The Bee-Man of Orn | Page 4

you. I was told that if I went in there I should get my energies
toned up, and they need it very much; but I did not feel equal to
entering by myself, and I thought I would wait until some one came
along. I am very glad to see you, and we will go in together."
So the two went into the cave, and they had proceeded but a short
distance when they met a very little creature, whom it was easy to
recognize as a Very Imp. He was about two feet high, and resembled in
color a freshly polished pair of boots. He was extremely lively and
active, and came bounding toward them.
"What did you two people come here for?" he asked.
"I came," said the Languid Youth, "to have my energies toned up."
"You have come to the right place," said the Very Imp. "We will tone
you up. And what does that old Bee-man want?"
"He has been transformed from something, and wants to find out what
it is. He thinks he may have been one of the things in here."
"I should not wonder if that were so," said the Very Imp, rolling his

head on one side, and eying the Bee-man with a critical gaze.
"All right," said the Very Imp; "he can go around, and pick out his
previous existence. We have here all sorts of vile creepers, crawlers,
hissers, and snorters. I suppose he thinks any thing will be better than a
Bee-man."
"It is not because I want to be better than I am," said the Bee-man, "that
I started out on this search. I have simply an honest desire to become
what I originally was."
"Oh! that is it, is it?" said the other. "There is an idiotic moon-calf here
with a clam head, which must be just like what you used to be."
"Nonsense," said the Bee-man. "You have not the least idea what an
honest purpose is. I shall go about, and see for myself."
"Go ahead," said the Very Imp, "and I will attend to this fellow who
wants to be toned up." So saying he joined the Languid Youth.
"Look here," said that individual, regarding him with interest, "do you
black and shine yourself every morning?"
"No," said the other, "it is water-proof varnish. You want to be
invigorated, don't you? Well, I will tell you a splendid way to begin.
You see that Bee-man has put down his hive and his coat with the bees
in it. Just wait till he gets out of sight, and then catch a lot of those bees,
and squeeze them flat. If you spread them on a sticky rag, and make a
plaster, and put it on the small of your back, it will invigorate you like
every thing, especially if some of the bees are not quite dead."
"Yes," said the Languid Youth, looking at him with his mild eyes, "but
if I had energy enough to catch a bee I would be satisfied. Suppose you
catch a lot for me."
"The subject is changed," said the Very Imp. "We are now about to
visit the spacious chamber of the King of the Snap-dragons."

"That is a flower," said the Languid Youth.
"You will find him a gay old blossom," said the other. "When he has
chased you round his room, and has blown sparks at you, and has
snorted and howled, and cracked his tail, and snapped his jaws like a
pair of anvils, your energies will be toned up higher than ever before in
your life."
"No doubt of it," said the Languid Youth; "but I think I will begin with
something a little milder."
"Well then," said other, "there is a flat-tailed Demon of the Gorge in
here. He is generally asleep, and, if you say so, you can slip into the
farthest corner of his cave, and I'll solder his tail to the opposite wall.
Then he will rage and roar, but he can't get at you, for he doesn't reach
all the way across his cave; I have measured him. It will tone you up
wonderfully to sit there and watch him."
"Very likely," said the Languid Youth; "but I would rather stay outside
and let you go up in the corner. The performance in that way will be
more interesting to me."
"You are dreadfully hard to please," said the Very Imp. "I have offered
them to you loose, and I have offered them fastened to a wall, and now
the best thing I can do is to give you a chance at one of them that can't
move at all. It is the Ghastly Griffin and is enchanted. He can't stir so
much as the tip of his whiskers for a