eces that
disappeared into the mouths of men, women and children. One mouthful such
as they took would have fed him at least a month. And there was one boy
called Bill who stowed away enough each time his fork traveled to his
mouth to nourish Buster Bumblebee a whole summer.

"That boy is making a pig of himself!" Buster Bumblebee exclaimed, right
out loud. But since nobody understood what he said, no one paid any
attention to his remark. "You'll be ill, if you're not careful," Buster
buzzed right in the greedy boy's ear.

But the youngster known as Bill only moved his head slightly. And to
Buster's alarm he continued to bolt huge mouthfuls of everything within
his reach.

It was really a terrible sight. Buster Bumblebee was so fascinated by it
that he sat right down on a low-hanging maple bough and kept his eyes
fixed on that marvellous boy.

Before the feast came to an end the boy Bill's face underwent an odd
change. In the beginning it had worn a wide smile. But at last Buster saw
a look of pain steal over Bill's somewhat besmeared features. And beneath
his coating of tan he seemed to have grown pale.

Before long Buster was sure he heard a groan, though no one of the
merrymakers paid the slightest heed to it. Everyone was too busy eating
and talking with his neighbors to notice Bill's distress.

Then came another groan--and another--and another--and another, until
finally greedy Bill clapped both his hands across the front of his jacket
and let out a terrific roar.

"Ah!" said Buster Bumblebee. "You have a stomachache, young man. And it's
no wonder."

XX

BUSTER AND THE FIDDLERS

There was a great rattling of knives and forks dropped suddenly upon
plates and a clatter of cups set hastily upon saucers. For when the boy
with the stomachache screamed aloud in his agony all of Farmer Green's
guests turned towards him to see what was the matter.

Buster Bumblebee saw a large woman dressed in bright red rush up to the
boy Bill and lead him away towards the farmhouse, quite doubled up with
pain.

"That's his mother!" Buster decided. "And it's lucky for him that she's
here."

Everybody else seemed to think likewise. And no one appeared much
worried. At least, all the company fell upon the feast once more. And in
a surprisingly short time everything but the dishes had vanished.

Still the people lingered there and talked--or the grown-ups did, anyhow
(of course the boys and girls didn't want to sit