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Copyright, 1918, by
GROSSET & DUNLAP

Buster Bumblebee and Chirpy Cricket Have A Chat.Frontispiece—(Page 9)

Contents

Illustrations

When Mrs. Field Mouse moved from her home in Farmer Green's meadow tothe more fashionable neighborhood near the gristmill, she had no ideathat anyone would care to live in the little old house that she hadleft.

So she was much surprised, the following summer, when she heard that anew family was occupying her former home.

"If it's a small family they'll get along[Pg 2] well enough," she remarked toAunt Polly Woodchuck, who had told her the news.

"Small!" Aunt Polly exclaimed, lifting both her hands (with the blackmitts on them) high in the air. "They say it's a dreadful big family—atleast two hundred of 'em, so I've been told."

Well, for a moment Mrs. Field Mouse couldn't say a word, she was soastonished. Then she managed to gasp:

"What's their name?"

"I declare, I can't just remember," said Aunt Polly Woodchuck. "But it'sa name that rhymes withapple tree—though that's not quite it....They're a very musical family, I understand. My nephew, Billy Woodchuck,passed right by their door only yesterday; and he says he heard musicand the sound of dancing from inside the house."

"Two hundred of them dancing in that[Pg 3] little house!" cried Mrs. FieldMouse. "Why, it's positively dangerous! I should think they'd trampleone another."

And Aunt Polly Woodchuck agreed, before she went off towards her homeunder the hill, that there were queer goings-on over there in themeadow.

Later she sent her nephew Billy to tell Mrs. Field Mouse that on her wayhome she had remembered the name of the big family. It wasBumblebee.

"They must be an odd lot," Mrs. Field Mouse remarked to her husband."Farmer Green's meadow is becoming more unfashionable than ever. And Ishall never regret having moved away from there."

So that was Buster Bumblebee's first home—the old house in the meadow.It was true that the Bumblebee family numbered at least two hundredsouls. Nobody knew what the exact count might have[Pg 4] been; for in thedaytime all the members of the family were bustling about, never stayingin one place long enough to be counted. And at night they were all toodrowsy to bother their heads over anything but sleep.

It was true, too, that the Bumblebee family filled their house almost tooverflowing—especially when they began to store away great quantitiesof honey in it. But they never seemed to mind being crowded. And if anyof them wanted more room he had only to go out of doors and get it.

Buster Bumblebee's mother was the head of the whole family. Everybodyalways spoke of her as "the Queen." And she never had to lift her hand,because there were other members of the family that were both ready andeager to do everything for her. She was really quite a fine lady.[Pg 5]

And it was generally understood that her son Buster favored his mother.Certainly he was—like her—very handsome, in his suit of black andyellow velvet. Like his mother, too, he never did a stroke of work. Andalthough everybody said that Buster Bumblebee was a drone, he neverseemed to mind it in the least.

If the summers in Pleasant Valley had been longer perhaps thehoney-makers in Buster Bumblebee's home would have taken a holiday nowand then. But they knew that every day that passed brought cold weatherthat much the nearer. So they never once stopped working—except tosleep at night. And, like Farmer Green himself, they felt that they mustnot waste any of the precious daylight by lying abed late in themorning. They wanted to be up and in the clover field as soon as it waslight.[Pg 7]

Now, with Rusty Wren living right beneath his bedroom window to wake himat dawn, Farmer Green had no trouble in getting up in good season. Butthe Bumblebee family were in no such luck. Even if Rusty Wren had livednear them in the meadow they could scarcely have heard his dawn song,because their home was beneath the surface of the ground, in the oldhouse that had once belonged to Mrs. Field Mouse.

If they could have found an alarm clock somewhere it would have beeneasy for them to rise as early in the morning as they wished. Butlacking a clock of that kind—or any other—they had to find a differentway of waking themselves.

That was why the workers chose one of their number to be a trumpeter.And it was her duty to get up bright and early, at three or fouro'clock, and trumpet[Pg 8] loudly to rouse all the other workers.

How the trumpeter herself managed to awake is something that neverbothered anybody else. It was her business not to oversleep. And sheknew that it would be very unpleasant for her if she failed even once todo her duty.

Now, it was all well enough for the workers to have the morning silencebroken by the blare of trumpeting. They were eager to get up and begintheir day's work. But Buster Bumblebee did not like that arrangement inthe least. He preferred a good, long night's sleep. And since he neverdid any work he thought it was a shame that he should be rudely awakenedin such a fashion.

At home, however, he did not mention his grievance to anyone. But hetalked the matter over with a number of his friends—outside the family.And one and[Pg 9] all agreed that something ought to be done to put a stop tothe trumpeter's noise.

"Why don't you have a pleasant talk with her?" Chirpy Cricket suggested."Perhaps she would be willing to trumpet a little more softly if sheknew that she was disturbing you."

That plan did not quite suit Buster Bumblebee.

"It would be hard to have a pleasant talk with the trumpeter," he said."She's quite likely to lose her temper. And she might sting me if shebecame angry enough."

"Then you must first put her in a good humor," Chirpy Cricket told himcheerfully. "Begin by saying what a good trumpeter she is and tell herthat her hat isvery becoming."

Still Buster Bumblebee was a bit doubtful of the outcome of the scheme.But at[Pg 10] last he agreed to give it a trial. "Though I must say I feelquite nervous," he added. And all Chirpy Cricket's sprightly jokesfailed to make Buster smile.

Yes! At last Buster Bumblebee was worried. Every time he looked at thetrumpeter she seemed in a more peppery temper than ever. Beside her,some of the other workers appeared positively pleasant. But thetrumpeter wore a frown. And what was still worse, she wore no hat.

How, then, was Buster to follow Chirpy Cricket's advice and tell herwhat a becoming hat she was wearing?

"I'll have to think of some other way of making her feel happy—sinceshe's bareheaded," said Buster.[Pg 12]

Now, without thinking what he was doing he had spoken his thought rightout loud. And since he was quite near the trumpeter and staring directlyat her, it was no wonder that she heard what he said.

"Don't be impertinent, young man!" the trumpeter snapped, growingsomewhat red in the face. "I'm sure it's no affair of yours whether Iwear a hat or whether I don't. And if you want to make me happy, I'lltell you the best way in the world."

"Oh! Will you?" cried Buster Bumblebee hopefully. And in his eagernesshe drew even nearer to the trumpeter, who actually smiled at him. Butthere was something in her smile that sent a shiver up and down Buster'sback. It was not at all a pleasant smile.

"If you want to make me happy all you need do is to keep out of mysight," said[Pg 13] the trumpeter rudely. "You're just a lazy,good-for-nothing drone. And for my part, I don't see why you're allowedto stay in our house. If I had my way you'd be driven out into the worldto shift for yourself.... And I know others who say the same."

Upon hearing that disagreeable speech Buster Bumblebee jumped backquickly. He was not angry—but merely disappointed, for he had expectedsomething quite different.

"You—er—you trumpet beautifully," he stammered, remembering that thatwas another remark which Chirpy Cricket had suggested as being likely toput the trumpeter into a pleasant frame of mind.

At that the rude creature laughed most scornfully.

"I'd like to know how you can saythat," she sneered. "You're so lazyand such a[Pg 14] sleepy-head that you never hear me when I wake thehousehold. In fact, I don't believe you would ever wake up enough tocrawl out of bed if you didn't get hungry—and goodness knows you dolove to eat."

"No such thing!" cried Buster Bumblebee.

And happening just at that moment to spy an unusually temptingclover-top close beside him, he lighted upon it and began to suck up itssweet juices.

The trumpeter at once screamed joyfully and pointed a finger straight athim.

"There you go!" she cried. "You have to stop and eat even while you'retalking with a lady! Why, you eat and sleep so much that you don't knowwhat you're doing or saying half the time."

One might naturally think that such a remark would have angered Buster.But he was not one to lose his temper easily.[Pg 15] And he merely looked atthe trumpeter sadly and said:

"Don't speak to me like that! I'm a queen's son. I'm a gentleman."

Buster Bumblebee's announcement that he was a queen's son—and agentleman—seemed to amuse the trumpeter hugely. She held her sides andlaughed uproariously.

"That's nothing!" she said at last. "I'm one myself!"

"One what?" Buster asked her quickly. "You're certainly nogentleman—for you just referred to yourself as a lady not two minutesago. And neither can you be anybody's son, I should think."

"I mean I'm a queen's daughter—though[Pg 17] maybe you didn't know it," thetrumpeter replied.

