y know what to do with it. We
have built a village of honeycombs, and I have just had my people make
me a splendid palace of honey. But it is our way to gather the sweet
stuff, whether we need it or not, so we have to act according to our
natures. I think of building a mountain of honey next."

"I'd like to see that honey palace," said Twinkle.

"Then come with me," answered the Queen Bee, "for it will give me
pleasure to show it to you."

"Shall we go?" asked the girl-lark, turning to Ephel.

"Of course," he returned. "It is quite a wonderful sight, and may
interest you."

So they all flew away, the Queen Bee taking the lead, and passed
directly over the bed of flowers with its swarm of buzzing, busy bees.

"They remind me of a verse from 'Father Goose,'" said Twinkle, looking
curiously but half fearfully at the hundreds of big insects.

"What is the verse?" asked the Queen.

"Why, it goes this way," answered the girl:

"'A bumble-bee was buzzing on a yellow hollyhock
When came along a turtle, who at the bee did mock,
Saying "Prithee, Mr. Bumble, why make that horrid noise?
It's really distracting, and every one annoys."

"'"I'm sorry," said, quite humble, the busy droning bee,
"The noise is just my bumble, and natural, you see.
And if I didn't buzz so I'm sure that you'll agree
I'd only be a big fly, and not a bumble-bee."'"

"That is quite true," said the bee, "and describes our case exactly.
But you should know that we are not named 'bumblebees' by rights, but
'Humble Bees.' The latter is our proper name."

"But why 'humble?'" asked Twinkle.

"Because we are common, work-a-day people, I suppose, and not very
aristocratic," was the reply. "I've never heard why they changed our
name to 'bumble,' but since you recited that verse I imagine it is on
account of the noise our wings make."

They had now passed over the flower beds and approached a remarkable
village, where the houses were all formed of golden-yellow honey-combs.
There were many pretty shapes among these houses, and some were large
and many stories in height while others were small and had but one
story. Some had spires and minarets reaching up into the air, and all
were laid out into streets just like a real village.

But in the center stood a great honey-comb building with so many gables
and roofs and peaks and towers that it was easy to guess it was the
Queen Bee's palace, of which she had spoken.

They flew in at a se