"Think not that treachery can be just;"Take not informers' words on trust."
GAY.
As the winged inhabitants flocked towards home, laden with their honeyed store, the return of the wanderer was announced to each; and the labors of the day being ended, they all gathered round him to hear the account of his adventures.
In the mean time the Butterfly continued without the hive, not unpleasantly situated, as a number of flowers were about the place, had he not been yet in suspense respecting his friend, when, as he was just going to give up all hopes of meeting with him till the next morning, he had the pleasure of seeing him come out upon the block, incompany with two or three other Bees. "Will he speak to me now, thattheseare with him," thought the Butterfly, and he fluttered round the place, half afraid that he should find the promises of his friend forgotten; but not so, the Bee, (though perhaps he might feel a little at the opinion he judged would be formed by his present associates on seeing him speaking familiarly to one so much beneath them,) flew towards him, to tell him he had been well received, directing him to a place of safety in which he might pass the night; "to-morrow," said he, "we shall meet again."
The Butterfly was much pleased at this unexpected interview, and after thanking him for his attention, promised to join him in the morning. The Bee then returned to his companions,and the Butterfly retired to the place which had been pointed out to him, and from whence he could see the entrance of the hive, and watch the coming of his friend when they were next to meet.
I shall now proceed to acquaint my reader with the future travels of our two friends, and without attending to the minute occurrences of each day, enter at once upon those events which more particularly belong to my design. As soon as the sun was sufficiently above the earth, the inhabitants of the hive hastened forth, eager to pursue their daily task—
"Around, athwart,"Thro' the soft air the busy nations fly."
And among the first came our young adventurer, whom the Butterfly immediately prepared to accompany; thoughtill he saw him a little separated from the others, he did not presume to approach. "How do you do, my friend?" said the Bee, as soon as he drew near; "are you inclined for a long flight to-day? I have now a double motive to work hard, having a wish to make up for my lost time, as well as to shew my sense of gratitude for the reception I have met with from the friends I am returned to."
"I am willing to accompany you," replied the Butterfly, "and am glad to see you in such spirits; but you are already eyeing some of those beautiful flowers, and while you are engaged with them I will visit the nearest cottage, and return before you have finished your task."
"That's right," replied the Bee, "and tell me if you find the inhabitants as well, or as busily employed, as I am going to be."
The Butterfly departed, and on entering the window of the humble dwelling, he perceived a woman sweeping out the lower room, "which served them for parlour, kitchen, and hall," and preparing the breakfast; three or four children were entrusted to the care of another somewhat older than themselves, and who was endeavouring to keep the little ones from entering, and interrupting their mother. The Butterfly was unnoticed by the woman, but no sooner did the children see it, who (like all others, wanting what is denied them,) were peeping in at the door and enquiring when they might come in, than a little boy begged to enter, promising to catch it in a minute, and his entreaties at lastprevailed, though he did not find it quite so easy to take the nimble creature as he had fancied. He had again and again to watch its settling, and to experience disappointment in his endeavour to secure it; while the rest of the little ones were at the door eagerly looking on, and the mother sometimes fretting, and sometimes laughing at his fruitless efforts; when all at once the eldest girl gave notice of her father's approach to breakfast.
The children try to catch the butterfly
No sooner was this intelligence heard, than the Butterfly was suffered to rest in quiet; the mother declared that "nothing was ready;" she scolded the child and blamed herself for being so foolish as to be stopped in the middle of her work by the chacing of a Butterfly, and before any thing was in proper order themasterentered, who by his rough voice and peremptory manner seemed determined to keep up the authority of that title. While he was grumbling at not finding his breakfast ready, and his children standing silent around the table, the Butterfly, happy to escape, extended his wings, and returned to his companion, whom he found still employed at his accustomed task.
"Well, what discoveries have you made," enquired the Bee, "have you seen any one so busy as me?"
"Onewas," replied the Butterfly, laughing, "till I put an end to her work; a little humoured brat of a boy was suffered to enter into the midst of it, and hunt me from one side of the room to the other, and this foolish pursuant took the attention of the woman, who stood with the broom in herhand, admiring the dexterity of heraukward cub, I suppose, till the approach of the father was announced; then the scene was entirely changed, the hunt was given over, and she was cross with herself and every one else because she had been interrupted, which after all was her own fault; the man came in still more out of humour, and thus the house which at your first entrance you might have imagined the abode of peace and domestic comfort, was made directly otherwise; andmy harmlessvisit, I dare say, they would say was the cause of it; when to a reasonable observer it would be plain that the whole of his disturbance arose from the wayward fancy of the child, the indulgence of the mother, and the ill temper of the father: however, such is my happy lot, having wings, I could fly awayfrom all their troubles, but those are to be pitied who cannot escape them."
