THE BAKER BOYS AND THE BEES

One should take advantage of every circumstance in an emergency.

Andernach was a city enclosed with an immense wall which had only one gate. This was a heavy iron gate and was very hard to open. The watchman lived near the gate and as it was not opened very often had much spare time. He was very fond of honey, so one day he bought a great many hives of bees which were placed on top of the wall for safety.

Not far away was another walled city called Linto. The people of this city were enemies of the people of Andernach, and were always waiting for an opportunity to attack them. They were constantly watching to see if the gate was ever left open. One night they met and planned to capture Andernach before sunrise. They plotted to kill all the people, rob their houses and take possession of the town. When all was ready they crept softly toward the dark, quiet city. Not a sound could be heard and the watchman was fast asleep, not dreaming of any danger.

Only the bakers here rose early. They made their bread, put it in the ovens and returned to their beds, leaving small boys to watch the bread. The boys had to watch carefully to keep the bread from burning. Two of the baker boys, Hans and Fritz, were great friends and were often together. While the bread was baking they played around the ovens, but they dared not go to sleep.

One morning they decided to creep upon the wall over the watchman’s house. They stole softly up the steps and were soon on top of the wall. All of a sudden they heard a noise like men walking.

“Do you hear that?” said Fritz.

“Why, it must be the watchman,” answered Hans.

The noise was heard again. This time it was louder and nearer. The boys crept to the edge of the wall and looked down. There stood the army of Linto placing ladders against the wall. Hans and Fritz were frightened and at first started to run, but they saw that it was too late. In an instant Fritz thought of the hives. He knew the little bees were not asleep if the people were. Each boy took a hive, carried it to the edge of the wall and let it fall on the heads of the enemy. Out flew the bees, mad as they could be, and began to sting right and left.

The bees won the battle. They buzzed and stung the enemy so badly that their loud cries of pain awoke the sleeping city. Hans and Fritz were delighted to see the bees so busy and called loudly for help. The watchman woke up and began to ring the bell. The men rushed to the city gates. It was too late for the soldiers had already fled. The bees had stung them so painfully they could scarcely see where to run. And so the bees and the boys saved Andernach.