And Buster Bumblebee answered in a dazed fashion that he had had no ideashe was of royal blood, like himself.

"It's true," the trumpeter assured him. "You'd never guess it; but I'myour own sister."

Well, Buster Bumblebee was so surprised that he almost fell off theclover-head on which he was sitting. It was really a sad blow to be toldthat that disagreeable, vixenish trumpeter, who awakened the workerseach morning, was so closely related to him. But it was no more than hemight have expected, living as he did in a family of more than twohundred souls.

"It's—it's hard to believe," he gasped, shaking his head slowly.

"It certainly is," said the trumpeter. "I[Pg 18] don't understand how my ownbrother can be so lazy as you are."

"It's not that I'm lazy—it's the way my mother brought me up," Busterprotested.

"Our mother, you mean," the trumpeter corrected him. "Maybe you'reright.... After all, you'd only be in everybody's way if you tried towork—you're so awkward and clumsy. So maybe it's just as well for youto play the gentleman—though you must find it a dull life."

"It suits me," said Buster. "But I do wish you could manage to rouse theworkers in the morning without disturbing me." He was bolder, now thathe knew he was talking to his own sister.

The trumpeter pondered for a little time before replying.

"It's my duty to trumpet loudly," she said at last. "The summer is nonetoo long. And there's a great deal of honey[Pg 19] to be made before fall....Have you thought of stuffing your ears with cotton?" she inquired.

"Why, no!" said Buster Bumblebee. "That's a fine plan, I'm sure. AndI'll follow it this very night."

So he thanked his new-found sister and said good-by, for he wanted tolook for some cotton at once.

"Goodness me!" the trumpeter exclaimed as soon as Buster had left her."Here I've wasted a precious quarter of an hour when I should have beenworking." Thereupon she began gathering nectar as fast as she could, andforgot all about Buster Bumblebee and his trouble.

When he left the trumpeter in the clover field, Buster was feeling quitecheerful. Although Chirpy Cricket's advice had been of little use tohim, Buster's talk with the trumpeter had ended pleasantly enough.[Pg 20] Andnow he expected that he would be able to sleep as late as hepleased—with the help of a bit of cotton.

Buster flew fast, as he left the fragrant clover behind him, to hunt forthe cotton that he needed. But he soon paused in his rapid flight andsat down on a sprig of honeysuckle, to think.

He was puzzled. He hadn't the slightest idea where he could find anycotton. So what was the use of hurrying, if he didn't know where he wasgoing?

As Buster sat on the sprig of wild honeysuckle, wondering where to lookfor a bit of cotton with which to stuff his ears, a bird fluttered downand perched upon the old stone wall to which the honeysuckle clung. Thename of the newcomer was Jasper Jay. And Buster Bumblebee was glad tosee him, because he wanted help from somebody and he didn't care who itwas.

"Where could a person get a small piece of cotton?" he asked Jasper Jay.

And Jasper—who would gladly have made a lunch of Buster, had he notbeen[Pg 22] afraid of getting stung—Jasper promptly replied with anotherquestion:

"What do you intend to do with cotton?" He was a very curious fellow,this Jasper Jay.

Buster Bumblebee had no objection to explaining everything to him. Andthen—and only then—was Jasper willing to tell what he knew.

"Cotton—" said he—"cotton grows in fields. I know that much. Andwhat's more, I know it doesn't grow in Pleasant Valley, for I live herethe whole year round and I've never seen any."

That was bad news for Buster.

"What do you advise me to do?" he inquired anxiously.

"Ask my cousin, Mr. Crow," said Jasper Jay instantly. "He's a greattraveller. Spends his winters in the South,he does. And no doubt he[Pg 23]canhelp you."

Buster Thanks Old Mr. Crow For His Advice. (Page 25)

"Where can I find Mr. Crow?" Buster Bumblebee asked.

"I don't know of any better place to look than the cornfield," JasperJay told him.

Luckily Buster knew where the cornfield was. So he started off at onceto find Mr. Crow.

And sure enough! as soon as Buster reached the edge of the cornfield,there was the old gentleman, sitting on the topmost rail of the fenceand looking as if he had just enjoyed an excellent meal.

As soon as he saw that Buster Bumblebee wanted to talk with him, old Mr.Crow was willing enough to listen, for he always liked to know aboutother people's affairs. He kept nodding his head with a wise air whileBuster explained to him how he wished to find some cotton, with which tostuff his ears every night, so that he might not be disturbed when thetrumpeter[Pg 24] aroused the household at three or four o'clock each morning.

"That's a splendid plan," said old Mr. Crow when Buster had finished."An excellent plan—but you may as well forget it, because there's nocotton growing in these parts. Cotton grows in the South, more than athousand miles away. Next winter when I go to the South I might be ableto find some for you, and bring it back with me in the spring. But thatwouldn't help you now."

Buster Bumblebee was quite discouraged. And since he didn't know what todo, he asked Mr. Crow what he would suggest.

"Why don't you set back the hands of the family clock?" the oldgentleman asked. "If you make the clock three or four hours slow thetrumpeter won't trumpet until six or seven or eight o'clock. And I'msure[Pg 25] that's late enough for anybody to get up."

Buster shook his head mournfully.

"We haven't any clock at our house," he explained.

"Then——" said old Mr. Crow, "then, if you want more sleep why don'tyou go to bed earlier? If you went to bed three or four hours beforesunset you wouldn't mind getting up at dawn."

"Hurrah!" Buster shouted. "That's just what I'll do! And I'm certainlymuch obliged to you, Mr. Crow, for helping me."

"Don't mention it," said the old gentleman, looking greatly pleased withhimself.

"I won't tell anybody," Buster promised.

"Oh, I didn't mean that, exactly," Mr. Crow told him hastily. "If youwant to[Pg 26] inform your friends how clever I am, I have no objection, ofcourse."

Then Buster went off, thinking what a kind person old Mr. Crow was. Andthat very afternoon, long before sunset, he curled himself up in anout-of-the-way corner of the house and went to sleep. Everybody was sobusy hurrying in and out in order to finish the day's work that no onenoticed or disturbed him. And when the trumpeter sounded the rising callthe next morning Buster Bumblebee was actually the first one in thehouse to open his eyes and jump up and hasten out to get his breakfast.

All of which only went to prove that old Mr. Crow knew a thing ortwo—and maybe even more.

There had been so much rain early in the summer that even by the middleof August Farmer Green had not been able to finish his haying. His sonJohnnie was sorry, too—because he had to work in the hot hayfieldalmost every day, when he would far rather have gone swimming in themill-pond, under the shade of the great willow.

Sometimes Johnnie rode on the hayrake. And since he liked to drive theold horse Ebenezer, he didn't object to that part of his duties so much.What he hated most was pitching hay with a pitchfork. And[Pg 28] next to that,he disliked going to the spring for a jugful of water.

But those unpleasant tasks were nothing at all compared with whathappened to him one day when he stepped squarely upon the doorway of theBumblebee family's house.

Johnnie's carelessness made the workers angry at once. And several ofthem rushed out and stung Johnnie Green severely.

Thenhe was angry. And he declared he would "fix them"—as soon as hecould think of a good way to do it.

And that very afternoon, while he was bringing the heavy jug from thespring, Johnnie Green thought of a fine plan for punishing the Bumblebeefamily. He liked his plan so well that he could hardly wait to try it;and he went back to the hayfield almost at a run, whereas he usuallysauntered[Pg 29] along so slowly that his father often had to speak to himsomewhat sharply.

But this time Farmer Green could not complain. Johnnie even brought thejug—and the tin cup too—to the knoll in the meadow where his fatherand the hired man were working. And then Farmer Green said:

"How are your stings now?"

"Awful!" Johnnie informed him hopefully.

"Maybe you'd like to stop work for the rest of the day and go swimming,"said Farmer Green, with a wink at the hired man, "unless you're feelingtoo miserable," he added.

"Oh, yes! Oh, no!" cried Johnnie. "My stings aren't too bad for that!"And he started off at once across the field, taking the jug with him.

"I'll leave the jug among the brakes in[Pg 30] the fence-corner," he called,as he trotted away.

Now, Johnnie Green took the jug with him because he needed it. It waspart of his plan for punishing the Bumblebee family. And instead ofgoing straight to the fence-corner, Johnnie made at once for theBumblebee family's front door. As soon as he reached it he poured someof the water out of the jug—but not all of it. Then he put his ear tothe jug's mouth and listened. And he smiled happily—in spite of hisstings—as he heard the roar from inside it.

