name is Jack Christopher."

The dragon-fly smiled.

"Why, little one?" it said, putting on an interested air, though
most condescending.

Maya stammered helplessly:

"Oh, he's such a nice, elegant gentleman, and he's never done
you any harm so far as I know."

The dragon-fly regarded Jack Christopher contemplatively.

"Yes, he _is_ a dear little fellow," it replied tenderly
and--bit Jack's head off.

Maya thought she was losing her senses. For a long time she
couldn't utter a sound. In horror she listened to the munching
and crunching above her as the body of Jack Christopher the
blue-bottle was being dismembered.

"Don't put on so," said the dragon-fly with its mouth full,
chewing. "Your sensitiveness doesn't impress me. Are you bees
any better? What do you do? Evidently you are very young still
and haven't looked about in your own house. When the massacre of
the drones takes place in the summer, the rest of the world is
no less shocked and horrified, and _I_ think with greater
justification."

Maya asked:

"Have you finished up there?" She did not dare to raise her
eyes.

"One leg still left," replied the dragon-fly.

"Do please swallow it. Then I'll answer you," cried Maya, who
knew that the drones in the hive _had_ to be killed off in the
summer, and was provoked by the dragon-fly's stupidity. "But
don't you dare to come a step closer. If you do I'll use my
sting on you."

Little Maya had really lost her temper. It was the first time
she had mentioned her sting and the first time she felt glad
that she possessed the weapon.

The dragon-fly threw her a wicked glance. It had finished its
meal and sat with its head slightly ducked, fixing Maya with its
eyes and looking like a beast of prey about to pounce. The
little bee was quite calm now. Where she got her courage from
she couldn't have told, but she was no longer afraid. She set up
a very fine clear buzzing as she had once heard a sentinel do
when a wasp came near the entrance of the hive.

The dragon-fly said slowly and threateningly:

"Dragon-flies live on the best terms with the nation of bees."

"Very sensible in them," flashed Maya.

"Do you mean to insinuate that I am afraid of you--I of you?"
With a jerk the dragon-fly let go of the rush, which sprang back
into its former position, and flew off with a whirr and sparkle
of its wings, straight down to the surface of the water, where
it made a superb appearance reflected in the mirr