."

"It is very well that you had to leave them behind," said the Youth,
"for the bees would have stung the baby."

"My bees never sting babies," said the other.

"They probably never had a chance," remarked his companion.

They soon entered the village, and after walking a short distance the
Youth exclaimed: "Do you see that woman over there sitting at the door
of her house? She has beautiful hair, and she is tearing it all to
pieces. She should not be allowed to do that."

"No," said the Bee-man. "Her friends should tie her hands."

"Perhaps she is the mother of this child," said the Youth, "and if you
give it to her she will no longer think of tearing her hair."

"But," said the Bee-man, "you don't really think this is her child?"

"Suppose you go over and see," said the other.

The Bee-man hesitated a moment, and then he walked toward the woman.
Hearing him coming, she raised her head, and when she saw the child she
rushed toward it, snatched it into her arms, and screaming with joy she
covered it with kisses. Then with happy tears she begged to know the
story of the rescue of her child, whom she never expected to see again;
and she loaded the Bee-man with thanks and blessings. The friends and
neighbors gathered around, and there was great rejoicing. The mother
urged the Bee-man and the Youth to stay with her, and rest and refresh
themselves, which they were glad to do, as they were tired and hungry.

They remained at the cottage all night, and in the afternoon of the next
day the Bee-man said to the Youth: "It may seem an odd thing to you, but
never in all my life have I felt myself drawn toward any living being as
I am drawn toward this baby. Therefore I believe that I have been
transformed from a baby."

"Good!" cried the Youth. "It is my opinion that you have hit the truth.
And now would you like to be changed back to your original form?"

"Indeed I would!" said the Bee-man. "I have the strongest yearning to be
what I originally was."

The Youth, who had now lost every trace of languid feeling, took a great
interest in the matter, and early the next morning started off to tell
the Junior Sorcerer that the Bee-man had discovered what he had been
transformed from, and desired to be changed back to it.

The Junior Sorcerer and his learned Master