Buster Bumblebee, hurrying home to go to bed—for he was still followingMr. Crow's plan—Buster noticed Johnnie and wondered what he was doing.But as soon as he went inside the house he forgot all about JohnnieGreen. And when, a few moments later, there was a terrible sound[Pg 31] ofscraping and scratching in the long hall that led to the innermost partof the house, Buster Bumblebee never once thought to mention to anyonethat he had seen Johnnie in the dooryard.

When the workers—as well as Buster Bumblebee—heard the raking,scraping sound in the hall of their house they all stopped what theywere doing and shrilled "An enemy!" And with one accord they rushed forthe front door. They were terribly angry.

Not wishing to miss anything that was going to happen, Buster joined themob and went sailing out into the open meadow. And there, quite close tothe door, stood the queer object that Buster had noticed together withJohnnie Green only a minute before. He wondered now what that[Pg 33] strangething was; for Buster Bumblebee did not know a jug when he saw one. Andneither did the workers, nor any other member of the Bumblebee family.

"That's the enemy!" cried Buster suddenly, pointing to the jug. "It wastalking out of its mouth right into Johnnie Green's ear when I camehome."

Sounding a dreadful battle cry, all the workers turned upon the jug andbuzzed so near it that they couldn't help hearing the same roaring frominside it to which Johnnie Green had listened with so much pleasure.

"Buster's almost right!" several of the workers shouted. "The enemy hashidden inside this thing. And we'll have to go in and sting him."

At that the workers began to pop into the jug, which Johnnie Green hadthoughtfully left uncorked. And Buster Bumblebee,[Pg 34] still eager to seeeverything, hastened to plunge inside the dim jug along with the rest.

It was soon not a dim but a dark jug. For the moment the last angryBumblebee had disappeared inside it Johnnie Green stole quickly up frombehind a haycock and slipped the cork into the mouth of the jug.

Johnnie's face wore a grin of joy. Perhaps he did not stop to realizethat he was breaking up a happy home.

"I've got 'em!" he shouted aloud. And then he shook the jug vigorously,listening with delight to the sound of the splashing water within. Soonhe set the jug behind the sheltering haycock and sat down beside it tomake further plans. It was Johnnie's intention then to drown everythingon the farm that carried a sting—wasps, hornets, honey bees. He wasnot[Pg 35] quite sure about mosquitoes, for he thought they might be hard tocapture in great numbers.

Since he was intending to go swimming, he did not care to waste muchmore of the afternoon by staying in the meadow. So he proceeded to emptythe jug.

It certainlylooked as if the Bumblebee family had met with illfortune. Several dozen workers—and Buster, too—lay limp andwater-soaked upon the ground, when Johnnie Green hurried away to thespring to get more water for his father and the hired man, before hewent to the mill-pond.

But it was not long before the half-drowned Buster and his companionsbegan to stir slightly. Gradually the sun dried their wings and warmedtheir chilled bodies. And one by one they picked themselves up andscurried into their house.

They never knew exactly what had happened.[Pg 36] But the workers agreed uponone point. They decided that somehow the whole trouble had been Buster'sfault—though they couldn't explain in just what way.

Anyhow, after that the workers looked on Buster with more disfavor thanever. They were forever remarking how lazy and stupid he was. And eventhe trumpeter was heard to declare that she was ashamed of him—thoughhewas her own brother.

As far back as Buster Bumblebee could remember, he had heard about theRobber Fly. Even the fiercest fighters among the workers spoke his namewith great awe. And from everything Buster could learn, his family hadgood reason to fear that dreadful enemy.

When Buster first left the house to make excursions to the flower gardenand the clover field he had felt quite uneasy. He half-expected that theRobber Fly would pop out from behind a blossom at any moment and pounceupon him. For the Robber Fly was a bold, bad villain. And[Pg 38] those thatwere so unfortunate as to find themselves caught by him and held fast inhis long, spiny feet had only a very slight chance of getting away fromhim.

No one of the Bumblebee family knew where the Robber Fly lived. But itwas said that he often lurked on the ground, watching for victims. Andwhen he spied one he would fly quickly up with a loud buzz and dart uponthe unfortunate.

He had big, keen eyes which enabled him to see very clearly. And he hadlong, narrow wings which bore him through the air with great swiftness.And he had—worst of all—a sharp, piercing beak which was mostfrightful to gaze upon.

Now, in spite of his name the Robber Fly looked like no fly that wasever seen in Pleasant Valley. Strange as it may seem, in spite of hiscruel beak, his long wings, and his spiny feet, he looked not a[Pg 39] littleas if he might have been a near relation of Buster Bumblebee. Of course,any member of the Bumblebee family would have known at a glance that hewas not one of them. But probably Johnnie Green—if he had noticedhim—would have thought the Robber Fly some sort of bumblebee.

Since this monster was known to appear now and then in the neighborhood,one can easily understand why Buster Bumblebee was a bit timid when hefirst began to venture abroad alone. But as time passed, his dread ofmeeting the Robber Fly gradually faded. Not only had nobody seen theRobber for a long while, but some began to say that they thought he musthave met with an accident, or perhaps he had moved to other parts, andthey didn't believe he would ever be heard of again. And Buster himselfbegan to boast that he wasn't[Pg 40] afraid of the Robber Fly and said that hewas sorry that the Robber had gone away before he had had a chance tosee him.

Buster's mother, the Queen, happened to hear her son make that remarkone day. And she promptly told him that he was a stupid, silly boaster.

"If you knew what happened to your poor father last fall you would neverwant even to hear the Robber Fly's name mentioned again," the Queendeclared, as a shiver—or a shudder—or both—passed up and down herroyal back.

But Buster Bumblebee, being very young and somewhat stupid as well, said"Oh, nonsense!" under his breath, so low that his mother, the Queen,could not hear him.

Though Buster's mother, the Queen, did not hear him when he said "Oh,nonsense!" under his breath, there were others standing near him thatcaught the words. And they were quite indignant that anybody shouldscoff at the Queen like that.

They were workers—those that overheard Buster Bumblebee's remark whenhis mother as much as told him that he had better beware of the wickedRobber Fly. They were workers; and they did not approve of the lazyBuster.

"Let's teach that young loafer a lesson!"[Pg 42] they said to one another(there were three of them). And straightway they began to scheme andplan how they should give Buster Bumblebee a thorough fright, in thehope of making him more respectful to his mother, the Queen.

At least, that is what the workers said. But, as a matter of fact, eachof them had reasons of her own for wanting to scare Buster. Indeed,there wasn't a worker in the house that was not disgusted with hislaziness. And if he hadn't been the son of the Queen they wouldcertainly have driven him out into the wide world long before.

Of course, Buster had no idea of what was afoot. He continued to telleverybody how sorry he was that he had never met the Robber Fly, until afew began to believe that he must be very brave indeed. But they werethose that didn't know him[Pg 43] well. As for the workers, there wasn't onein the Bumblebee household that was deceived by Buster's bold talk. Theyall knew him for the coward he was.

Well, the very next day after Buster's impertinence to his mother aworker called Peevish Peggy stopped and spoke to him as he sat on aclover-head.

"If I were you I wouldn't come near the clover patch," she said. "Youknow the Robber Fly often prowls about on the ground. And it would beeasy for him to catch you on a clover-top, you're so fat and clumsy....Why don't you dine on the hollyhocks in the flower garden? They arehigh, and much safer."

Buster Bumblebee seemed greatly amused.

"Ho, ho!" he laughed—as well as "Ha, ha!" And then he said: "It seemsto me that you are the one that ought to buzz[Pg 44] around the hollyhocks,since you are so nervous about the Robber Fly."

The worker, Peevish Peggy, at once flew into a temper.

"You'd better look out!" she warned Buster. "Once the Robber Fly pounceson you you'll be so frightened you can't even squirm."

"Oh, nonsense!" said Buster.

The quick-tempered worker, Peevish Peggy, looked slyly over her shoulderand nodded slightly.

Buster did not see the form that crept nearer and nearer to him, alittle later. And he was still chuckling to himself when he heard aterrible humming. Then all at once he felt himself seized and held in agrip like iron.

He was sure that the Robber Fly had him at last. And he was toofrightened for anything.

At first, when he found himself in the grip of what he was sure must bethe Robber Fly, Buster Bumblebee was so alarmed that he could not evenscream. But in a moment or two he found his voice. And he shrieked"Help! Help!" in a most frantic tone, hoping that some one would comeand save him.

