Throwback: The Bee's Sting
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Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is a throwback episode. Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around.

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Stories podcast listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com slash dragon. Visit ixl.com slash dragon to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Thanks! Enjoy the episode! The Bees Sting Once upon a time, a long time ago, a hive of bees was busy with the business of honey.

Some were making it in sticky little gobs, some were feeding the queen and the babies, and some others were out collecting the pollen and nectar they needed. Billy had a different job. He was supposed to guard the honey. Unfortunately, this was before bees had stingers, so he had an awfully tricky time of it.

"'Please don't take the honey,' he'd say to the beetle, who would trundle across the hive and scoop up a few mouthfuls. "'Share and share alike, that's what I always say,' the beetle would reply, unfazed. "'Really, you have to stop,' Billy would say to the skunk, who would sneak in her long, greedy tongue. "'Just a few licks, you can spare it,' the skunk would wheedle back."

Oh, please stop! He'd shriek at the bear, who would shake the whole hive and nearly break it apart, scooping out globs of honey with his big hairy paws. Delicious! Buzz, buzz, buzz, little friends! The bear would rumble back pleasantly.

On and on this went, until there was barely enough honey left for the bees to feed themselves. They started to get hungry, and many of them started to blame Billy and the other guards. It's not fair, said Billy. We're so small, how are we supposed to stop even a big beetle, never mind a skunk, never mind a bear?

Well, you better figure something out, grumbled the hungry others. Dismayed and lost, Billy buzzed out of the hive one night. He landed on a lolling leaf and sighed into the moonlight. It's not fair, he said. We guards do our best, but we're just little honeybees. If only I had a way to protect the hive.

The wind swirled around the little bee, and soon he heard a voice blowing past his fuzzy antenna. "'Little bee, little bee,' said a rustle of flowers and grass. "'Who's there?' Billy said, looking around the darkness. "'It's me, Mother Nature,' said the voice."

"'You're right about it not being fair. I should have realized that others would be after your honey.' "'So you'll help me?' Billy asked. "'I will,' said Mother Nature. "'I'll give you a stinger, sharp as you could like. If anyone tries to steal your honey, you give them a sting, and that will have them thinking twice.'

Billy thanked her over and over and flew back to the hive to tell the other guards. The next morning, when they woke up, they all had stingers at the end of their abdomens. This is great, said Billy, and the others all agreed. We can finally protect the honey. Protect the honey, the guard bees cried together. That day, a beetle came trundling up.

Please leave the honey alone, Billy said. Share and share alike, little bee, the beetle said and went to steal some honey like usual. Billy readied his new stinger. Last warning. Out of my way, wise guy. Billy could tell that the beetle wasn't going to back down. So, to protect his hive's honey, he flew over and gave him a sting.

Yow, yelped the beetle. I'm out of here. The guard bees all celebrated together. Their first honey defense. The queen would be so proud. Later that day, the skunk happened by. She crept up close and got her long tongue ready to steal something sweet. Hey, don't take our honey, Billy said, a little more confident now.

Just a little lick, said the skunk. You won't even miss it. Well, Billy was out of patience and didn't even bother asking twice. He grabbed some other guard bees and together they dove down and stung the skunk. They got her on the nose and on the ears and she was soon yelping. Ow! Oh! Ow! Hey! Hey! She said, shaking her head.

This stinks worse than me. Forget it. And the skunk ran off, leaving the guard bees to celebrate again. A little later, as the afternoon sun was warming them into a happy, sleepy stupor, a bear came snuffling about. This time, the bees didn't even wait for the bear to ask. When he got too close, all the guards came out at once, led by brave Billy.

Protect the honey, he cried. Protect the hive. They flooded over the bear and stung him all over his shaggy face and neck. He roared and swung his mighty paws, but the bees were everywhere and they were too small to swat. Never mind the honey, he said, rolling in the grass. Oh, oh, my buzz friends.

