little winged gormand for the sake of the satisfaction she received
from seeing how he managed to eat.

"Do not let all your honey be swallowed by those greedy flies," said
Linette, who was the economist of the family.

"O, it is only just that they should have part, if they have made
it," said Piccolissima, still watching them. "These are larger than
those other bees who carry away the golden powder. Are they not
satisfied? How their antennae come down! Does it not seem as if they
were tasting thus the perfume of the honey which their wonderful
trunks draw up?"

"They are just the same flies; they belong to our neighbor Thomas;
one is not larger than another. I have seen them ever since I was
born. I don't see any thing wonderful in them," said Linette. "It is
because you are so little that you are astonished at every thing."

"O Linette, it is true that every thing I see seems to me every day
more curious. All that I look at seems to grow more wonderful and
beautiful as I look at it; but surely these flies that are eating my
breakfast are larger than those that are opening the boxes of
sweetmeats in the flowers. Ah, look! there is one still bigger than
the others, so funny, so hairy, so cross, and he scolds and hums all
around this sweet pea."

"That is a drone; we must chase him away; he is good for nothing; he
never makes any honey." And Linette drove away the shaggy drone bee.

Just at this moment, the greedy flies who were eating the honey, and