But nobody came. And Buster expected every instant to feel the cruelbeak of the Robber Fly, when there was a sudden commotion behind hisback. Somebody[Pg 46] else cried out now. And Buster knew the voice, too. Yes!Buster was sure that Peevish Peggy had come to help him. But there wasone thing that puzzled him. Peevish Peggy seemed to be fully asfrightened as Buster himself. At least, her cries sounded as if she werein great terror.

Probably she's afraid the Robber Fly has hurt me, Buster thought. And hereflected that in spite of her sharp tongue Peevish Peggy was morekind-hearted than he had ever dreamed.

The next instant Buster felt himself suddenly released. At the same timesomething swept him off the clover-top; and he barely managed to savehimself from a bad fall.

Somewhere he could hear a loud buzz, as of several angry voices. But hedid not care to show himself enough to find out[Pg 47]what was happening. For the time being he was content to stay snuglyhidden among the thick clover leaves.

Buster Shouted For Everybody to Keep Quiet. (Page 48)

[Pg 48]After a while the uproar ceased. But even then Buster Bumblebee was inno hurry to leave his shelter.

When he did at last reach home he found the whole family much upset.Everybody was talking at once. And in a household of more than twohundred that meant that the noise was almost deafening.

Naturally, Buster Bumblebee wanted to know what was the matter. It was along time, however, before anyone would—or could—listen to him. But atlast he succeeded in getting the ear of the trumpeter.

"Haven't you heard the news?" she asked. "The Robber Fly came to theclover patch to-day. And Peevish Peggy had a very narrow escape. If ithadn't[Pg 49] been for several other workers who happened to be gatheringclover nectar nearby, there's no telling where she would be now."

"Where is she?" Buster inquired.

"Resting in bed," the trumpeter explained. (Even Buster wondered how shecould rest with all that racket in the house!) "She's had a bad fright,poor thing!" the trumpeter added.

Buster Bumblebee suddenly grew much excited. And he climbed up on atable and shouted for everybody to be quiet.

"I don't believe you know about me!" he cried, as soon as the house wasstill. "The Robber Fly attacked me. ButI don't need to go to bed. I'mnot the least bit nervous."

Several of the family near him beganto titter.

And the Queen herself stepped forward[Pg 50] and commanded Buster to hop downfrom the table at once.

He obeyed promptly. But he was quite puzzled. No one seemed to believewhat he said. And it was a long time before he learned what had actuallyhappened. At last a spiteful worker informed him that he had never beenin the clutches of the Robber Fly at all. Peevish Peggy and some of hercompanions had played a trick on Buster—because of his boasting. Shehad seized him when he wasn't looking. And he had screamed so loud thatthe Robber Fly—who happened to be near—had heard him.

Then the Robber Fly had rushed up and seized Peevish Peggy, who hadpromptly let go of Buster Bumblebee.

The worker who told these things to Buster Bumblebee actually laughed inhis face. And Buster was so surprised—and[Pg 51] so crestfallen—that hecouldn't say a word for a long time.

And never again did Buster mention the Robber Fly's name.

Yes! Buster Bumblebee was a drone. He never gathered any nectar from theflowers and brought it home to help swell the family store of honey. Helet the workers of the household do that. And since they nevercomplained, but seemed to enjoy their drudgery, Buster saw no reason whyhe should interfere with the honey-making in any way.

He was content to live a life of ease and pleasure. And never having tobestir himself—never having to hurry or worry—he quickly grew into asomewhat clumsy and blundering young gentleman. And what[Pg 53] was stillworse, this handsome young idler soon gained the name of being none tookeen-witted.Good-natured, but a bit stupid—that was what the fieldand forest folk called Buster Bumblebee.

But bless you!He never bothered his head with what people said. Whenanybody called him a drone he would only laugh. And when some busybodyasked him for pity's sake why didn't he go to work, he would merely grinand reply that he was a queen's son and that queens' sons never didanything except eat a plenty and have a good time.

Well, that must have been an excellent answer, for it seemed to keeppeople quiet. And it made some think that perhaps Buster Bumblebee wasnot quite so dull as he often appeared.

Once, indeed, he had thought it would be fun to help with thehoney-making. So[Pg 54] he stopped one of the workers when she was on her wayhome with a load of nectar.

"Let me help you carry that home!" Buster said.

Now, the workers were all a shrewish lot. They were terriblyshort-tempered—especially if anybody interfered with their work, whichthey loved better than anything else in the world.

"Don't you come near me!" snapped the worker angrily. "Keep away or I'llsting you!" she threatened.

Naturally, a happy, easy-going person like Buster Bumblebee wasn'tlooking for trouble of that sort. So he dodged clumsily out of sightbehind a milkweed; and he made up his mind then that that was the lasttime he would ever have anything to do with one of those testyhoney-makers.

Of course it was a bit difficult to avoid[Pg 55] them entirely in a family oftwo hundred or more, all living together in a medium-sized house. And soBuster Bumblebee decided at last that he would be far happier in someplace that was not so crowded, and where there was no work going on—andno workers.

And so, one fine August day, Buster left the family home, never to setfoot inside it again. But he often passed that way and lingered justoutside the door, to listen to the music and the sound of dancingwithin.

That was the thing that he missed most; for, like all his family, he wasfond of music. And he was forever humming to himself as he sipped nectar fromthe clover-tops or the flowers in Farmer Green's garden.

Buster Listened to Mrs. Ladybug's Suggestion. (Page 56)

After Buster Bumblebee left the old house in the meadow, where Mrs.Field Mouse had once lived, he had no real home. Like that quarrelsomerascal, Peter Mink, he would crawl into any good place that he happenedto find. Sometimes Buster chose a hole in a fence-rail, and sometimes acrack in the side of one of the farm-buildings. He really didn't muchcare where he spent the night, provided it was not too far from theflower garden or the clover field.

Not being one of the worrying kind, Buster was quite contented with hislot.[Pg 57] And it would never have occurred to him to live in any differentstyle had it not been for a remark that little Mrs. Ladybug made to himone day.

"I should think—" she said—"I should think that the son of a queenought to have a house of his own, instead of sleeping—like atramp—where night overtakes him."

Now, Mrs. Ladybug's words did not offend Buster Bumblebee in the least.

"No doubt you know best," he told her. "But how can I build a house?I've never worked in all my life. And I don't intend to begin now."

"Why not get some one to build a house for you?" she asked him.

"I never thought of that!" he cried. "Whom would you suggest?"

"I know the very person!" Mrs. Ladybug told him. "He's a Carpenter Bee;and he lives in the big poplar by the brook.[Pg 58] Perhaps you know him.Johnnie Green calls him Whiteface," she said. "They do say he's a veryskillful workman."

Buster Bumblebee replied that he had never met the Carpenter, but thathe would go and see him at once. So over to the big poplar he flew. Andsoon he was knocking boldly at the door of the Carpenter's house.

Pretty soon a mild-appearing person, who looked not a little like Busterhimself, stepped through the doorway. He wore a white patch across hisfront and his clothes needed brushing sadly, for they showed many marksof sawdust.

"Are you the Carpenter?" Buster Bumblebee inquired.

The mild stranger said he was.

"How would you like to build a house for me?" Busterasked him.[Pg 59]

The Carpenter seemed greatly surprised at the suggestion."I don't think I'd like it very well," he said timidly.

"Why not?" Buster demanded.

"Well, I'm busy building an addition to my house," the Carpenterexplained. "And besides, you're a total stranger. I've never seen youbefore; and we might quarrel if I did any work for you."

"Oh, no!" Buster Bumblebee assured him. "You couldn't quarrel with me,because I'm the most peace-loving person in Pleasant Valley."

"There!" the Carpenter cried. "I knew as soon as I set eyes on you thatwe were bound not to agree.... I've always claimed that there's nopeacefuller person than I am in this whole neighborhood. So here we are,quarreling already!"

"Maybe you're right," Buster said then.[Pg 60] "I'll agree that you like peacemore than I do. But remember! Next to you there's no one that hates afight the way I do—and hates work, too!"

When Buster Bumblebee told Whiteface the Carpenter Bee, that he hated towork that honest artisan stared at his caller in astonishment.

"You're a queer one!" he said at last "But there's something about youthat I can't help liking, though it would be hard for me to say justwhat it is—so please don't ask me!"

"Then you'll make me a house, after all?" Buster cried joyfully.