"During your absence," said the Bee, "I have seen two friends in thisgarden, who appeared so happy in the society of each other that I am anxious to see more of them, such friendship being rather rare among the human race, and as soon as I have carried home this load of honey, I intend to visit the house I saw them enter."
"Do, do," replied the Butterfly, pleased to find his friend could attend toany thing besides his work, "and while you are thus engaged, I will amuse myself with an old acquaintance or two whom I see yonder." With these words they parted for a little while, promising to meet again in the same place, and to which the Bee returned long before the fluttering Butterfly, who had flown to a neighbouring field, and there among the daisies and king-cups with which the ground was nearly covered, he continued with his former associates nearly the whole morning, idly chacing each other in airy rounds till he had almost forgot the engagement he had made, and was still less inclined to regret his living an idle life. "I am not born to work," said he, "and if the place I fill in the world is not of such importance as my friend's, as a Butterfly I have an equal right to live, and to follow my own inclination;" he therefore returned to meet him without an apology for being behind the time, and on finding him busily employed, and nearly ready to take home another load, "what," said he, "you could not leave your favorite work to make your intended visit? surely youare too intent in gathering that food which I fear you will never be allowed to enjoy?"
"You are mistaken," replied the Bee, "I have been, and seen the two ladies, but they areno longer friends." Oh what fickle creatures these men and women are! young and old, they are all changeable alike. One was sitting at an open window, and the other walking up and down the room apparently much distressed; "what not one word?" said she to the other; "I did not mean to offend you."
No answer was returned, and she continued to express her sorrow, which was received with the utmost indifference; at length she made another attempt, and offering her hand to her offended friend, she said, "Come, Charlotte, will you not be reconciled?"
This also was equally disregarded, and the feelings of the poor offender seemed entirely altered; she no longer solicited forgiveness, but left the room, saying, "It is not necessary for me to acknowledge more; you do not treat me like a friend; talk no more of your regard for me."
As soon as she was gone the other began singing, as loudly as she could raise her voice, though the words she uttered now, so far from being in unison with her mind, as expressed in her countenance, that I could not help smiling; they were descriptive of content and self-satisfaction, neither of which I thinkshecould at that time feel.
On leaving her, and entering another window, I was sorry to see the one I had been interested for in earnest conversation with a third person,who, pitying her dejected and melancholy appearance, asked if she might not attribute it to the ill humour of her friend, and while her mind was thus hurt with the treatment she had received, drew from her a complaint which perhaps she would not have made at any other time. "She does not deserve your regard," said the stranger, "and you give up too much to her;—if you continue to do so, she will by and bye expect you to say or do nothing but as she directs; and her friendship for you can never be real if she requires such subjection."
"These are very odd things," observed the Butterfly; "we poor insignificant creatures never have any thing of this sort; if we associate together, we do not spend our time in complaining of each other."
"I have not done with them yet," returned the Bee, "but mean to pay them another visit, and I fancy shall see still more reason to conclude that these wonderful creatures, whom the animal race hold in such respect, are not so steady and constant in their conduct and pursuits as either they, or we, the still meaner insect tribes, are, though I must say those of the latter order are not in so much awe of them. We do not fly from them if they come in our way, but in many things consider them assubservient to us, and that whichtheylook upon as exclusively their own, and which a cat or a dog would not venture to touch,wehave most likely made many a meal from before it comes to their table."
A few days after this, the Bee renewed his visit, as he had proposed, andthere was astonished to see the very same third person now engaged with the other lady, and relating to her with many exaggerations all that her offending friend had repeated to her, while smarting under the effect of her ill humour, though all the pains she took to draw it out of her, and the encouragement with which she listened to her complaint, were entirely omitted in the recital. "Only think of this," said the Butterfly, on hearing an account of his friend's second visit. "Is this the use they make of the power of speech, and which they imagine sets them so completely above the animals? surely they had better be without it, than use it to such a purpose; but what will be the end of this? will not the eyes of the two friends be opened, think you? and they will leave the acquaintance of thatmean incendiary, who, under such a show of friendship, endeavours to widen the breach between them?"
