Mee-ko and understood exactly what had happened. He flew a little way
after the thieving squirrel. Then he came back and lit on the highest
branch of the apple tree and began to sing. "Te rill, te roo, I thank
you; te rill, te roo, I thank you," the little boy thought he said.

Little Luke went over to the fence. In a bush beside the fence there was
a big spider's web. Old Mrs. Ik-to the Black Spider had built the web as
a trap to catch flies in. But this time there was something besides a
fly in the trap. Ah-mo the Honey Bee had blundered, into the web and was
trying hard to get away.

Old Mrs. Ik-to was greatly excited. She was not sure whether she wanted
bee meat for dinner or not. She knew very well that bees are stronger
than flies and that they carry a dreadful spear with a poisoned point.

Mrs. Ik-to ran down her web a little way, then she stopped and shook it.
Ah-mo the Honey Bee was not so much entangled by the web that he could
not sting and the old spider knew that. So she ran back again to one
corner of the web.

Little Luke stood and watched poor Ah-mo for a moment. Then he took a
twig from the bush and set him free. Ah-mo rubbed himself all over with
his legs and tried his wings carefully to see if they were sound. Then
he flew up from the ground and buzzed three times round little Luke's
head.

The little boy was not afraid. He knew that bees never sting anyone who
does not hurt or frighten them, and besides, he thought the buzzing had
a friendly sound to it. It seemed to him as if Ah-mo was trying to say,
"Thank you, little boy, thank you," as well as he could.