"I will," the Carpenter promised, "just as soon as I finish the additionI'm building to my own home."

"Good!" said Buster. And wishing the[Pg 62] Carpenter Bee a hastygood-afternoon, he flew off to find little Mrs. Ladybug and tell herthat he was going to have a house of his own, just as she had suggested.

After that the news spread quickly, for Mrs. Ladybug was somewhat of agossip—in a pleasant enough way. Being much interested in herneighbors, she liked to talk about their affairs. And now she toldeveryone that Buster Bumblebee was going to have a fine new house, andthat the Carpenter was going to build it for him.

Naturally, Buster's friends all told him that they were glad to hear ofhis good fortune. And whenever anyone mentioned the matter, Busterpromptly invited him to come to a party that he intended to give as soonas his new home was ready to move into.

"Mrs. Ladybug tells me that I ought to have a house-warming," Busterexplained.[Pg 63] And though some of his neighbors didn't know what he meantby that, they said "Of course!" and tried to look wise.

There was only one thing about the whole affair that annoyed Buster:when people asked him when his new house would be finished he was unableto tell them.

"Well, when is the Carpenter going to start building it?" they wouldask. And he could only reply that as soon as the Carpenter completed theaddition to his own house he had promised to begin to build Buster's.

Now, many people were satisfied with that answer. But there were some(they were the curious ones) that insisted on knowing exactly when thatwould be. And then there was nothing that Buster Bumblebee could doexcept to admit that he didn't know.

"Why don't you find out about it?" asked the most curious person in allPleasant Valley—and that, of course, was old Mr. Crow. "If I were youI'd go to the Carpenter andinsist on his telling me."

So Buster Bumblebee began calling at the Carpenter's house every day.Some days he even went there two or three times. It must have beenannoying for anybody as busy as the Carpenter to be interrupted sooften—and always for the same reason. But he never once thought ofbeing angry—though he did wish that Buster would let him work in peace.

His answer to Buster's question was always the same: "I'm afraid myhouse won't be finished to-morrow."

It is not surprising that the Carpenter's answer failed to satisfyBuster Bumblebee.

"I really must know when my house will be ready!" he cried at last."I've invited all my friends to a house-warming. And how can I have oneunless I have a house to warm?"

The Carpenter slowly shook his head.

"Don't ask me!" he said wearily. "I've enough to trouble me right hereat home without answering any riddles for strangers."

"I suppose you'll get your house finished sometime," Buster ventured.[Pg 65]

"I hope to," said the Carpenter, "though it certainly won't beto-morrow, on account of all the interruptions I'm having to-day."

Now, that honest workman meant his remark to be a hint. But the ideanever occurred to Buster that the Carpenter hadhim in mind, when hementioned interruptions. And Buster went right on talking.

"I'd suggest that you work nights as well as in the daytime," he said.

"I'll think about it," the Carpenter promised. "And now," he added, "nowI must go back to my carpentering—if you'll excuse me."

And before Buster could say another word the Carpenter slipped throughhis doorway and vanished.

"I hope he'll do as I suggested," Buster Bumblebee said to himself, ashe moved aimlessly away from the big poplar where[Pg 66] the Carpenter lived."If I shouldn't get my house until cold weather comes I don't see how Icould have a house-warming; and then all my friends would bedisappointed."

The more he thought about the matter the more disturbed he became, untilat last (on the following day) he felt that he simplymust go back andspeak to the Carpenter again.

Buster noticed, as he drew near to the Carpenter's house once more, thatthere was a crowd in the Carpenter's dooryard. Everybody looked sosorrowful that Buster was sure something dreadful had happened.

"What's the matter?" he asked little Mrs. Ladybug, who was wiping hereyes with a lace pocket-handkerchief.

"It's the Carpenter," she answered, as soon as she could speak. "He'sdisappeared.[Pg 67] And now we've just heard what's become of him. JohnnieGreen caught him yesterday and has made him a prisoner!"

That was bad news indeed—for Buster Bumblebee. He was so sorry that heswallowed hard three or four times before he could say a word. And thenhe began to groan.

"This is terrible!" he moaned at last. And all the Carpenter's neighborsgathered around him and said what a kind-hearted young gentleman he was,but that it was no more than you might expect of a queen's son.

"The Carpenter must have been a dear friend of yours," quavered oldDaddy Longlegs, tottering up to Buster and peering into his face.

"Oh, no!" said Buster Bumblebee. "But he promised to build a house forme as[Pg 68] soon as he had finished working on his own. So his being aprisoner is pretty hard on me. For I've invited all my friends to ahouse-warming and I don't know what to do."

Buster Bumblebee did not stay long in the dooryard of the missingCarpenter. Saying a mournful good-by to the sad company, he flew awaytoward Farmer Green's house. It was there that the Carpenter was aprisoner. And Buster could only hope that he might find some way ofsetting the woodworker free.

Luckily Buster Bumblebee did not have to look long for what he wasseeking. On the porch of the farmhouse he soon discovered a honey box,with glass sides. And whom should he see inside it, sitting on a littleheap of wild rose leaves and looking[Pg 70] forlorn and unhappy—whom shouldBuster see but the Carpenter.

Buster crowded close against the glass and began to call so loud thatthe Carpenter couldn't help hearing him. And then the poor fellow cameand stood on the other side of the glass barrier, as near Buster as hecould get.

"Why don't you come out?" Buster asked.

"How can I?" said the Carpenter. "Don't you see that I'm a prisoner?"

"Yes! But why don't you cut your way out?" Buster Bumblebee asked him.

"Well, I've tried," the Carpenter confessed. "But this glass is so hardthat I can't even dent it."

"But you're a woodworker—not a glass-worker!" exclaimed BusterBumblebee. "And if you're as skillful as people say you are, you oughtto be able to bore a[Pg 71] hole through one of the wooden ends of yourprison."

At that suggestion the Carpenter looked decidedly happier.

"That's so!" he exclaimed. "I wish I had thought of that before."

Of course it was Buster that thought of the plan, then; but he didn'tsay so to the Carpenter. Instead, Buster shouted through the glass:

"Get to work at once! And I'll wait for you."

So the Carpenter began to cut away at an end of the honey box. Butunluckily for him, he had hardly begun his task when Johnnie Green camedancing out upon the porch, followed by two strange boys.

"Here he is!" cried Johnnie, kneeling beside the Carpenter's prison."See him! Do you know what he is?"[Pg 72]

The two strange boys did not wear overalls, like Johnnie Green. But theydid not seem to mind that. They knelt right down beside him in theirspick-and-span velvet suits and stared curiously at the Carpenter.

"He's a bumblebee!" one of them exclaimed. And the other echoedimmediately, "He's a bumblebee!" Being twins, and looking just alike,they always tried to do and say the same things.

Johnnie Green did not tell them their mistake. With an odd smile he slidaside one of the glass doors of the Carpenter's prison and picked thefrightened captive up with his fingers.

"Oh!" cried the two guests. "Won't he sting you?"

"Naw!" said Johnnie Green scornfully. "He won't sting me. He knows me."

For a few minutes the two city boys—for[Pg 73] that is what they were—for afew minutes they watched Johnnie Green expectantly. They seemed to bewaiting for something. And they were. They were waiting for JohnnieGreen to be stung.

But nothing of the sort happened. And soon one of them said:

"I wish I had a pet bumblebee."

"So do I!" said the other twin.

"Do you?" asked Johnnie Green. "Well,—I'll tell you what I'll do. I'llgive you each a honey box. And maybe you can catch some bumblebees, ifyou want to."

Of course, the twins were delighted. And Johnnie Green appeared pleasedtoo. Perhaps he should have told his little friends that his pet was nota bumblebee at all—but a carpenter bee—and that carpenter bees neversting people.

But Johnnie Green did not always do just exactly as he ought to havedone.

The twins—Johnnie Green's guests—each with a honey box in his hand,began at once to hunt for bumblebees. And if Buster Bumblebee had beenwiser he would have flown away at once.

But he had no idea that he would have any trouble dodging aboy—especially a city boy. So he lingered on the porch to see whathappened. As soon as Johnnie Green should put the Carpenter back in hisprison Buster intended to urge him once more to cut his way through thewood—and to freedom.[Pg 75]

Soon Buster had his chance. Again he crowded close to the glass door ofthe Carpenter's cage. And then Johnnie Green's sharp eyes spied him.

"There's one!" said Johnnie Green to one of the twins. And at that theeager youngster pounced quickly on Buster, picked him up gingerly, andpopped him quickly into a prison exactly like the one that held theCarpenter.

