Once upon a time there was a girl named Marusha. From morning to night she pestered her mum and dad with her questions.
Why is it dark at night and light during the day?
Why does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly?
Why does a cat have whiskers?
Why does it snow in winter?
But most of all, Marusha was interested in bees, because she didn't like them and was afraid of them.
So she bombarded her mum and dad with questions:
Are bees kind or mean?
Why do they sting?
Why do they fly over flowers?
Is it true that bees make honey?
And then one day a little bee flew into Marusha's bedroom window. It was buzzing and fluttering against the glass, but couldn't get out. Marusha plucked up her courage, went over to the bee and asked:
Did you fly in to visit me? Or do you want to sting me?
Of course not!
The little bee fluttered her wings.
I don't want to sting you at all. The wind accidentally blew me into your window. I was actually on my way to work – over to those flowers
The bee pointed to the flower bed.
What do you need the flowers for?
Marusha was surprised.
Do you eat them?
Of course not!
The bee laughed again.
I collect sweet nectar from the flowers. I take it to the hive. There the nectar turns into honey.
Would you like to help me?
The bee suddenly asked.
Of course I would!
The girl clapped her hands.
But will I be able to do it?
You will! You will!
The bee reassured her. Then she landed on Marusha's palm and sang out:
One, two, three! Become a bee and fly with me!
In that very instant Marusha turned into a tiny bee. They flew out the window and headed towards the flower bed. Flying from flower to flower, collecting nectar, taking it to the hive. Marusha lost count of how many times she flew back and forth. But there's no time to rest – while the day lasts, the nectar must be collected. Otherwise the flowers will close in the evening – then you can't get the nectar. And the hive closes for the night too, the bees need to rest and regain their strength.
The bees worked until evening, and Marusha worked with them. She was tired, exhausted – she had no strength left! But here's the thing: this tiredness was so pleasant! Marusha had never experienced anything like it before. Her little arms and legs were filled with a wonderful languor, and her heart felt happy and joyful!
The bee flew over to Marusha and said:
Thank you for your help! Now it's time for everyone to go home. One, two, three, four, five! Become a person again!
Before the girl could blink, she found herself back in her room.
After this adventure, she stopped being afraid of bees. On the contrary, Marusha began to respect them. After all, they work all the time and bring great benefit: they pollinate flowers, collect nectar, and make honey!