"Perhaps not," replied theBee. "Their conduct may yet want that consistency; I hope they will be reconciled to each other, but I doubt whether they will give up this perfidious acquaintance, though the more their regard for each other increases, the more must their contempt for her be increased. I question, also, if the taleshehas this day told will not rankle in the breast of the hearer for many future years, and whether there will ever again be that mutual confidence in the two friends which once appeared."
The next house they saw, the Butterfly entered alone, as the Bee observed some flowers at a distance which appeared more worthy of his attention.While he was busily employed in extracting their sweets, his friend returned laughing,"Oh!" said he, "I wish you had been with me. Smile no more at the regard I shew to outward appearance; why there is a young man who is storming and raging about the house, because his neckcloths and shirts are not brought home so nicely as he expected, and he is throwing them from one end of the room to the other, while the poor woman, who has, perhaps, been working hard to make them what they are, stands trembling before him, as if she had committed the greatest trespass in the world. The beauty of my wings if once destroyed, is lost for ever, but these evils, if they are any, are soon remedied; and, at the next house," continued he, "is another instance of the vanity of the sex;thereis a boy whohas got a new coat just brought home from thetaylor's, and because the day is rather lowering, and his father won't let him wear it out, he is determined not to go out at all, and he is now sitting in his own room with the coat on, though there is no one but himself to admire it. I have seen females carry their fondness for dress as far as this," continued he, "but I thought men and boys were above such vanity; I declare I am half ashamed of them."
At this moment a heavy shower came on, and the Butterfly hastened to the shelter of a large leaf on a cucumber bed, where also the Bee was obliged to secure himself, nor could he take home the honey he had gathered till the rain had ceased.
On his return, he found the Butterfly just ventured from his retreat, and stretching his wings, he was enquiring ofone of his own species, "if their colours had received any injury?"
The Bee heard the enquiry, and though he believed his friend would not have made it had he thought him within hearing, he was not now so inclined to laugh at him as formerly on account of it, "for," said he, "since I have heard such instances of vanity in a race so superior, I can forgive it in a Butterfly."
On finding that the drops still continued on the flowers, so as to prevent his gathering any thing from them, he determined to return to the hive, and there assist in forming some cells with the wax he had been busy in procuring, though the Butterfly was earnest in desiring him to take an afternoon's flight with him, "and enjoy a little pleasure."
The Bee smiled at what his friend called by that name; "my enjoyment is to be usefully employed," said he, "and to receive my mother's approbation; but as I know this is a pleasureyoucannot understand, I would not wish to deprive you of what you can enjoy; go, therefore, and take your fill of it while you may, and to-morrow perhaps we may meet again."
His friend departed with this encouragement, yet not able to comprehend why all creatures did not find a pleasure in the same thing, though to the eye of reason such a distinction of enjoyments in the various objects of creation, is an evident token of the Wisdom with which they are formed.
"If chance a mouse came in her sight,"She finely counterfeits a fright,"So sweetly screams if it come near her,"It ravishes all hearts to hear her."
SWIFT.
The next day the Bee had taken home two or three loads before his friend made his appearance, who, when he came, expressed his surprise at finding him where he was. "I have been in such a beautiful conservatory," said he, "and surely I sawyouthere, almost buried in the heart of a flower; and so intent were you upon your labour, that you would not even answer me when I called; there must certainly have been something very attractive to have kept you there so long, but how you got here before me is what I most wonder at."
"I don't understand you," returned the Bee, "I have been in no conservatory, the utmost of my flights to-day have been from the hive to this place."
"And have youreallybeen no where else?" said the Butterfly in astonishment; "why I never saw anything so like you in my life; I concluded that you were so buried in the flower that you did not hear my call, or was unwilling to move, lest you should alarm some ladies and gentlemen who were very near you."
"I think I can tell what has deceived you," returned the Bee, "you have seen a Bee-Orchis, as they are called, a flower which bears both the form and resemblance ofourspecies. And so you really took it forme?"
"If it wasnotyourself," replied the Butterfly, "and you wish to see yourownlikeness, pray come with me,and behold it; for never did I see one Bee so like another, as that flower is like you."
"I have known many of our young ones who are not acquainted with it," said the Bee, "so deceived by the resemblance, that if they happen to meet with one, they pass it by, thinking, that one of their fellow-laborers is engaged there already; but if you will shew me the spot I will not be so put off."