"He didn't sting me!" cried Buster's captor proudly, while Johnnie Greenstared at him in astonishment and—it must be confessed—with somedisappointment, too.

Now, Johnnie knew a good many things about the field and forest folk inPleasant Valley. He knew that the Carpenter (or Whiteface, as Johnniecalled him) couldn't sting anybody. But he had always supposed that allbumblebees stung[Pg 76] fiercely. And that was where he was mistaken. It wastrue that Buster's mother, the Queen, could sting when she wanted to.And all those hot-tempered workers who lived with her had stings just ashot as their tempers. But Buster and his brothers (for he had brothers)were not armed with such weapons.

Naturally, the other twin was now more eager than ever to capture abumblebee of his own. And since Johnnie did not want to disappoint aguest he soon suggested that they go over to the clover patch.

"There's a lot of bumblebees over there, always," said Johnnie Greenhopefully.

So Buster had a free ride to the clover field; for his twin insisted ontaking his new pet right along with him.

"Besides, I may want to catch some more like him," he explained.

Looking out through the glass sides of[Pg 77] his prison, which his captorheld tightly in one hand, Buster Bumblebee saw many of his mother'sworkers hovering about the clover-tops, gathering nectar for thehoneycomb at home.

The twins saw the workers, too. They were delighted. And so was JohnnieGreen.

"Take all the bumblebees you want!" said Johnnie. "My father won'tcare."

Both twins grabbed at the same time. They both shrieked at the sametime, too—for each of them felt a sharp pain, as if a red-hot needlehad been run into his finger. And Buster Bumblebee felt himself falling.Then followed a crash of splintering glass. And in another moment Busterwas hurrying away across the clover field.

When he was stung by the worker he had seized, Buster's twin had droppedthe[Pg 78] honey box. And it had fallen squarely upon a rock and broken.

If Buster had not been in such haste to escape he would have heard stillanother shout. For the news spread like wildfire among the workers—thenews that an army of boys had attacked them. And a terrible-temperedrelation of Buster's known as Peppery Polly darted at Johnnie Green andburied her sting deep in the back of that young gentleman's sun-brownedneck.

As for the Carpenter, everybody quite forgot about him. Johnnie and thetwins were too busy putting mud poultices on their wounds, to ease theiraches and pains, to think of the prisoner they had left on the farmhouseporch. It was not until the next day that Johnnie Green remembered hisnew pet. And when he went to see him then the honey box was empty. The[Pg 79]Carpenter had cut a tunnel through the wall of his prison.

Later the Carpenter sent a message to Buster, by little Mrs. Ladybug.

"The Carpenter has lost so much time," she told Buster, "that he thinkshe will never be able to finish the addition to his house. So he saysyou'll have to get somebody else to build your new home for you."

At first Buster was disappointed. But he soon recovered his goodspirits.

"After all, it's just as well," he remarked cheerfully. "I know wherethere's a fine new house right in the clover patch. And I'll move intoit at once."

Of course he meant the honey box which the boy had dropped upon the rockand forgotten. So Buster had his new home without the help of theCarpenter. And all his friends agreed that the house-warming[Pg 80] he gavewas the most successful that ever was known in those parts. It tookplace on the hottest day of the summer. And Buster's house was so warmthat three of his guests almost had sunstrokes—and had to be helpedhome.

"Yes!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "I hear that there's going to be a raising beeat Farmer Green's place to-morrow. And if I were you I should certainlywant to be there."

Being very good-natured, Jimmy Rabbit was always ready to talk toanybody he happened to meet, no matter how small the other person mightbe. And now, while he was nibbling at Farmer Green's lettuce, he hadchanced to glance up and spy Buster Bumblebee, who was buzzing about thetall hollyhocks, which made a sort of hedge where the flower and thevegetable garden met.[Pg 82]

"A raising bee!" Buster Bumblebee exclaimed, when he heard JimmyRabbit's bit of news. "I've never in my life seen that kind of bee—norheard of it, either.... It must be a great curiosity."

"Yes!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "And you ought not to miss seeing this one.I'd like to go over to the farmhouse to-morrow myself—if I had thetime."

"Well, I'm going, anyhow," Buster declared. "And when next I see youI'll tell you all about this strange bee. For all we know now it may benothing but a honey bee that has changed his name."

Jimmy Rabbit only smiled at his small friend. He said nothing atall—though he looked uncommonly wise.

"What time to-morrow can I get a peep at this 'raising bee,' as he callshimself?" Buster Bumblebee inquired.

"You had better plan to reach the farmyard[Pg 83] at nine o'clock sharp,"Jimmy Rabbit advised him.

"How shall I know where to look?" Buster asked him.

"Oh! you'll have no trouble finding the raising bee," Jimmy replied."Just follow the crowd! All of Farmer Green's friends for miles aroundwill be there."

"Is that so?" said Buster. "What are they coming for?"

"Why, they've heard about the raising bee, too," Jimmy told him. "FarmerGreen has invited everybody to come to his house. And there'll be plentyto eat for everyone. No doubt they'll have a dance, too, in theafternoon—just before milking time. Of course they'll all have to gohome in time to milk the cows," Jimmy explained.

"I suppose so," Buster remarked. "And I must say I'm glad that I have nocows,[Pg 84] for it has always seemed to me that they are only a nuisance."

Jimmy Rabbit agreed heartily in that opinion.

"Yes!" Buster Bumblebee continued. "Farmer Green has many strange ways.Now, what's the sense of having a vegetable garden? And yet I understandthat he always plants one over there where you're sitting."

Jimmy Rabbit shook his head.

"I can't quite agree with you," he said quickly, "though I've alwaysclaimed that a flower garden is just a waste of time."

"What a strange notion!" cried Buster Bumblebee. "To my way of thinking,this flower garden is the best thing Farmer Green has—unless it's theclover patch."

Now, some people would have flown into a temper at once on beingdisputed like[Pg 85] that. But Jimmy Rabbit was never known to be angry.

"Billy Woodchuck would agree with you about the clover," he said with achuckle. "You know he's very fond of clover-tops."

"He's a sensible chap," Buster Bumblebee declared. "And speaking ofclover makes me so hungry for some that I'm going to the clover patchthis very minute."

So Buster darted away, calling out as he went that he would meet Jimmyat the hollyhock hedge on the next morning but one.

"I'll tell you all about the raising bee," he promised once more.

And Jimmy Rabbit laughed so heartily that he almost choked over a choicelettuce leaf.

Well, the next day Buster Bumblebee arrived at Farmer Green's place justas the cuckoo clock in the kitchen was striking nine. And he knew atonce that Jimmy Rabbit must have told him the truth about the raisingbee, for the farmyard was crowded with wagons and carryalls and buggiesand gigs. There were people everywhere—so many that Buster thought allthe world must be there. And he began to look about him carefully.

But nowhere could he find what he had come to see. So he asked aruffianly looking wasp where the raising bee was. But[Pg 87] the wasp, who washurrying by, merely glanced at Buster and said, with a frown:

"Follow the crowd!"

Buster remembered then that that was exactly what Jimmy Rabbit had toldhim to do. And now, as he looked all around, he noticed that FarmerGreen was already leading the way to a pile of lumber near the oldcow-barn. Everybody was following him. And a good many small boys beganto shout to nobody in particular, "Hurrah! hurrah! She's going up!"

Buster Bumblebee hastened to overtake the crowd.

"They must mean the raising bee," he said to himself. "And from whatthose boys are saying I gather that it's alady raising bee and she'sgoing to fly for the company."

In his eagerness to see everything that was happening, Buster buzzedvery close[Pg 88] to a good many people. And though most of them paid littleheed to him, there was one boy who slapped at him with his hat—and allbut hit him, too.

After that Buster was more careful. He flew higher. And at last he founda fine seat on a tall sunflower, from which he could view every movethat was made.

Farmer Green's guests—that is, themen, for the women had not leftthe house—the guests all took off their coats and began to arrangethemselves around some huge timbers that lay upon the ground. And agreat shouting arose. Everybody seemed to be talking at once. And thesmall boys were everywhere, chasing one another about and getting ineveryone's way.

Then all was quiet for a few minutes while Farmer Green said somethingto the men. And as soon as he had stopped talking some of the men beganto lift a sort[Pg 89] of framework of wood into the air. When they had raisedit exactly as Farmer Green wanted it other men began to pound about thefoot of it with hammers. But Buster Bumblebee—though he watchedeverything very closely—hadn't the slightest idea what they were doing.

