“She ain’ know nuthin’ ’bout hit, ’caze Miss Queen Bee’s chillun dat gits sick er hurted doan nuv’r come home. Nor, suh, dey g’long off an’ die by derse’f.”
“I don’t want ’em to go off. I want all of them to sleep with their mama till they get well;” Mary Van nudged the old woman’s knee, “make ’em go and tell their mama wherebouts they hurt.”
“No, mam, Miss Queen say she ain’ got no time ter nuss nobody, ’caze Mist’r Rattlesnake crawlin’ ’roun’ her gum right now, an’ she gittin’ pow’ful nervious. She know Mist’r Rattlesnake know how rich wid honey she is, an’ Rattlesnake know her boys comes home wid der pockits full ev’y trip. Ole Grab-All Spider know hit, too, an’ he crope up on de uth’r side er de gum ter ketch de Bee boys whin dey lights. Whin Miss Queen see Mist’r Rattlesnake an’ ole Grab-All Spider settin’ ’long side er her do’, she sen’ Buzzy Drone Bee ter tell de fightin’ squad ter git reddy ter fight ergin whin dey heahs de war holl’r.”
“Why didn’t she ask Mister Man to help her?” Willis stood up and leaned against her knee.
“Miss Queen ain’ gwine ax nobody ter hope her do nuthin’. She fixin’ ter have er set’lement herse’f, but jes’ es she fixin’ ter git reddy, Mist’r Rattlesnake an’ ole Grab-All Spider start ter gobblin’ de Bee boys es dey lights.”
“Please, Mammy, make ’em stop!” Mary Van was up tugging at Phyllis’ shoulder. “Quick, Mammy, before they eat any more!”
“Lawd, chillun, Miss Queen so mis’erbul ’bout dem chillun, she plum crazy by now—she tell her chillun ter light out fum dar an’ sting ev’y thing dey kin git on, an’ dey does hit, too, fer de Bizzy Bees allus tends to dey biznes’.”
“They stung old Grab-All and old Rattlesnake first, didn’t they?” Willis was half in her lap.
“No, suh, whin Grab-All an’ Rattlesnake seen de blood in Miss Queen’s eye, dey lit out fum dar, an’ de Bizzy Bees come down on Jack Donkey. Jack he had jump de fence an’ come up in de upper lot ter git er lit’le watermillon rine he seen by de back porch, an’ I tell yer he kick out consid’rble whin dem bees drap derse’fs on him. He tak’n out fur de stable ter git Brer Dur’am Cow ter rake de bees off’n him,—ev’y one Brer Dur’am rake, light on his own se’f an’ ’tain’ long ’fo’ him an’ Jack takes out fur Mist’r Man’s, an’ ax him fur de Lawd’s sake ter cl’ar ’em uv de bees. Mist’r Man’s old lady, an’ de lit’le boy come out ter see whut ail de beastes, an’ I tell yer de bees start dem ter holl’rin’ an’ dancin’,—An’ Polly Parrit, she come out ter git de news, an’ I tell yer de ole lady git in de hottes’ part er de fracus, too.”
“Did they sting Mister Man’s little boy much?” Mary Van pushed Willis, who was dancing all around Phyllis, out of her way. “Sit down, Willis.”