14-the bee-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





THE　BEE






It　was　Maeterlinck　who　introduced　me　to　the　bee。　　I　mean；　in

the　psychical　and　in　the　poetical　way。　　I　had　had　a　business

introduction　earlier。　　It　was　when　I　was　a　boy。　　It　is　strange

that　I　should　remember　a　formality　like　that　so　long；　it　must　be

nearly　sixty　years。



Bee　scientists　always　speak　of　the　bee　as　she。　　It　is

because　all　the　important　bees　are　of　that　sex。　　In　the　hive

there　is　one　married　bee；　called　the　queen；　she　has　fifty

thousand　children；　of　these；　about　one　hundred　are　sons；　the　rest

are　daughters。　　Some　of　the　daughters　are　young　maids；　some　are

old　maids；　and　all　are　virgins　and　remain　so。



Every　spring　the　queen　comes　out　of　the　hive　and　flies　away

with　one　of　her　sons　and　marries　him。　　The　honeymoon　lasts　only

an　hour　or　two；　then　the　queen　divorces　her　husband　and　returns

home　competent　to　lay　two　million　eggs。　　This　will　be　enough　to

last　the　year；　but　not　more　than　enough；　because　hundreds　of　bees

are　drowned　every　day；　and　other　hundreds　are　eaten　by　birds；　and

it　is　the　queen's　business　to　keep　the　population　up　to　standard

say；　fifty　thousand。　　She　must　always　have　that　many　children

on　hand　and　efficient　during　the　busy　season；　which　is　summer；　or

winter　would　catch　the　community　short　of　food。　　She　lays　from

two　thousand　to　three　thousand　eggs　a　day；　according　to　the

demand；　and　she　must　exercise　judgment；　and　not　lay　more　than　are

needed　in　a　slim　flower…harvest；　nor　fewer　than　are　required　in　a

prodigal　one；　or　the　board　of　directors　will　dethrone　her　and

elect　a　queen　that　has　more　sense。



There　are　always　a　few　royal　heirs　in　stock　and　ready　to

take　her　placeready　and　more　than　anxious　to　do　it；　although

she　is　their　own　mother。　　These　girls　are　kept　by　themselves；　and

are　regally　fed　and　tended　from　birth。　　No　other　bees　get　such

fine　food　as　they　get；　or　live　such　a　high　and　luxurious　life。

By　consequence　they　are　larger　and　longer　and　sleeker　than　their

working　sisters。　　And　they　have　a　curved　sting；　shaped　like　a

scimitar；　while　the　others　have　a　straight　one。



A　common　bee　will　sting　any　one　or　anybody；　but　a　royalty

stings　royalties　only。　　A　common　bee　will　sting　and　kill　another

common　bee；　for　cause；　but　when　it　is　necessary　to　kill　the　queen

other　ways　are　employed。　　When　a　queen　has　grown　old　and　slack

and　does　not　lay　eggs　enough　one　of　her　royal　daughters　is

allowed　to　come　to　attack　her；　the　rest　of　the　bees　looking　on　at

the　duel　and　seeing　fair　play。　　It　is　a　duel　with　the　curved

stings。　　If　one　of　the　fighters　gets　hard　pressed　and　gives　it　up

and　runs；　she　is　brought　back　and　must　try　againonce；　maybe

twice；　then；　if　she　runs　yet　once　more　for　her　life；　judicial

death　is　her　portion；　her　children　pack　themselves　into　a　ball

around　her　person　and　hold　her　in　that　compact　grip　two　or　three

days；　until　she　starves　to　death　or　is　suffocated。　　Meantime　the

victor　bee　is　receiving　royal　honors　and　performing　the　one　royal

functionlaying　eggs。



As　regards　the　ethics　of　the　judicial　assassination　of　the

queen；　that　is　a　matter　of　politics；　and　will　be　discussed　later；

in　its　proper　place。



During　substantially　the　whole　of　her　short　life　of　five　or

six　years　the　queen　lives　in　Egyptian　darkness　and　stately

seclusion　of　the　royal　apartments；　with　none　about　her　but

plebeian　servants；　who　give　her　empty　lip…affection　in　place　of

the　love　which　her　heart　hungers　for；　who　spy　upon　her　in　the

interest　of　her　waiting　heirs；　and　report　and　exaggerate　her

defects　and　deficiencies　to　them；　who　fawn　upon　her　and　flatter

her　to　her　face　and　slander　her　behind　her　back；　who　grovel