So saying, he followed the Butterfly, who was immediately on the wing; and soon arrived at a very large house, one end of which formed the conservatory. The fragrancy of the flowers it contained, the great variety of them, and those of the most delicate nature, made the Bee clap his wings for joy.
"Why, my dear friend," said he, "you have brought me to a treasure-house indeed; a store of sweets, I canhardly forbear returning to call all my companions to share it with me; I am sure there would be work enough for the whole hive were they here."
While he was thus expressing his delight, the Butterfly was searching for the flower he had noticed before, hardly satisfied, till he had the testimony of his own eye-sight in seeing them together, that his friend had told him the truth; however, when he discovered it, and saw the Bee still flying about in admiration, he was obliged to acknowledge he had been wrong.
The Bee employed himself here for some hours, during which he had gone and returned from the hive several times, bringing with him a few of his companions, who were attracted by the account he gave of this charming place; the Butterfly also met with much to amuse him, and continued uninterruptedly toenjoy themselves, till, as the evening advanced, they resolved to visit some other part of the house, and the Butterfly led the way to the dining parlour, where some ladies and gentlemen were sitting after dinner, with a variety of fruits and wines before them. The attention of the Bee was immediately attracted by a very fine peach one of the ladies had just taken on her plate, and little thinking of the consequence of his temerity, he flew towards it: the lady screamed, and pushed back her chair, while the company eagerly enquired the cause.
"Oh, a Bee!" exclaimed she, "I am frightened to death if I see one."
"And I," said another, who sat opposite to her, "shall faint, if it comes nearme; I really cannot bear it in the room."
At this moment the Bee, as if desirous of seeing whether she spoke truth or not, flew directly across the table, and alighted on her head.
"Oh where is it?" said she, jumping off her seat, "I am sure it is on me! dear Mr. Wippersnap," addressing the gentleman who sat next her, "for goodness sake take it off! what shall I do?"
While the other lady sat fanning to recover her alarm, and the rest of the party with anxious looks watched the motions of the bold intruder, the gentleman, proud of his superior courage, "begged them not to be alarmed, for he would destroy it in a moment;" and giving it a gentle touch to drive it from its present station, he began the attack with an open knife he held in his hand, professing that he would cut it asunder at one blow; his blows, however, were not so decisive, for though heaimed several, the Bee contrived to escape them all.
At this one or two other gentlemen, with more regard to the imaginary feelings of the ladies than to the reality of those belonging to the Bee, raised the same weapons in their defence, but all their efforts served only to exasperate the object of their rage, while the Butterfly sat trembling under the most cruel apprehensions for his friend's safety.
During this alarming battle the ladies were happy to leave the room; and no sooner were they retired than the fight was over,the weapons of war were laid aside, and the enraged Bee suffered to rest upon the table, and recruit his strength: his fierce opponents declared they were never so foiled before, till one, less courageous than the rest, wisely, as he thought, turned an empty wineglass over him, and thus was our unfortunate adventurer again in a close confinement. The Butterfly was now alarmed for his friend from another cause, and feared the want of air would be too much for him.
"Cruel monsters," said he to himself, as he observed the gentlemen draw their chairs closer to the table, and filling their glasses appeared determined to suffer no other interruption to their cheerfulness; "do they call themselves humane, who can leave a poor creature in that situation, and after they have cut and slashed at him in such a manner, that if their dexterity had been equal to their will, they would not have left a whole bone in his skin. Oh! that I had the sting of a thousand Bees, I would use them all to revenge his cause."
With these words he fluttered round thetable, and viewed his friend (who lay motionless at the bottom of his transparent prison) on every side; "he will certainly die," thought he, "if he is not dead already. Oh my friend! would that I could release you! but the attempt would be fruitless."
The gentlemen were too agreeably engaged to observe the anxious Butterfly, who every time he saw them extend their hands towards the place, hoped some little compassion had touched their breasts, and that they were going to liberate his friend; but no such thing, the evening closed in, and he was yet in confinement, till the tea being announced, the gentlemen jumped up to attend the ladies, and soon after the servants entering to take away the bottle and glasses, give the poor prisoner an opportunity to escape. The window was still open, upon the edge of which sat the expecting Butterfly, but it was some time before the Bee, who had been insensible the greatest part of the time, could so far recollect himself as to know where he was, or who was waiting for him. On seeing him slowly crawling on the table, the Butterfly concluded he was too much hurt to fly, and coming towards him, with the utmost tenderness he said,
"Oh! my friend, are you not cruelly wounded?"
