*BZZZ* Hello. My name is Hymettus. I am descended from an ancient line of the first honeybees. I was named for one of my ancestors, Hymetta – a queen in her day. Even though she lived long ago, she is still remembered among all bees for her actions. My mother first told the story to my brothers and sisters and me early in my childhood, and has repeated it many times since.
Long ago, when Queen Hymetta was not yet a queen, the lives of bees were much harder than they are now. Working all hours of the day, the hive was constantly *BZZ*ing. That really hasn’t changed much, but the rewards were much less back then. In the mountainous area where her hive resided, there were few flowers, so they often had to fly long distances for a field to get their nectar. These long distances were dangerous, for all sorts of animals could see or even hear us and follow us back to the hive. When the bees would finally return and spin the nectar into golden honey, they often had to worry about all of those nosey creatures that love to track us bees. Some were small like us, such as the wasps, but others were large and scary. One terrible beast is a giant! Big, brown, hairy giants with sharp claws and a fearsome roar! Oh, how they love their honey! Every time a giant would attack, the hive would be destroyed, and all of the hard work eaten. It was tough to rebuild the hive, especially with the loss of *BZZZ* bee lives.
There is only one worse monster. Not as big or as hairy as the giant, but one far worse, for they are cunning. Even today, they are dangerous, for they can remember where the hive is, and they come bearing sticks. They come to take all of the honey, leaving none for us. When we finally rebuild and make more honey, they do it again. Today, we can try to defend ourselves and our honey with our stingers, but back then, my ancestors could not. Because of this, the bees were starting to starve, and this is when my ancestor, Queen Hymetta, flew high to help her *BZZ* bees. She was known far and wide for making the best honey in all the heavens and the Earth. She had heard rumors that God favored this delectable treat above all, and that he had even tasted and loved hers by way of stolen honey from the not-quite-giants. It was this news that gave her the idea and the courage to travel to this God, and make him a deal to save the bees.
She spent days flying all over to the sweetest flowers she knew, gathering as much nectar as she could hold. She worked tirelessly day and night to create the perfect blend of nectars to create the sweetest, lushest, most delectable honey she could craft. She then attempted to carry this honey to God. No bee had ever been to God before, for he resided above the clouds, and that was too far for any bee to go. But Queen Hymetta was determined, and she could not let any obstacle stand in her way. She slowly, but surely, made her way high into the mountains. She was the wisest of bees and knew she would have to take breaks if she ever hoped to make it above the clouds. She flew up beside the highest peak, resting on a ledge even when she did not feel tired so that she would remain well rested. The sun went down, but she persevered. Hours and hours she continued up the peak. When at last the sun was beginning to rise again, she could see the light reflect through the clouds, and she was almost there! She *BZZ*ed her way up the last little bit, and when she reached the clouds, daring to go where no bee had gone before, she closed her eyes and shot up through the clouds and above the mountains! There, she finally reached God. She was nervous as she approached, but He smiled when He saw the honey, and she smiled in relief. She offered Him the honey and He gleefully took it. He poured the liquid gold straight into his mouth and drank ever last drop.
“Not since the meats of Abel have I tasted something so exquisite, so heavenly!” He exclaimed.
“I am so very glad that you like it! I worked hard to make it especially for you!” the queen bee replied.
“I am pleased to hear of such reverence! For your devotion, I shall grant you whatever your heart desires!” He offered.
This was what she had been hoping for, and she couldn’t have been more excited! “Please, God,” she continued, “grant us bees stingers, so that we may smite those who try to steal our honey!”
God was displeased to hear this. All creatures of the Earth were of His creation, and it saddened Him that they were so unwilling to coexist peacefully. However, He had made a promise, and He could not break it. “I shall grant you your wish, but be warned. Your stinger will hold your life force. If you use it, it will remain inside the body you sting, and you will perish just as your victim.”
It was that act by my great ancestor that earned us *BZZ* bees *BZZZZ* our stingers. Although we risk our own lives with such power, we do so to protect our most precious treasure – our honey. I hope that you have enjoyed my story, and maybe next ti–
*Shake*
*Rattle*
*CRASH*
European honey bee pollinating Aster flower.
John Severns. Source: Wikipedia
Author’s Note: For the first retelling in “The Beehive: Legends from the Honeypot,” I chose to retell a story from Aesop’s Fables, “The Bee and Jupiter.” The first difference is that I decided to add in the actual storyteller and make him part of the story. In the original story, the bee was from Mount Hymettus, but in my retelling, I decided to turn Hymettus into the bee’s name (and make the Queen's name the feminine version: Hymetta). Also as the name implies, the original was about a deal between a bee and Zeus. I needed the role of a god to keep my retelling close enough and the way I wanted it, but I chose to get rid of Zeus because I don’t want my readers feeling like there is going to be a recurring Greek mythology theme in my storybook; so basically, I didn’t want to confuse people or give them different expectations by including a specific, well-known character, like Zeus, when he isn’t relevant in my story. Instead, I went with more of a Biblical God (as shown by the mention of Abel - which I decided to throw in for a little "ha!" moment). Also, I added A LOT of meat to the story. Aesop wrote very short fables, so I needed a lot of filler, and detail is always good, anyway. Plus, it gave me the ability to add a little foreshadowing in the background. And then there’s the end…. That certainly wasn’t in the original! I guess you’ll just have to wait until next week to see what that’s all about!
Bibliography: "The Bee and Jupiter" translated by George Fyler Townsend, from Aesop's Fables (translation 1867). Web source: Project Gutenburg