And the queen-bee came as she spoke:
“Go away,” she said to the bees. “I wish to be alone.”
She stood long, silently, outside the princesses’ rooms.
“You’re lying in there now and sleeping,” she said at last. “Eat and sleep, that’s what you do, from morn till night, and, every day that passes, you grow stronger and fatter. In a few days, you will be full-grown and you will creep out of the cells. Then my time is over. I know it well! I have heard the bees saying among themselves that they want a younger and prettier queen; and then they will drive me away in disgrace. But that I will not submit to. To-morrow, I shall kill them all, so that I can go on reigning till I die.”
Then she went away, but the little grub had heard all that she said.
“Goodness gracious!” she thought. “After all, it’s really a pity for the little princesses. They certainly give themselves airs and they have been nasty to me; but it would be sad, for all that, if the wicked queen killed them. I think I shall tell the old grumbler in the passage.”
Then she began to tap at the door again; and the old head-nurse came running up; but this time she was really angry:
“Now, you had better mind yourself, my good grub!” she said. “You’re the youngest of them all and the noisiest. Next time, I’ll report you to the queen.”
“Ah, but first listen to me,” said the grub; and then she betrayed the queen’s wicked plan.
“Heavens above! Is that true?” cried the old bee and struck her wings together with horror.