"Not so much as I expected," returned the Bee, greatly revived at the sight of his old companion. "I am very stiff from the blows I have received, but luckily my wings are not hurt; pray lead the way from this detested spot, and I will follow with the greatest pleasure."
With this request the Butterfly gladly complied, rejoicing to hear his friend speak so cheerfully, who was no sooner out of the house than he begged to rest upon a neighbouring tree.
"You have been very roughly handled," said his friend, "by thesesuperiorsort of people; I had hoped better things of them, because they are called so, but I do not find their hearts are better, or their conduct towards us less reprehensible than those of a lower order; but why did you not use your sting, my friend? I think it then would have made even those courageous gentlemen sound a retreat."
"I am very careful of extending that," replied the Bee, "as it is very seldom we can use it to any advantage without leaving it in the wound, and that in general is fatal to us; a gentle touch is sufficient in our defence,buthereit would have had no effect but to enrage them still the more, and I must either have died by their hands, or soon afterwards by losing it; but what a fuss the ladies made at my approach, did they not? did you ever see any thing so foolish, as all to run away from my presence? Why many of their fellow-creatures, whom they judge inferior in education and ideas to themselves, would have been ashamed to have acted so."
"If you are inclined to put them to flight again," said the Butterfly, "I think I see the same party in the room above."
"No, I thank you," returned the Bee, "I must hasten to the hive as fast as my bruises will let me; they will be quite alarmed at my being out so late, or fancy that my old fondness for wandering is come on again, and I should be sorry that should be their opinion; besides," continued he, shrugging his shoulders, "I have had enough of the company of ladies and gentlemen for to-day, though no doubt I lost much entertaining conversation during my captivity."
"I believe not," replied the Butterfly, "for my part I heard them say very little else than "the bottle is with you Sir," and "let us have another;" and "will you give usa toast, Sir?""
"And is it thus these men ofeducationconverse together?" replied the Bee; "I am astonished at it, but were we to sit and talk of it the whole of the night we should not make them better; we will therefore go home; I have only to say that I am glad I have escaped their malice, and am obliged to you, my friend,for the affection which prompted you to stay for me;" and now extending their wings they soon arrived at the hive, which the Bee entered, and accounting for his late return received the congratulations of all his companions on his safety.
The Butterfly found a resting-place near it, and the next day met his friend with anxious enquiries of "how he found himself?" The Bee was still stiff, and felt too much of the ill effects of his last visit to wish to accompany him on another, at present, therefore he remained but just without the hive, and left the Butterfly to make 'the voyage of observation' by himself. In the evening, as they again met, he enquired into the result of his rambles.
"I am more and more astonished at the weakness of mortals," returned the Butterfly, "and am convinced that afine ladywill believe any thing, and will be pleased with the greatest nonsense, if said to her by way of compliment; though I have visited but one house to-day, and that was with one of my old acquaintance, with whom I flew about till we chaced each other into a spacious drawing-room, in which sat a young lady, who was endeavouring to lay the imitation of flowers upon a small table; I believe they call itpainting, and it was nearly finished; a gentleman sat by her, and seemed to admire every stroke of her pencil, though for my part I could not see any thing so very admirable in it; the colours, to my eye, were put on very roughly, and I could not have thought he would have paid so ill a compliment to her understanding, as to suppose she would have believed him, when on our settling onthem after we had sported round the room, he declared that we took them for natural flowers."
The butterfly alights on the flower painting
"And did she believe him?" asked the Bee.
"She smiled," returned the Butterfly, "and seemed very much pleased; and it is certain that she did not contradict him, though she soon drove us off again, fearing, I suppose, that we should discover the deception; but we had done that long before, and onlyfixt ourselves there because it was the nearest place to rest on. After this we flew out, and met with other companions, and I don't know how it was, but the day seemed gone before we were aware; however, we have enjoyed ourselves without interruption, andyou, I hope, are better able to pursue what affords you pleasure, than when I left you in the morning?"
"I am recovering very fast," returned the Bee, "and it is quite necessary I should, for I believe a wonderful change is soon to take place in my circumstances, and you must not be surprised if you should not see me in this neighbourhood much longer."
