as there, went about singing the deep
disreputable love-songs of the old days--to the scandal of the laying
sisters, who do not think well of drones. These things are, written
in the Book of Queens, which is laid up in the hollow of the Great Ash
Ygdrasil.

After a few days the weather changed again and became glorious. Even the
Oddities would now join the crowd that hung out on the alighting-board,
and would sing of work among the merry, merry blossoms till an untrained
ear might have received it for the hum of a working hive. Yet, in truth,
their store-honey had been eaten long ago. They lived from day to day
on the efforts of the few sound bees, while the Wax-moth fretted and
consumed again their already ruined wax. But the sound bees never
mentioned these matters. They knew, if they did, the Oddities would hold
a meeting and ball them to death.

"Now you see what we have done," said the Wax-moths. "We have created
New Material, a New Convention, a New Type, as we said we would."

"And new possibilities for us," said the laying sisters gratefully. "You
have given us a new life's work, vital and paramount."

"More than that," chanted the Oddities in the sunshine; "you have
created a new heaven and a new earth. Heaven, cloudless and accessible"
(it was a perfect August evening) "and Earth teeming with the merry,
merry blossoms, waiting only our honest toil to turn them all to good.
The--er--Aster, and the Crocus, and the--er--Ladies' Smock in her
season, the Chrysanthemum after her kind, and the Guelder Rose bringing
forth abundantly withal."

"Oh, Holy Hymettus!" said Melissa, awestruck. "I knew they didn't know
how honey was made, but they've forgotten the Order of the Flowers! What
will become of them?"

A Shadow fell across the alighting-board as the Bee Master and his son
came by. The Oddities crawled in and a Voice behind a Veil said: "I've
neglected the old Hive too long. Give me the smoker."

Melissa heard and darted through the gate. "Come, oh come!" she cried.
"It is the destruction the Old Queen foretold. Princess, come!"

"Really, you are too archaic for words," said an Oddity in an alley-way.
"A cloud, I admit, may have crossed the sun; but why hysterics? Above
all, why Princesses so late in the day? Are you aware it's the Hival
Tea-time? Let's sing grace."

Melissa clawed past him with all six legs. Sacharissa had run to what
was left of the fertile brood-comb. "Down and out!" she called across