How the Bee Got Its Stinger°

The queen bee flew to Mount Olympus

To offer some honey to Hera and Zeus,

And while she was there she planned to discuss

The current problem of bee abuse.

 

When Zeus tasted the heavenly honey,

Immediately, his senses were reeling.

In all his life, he had never

Tasted anything more appealing.

 

"Oh, my ZEUS!"--he REALLY said that--

This honey, your majesty, is delish!

What would you like? Anything!

Tell me and I will grant you your wish.”

 

"People," she said, "keep stealing the precious

Honey produced in all of our hives.

That is extremely annoying; what's more,

It's a serious threat to our lives.

 

"We need stingers so we can inflict

Pain on those who try to harm us.

For us bees to get even with others,

Is there a better way to arm us?"

 

Zeus loved humankind and was

Taken aback by the queen bee's request.

But since he had made a promise, he couldn't

Disappoint his lovely guest.

 

"Stingers you shall have," he said,

And stingers they got, but with one catch:

The stingers that the bees received

Were the kind that would detach.

 

So, when the bees stung their victims,

The victims, of course, would let out a cry.

The stinger, however, remained in the wound,

So consequently, the bees would die.

 

Be careful what you ask for is one

Of the morals that you might have deduced.

Another: pain, when wished upon others,

Just like chickens, comes home to roost.

 

-by Bob B (8-10-21)

 

°An Aesop fable, "The Bee and Zeus," retold here in verse