cried Johnnie, kneeling beside the Carpenter's prison. "See
him! Do you know what he is?"

The two strange boys did not wear overalls, like Johnnie Green. But they
did not seem to mind that. They knelt right down beside him in their
spick-and-span velvet suits and stared curiously at the Carpenter.

"He's a bumblebee!" one of them exclaimed. And the other echoed
immediately, "He's a bumblebee!" Being twins, and looking just alike,
they always tried to do and say the same things.

Johnnie Green did not tell them their mistake. With an odd smile he slid
aside one of the glass doors of the Carpenter's prison and picked the
frightened captive up with his fingers.

"Oh!" cried the two guests. "Won't he sting you?"

"Naw!" said Johnnie Green scornfully. "He won't sting me. He knows me."

For a few minutes the two city boys--for that is what they were--for a
few minutes they watched Johnnie Green expectantly. They seemed to be
waiting for something. And they were. They were waiting for Johnnie Green
to be stung.

But nothing of the sort happened. And soon one of them said:

"I wish I had a pet bumblebee."

"So do I!" said the other twin.

"Do you?" asked Johnnie Green. "Well,--I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll
give you each a honey box. And maybe you can catch some bumblebees, if
you want to."

Of course, the twins were delighted. And Johnnie Green appeared pleased
too. Perhaps he should have told his little friends that his pet was not
a bumblebee at all--but a carpenter bee--and that carpenter bees never
sting people.

But Johnnie Green did not always do just exactly as he ought to have
done.

XVI

THE TWINS IN THE CLOVER PATCH

The twins--Johnnie Green's guests--each with a honey box in his hand,
began at once to hunt for bumblebees. And if Buster Bumblebee had been
wiser he would have flown away at once.

But he had no idea that he would have any trouble dodging a
boy--especially a city boy. So he lingered on the porch to see what
happened. As soon as Johnnie Green should put the Carpenter back in his
prison Buster intended to urge him once more to cut his way through the
wood--and to freedom.

Soon Buster had his chance. Again he crowded close to the glass door of
the Carpenter's cage. And then Johnnie Green's sharp eyes spied him.

"There's one!" said Johnnie Green to one of the twins. And at that the
eager youngster pounced quickly on Buster, picked him up gingerly, and
popped him quickly