"Hi, there!" he called to old dog Spot. "Where's the raising bee?"

Old Spot promptly looked bewildered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. "I don't knowanything about any bee. And I wish you wouldn't trouble me with yoursilly questions. These men are helping us to build our new barn; and I'mtoo busy to talk to anyone."

Buster Bumblebee was certainly disappointed. And he soon decided thatJimmy Rabbit must have been mistaken. It wasn't the raising bee, afterall, that had brought[Pg 90] all the neighbors together there. They had cometo help Farmer Green with his new barn! Old dog Spot had said so. And heought to know, if anyone did.

In spite of his disappointment at not seeing the raising bee (that newkind of bee that Jimmy Rabbit had told him about) Buster Bumblebeedecided that he would stay at Farmer Green's place and watch the men putup the frame of the new barn. He remembered that Jimmy had said therewould be things to eat afterwards—and maybe a dance, besides.

Although the barn was a big one there were so many people to help thatit was hardly later than midday when the great timbers were all inplace. And then the[Pg 92] men caught up their coats and strolled back to thedooryard. The small boys had all hurried ahead of them as soon as theynoticed that the women and girls were already setting generous dishes ofgoodies upon long tables beneath the shade of the maple trees in frontof the farmhouse.

And when he saw what was going on Buster Bumblebee hastened to the maplegrove too. He intended to taste of every kind of food that was there, inthe hope of finding some dainty that he would like.

So for some time he busied himself buzzing up and down the long table,alighting on heaps of doughnuts and cookies, pies, cakes, bread andbutter, baked beans and ever so many other good things.

But Buster Bumblebee did not find anything that really pleased him untilhe paused at a fat sugar-bowl. Since the sugar was sweet he couldn'thelp liking[Pg 93] that, though it did seem somewhat tasteless to him afterhis feasts among the clover-tops.

"This is the only food here that's worth eating," he remarked tohimself, "though perhaps the cake would not be bad, once a personlearned to like it."

Luckily Buster had time to make a hearty meal off the sugar before ared-cheeked girl shooed him away. And then Farmer Green and all hisfriends sat down at the long tables.

How they did eat! They began with pie. And Buster Bumblebee, flyinglazily above their heads, noticed with amazement the enormous piecesthat disappeared into the mouths of men, women and children. Onemouthful such as they took would have fed him at least a month. Andthere was one boy called Bill who stowed away enough each time his forktraveled to his[Pg 94] mouth to nourish Buster Bumblebee a whole summer.

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

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

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

Before the feast came to an end the boy Bill's face underwent an oddchange. In the beginning it had worn a wide smile.[Pg 95] But at last Bustersaw a look of pain steal over Bill's somewhat besmeared features. Andbeneath his coating of tan he seemed to have grown pale.

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

Then came another groan—and another—and another—and another, untilfinally greedy Bill clapped both his hands across the front of hisjacket and let out a terrific roar.

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

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

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

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

Everybody else seemed to think likewise.[Pg 97] And no one appeared muchworried. At least, all the company fell upon the feast once more. And ina 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 at a table after thegood things had all been eaten off it). And Buster Bumblebee had justmade up his mind that the whole affair was very dull! Yes! he had begunto wish he had not wasted his time at Farmer Green's party, whensuddenly he heard something that sent a tingle all through him.

It was a most delightful sound. And noticing that the people wereleaving the scene of the banquet, Buster again recalled Jimmy Rabbit'sadvice to "follow the crowd." So he found himself shortly[Pg 98] in thecarriage-house, from which everything on wheels had been run outsideinto the farmyard.

At one side of the great square room sat three men, each holding a queerwooden object, upon which he sawed busily without appearing to cutanything. And Buster soon learned that the bewitching sound came fromthe sawing.

"How do you like the music?" said a voice in Buster's ear. He turnedquickly. And he saw then that old dog Spot had followed the crowd tooand was sitting in the doorway, where everyone had to walk around him.He seemed to be enjoying himself. And he kept thumping the floor withhis tail as if he were trying to keep time with the tune.

"The music is beautiful," Buster Bumblebee said in reply to Spot'squestion. "But there's something I don't quite understand.[Pg 99] I've seenmen sawing wood before, but they made no such sound as this."

Old dog Spot couldn't help smiling the least bit.

"Why, those men aren't sawing wood. They'refiddling," he explained;"three fiddlers fiddling upon fiddles.... There's going to be a dance,you know," old dog Spot continued. "And of course nobody cares to dancewithout music."

"Oh, certainly not!" Buster Bumblebee agreed. And he began to be glad hehad come to the farmyard, after all. You see, he was fond of music anddancing. And he thought the music played by the three fiddlers was toowonderful for words.

Soon the floor was crowded with merry people who bowed and scraped toone another and danced breakdowns and cut pigeon-wings and other capers,while Buster Bumblebee flitted gaily about just[Pg 100] above their bobbingheads, trying his best to keep time to the music and wishing that he hadbrought some of his friends along with him to Farmer Green's party.

As for the raising bee, Buster had completely forgotten it. He washaving so much fun at the dance that the real reason for his coming toFarmer Green's place had quite slipped out of his mind.

Of course the dancers at Farmer Green's party had to stop now and thento get their breath. And the fiddlers, too, had to pause in order torest. That is, two of them found it necessary to lay their fiddles asideonce in a while. And it was no wonder; for they had each eaten a wholecustard pie.

But the third fiddler was different. He was a man after BusterBumblebee's own heart. He seemed to love to make music and never tiredof coaxing the jolliest tunes out of his old fiddle that anybody[Pg 102] couldhope to hear.He only laughed when his fellow fiddlers lay back intheir chairs and mopped their red faces. And just to keep the company ingood spirits—and because he couldn't help it—this frolicsome fiddlerwould start right ahead and play something that was sure to set a body'sfeet a-going and make him feel so happy that he would want to shoutright out—good and loud.

Whenever this merry musician played all alone like that Buster Bumblebeestayed close by him in order to hear better. And so it was that Busterat last met with a surprise. He was bobbing about with a great deal ofpleasure to the strains of a lively tune when he heard something thatmade him settle quickly upon a beam above the jolly fiddler's head.

He wanted to sit still and listen. (Somehow he always had to buzz moreor less[Pg 103] when he was flying.) Yes! he wanted to listen closely becausehe was almost certain that he heard the buzzing of a strange bee. Andthe sound seemed to come right out of the fiddle!

From his seat on the beam Buster Bumblebee looked down at the fiddle,upon which the fiddler was scraping away at a great rate; and he noticedthen that there were two openings in it through which a bee might crawlwith the greatest ease.

"That's it!" Buster Bumblebee shouted right out loud. "The bee's insidethe fiddle.... I don't believe the fiddler knows it!" he chuckled.

And then another idea came into Buster's head. He wondered if that beewas not the raising bee, which he had gone to so much trouble to see andwhich he had almost given up finding.

Then, happening to glance about him,[Pg 104] Buster noticed that many of thepeople in the place were smiling at one another and nodding their headswisely, as if to say: "There's the bee! Do you hear him buzz?"

And old dog Spot, who still sat in the doorway, seemed to be smiling,too. Anyhow, his jaws were open so wide that his tongue was hanging outof his mouth.

Feeling very wise himself, Buster Bumblebee bustled over to the doorwayand said to old Spot:

"Do you hear that bee? He's inside the fiddle!"

Then old Spot actually laughed aloud.

"You're mistaken," he replied. "That's the bumblebee in the pumpkin."

"Bumblebee!" Buster cried. "Pardon me—but you are mistaken yourself.That's no bumblebee. No member of my family ever buzzed like that.... Itmust be a raising bee."[Pg 105]

"Perhaps you know best," said old Spot. "But the people here all sayit's a bumblebee—in a pumpkin."

"What pumpkin?" Buster wanted to know.

"Well, that one—I suppose," old dog Spot told him, cocking an eye andan ear towards a big yellow pumpkin, which someone had set on a wideshelf on the wall.

Buster Bumblebee looked at the pumpkin. And then he darted straight toit. If there was a bee of any kind inside it, making that strangebuzzing, he intended to have a good look at him.

Though he alighted right on top of the pumpkin, which stood on the wideshelf in Farmer Green's carriage-house, Buster Bumblebee thought thatthe strange buzzing sound had grown fainter. He was sure that he hadheard it more plainly when he was nearer the merry fiddler.

