The Adventures of Maya the Bee | Page 6

and not
spoil one's stomach. There's some dew left, too, if you're thirsty."
"Thank you so much," said Maya. "I'd like to fly now, if you will
permit me."
The rose-beetle laughed.
"Flying, always flying," he said. "It's in the blood of you bees. I don't
understand such a restless way of living. There's some advantage in
staying in one place, too, don't you think?"
Peter courteously held the red curtain aside.
"I'll go as far as our observation petal with you," he said. "It makes an
excellent place to fly from."
"Oh, thank you," said Maya, "I can fly from anywhere."
"That's where you have the advantage over me," replied Peter. "I have
some difficulty in unfolding my lower wings." He shook her hand and
held the last curtain aside for her.
"Oh, the blue sky!" rejoiced Maya. "Good-by."
"So long," called Peter, remaining on the top petal to see Maya rise
rapidly straight up to the sky in the golden sunlight and the clear, pure
air of the morning. With a sigh he returned, pensive, to his cool

rose-dwelling, for though it was still early he was feeling rather warm.
He sang his morning song to himself, and it hummed in the red sheen
of the petals and the radiance of the spring day that slowly mounted
and spread over the blossoming earth.
Gold and green are field and tree, Warm in summer's glow; All is
bright and fair to see While the roses blow.
What or why the world may be Who can guess or know? All my world
is glad and free While the roses blow.
Brief, they say, my time of glee; With the roses I go; Yes, but life is
good to me While the roses blow.
[Illustration]

[Illustration]
CHAPTER III
THE LAKE
"Dear me," thought Maya, after she had flown off, "oh, dear me, I
forgot to ask Mr. Peter about human beings. A gentleman of his wide
experience could certainly have told me about them. But perhaps I'll
meet one myself to-day." Full of high spirits and in a happy mood of
adventure, she let her bright eyes rove over the wide landscape that lay
spread out below in all its summer splendor.
She came to a large garden gleaming with a thousand colors. On her
way she met many insects, who sang out greetings, and wished her a
pleasant journey and a good harvest.-- But every time she met a bee,
her heart went pit-a-pat. After all she felt a little guilty to be idle, and
was afraid of coming upon acquaintances. Soon, however, she saw that
the bees paid not the slightest attention to her.
Then all of a sudden the world seemed to turn upside down. The

heavens shone below her, in endless depths. At first she was dreadfully
frightened; she thought she had flown too far up and lost her way in the
sky. But presently she noticed that the trees were mirrored on the edge
of the terrestrial sky, and to her entrancement she realized that she was
looking at a great serene basin of water which lay blue and clear in the
peaceful morning. She let herself down close to the surface. There was
her image flying in reflection, the lovely gold of her body shining at her
from the water, her bright wings glittering like clear glass. And she
observed that she held her little legs properly against her body, as
Cassandra had taught her to do.
"It's bliss to be flying over the surface of water like this. It is, really,"
she thought.
Big fish and little fish swam about in the clear element, or seemed to
float idly. Maya took good care not to go too close; she knew there was
danger to bees from the race of fishes.
On the opposite shore she was attracted by the water-lilies and the
rushes, the water-lilies with their large round leaves lying outspread on
the water like green plates, and the rushes with their sun-warmed, reedy
stalks.
She picked out a leaf well-concealed under the tall blades of the rushes.
It lay in almost total shade, except for two round spots like gold coins;
the rushes swayed above in the full sunlight.
"Glorious," said the little bee, "perfectly glorious."
She began to tidy herself. Putting both arms up behind her head she
pulled it forward as if to tear it off, but was careful not to pull too hard,
just enough to scrape away the dust; then, with her little hind legs, she
stroked and dragged down her wing-sheaths, which sprang back in
position looking beautifully bright and glossy.
Just as she had completed her toilet a small steely blue-bottle came and
alighted on the leaf beside her. He looked at her in surprise.

"What are you