"What do you mean?" enquired the Butterfly, half alarmed, though he knew not from what cause; "you are not going to hide yourself from me, are you?"
"No," returned the Bee; "ourmovements cannot be hid, we shall make noise enough about it, but I am not at liberty to disclose the secrets of the hive; to-morrow, perhaps, if you keep a good look-out, and the weather is fine, you may see what will unravel this mystery; in the meanwhile assure yourself of the continuance of my friendship, and do not think, after the attention Iexperienced from you last night, and on a former occasion, I can forget you."
With this assurance the Butterfly suffered his friend to depart without making any farther enquiry, and sheltering himself for the night under a large holly-hock, resolved not to let the sun arise without his awaking to observe the movements of the Bee, and his companions; and, if possible, to find out the meaning of what he had heard.
"When nought but balm is breathing through the woods"With yellow lustre, bright, that the new tribes"Visit the spacious heavens, and look abroad"On Nature's common, far as they can see,"Or wing their range and pasture."
THOMPSON.
The next morning all was bustle and activity in the hive at a very early hour, and the Butterfly also arose, and shook his wings, determined to let nothing escape his observation which could discover the occasion of it: but though there seemed much noise within, no one came out; and, after waiting a great while, he began to think that nothing particular was intended by what his friend had said, or that some confusion among themselves prevented their putting it in execution. He frisked aboutamong the flowers, yet still contrived to keep the hive in view; till at length he saw a Bee advance, whom, from her majestic appearance, he concluded was the queen; a number of attendants immediately followed her; and, among the rest, his friend. She turned as if to take a last look at the home she was about to leave for ever, and on seeing multitudes of its inhabitants flocking out, as fast as the narrow entrance would allow, appeared to glory in the exulting throng; till raising her wings she led the way to seek some other habitation. Immediately all the train followed her example, and the air was filled with the numerous retinue; who, by the noise they made, appeared to vie with each other in paying her respect. All were earnest in their endeavours to get near her, and to the eye ofthe Butterfly, who followed at an humble distance, they appeared a formidable phalanx; eager not only to prevent the approach of danger, but that even the eye of a stranger should be fixt upon her. Presently a crowd of people, from the neighbouring houses, came running towards them, with pot-lids in their hands, with which, as the whole body were slowly hovering round the trunk of an old tree, they endeavoured to drown their humming noise with a much louder one of their own; and this, from what they said, and their calling for the hive, the Butterfly learnt was to make them sooner settle. All this time it would have been difficult to have said who watched their motions most attentively, the men and women, or the Butterfly. As soon as her officious attendants would give her an opportunity, her majesty fixt her feet upon a projecting branch, and happy were those who could cling the closest to her. All were now as desirous of fixing with her, as before they were of flying; and when they could no longer see or touch this sole object of their attention, they were still eager to press, and hang upon each other, as if pleased to touch but the back of a bee, who perhaps touched another that had hold of their Queen.
The noise now ceased, and the bees were suffered to hang, unmolested, for nearly an hour, in a large round cluster; still and motionless, as if no life or power was in them. Their proceedings were so entirely new to the Butterfly, that, had not his friend been amongst them, he should have wished to see the end; but he saw a man approach,whose face and arms were entirely covered, and placing a new hive under them, he shook the branch till the whole united body fell into it. A cloth was then thrown over them, and he bore it away in triumph.
"And will they suffer themselves to be thus taken?" thought his attentive observer, as he eagerly extended his wings to follow the man; "will they be content to remain in that desolate habitation without a cell, or any provision in it? no, no; the man will soon perceive his mistake," continued he, as he saw him place it on a block, which had been before prepared for it, "as soon as they can get their liberty, they will return from whence they came." However, it was himself, and not the man, who was mistaken; on the whole, the Bees liked their new abode verywell; and it was not till the next day that he saw any of its inhabitants coming out in search of food; when he met his friend, who asked him "if he did not think he had given him notice of something worth seeing?"
"I think I see that you have changed for the worse," returned the Butterfly; "you have left a full hive with comfortable cells, and plenty of food, for one which is destitute of both!"
"We shall soon get this as well stocked as the other," replied the Bee; "but did you not see our Queen? a sight of her is seldom had; were you not charmed with her majestic appearance?"
"Upon my word, no," said the Butterfly with a smile; "but you must recollect that I am not one of her numerous progeny; and to the eye of a Butterfly she is no more than another of her species; but why did you leave your home? is it grown old, and crazy; or does it let the rain in?"
