yourself your original form, and when you have done that, I will get
some of the learned masters of my art to restore you to it. It will
be easy enough to do that, but you could not expect them to take the
time and trouble to find out what it was."

And, with these words, he hurried away, and was soon lost to view.

Greatly disquieted, the Bee-man retraced his steps, and went to his
hut. Never before had he heard any thing which had so troubled him.

"I wonder what I was transformed from?" he thought, seating himself
on his rough bench. "Could it have been a giant, or a powerful
prince, or some gorgeous being whom the magicians or the fairies
wished to punish? It may be that I was a dog or a horse, or perhaps a
fiery dragon or a horrid snake. I hope it was not one of these. But,
whatever it was, every one has certainly a right to his original
form, and I am resolved to find out mine. I will start early
to-morrow morning, and I am sorry now that I have not more pockets to
my old doublet, so that I might carry more bees and more honey for my
journey."

He spent the rest of the day in making a hive of twigs and straw,
and, having transferred to this a number of honey-combs and a colony
of bees which had just swarmed, he rose before sunrise the next day,
and having put on his leathern doublet, and having bound his new hive
to his back, he set forth on his quest; the bees who were to
accompany him buzzing around him like a cloud.

As the Bee-man passed through the little village the people greatly
wondered at his queer appearance, with the hive upon his back. "The