ers, however, flew about hither and thither in a state
of great commotion.

"Don't be frightened, Annie dear," said grandpapa; "they won't hurt
you--keep quite still."

A few bees settled on Jack and Mary, many more on the gardener and Bob,
but only two or three on grandpapa and Annie, for he was a little
farther off than the others.

By-and-by all the bees flew away into the hive after their queen, and no
one was stung. The hive was then placed upon a board on the ground and
left there.

In the evening, when all was quiet, the gardener took up the hive and
set it by the side of the other bees.

After the children had gone back to the house, Mary asked grandmamma why
she did not come to see the bees hived.

"My dear, it is no new sight to me. Why, I hived the very first swarm we
ever had myself."

"_You_ hived them, grandmamma? Do tell us about it."

"It was a year or two after we were married, and a friend had given us a
hive of bees in the spring. They swarmed one sunny day when your
grandpapa had gone to London, and the only man handy was the gardener.
He had not been with us long, and he stayed but a very short time, as he
did not suit us.

"I saw the swarm myself hanging on to a red-currant bush, and I asked
the gardener if he could hive the swarm. He said he didn't know anything
about bees, and he didn't care to meddle with them.

"I didn't care to ask for any help from him, so I went into the kitchen
and said to one of the servants, 'Ann, would you be afraid to help me
hive the bees, for they have swarmed?'

"'Not at all, ma'am,' she said.

"So I told her to draw a pair of stockings over her hands and arms, and
to tie a thin shawl over her head and neck; then, when she was ready, we
went into the garden."

"What did you put on, grandma?"

"Nothing special. I was vexed at the gardener's cowardice, and I really
did not feel afraid, so I went just as I was. I well remember the dress:
it was muslin, with large open sleeves, so that my arms were bare. I did
not even wear a hat!

"Ann held the hive, and I shook the bees into it. We were both of us
covered with bees that settled on us, as they did on the gardener and
Bob this morning. We let them take their own time to fly off from us,
and neither of us was stung.

"Bees are very curious creatures; they seem to have their likes and
dislikes as well as other beings.

"My grandfather kept bees; but he was obliged to get rid of them, for
they would