He turned and ran into the woods, leaving the hive alone. The guard bees all celebrated and that night all the other bees joined their celebration too. Not a single drop of honey had been stolen. The next day, the guard bees got together again and Billy had an exciting new idea. Instead of waiting for them to come to us, he said, this time we'll take the fight to them. What do you mean? Asked another guard.

Well, we had to tell the beetle twice. The skunk and bear tried too. Let's go sting them now before they even get close. The other bees cheered the idea and soon a whole cloud of guards was floating across the grassy forest floor. First, they found the beetle chewing a little leaf. They stung him before he even knew what was happening. Hey, what gives? That's what you get for thinking about our honey.

I was thinking about my pincers. A likely story, said Billy, and on they flew. Soon they found the skunk, digging through some flowers for their tender roots. The cloud darkened the sky and then landed on the skunk, stinging her left, right, and center. She sprayed her stink, but the bees weren't deterred.

Ow, ow, stop it, she said, running back to her burrow. This seriously stinks. And don't think about our honey again, said Billy, and on they flew. Next, they found the bear, lazily drinking from the river. He heard the buzzing approach and looked up, waving a shaggy paw.

Oh, it's my buzzy friends, he said. Hello, friends. Wait. Oh, what are you doing? The stings. He panicked and lumbered into the water, where Billy and the other guard bees were forced to let him swim away. That's right, Billy called after him. And never come for our honey again.

That night, they celebrated another successful day protecting the hive. There was singing and dancing and buzzing of all kinds. The next morning, Billy and the guard bees went out stinging everyone again. And again. And again. All before they could even come close to the hive. This went on for a couple weeks until one day, Billy found himself swept aside by the wind.

It tumbled him tail over wings and sent him spinning away from the other guards. Hey, whoa, he cried as the invisible stream of air dragged him through the forest and then dumped him in the middle of a grassy clearing. He looked up and saw he wasn't alone. Around him were the beetle, the skunk, and the bear. Oh, uh, hey there, he said a little sheepishly.

the bee, came the Windrussle voice of Mother Nature. These animals say you've been stinging them. To protect the honey, he said. To protect the queen. She needs to eat. True enough, but they say you've been stinging them even when they aren't after honey.

"'I was taking a walk,' said the beetle. "'I was brushing my tail,' said the skunk. "'I was waving hello,' said the bear. "'Is this true?' asked Mother Nature. Billy buzzed uncomfortably. "'Well, they'd come for the honey in the past. We figured, you know, better to sting first before they got close.'

The wind of Mother Nature gusted through the clearing and the bee had to buzz to stay in place. "'You've turned into a bully,' she said, her voice an angry gale. "'I gave you the power to protect yourself and you use it to attack your fellow creatures?' "'I'm sorry, I won't do it again.' "'That's right, you won't,' said Mother Nature."

From now on, you can only sting once. After that, you'll lose your stinger. So don't waste it.

There was a howl of wind, a whirl of leaves, a patter of rain, and a crack of thunder. Billy was swept off in a whirlwind, spiraling up and down and around and around. The grass was the sky and the ground was blue, and just when he thought he might lose his honey, he was back at the hive, gasping for breath. Don't forget, came the voice of Mother Nature on the fading maelstrom.

I won't, Billy said back, his little voice swept up in the breeze. And that's how Billy and the bees learned that hurting others was a serious business. And to this day, honeybees will only sting if you're threatening them. Because when a honeybee stings, it stings them too. The end.

Today's story, The Bee's Sting, was an adaptation of an Aesop's fable written for you by Daniel Hines and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon. If you would like to support Stories Podcast, you can leave us a five-star review on iTunes. Check out all of our merch available at storiespodcast.com slash shop, commission a special video on Cameo, follow us on Instagram at storiespodcast, or simply tell your friends about us.

In case you missed it, Dan and I have a new show. On Stories RPG, we play games just like Starsworn with all your Max Goodname friends and Giga City Guardians featuring the brilliant Firefly. Click the link in the episode description or go to patreon.com slash stories RPG to get ad-free episodes, play along games, and coloring books. We've already got a bunch of episodes over there, so check them out now. Thanks for listening.