about the end of May, just as the children's lessons for the
morning were over, they heard the gardener come into the hall to tell
their grandpapa that one of the hives had swarmed.

"Oh! what is that?" they cried. "Do tell us; do let us go and see."

"Wait a little, wait a little," said grandpapa. "It means that the hive
won't hold all the bees any longer; there are too many of them in it,
and the old queen bee has left it, with some thousands of her subjects,
to a young queen that will now reign in her stead."

"We must see about a new hive for her, gardener."

"Yes, sir; we have it all ready. Bob is waiting with it in the garden
now."

Bob was the young man who milked the cow, and minded the pony and the
pigs and fowls.

"Oh, do let us go too," cried all the children.

"I must hear what grandmamma says," said grandpapa. "It won't do for any
of you to get stung, you know."

Just then grandmamma came into the hall to see what all the commotion
was about.

The three children turned to her and said, "Do let us go to see the bees
put into their new hive."

"Where have they swarmed?" asked grandmamma.

"On to a plum-tree, ma'am, quite close to the hives," said the
gardener.--"I don't think the little ones will come to any harm if you
will let them go," he added, when he saw their eager looks.

"Well," said grandmamma, "there really is no danger, if you will all
keep perfectly still. It is easy to hive them from a branch, but needs
a great deal more care if they swarm upon the ground. If any bees should
settle on you, you must let them stay till they fly off of their own
accord. If you try to brush them off, they will be nearly sure to sting
you."

"I am almost afraid to let little Annie go, lest she should be
frightened."

"I will take care of Annie," said grandpapa.--"You won't be afraid in my
arms, will you, my little pet, even if some bees do settle on you? Yes,
yes, you shall come," he said; for he could not bear to have her
disappointed.

"If they cover me," said Jack, "I won't touch one of them!"

So all but grandmamma started off for the garden; and sure enough there
was hanging from one of the lower branches of the plum-tree a huge bunch
of bees; it was wonderful how they managed to keep together.

"They'll hive easy," said the gardener.

Bob held the new hive directly under the cluster of bees, and the
gardener gently shook the bough on which it was hanging, when the bees
fell into it. Numb