[Illustration: Three bee-hives; wooden boxes about two feet square and four
feet high, with a sloped roof.]

3. They are very wise and busy little creatures. They all join together to
build cells of wax for their honey.

4. Each bee takes its proper place, and does its own work. Some go out and
gather honey from the flowers; others stay at home and work inside the
hive.

5. The cells which they build, are all of one shape and size, and no room
is left between them.

6. The cells are not round, but have six sides. 7. Did you ever look into
a glass hive to see the bees while at work? It is pleasant to see how busy
they always are.

8. But the drones do not work. Before winter comes, all the drones are
driven from the hive or killed, that they may not eat the honey which they
did not gather.

9. It is not quite safe for children to handle bees. They have sharp
stings that they know well how to use in their defense.



SLATE WORK.

[Illustration: Script Exercise: