"The Carpenter has lost so much time," she told Buster, "that he thinkshe will never be able to finish the addition to his house. So he saysyou'll have to get somebody else to build your new home for you."
At first Buster was disappointed. But he soon recovered his good spirits.
"After all, it's just as well," he remarked cheerfully. "I know wherethere's a fine new house right in the clover patch. And I'll move into itat once."
Of course he meant the honey box which the boy had dropped upon the rockand forgotten. So Buster had his new home without the help of theCarpenter. And all his friends agreed that the house-warming he gave wasthe most successful that ever was known in those parts. It took place onthe hottest day of the summer. And Buster's house was so warm that threeof his guests almost had sunstrokes--and had to be helped home.
XVII
BUSTER LEARNS OF THE RAISING BEE
"Yes!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "I hear that there's going to be a raising beeat Farmer Green's place to-morrow. And if I were you I should certainlywant to be there."
Being very good-natured, Jimmy Rabbit was always ready to talk to anybodyhe happened to meet, no matter how small the other person might be. Andnow, while he was nibbling at Farmer Green's lettuce, he had chanced toglance up and spy Buster Bumblebee, who was buzzing about the tallhollyhocks, which made a sort of hedge where the flower and the vegetablegarden met.
"A raising bee!" Buster Bumblebee exclaimed, when he heard Jimmy Rabbit'sbit of news. "I've never in my life seen that kind of bee--nor heard ofit, either.... It must be a great curiosity."
"Yes!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "And you ought not to miss seeing this one. I'dlike to go over to the farmhouse to-morrow myself--if I had the time."
"Well, I'm going, anyhow," Buster declared. "And when next I see you I'lltell you all about this strange bee. For all we know now it may benothing but a honey bee that has changed his name."
Jimmy Rabbit only smiled at his small friend. He said nothing atall--though he looked uncommonly wise.
"What time to-morrow can I get a peep at this 'raising bee,' as he callshimself?" Buster Bumblebee inquired.
"You had better plan to reach the farmyard at nine o'clock sharp," JimmyRabbit advised him.
"How shall I know where to look?" Buster asked him.
"Oh! you'll have no trouble finding the raising bee," Jimmy replied."Just follow the crowd! All of Farmer Green's friends for miles aroundwill be there."
"Is that so?" said Buster. "What are they coming for?"
"Why, they've heard about the raising bee, too," Jimmy told him. "FarmerGreen has invited everybody to come to his house. And there'll be plentyto eat for everyone. No doubt they'll have a dance, too, in theafternoon--just before milking time. Of course they'll all have to gohome in time to milk the cows," Jimmy explained.
"I suppose so," Buster remarked. "And I must say I'm glad that I have nocows, for it has always seemed to me that they are only a nuisance."
Jimmy Rabbit agreed heartily in that opinion.
"Yes!" Buster Bumblebee continued. "Farmer Green has many strange ways.Now, what's the sense of having a vegetable garden? And yet I understandthat he always plants one over there where you're sitting."
Jimmy Rabbit shook his head.
"I can't quite agree with you," he said quickly, "though I've alwaysclaimed that a flower garden is just a waste of time."
"What a strange notion!" cried Buster Bumblebee. "To my way of thinking,this flower garden is the best thing Farmer Green has--unless it's theclover patch."
Now, some people would have flown into a temper at once on being disputedlike that. But Jimmy Rabbit was never known to be angry.
"Billy Woodchuck would agree with you about the clover," he said with achuckle. "You know he's very fond of clover-tops."
"He's a sensible chap," Buster Bumblebee declared. "And speaking ofclover makes me so hungry for some that I'm going to the clover patchthis very minute."
So Buster darted away, calling out as he went that he would meet Jimmy atthe hollyhock hedge on the next morning but one.
"I'll tell you all about the raising bee," he promised once more.
And Jimmy Rabbit laughed so heartily that he almost choked over a choicelettuce leaf.
XVIII
FOLLOWING THE CROWD
Well, the next day Buster Bumblebee arrived at Farmer Green's place justas the cuckoo clock in the kitchen was striking nine. And he knew at oncethat Jimmy Rabbit must have told him the truth about the raising bee, forthe farmyard was crowded with wagons and carryalls and buggies and gigs.There were people everywhere--so many that Buster thought all the worldmust be there. And he began to look about him carefully.
But nowhere could he find what he had come to see. So he asked aruffianly looking wasp where the raising bee was. But the wasp, who washurrying by, merely glanced at Buster and said, with a frown:
"Follow the crowd!"
Buster remembered then that that was exactly what Jimmy Rabbit had toldhim to do. And now, as he looked all around, he noticed that Farmer Greenwas already leading the way to a pile of lumber near the old cow-barn.Everybody was following him. And a good many small boys began to shout tonobody in particular, "Hurrah! hurrah! She's going up!"
Buster Bumblebee hastened to overtake the crowd.
"They must mean the raising bee," he said to himself. "And from whatthose boys are saying I gather that it's a _lady_ raising bee and she'sgoing to fly for the company."
In his eagerness to see everything that was happening, Buster buzzed veryclose to a good many people. And though most of them paid little heed tohim, there was one boy who slapped at him with his hat--and all but hithim, too.
After that Buster was more careful. He flew higher. And at last he founda fine seat on a tall sunflower, from which he could view every move thatwas made.
Farmer Green's guests--that is, the _men_, for the women had not left thehouse--the guests all took off their coats and began to arrangethemselves around some huge timbers that lay upon the ground. And a greatshouting arose. Everybody seemed to be talking at once. And the smallboys were everywhere, chasing one another about and getting in everyone'sway.
Then all was quiet for a few minutes while Farmer Green said something tothe men. And as soon as he had stopped talking some of the men began tolift a sort of framework of wood into the air. When they had raised itexactly as Farmer Green wanted it other men began to pound about the footof it with hammers. But Buster Bumblebee--though he watched everythingvery closely--hadn't the slightest idea what they were doing.
"Hi, there!" he called to old dog Spot. "Where's the raising bee?"
Old Spot promptly looked bewildered.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. "I don't knowanything about any bee. And I wish you wouldn't trouble me with yoursilly questions. These men are helping us to build our new barn; and I'mtoo busy to talk to anyone."
Buster Bumblebee was certainly disappointed. And he soon decided thatJimmy Rabbit must have been mistaken. It wasn't the raising bee, afterall, that had brought all the neighbors together there. They had come tohelp Farmer Green with his new barn! Old dog Spot had said so. And heought to know, if anyone did.
XIX
THE FEAST AT FARMER GREEN'S
In spite of his disappointment at not seeing the raising bee (that newkind of bee that Jimmy Rabbit had told him about) Buster Bumblebeedecided that he would stay at Farmer Green's place and watch the men putup the frame of the new barn. He remembered that Jimmy had said therewould be things to eat afterwards--and maybe a dance, besides.
Although the barn was a big one there were so many people to help that itwas hardly later than midday when the great timbers were all in place.And then the men caught up their coats and strolled back to the dooryard.The small boys had all hurried ahead of them as soon as they noticed thatthe women and girls were already setting generous dishes of goodies uponlong tables beneath the shade of the maple trees in front of thefarmhouse.
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And when he saw what was going on Buster Bumblebee hastened to the maplegrove too. He intended to taste of every kind of food that was there, inthe hope of finding some dainty that he would like.
So for some time he busied himself buzzing up and down the long table,alighting on heaps of doughnuts and cookies, pies, cakes, bread andbutter, baked beans and ever so many other good things.
But Buster Bumblebee did not find anything that really pleased him untilhe paused at a fat sugar-bowl. Since the sugar was sweet he couldn't helpliking that, though it did seem somewhat tasteless to him after hisfeasts among the clover-tops.
"This is the only food here that's worth eating," he remarked to himself,"though perhaps the cake would not be bad, once a person learned to likeit."
Luckily Buster had time to make a hearty meal off the sugar before ared-cheeked girl shooed him away. And then Farmer Green and all hisfriends sat down at the long tables.
How they did eat! They began with pie. And Buster Bumblebee, flyinglazily above their heads, noticed with amazement the enormous pieces thatdisappeared into the mouths of men, women and children. One mouthful suchas they took would have fed him at least a month. And there was one boycalled Bill who stowed away enough each time his fork traveled to hismouth to nourish Buster Bumblebee a whole summer.
"That boy is making a pig of himself!" Buster Bumblebee exclaimed, rightout loud. But since nobody understood what he said, no one paid anyattention to his remark. "You'll be ill, if you're not careful," Busterbuzzed right in the greedy boy's ear.
But the youngster known as Bill only moved his head slightly. And toBuster's alarm he continued to bolt huge mouthfuls of everything withinhis reach.
It was really a terrible sight. Buster Bumblebee was so fascinated by itthat he sat right down on a low-hanging maple bough and kept his eyesfixed on that marvellous boy.
Before the feast came to an end the boy Bill's face underwent an oddchange. In the beginning it had worn a wide smile. But at last Buster sawa look of pain steal over Bill's somewhat besmeared features. And beneathhis coating of tan he seemed to have grown pale.
Before long Buster was sure he heard a groan, though no one of themerrymakers paid the slightest heed to it. Everyone was too busy eatingand talking with his neighbors to notice Bill's distress.
Then came another groan--and another--and another--and another, untilfinally greedy Bill clapped both his hands across the front of his jacketand let out a terrific roar.
"Ah!" said Buster Bumblebee. "You have a stomachache, young man. And it'sno wonder."
XX
BUSTER AND THE FIDDLERS
There was a great rattling of knives and forks dropped suddenly uponplates and a clatter of cups set hastily upon saucers. For when the boywith the stomachache screamed aloud in his agony all of Farmer Green'sguests turned towards him to see what was the matter.
Buster Bumblebee saw a large woman dressed in bright red rush up to theboy Bill and lead him away towards the farmhouse, quite doubled up withpain.
"That's his mother!" Buster decided. "And it's lucky for him that she'shere."
Everybody else seemed to think likewise. And no one appeared muchworried. At least, all the company fell upon the feast once more. And ina surprisingly short time everything but the dishes had vanished.
Still the people lingered there and talked--or the grown-ups did, anyhow(of course the boys and girls didn't want to sit at a table after thegood things had all been eaten off it). And Buster Bumblebee had justmade up his mind that the whole affair was very dull! Yes! he had begunto wish he had not wasted his time at Farmer Green's party, when suddenlyhe heard something that sent a tingle all through him.
It was a most delightful sound. And noticing that the people were leavingthe scene of the banquet, Buster again recalled Jimmy Rabbit's advice to"follow the crowd." So he found himself shortly in the carriage-house,from which everything on wheels had been run outside into the farmyard.
At one side of the great square room sat three men, each holding a queerwooden object, upon which he sawed busily without appearing to cutanything. And Buster soon learned that the bewitching sound came from thesawing.
"How do you like the music?" said a voice in Buster's ear. He turnedquickly. And he saw then that old dog Spot had followed the crowd too andwas sitting in the doorway, where everyone had to walk around him. Heseemed to be enjoying himself. And he kept thumping the floor with histail as if he were trying to keep time with the tune.
"The music is beautiful," Buster Bumblebee said in reply to Spot'squestion. "But there's something I don't quite understand. I've seen mensawing wood before, but they made no such sound as this."
Old dog Spot couldn't help smiling the least bit.
"Why, those men aren't sawing wood. They're _fiddling_," he explained;"three fiddlers fiddling upon fiddles.... There's going to be a dance,you know," old dog Spot continued. "And of course nobody cares to dancewithout music."
"Oh, certainly not!" Buster Bumblebee agreed. And he began to be glad hehad come to the farmyard, after all. You see, he was fond of music anddancing. And he thought the music played by the three fiddlers was toowonderful for words.
Soon the floor was crowded with merry people who bowed and scraped to oneanother and danced breakdowns and cut pigeon-wings and other capers,while Buster Bumblebee flitted gaily about just above their bobbingheads, trying his best to keep time to the music and wishing that he hadbrought some of his friends along with him to Farmer Green's party.
As for the raising bee, Buster had completely forgotten it. He was havingso much fun at the dance that the real reason for his coming to FarmerGreen's place had quite slipped out of his mind.
XXI
THE BUMBLEBEE IN THE PUMPKIN
Of course the dancers at Farmer Green's party had to stop now and then toget their breath. And the fiddlers, too, had to pause in order to rest.That is, two of them found it necessary to lay their fiddles aside oncein a while. And it was no wonder; for they had each eaten a whole custardpie.
But the third fiddler was different. He was a man after BusterBumblebee's own heart. He seemed to love to make music and never tired ofcoaxing the jolliest tunes out of his old fiddle that anybody could hopeto hear. _He_ only laughed when his fellow fiddlers lay back in theirchairs and mopped their red faces. And just to keep the company in goodspirits--and because he couldn't help it--this frolicsome fiddler wouldstart right ahead and play something that was sure to set a body's feeta-going and make him feel so happy that he would want to shout rightout--good and loud.
Whenever this merry musician played all alone like that Buster Bumblebeestayed close by him in order to hear better. And so it was that Buster atlast met with a surprise. He was bobbing about with a great deal ofpleasure to the strains of a lively tune when he heard something thatmade him settle quickly upon a beam above the jolly fiddler's head.
He wanted to sit still and listen. (Somehow he always had to buzz more orless when he was flying.) Yes! he wanted to listen closely because he wasalmost certain that he heard the buzzing of a strange bee. And the soundseemed to come right out of the fiddle!
From his seat on the beam Buster Bumblebee looked down at the fiddle,upon which the fiddler was scraping away at a great rate; and he noticedthen that there were two openings in it through which a bee might crawlwith the greatest ease.
"That's it!" Buster Bumblebee shouted right out loud. "The bee's insidethe fiddle.... I don't believe the fiddler knows it!" he chuckled.
And then another idea came into Buster's head. He wondered if that beewas not the raising bee, which he had gone to so much trouble to see andwhich he had almost given up finding.
Then, happening to glance about him, Buster noticed that many of thepeople in the place were smiling at one another and nodding their headswisely, as if to say: "There's the bee! Do you hear him buzz?"
And old dog Spot, who still sat in the doorway, seemed to be smiling,too. Anyhow, his jaws were open so wide that his tongu
e was hanging outof his mouth.
Feeling very wise himself, Buster Bumblebee bustled over to the doorwayand said to old Spot:
"Do you hear that bee? He's inside the fiddle!"
Then old Spot actually laughed aloud.
"You're mistaken," he replied. "That's the bumblebee in the pumpkin."
"Bumblebee!" Buster cried. "Pardon me--but you are mistaken yourself.That's no bumblebee. No member of my family ever buzzed like that.... Itmust be a raising bee."
"Perhaps you know best," said old Spot. "But the people here all say it'sa bumblebee--in a pumpkin."
"What pumpkin?" Buster wanted to know.
"Well, that one--I suppose," old dog Spot told him, cocking an eye and anear towards a big yellow pumpkin, which someone had set on a wide shelfon the wall.
Buster Bumblebee looked at the pumpkin. And then he darted straight toit. If there was a bee of any kind inside it, making that strangebuzzing, he intended to have a good look at him.
XXII
SOMEONE'S MISTAKE
Though he alighted right on top of the pumpkin, which stood on the wideshelf in Farmer Green's carriage-house, Buster Bumblebee thought that thestrange buzzing sound had grown fainter. He was sure that he had heard itmore plainly when he was nearer the merry fiddler.
There was a gouge in the side of the fat pumpkin, into which he peeredcarefully. He even crawled into the small cavity himself. But there wasnothing there. And he decided, after thinking deeply for some time, thatthere could not possibly be a bee inside the pumpkin.