grinned.
“How did they all get here?” asked Presley.
“The same way we did,” he replied.
Jesse walked over to a big open fire. There were two men tending it.
“This is the town’s fire. We have to keep this fire burning at all times so that if any of the fires in the houses go out they can come here and retrieve hot coals, and restart their fires. We had a problem with fires going out in the middle of the night. We’d have to wake up a neighbor to get some hot coals until we decided on a town fire. Volney and Russell keep it going day and night. It’s their job,” Jesse said as he patted Volney on his bald head.
The two men greeted Presley. Jesse took out a small wooden box from his pants pocket, and opened the lid.
“See the honeycomb inside?” he asked.
“Yeah,” answered Presley. Jesse held the box near the fire until the honeycomb was melted.
“Hey, Volney I need a torch, a big spoon and bowl,” he hollered.
“Sure, I’ll be back,” Volney said, as he ran toward the General Store.
“What are you doing?” asked Presley.
“Showing off!” chuckled Russell.
“We’re going to get some honey.” Jesse locked eyes with Presley. “Okay, the honeycomb in the box has melted. Now listen carefully. I’m going to put the box down and this honeycomb will attract some bees. When you see the bees inside the box I want you to slowly and gently shut the box. Okay?”
“Okay,” she smiled.
Volney came back with the torch, big spoon and large bowl.
“Here you go, Jess,” Volney said.
Jesse took the spoon, placed it in the bowl, and put the bowl on the ground. He took the torch and held it in the fire until it was lit. Presley watched as five honeybees landed in the box and then she slowly closed it.
“The bees are shut in the box,” she said.
“Great. Now, when I say to open it, get ready to run. We have to follow the bees back to their honey tree. Are you ready?” he asked.
Presley nodded. Jesse leaned down and picked up the bowl and spoon in one hand and had the torch in the other.
“Okay! Now!” Jesse yelled. The bees took off and Presley and Jesse ran after them. They ran through the town and out through the woods. There were trees as far as she could see.
As they ran past a field of orange wild flowers, they gradually faded into light purple. Presley tried to stay focused on the bees, but couldn’t help notice the rainbow of changes taking place around her.
“Don’t lose them! They’re fast!” They ran for a few minutes until the bees finally stopped.
“Look, this is it!” Presley said. She pointed to a tall rotted tree which held the large hive. Thousands of swarming bees surrounded the tree.
“Don’t get too close,” said Jesse. He waved the torch toward the hive, hoping to tire the bees with the smoke so they would not sting.
“Here,” Jesse said, “take the torch, please.”
Presley held the torch as Jesse took the spoon from the bowl. He reached up and carefully scooped out the honeycomb. A few bees landed on his sleeve, but he never flinched. After the bowl was full, he turned towards Presley.
“This should last us for a while.”
“What are you going to use it for?” she asked.
“We mainly use it for a sweetener, but we also make candles from the wax.” He sat down on a fallen log, and Presley sat beside him. Honey was all over Jesse’s hand and he began to lick it off.
“Do you want a lick? You have to try this.” She licked some of the honey on his finger.
“That is so good,” she said. “How do they make this honey?”
“Bees are fascinating to me. They all work together as a team. The hive has thousands and thousands of bees and each has a job. Some are worker bees; they find the flowers and collect the pollen and nectar. Then, the bee rolls the pollen into a ball and carries it back to the hive. It mixes the nectar with its saliva, and that makes honey.”
“So, I’m eating bee spit?” Presley scrunched her nose in
“How did they all get here?” asked Presley.
“The same way we did,” he replied.
Jesse walked over to a big open fire. There were two men tending it.
“This is the town’s fire. We have to keep this fire burning at all times so that if any of the fires in the houses go out they can come here and retrieve hot coals, and restart their fires. We had a problem with fires going out in the middle of the night. We’d have to wake up a neighbor to get some hot coals until we decided on a town fire. Volney and Russell keep it going day and night. It’s their job,” Jesse said as he patted Volney on his bald head.
The two men greeted Presley. Jesse took out a small wooden box from his pants pocket, and opened the lid.
“See the honeycomb inside?” he asked.
“Yeah,” answered Presley. Jesse held the box near the fire until the honeycomb was melted.
“Hey, Volney I need a torch, a big spoon and bowl,” he hollered.
“Sure, I’ll be back,” Volney said, as he ran toward the General Store.
“What are you doing?” asked Presley.
“Showing off!” chuckled Russell.
“We’re going to get some honey.” Jesse locked eyes with Presley. “Okay, the honeycomb in the box has melted. Now listen carefully. I’m going to put the box down and this honeycomb will attract some bees. When you see the bees inside the box I want you to slowly and gently shut the box. Okay?”
“Okay,” she smiled.
Volney came back with the torch, big spoon and large bowl.
“Here you go, Jess,” Volney said.
Jesse took the spoon, placed it in the bowl, and put the bowl on the ground. He took the torch and held it in the fire until it was lit. Presley watched as five honeybees landed in the box and then she slowly closed it.
“The bees are shut in the box,” she said.
“Great. Now, when I say to open it, get ready to run. We have to follow the bees back to their honey tree. Are you ready?” he asked.
Presley nodded. Jesse leaned down and picked up the bowl and spoon in one hand and had the torch in the other.
“Okay! Now!” Jesse yelled. The bees took off and Presley and Jesse ran after them. They ran through the town and out through the woods. There were trees as far as she could see.
As they ran past a field of orange wild flowers, they gradually faded into light purple. Presley tried to stay focused on the bees, but couldn’t help notice the rainbow of changes taking place around her.
“Don’t lose them! They’re fast!” They ran for a few minutes until the bees finally stopped.
“Look, this is it!” Presley said. She pointed to a tall rotted tree which held the large hive. Thousands of swarming bees surrounded the tree.
“Don’t get too close,” said Jesse. He waved the torch toward the hive, hoping to tire the bees with the smoke so they would not sting.
“Here,” Jesse said, “take the torch, please.”
Presley held the torch as Jesse took the spoon from the bowl. He reached up and carefully scooped out the honeycomb. A few bees landed on his sleeve, but he never flinched. After the bowl was full, he turned towards Presley.
“This should last us for a while.”
“What are you going to use it for?” she asked.
“We mainly use it for a sweetener, but we also make candles from the wax.” He sat down on a fallen log, and Presley sat beside him. Honey was all over Jesse’s hand and he began to lick it off.
“Do you want a lick? You have to try this.” She licked some of the honey on his finger.
“That is so good,” she said. “How do they make this honey?”
“Bees are fascinating to me. They all work together as a team. The hive has thousands and thousands of bees and each has a job. Some are worker bees; they find the flowers and collect the pollen and nectar. Then, the bee rolls the pollen into a ball and carries it back to the hive. It mixes the nectar with its saliva, and that makes honey.”
“So, I’m eating bee spit?” Presley scrunched her nose in
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