The Bear And The Bees

Summary

In this short narrative, a Bear searching for food stumbles upon a fallen tree where a group of Bees has stored their honey. As the Bear investigates the tree, one Bee, returning from a nearby clover field, perceives the Bear's intentions and stings him to defend the hive, then retreats into the tree. This provokes the Bear's anger, leading him to attack the nest in an attempt to destroy it. This action, however, triggers the emergence of the entire swarm, forcing the Bear to retreat and seek refuge in a nearby pool of water to escape the Bees. The story illustrates themes of curiosity, consequences of impulsive actions, and the unintended escalation of conflicts.

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A Bear roaming the woods in search of berries happened on a fallen tree in which a swarm of Bees had stored their honey. The Bear began to nose around the log very carefully to find out if the Bees were at home. Just then one of the swarm came home from the clover field with a load of sweets. Guessing what the Bear was after, the Bee flew at him, stung him sharply and then disappeared into the hollow log.

The Bear lost his temper in an instant, and sprang upon the log tooth and claw, to destroy the nest. But this only brought out the whole swarm. The poor Bear had to take to his heels, and he was able to save himself only by diving into a pool of water.

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