ILLUSTRATED
LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK
NEW YORK: THE PLATT & PECK CO.
TO
MY TWO LITTLE FRIENDS
ANNIE AND KATIE
THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
ABOUT THIS BOOK
DEAR ANNIE AND KATIE,—When I was a little boy I often wished that my soldiers would come to life. I used to think how grand it would be if only I could have a city of little people on the dining-room table. Of course my dreams never came true, even though one day I had a brilliant idea, and wrapped a whole regiment of soldiers in flannel and put them in the oven, hoping that in this way I should find them really alive next morning!
But nowadays I have a wonderful city of tiny workers, that can be put on a table. In it there are soldiers, food gatherers, bread-makers, undertakers, and a host of others. It is ruled over by a queen, and each day the gates of the city are crowded with the workers, who pass in and out in hundreds.
Have you guessed that my wonderful city is really a bee-hive? Although I cannot command my little friends to do this thing or that, to come here or go there, yet I am quite content to leave them to their own ways, and just to watch them in their daily life, and to study their customs and laws.
In this little book I intend to tell you something about my bees. I hope that you will be interested to read what I have written, and then perhaps, later on, when you grow up, you may keep bees, and you will be able to study their wonderful ways for yourselves.
I am sure you will join me in giving our best thanks to my friends who have so kindly helped me in the preparation of some of the pictures: to Mr. W. Barker, Mr. D. Ingham, Mr. H. Mackie, Mr. G. W. Stephenson; and to Mr. J. Lambert for permission to use Plates Nos. XIV., XV., XXVII., XXIX. and XXX.