hem."

Piccolissima meant to do this as soon as she had courage. Meanwhile,
she rubbed in her fingers the dust of the lily, yellowed the end of
her nose in smelling of it, her lips in tasting of it, still without
finding in it the consistency of wax, or the taste of honey.

"How do the flies do it?" said she. "I have tasted at the bottom of
the tube of a honeysuckle, or of a jasmine, something more like
honey than this powder." While speaking, she was going to her bread
and honey, when she perceived some one had got the start of her. A
number of bees were on the edge of it, and were so busily employed
that Piccolissima had an opportunity of examining them closely
without fear of disturbing them. It was a pleasure to see them. From
under their chins protruded, as far as their teeth, a little case
of shell, opening with two little leaves, whence projected a second
little case, polished and shining, half open, from which was thrust
a transparent tongue, covered with hairs. This tongue was stretched
out and plunged into the honey, and was then moved round and round
and soaked in it; soon it was contracted, and now again it became
larger; the insect seemed to enjoy all these various movements.
Through the hairs and the opening pores, Piccolissima saw the liquid
ascend; and between the teeth of the bee, above its admirable trunk,
she saw a pretty large mouth open to receive the honey.

The little observer was willing to give up all her breakfast to the
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