There was a gouge in the side of the fat pumpkin, into which he peeredcarefully. He even crawled into the small cavity himself. But there wasnothing there. And he decided, after thinking deeply for some time, thatthere could not possibly be a bee inside the pumpkin.[Pg 107]

As soon as he had made up his mind on that point Buster Bumblebeeblustered back to old dog Spot once more.

"You're certainly wrong!" he exclaimed. "There's no bumblebee—nor anyother sort of bee—anywhere near the pumpkin."

"There was one there only a moment ago," old Spot remarked with a slysmile.

"I didn't see him," said Buster Bumblebee, looking much puzzled.

"Well,I did," old Spot replied. "And that proves that I'm right."

Buster Bumblebee could think of no good retort to make at that moment.And since the odd buzzing had stopped, and all three fiddlers weretuning up for more dance music, in his excitement Buster forgot allabout the raising bee again, the bumblebee in the pumpkin, and even hisdispute with old dog Spot.

So the dance went on. And at last, late[Pg 108] in the afternoon, the peoplesuddenly remembered that they had to go home to milk the cows. Then thefiddlers put away their fiddles; for the dance had come to an end. AndBuster Bumblebee was extremely sorry that it was so.

Now, Jimmy Rabbit had agreed to meet Buster at the hollyhock hedgebetween the flower and the vegetable garden, on the morning followingthe great gathering of Farmer Green's friends. At least, that was whatBuster Bumblebee thought.

Unfortunately, however, the matter had slipped entirely from JimmyRabbit's mind. And although Buster went to the meeting-place eachmorning, he failed to find his long-eared friend there.

Luckily it was a pleasant spot in which to wait. So each day Busterbreakfasted upon the flowers. And if it hadn't been for just one thinghe wouldn't have cared[Pg 109] much whether Jimmy Rabbit ever came back to meethim or not. But Buster did want to tell Jimmy Rabbit that he had beenmistaken about the raising bee. Jimmy Rabbit knew so much—he was alwaysexplaining things to people with such a knowing air—that BusterBumblebee thought it would do Jimmy a world of good to understand thatfor once he was wrong.

If Buster had only visited the garden earlier in the morning he wouldhave found Jimmy Rabbit easily enough. But Buster did not like to goabroad much until the sun had had a chance to dry the dew, for it washard for him to fly when his wings were wet.

On the other hand, Jimmy Rabbit usually went to the garden at dawn,because he had an idea that lettuce was crisper and tasted better whilethe cool dew still[Pg 110] clung to it. But at last there came a morning whenJimmy was so late and Buster was so early in reaching the garden thattheir breakfast hours came at the same time.

"Where have you been keeping yourself?" Buster Bumblebee cried, themoment he caught sight of Jimmy Rabbit's ears sticking up from behind ahead of Farmer Green's lettuce. "It's quite plain that you forgot tomeet me, so I might tell you about the raising bee."

At that Jimmy Rabbit promptly replied that he had come there eachmorning.

"Anyhow," he said, "you promised to meet me. And since you haven't metme until now it must be your fault, for you certainly haven't done asyou agreed."[Pg 112]

Buster Bumblebee looked puzzled. He was sure that the fault had not beenhis. But his wits were not so nimble as Jimmy Rabbit's. And he couldthink of no answer at all.

"Well, what do you know about the raising bee?" Jimmy asked him with anencouraging smile.

"You were mistaken about that," Buster told him eagerly. "There wasn'tany raising bee. Farmer Green's neighbors for miles around came to helphim put up the frame of his new barn. And afterwards they enjoyed afeast under the trees—and a dance."

Jimmy Rabbit began to shake in a very strange manner.

"Ho! ho!" he cried in a jolly voice. "You are the one that'smistaken—and not I! You saw a raising bee and didn't know it! FarmerGreen's friendsraised the timbers[Pg 113] for the barn. And that's why it'scalled araising bee. Any helpful, neighborly gathering like that isknown as abee—though you may not be aware of that fact."

Buster Bumblebee stared open-mouthed. He had never suspected such athing. But Jimmy Rabbit said it was so. And there was nothing to do butbelieve him.

"So they had something to eat—and a dance too, eh?" said Jimmy Rabbitpleasantly.

"Yes," said Buster, "and there was a bumblebee in a pumpkin, though Icouldn't see him. But old dog Spot said he did. And I suppose I wasmistaken, for I thought he was inside a fiddle."

And now Jimmy Rabbit was laughing again, holding his sides and shakingso hard that it seemed as if his ears would fall off if he didn't stopsoon.[Pg 114]

"No, you were not mistaken at all!" he cried, as soon as he could speakagain. "That's an old, old tune. My grandfather has hummed it to me manya time. He used to say that there never was another tune just like it."

"What tune?" Buster Bumblebee asked him. "I must say I don't know whatyou're talking about."

"Why,The Bumblebee in the Pumpkin!" Jimmy Rabbit informed him."That's the name of a tune. Every good fiddler knows it. And since thebuzzing sound comes out of the fiddle, the bumblebee must be inside it,of course."

For a moment Buster looked almost peevish. He had intended to take JimmyRabbit down a peg by telling him he had been mistaken. And here wasJimmy Rabbit, explaining every strange thing, just as he always did! Itwas most annoying—so[Pg 115] Buster thought. But all at once a comforting ideapopped into his head.

"Old dog Spot was wrong, wasn't he?" Buster cried.

"He certainly was," Jimmy Rabbit replied.

"Ha! ha!" laughed Buster Bumblebee. "Isn't it odd how stupid some peopleare?"

"It certainly is!" said Jimmy Rabbit. And for some unknown reason helaughed harder than ever before.

But Buster Bumblebee did not mind that in the least. He thought thatJimmy Rabbit was making game of old dog Spot.

THE END

SLEEPY-TIME TALES
(Trademark Registered.)
By ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
AUTHOR OF THE
TUCK-ME-IN TALES and SLUMBER-TIME TALES
Colored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by HARRY L. SMITH

This series of animal stories for children from three to eight years,tells of the adventures of the four-footed creatures of our Americanwoods and fields in an amusing way, which delights small two-footedhuman beings.

THE TALE OF CUFFY BEAR
THE TALE OF FRISKY SQUIRREL
THE TALE OF TOMMY FOX
THE TALE OF FATTY COON
THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK
THE TALE OF JIMMY RABBIT
THE TALE OF PETER MINK
THE TALE OF SANDY CHIPMUNK
THE TALE OF BROWNIE BEAVER
THE TALE OF PADDY MUSKRAT
THE TALE OF FERDINAND FROG
THE TALE OF DICKIE DEER MOUSE
THE TALE OF TIMOTHY TURTLE
THE TALE OF BENNY BADGER
THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY
THE TALE OF GRUMPY WEASEL
THE TALE OF GRANDFATHER MOLE
THE TALE OF MASTER MEADOW MOUSE

Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York.

TUCK-ME-IN TALES
(Trademark Registered.)
By ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
AUTHOR OF THE
SLEEPY-TIME TALES and SLUMBER-TIME TALES
Colored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by HARRY L. SMITH

A delightful and unusual series of bird and insect stories for boys andgirls from three to eight years old, or thereabouts.

THE TALE OF JOLLY ROBIN

Jolly Robin spreads happiness everywhere with his merry song.

THE TALE OF OLD MR. CROW

A wise bird was Mr. Crow. He'd laugh when any one tried to catch him.

THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL

Solomon Owl looked so solemn that many people thought he kneweverything.

THE TALE OF JASPER JAY

Jasper Jay was very mischievous. But many of his neighbors liked him.

THE TALE OF RUSTY WREN

Rusty Wren fought bravely to keep all strangers out of his house.

THE TALE OF DADDY LONG-LEGS

Daddy Long-Legs could point in all directions at once—with hisdifferent legs.

THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID

He was a musical person and chanted all night during the autumn.

THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY

Betsy spent most of her time among the flowers.

THE TALE OF BUSTER BUMBLEBEE

Buster was clumsy and blundering, but was known far and wide.

THE TALE OF FREDDIE FIREFLY

Freddie had great sport dancing in the meadow and flashing his light.

THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK

Bobby had a wonderful voice and loved to sing.

THE TALE OF CHIRPY CRICKET

Chirpy loved to stroll about after dark and "chirp."

THE TALE OF MRS. LADYBUG

Mrs. Ladybug loved to find out what her neighbors were doing and to givethem advice.

Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York.