before　her　in　the　day　of　her　power　and　forsake　her　in　her　age　and

weakness。　　There　she　sits；　friendless；　upon　her　throne　through

the　long　night　of　her　life；　cut　off　from　the　consoling　sympathies

and　sweet　companionship　and　loving　endearments　which　she　craves；

by　the　gilded　barriers　of　her　awful　rank；　a　forlorn　exile　in　her

own　house　and　home；　weary　object　of　formal　ceremonies　and

machine…made　worship；　winged　child　of　the　sun；　native　to　the　free

air　and　the　blue　skies　and　the　flowery　fields；　doomed　by　the

splendid　accident　of　her　birth　to　trade　this　priceless　heritage

for　a　black　captivity；　a　tinsel　grandeur；　and　a　loveless　life；

with　shame　and　insult　at　the　end　and　a　cruel　deathand　condemned

by　the　human　instinct　in　her　to　hold　the　bargain　valuable！



Huber；　Lubbock；　Maeterlinckin　fact；　all　the　great

authoritiesare　agreed　in　denying　that　the　bee　is　a　member　of

the　human　family。　　I　do　not　know　why　they　have　done　this；　but　I

think　it　is　from　dishonest　motives。　　Why；　the　innumerable　facts

brought　to　light　by　their　own　painstaking　and　exhaustive

experiments　prove　that　if　there　is　a　master　fool　in　the　world；　it

is　the　bee。　　That　seems　to　settle　it。



But　that　is　the　way　of　the　scientist。　　He　will　spend　thirty

years　in　building　up　a　mountain　range　of　facts　with　the　intent　to

prove　a　certain　theory；　then　he　is　so　happy　in　his　achievement

that　as　a　rule　he　overlooks　the　main　chief　fact　of　allthat　his

accumulation　proves　an　entirely　different　thing。　　When　you　point

out　this　miscarriage　to　him　he　does　not　answer　your　letters；　when

you　call　to　convince　him；　the　servant　prevaricates　and　you　do　not

get　in。　　Scientists　have　odious　manners；　except　when　you　prop　up

their　theory；　then　you　can　borrow　money　of　them。



To　be　strictly　fair；　I　will　concede　that　now　and　then　one　of

them　will　answer　your　letter；　but　when　they　do　they　avoid　the

issueyou　cannot　pin　them　down。　　When　I　discovered　that　the　bee

was　human　I　wrote　about　it　to　all　those　scientists　whom　I　have

just　mentioned。　　For　evasions；　I　have　seen　nothing　to　equal　the

answers　I　got。



After　the　queen；　the　personage　next　in　importance　in　the

hive　is　the　virgin。　　The　virgins　are　fifty　thousand　or　one

hundred　thousand　in　number；　and　they　are　the　workers；　the

laborers。　　No　work　is　done；　in　the　hive　or　out　of　it；　save　by

them。　　The　males　do　not　work；　the　queen　does　no　work；　unless

laying　eggs　is　work；　but　it　does　not　seem　so　to　me。　　There　are

only　two　million　of　them；　anyway；　and　all　of　five　months　to

finish　the　contract　in。　　The　distribution　of　work　in　a　hive　is　as

cleverly　and　elaborately　specialized　as　it　is　in　a　vast　American

machine…shop　or　factory。　　A　bee　that　has　been　trained　to　one　of

the　many　and　various　industries　of　the　concern　doesn't　know　how

to　exercise　any　other；　and　would　be　offended　if　asked　to　take　a

hand　in　anything　outside　of　her　profession。　　She　is　as　human　as　a

cook；　and　if　you　should　ask　the　cook　to　wait　on　the　table；　you

know　what　will　happen。　　Cooks　will　play　the　piano　if　you　like；

but　they　draw　the　line　there。　　In　my　time　I　have　asked　a　cook　to

chop　wood；　and　I　know　about　these　things。　　Even　the　hired　girl

has　her　frontiers；　true；　they　are　vague；　they　are　ill…defined；

even　flexible；　but　they　are　there。　　This　is　not　conjecture；　it　is

founded　on　the　absolute。　　And　then　the　butler。　　You　ask　the

butler　to　wash　the　dog。　　It　is　just　as　I　say；　there　is　much　to　be

learned　in　these　ways；　without　going　to　books。　　Books　are　very　well；

but　books　do　not　cover　the　whole　domain　of　esthetic　human　culture。

Pride　of　profession　is　one　of　the　boniest　bones　in　existence；

if　not　the　boniest。　　Without　doubt　it　is　so　in　the　hive。