"I fancy we understand building better than for that to be the case," answered the Bee, somewhat offended; "but we were too full; we encreased so fast that there was not room for us all in one hive. We have therefore chosen another queen, in whom, by the bye, I am astonished that you see nothing to admire; and we young ones are come forth with her, to form another settlement. Happy shall we be to contribute to her tranquillity and comfort, and to supply her every want; while she is kind enough to permit us to call her ours, for the present; therefore, you must not expect to see me one moment at leisure; till we have, in some degree,given our abode the appearance of an habitation, we cannot be comfortable; we have already formed a cell for our beloved Queen, and a few others for her principal attendants; among which number, I am proud to say, I am; you must excuse me if I now leave you abruptly, as I am on the search for something nice for her to eat."
"Proud, indeed," thought the Butterfly, as he saw his friend hastily depart. "Why, I am hardly spoken to now this new queen is come in the way. Well," continued he, "I am gladwehave no sovereign, in whose service we might spend our lives. Our time is our own, and we enjoy it as we like," added he, clapping his wings, and flying off in pursuit of some companion as thoughtless as himself. The next morning he returned very early to the hivein hopes of seeing his old friend, though he did not suppose he would allow him his company for more than a minute.
"We can converse together as we fly," said the Bee, who advanced to meet him, "but I must fetch some honey for her majesty's breakfast; won't you accompany me? we still go on building very fast, and wax is brought in great abundance for that purpose."
"While you are thus employed, I do not expect to have much of your company," said the Butterfly, "and have therefore made an agreement with some of my old acquaintance to take an excursion into the country, and enjoy ourselves there for a few days. The summer is passing quickly away, and our lives, supposing no accident cuts us off, must end with it; we must, therefore, frisk while we may."
"Certainly," replied the Bee, "youwere made for that purpose, and by the time you return I shall probably be more at liberty; we have a great deal to do, but there is likewise a number of hands, all able and willing to assist;" and directing his friend to find out the hive when he came back, he wished him much pleasure, and thus they parted for a short time, the one to play, and the other to work, though both equally pleased with the pursuit they were about to follow.
The Butterfly soon after joined his gayer friends, and sailing high in air, they winged their way, to "range the forest's green retreat."
"These thro' the tangled wood-walks play,"Where no rude urchin paces near,"Where sparely peeps the sultry day,"And light dews freshen all the air."
Thus sported the happy party, uninterruptedly enjoying the live-long day, and resting at night within "the lily's bell!" They skimmed the purple heath, visited the rivers' brink, and each day brought some new pleasure in their view, till at length the weather began to change, a cold wind blew, and there was every appearance of an approaching tempest; and now it was that the Butterfly began to think of his friend the Bee, and of his warm comfortable hive; though he knew he could not be admitted there, he felt that it must be very pleasant to have such an asylum to retreat to. Every one of his fluttering companions were now flying away, each desirous of finding a place of safety for himself, andhestill bent upon returning to his moresteadyfriend, endeavoured to gain the way which led to hisabode, though the wind was now so powerful that he could scarcely bear against it, or see the way he was taking. At this moment a stage-coach passed him, and though he did not know it would convey him from the place he was then in, he was glad to take the shelter it afforded, and flying in at one of the open windows he soon found a resting-place. After recovering from the disorder and confusion the rough wind had put him into, he had time to examine where he was, and noticed two young ladies, and an officer verygayly drest, apparently confined within this very small space.
"What's this?" exclaimed the gentleman; "a Butterfly! we want no such intruders here; ladies, are you alarmed? is the creaturedisagreeable?"
"Let the poor thing alone," said an elderly man, whom the Butterfly hadnot observed before, "it's as free to live as you are; 'tis true we havefrivolityenough in our cargo, but the horses won't feel this addition to it."
"It has taken shelter from the storm," said one of the ladies, not at all regarding what he said; "and if it does not settle onmeit is welcome to remain." The coachman now got off his box, and opening the door, begged to know if there was room for a young woman, who was on the outside.
"It rains hard," said he, "and she will be wet to the skin if she stays there." Instead of answering his enquiry the officer, in a low voice, replied thus: "I say, who is this old fellow in the corner? any one of consequence? hey?"
"Oh bless you, no Sir,hewon't mind her coming in, if you don't."
