The Adventures of Maya the Bee

Narrator: [0:00] The elderly lady bee who helped the baby bee Maya, when she awoke to life and slipped from her cell, was called Cassandra and commanded great respect in the hive. Those were exciting days. A rebellion had broken out in the nation of bees, which the queen was unable to suppress.

[0:19] While the experienced Cassandra wiped Maya's large bright eyes and tried as best she could to arrange her delicate wings, the big hive hummed and buzzed like a threatening thunderstorm, and the baby bee found it very warm, and said so to her companion.

[0:37] Cassandra looked about, troubled, without replying. It astonished her that the child, so soon, found something to criticize; but really, the child was right. The heat, and the pushing, and crowding were almost unbearable.

[0:52] Maya saw an endless succession of bees go by in such swarming haste that sometimes one climbed up and over another, or several rolled past together, clotted in a ball. Once the queen bee approached, Cassandra and Maya were jostled aside.

[1:10] A drone, a friendly young fellow of immaculate appearance, came to their assistance. He nodded to Maya and stroked the shining hairs on his breast, rather nervously, with his foreleg.