"Who holdeth back the passing soul?"
And the voice of the dark bird replied:
"Her anger, for she hath not submitted to her trials, but held herself rebellious; therefore do I draw her down."
And the voice from high paradise called out, saying:
"Is there none to come to her succor, lest she be brought to her destruction?"
And a bee humming on the hillside, hearing the voice, flew upward and stung the evil bird so it fell away into the darkness and was seen no more.
And the voice from the heavens cried again, saying:
"Who hath let the little soul go free?"
And the bee answered:
"Her gentleness, for she loveth all things, great and small, and hath fed the honey-bee when the earth refused him its sweets."