"Mind her coming? no, I suppose not," replied he, "but the ladies are to be consulted; what say you ladies? have you any objection?" They looked at each other as if hesitating for an answer, which the old gentleman observed, and immediately offered to get out, and let her have his place; at this the whole party seemed rather ashamed, and one of the ladies replied, "Oh dear no! we only thought her clothes might be wet."
"And spoil yours, I suppose?" returned the old gentleman rather roughly, "but I dare say you will have no objection to this young officer's sitting between you, and then she can take his place, and you will be in no danger."
This proposal was readily acceded to, and the young woman came in with many thanks, while the gallant gentlemanseated between the two ladies declared, that "if he did not incommode them he was the happiest man alive, and only wished that they were going to travel hundreds of miles together."
"An enviable situation truly," said the old man, with an air of contempt, and folding his arms, as if preparing to sleep; "I," said one of the ladies, "shall soon be at my journey's end," naming the place at which she was to be set down; "and I," replied the other, "am to go but one mile further."
"Oh! Heavens! and what shall I do then?" returned their admiring beau, "shut up in this place by myself; I shall certainly hang myself if I have an opportunity! what lose such charming companions so soon?" At this the ladies both smiled, and seeing such sort of conversation pleased, he plied themwith it very freely, while the old man slept, or pretended so to do, and the young women looked rather inclined to blush for those of her sex who could receive such flattery.
When one of the ladies left the coach, the other seemed fearful that their complimenting admirer would hurt himself, in straining his neck to look after her, as she ran through the rain to a house which stood at a little distance from the road. On drawing his head in again, he praised her beauty exceedingly, till fearing he should carry his encomiums too high, so as to offend the other, whose countenance already bespoke an approaching gloom; he dissipated the very appearance of it in a moment, by "begging to know if they were not sisters, their likeness to each other was so great?" This had thedesired effect, for though she assured him they were not, yet if her companion was handsome, and they were alike, she must be so likewise. To be handsome is as much as some people desire, thought the Butterfly, on observing her face resume a smile, "no wonder that we Butterflies should wish it." After some more conversation equally foolish, she also arrived at the place of her destination, and the gentleman, not at all regarding his other companions, again deplored the melancholy situation he should be left in.
As soon as the lady was gone, the old gentleman thus addressed him, "Young man, I think you have shown your folly whilst you have been attempting to hoax those women;that'sthe word, is it not?"
"Poor country girls!" replied theofficer, laughing, "how pleased they were; they believed every word I said; they look as if they had never been beyond their own country town, and yet I made one of them think that I supposed she had lived in London all her life."
"And where have you lived?" replied the old man, "to learn that there is any wit in making people appear more ridiculous than they really are?"
"Oh," said the other, "they'll go home and talk of me for days to come; I should not wonder if they expected to see me returning in search of them within a short time, as not being able to live out of their company." The old gentleman then turned to the young woman, who had sat a silent spectator like the Butterfly, and bade her take a lesson from what she had seen and heard, notto believe what was said to her; "youmay perhaps one day or other meet with an idle fellow," continued he "who may think proper to amuse himself by talking thus, but do not you pay so ill a compliment to your own understanding, as to sit with a simper on your countenance at whatever nonsense he maychuse to utter."
The young woman expressed her thanks, while the disconsolate beau sat with his head half out of the window, as if wishing to avoid any farther conversation.
The weather seemed now cleared away, the wind and the rain had ceased, and the Butterfly began to prepare for flight. On seeing this the old gentleman said, "Ah, go, poor harmless creature, I am glad for your sake, and this young woman's, that I have travelled this wayto-day, or neither of you would have been admitted."
Our adventurer would have thanked him if he could, and leaving the window had the pleasure of seeing he was very near the place he wished to be in; he saw some hives at a distance, and among them was his friend's abode, who, on seeing his approach, came to meet him, and to whom the Butterfly, after they had expressed their pleasure at again being together, related the adventures he had met with, particularly the way in which he had been brought back, and many were the moralizing remarks occasioned by the recital of what had passed during his ride.
"The race of human beings must certainly be degenerated," observed the Bee, "since all other creatures were first put under their subjection, and inno other way can I account for the superior conduct, and in many respects the superior wisdom also, of those whom they think so much below them."
The Butterfly then asked in what state of forwardness the new hive was in, and was happy to learn, that during his absence they had nearly completed the building within it, and that his friend was now ready to accompany him on his flights as usual.