The Bumbling Bee
Part One of the Nursery Series

"Treekit, Leafkit, Brackenkit," The silver queen meowed at her kits sternly. She looke at each of them in turn, back straight with her tail wrapped around her paws. "You're all in trouble. You should hvae never snuck out of camp today."

"But it's boring!" Treekit cried.

"We're old enough!" Leafkit protested.

"We were brave!" Brackenkit mewed.

Their mother shook her head. "No, there is plenty of things to do in camp. No, you are only two moons old. No, you were not brave, you were stupid."

The three kits sighed as their mother scolded them. "We just wanted something sweet to eat."

"Something that isn't milk."

"Something you have to be brave to get!"

"If you wanted some honey you should have asked. I would have gladly asked the medicine cat for a honey comb." The queen explained. She wished her kits weren't so impulsive. "Now it's time for rest."

"But we're not tired."

"The stars are hardly even out."

"We can stay up all night!"

The silver-black she-cat sighed. They were driving her crazy. If it weren't for a patrol coming by, they would have gotten stuck in the honey tree and stung by hundreds of bees! It was StarClan's mercy that not a single bee woke up when those little mouse-brains climbed their tree.

Suddenly, a bright idea flashed through the queen's mind. "Who wants to hear a story?"

"Yeah! Tell us the story about the beautiful queen!"

"Tell us the adventure of the impossible kit!"

"Tell us a tale of a brave deputy!"

The queen flicked her tail to the nest. "Only kits in their nest get to hear a story."

The litter stumbled over each other and hopped into the soft mossy nest. Treekit was sitting with her paws on the edge of her nest. Leafkit way laying down with her paws crossed. Brackenkit was sitting down at the edge of the nest that was closest to the nursery wall where it was cold and dark, his green eyes were shining in a very brave manner.

The queen nodded approvingly. She climbed into the nest, forcing her three kits to curl up into her fur. "I'll tell you the tale of the bumbling bee."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Was he brave?"

She chuckled. "Yes. The bumbling was very brave. Now shush and let me speak."

The all snuggled into her pelt and the moss. They were quiet for the first time all day.

"Once upon a time, there way a tree. In the tree, way high up in the tallest branches, was a hollow filled with golden honey. And then one day a curious kitten left camp. She padded over to a beautiful rose. She looked into its petals and saw a bumbling bee in the middle.

'Bumbling Bee,' she asked, 'can I follow you to your tree?'

'Why would you want to do that?' he buzzed.

'Because I want some honey!' the kit meowed.

'But the honey combs are way up high in the tree.' he warned.

'I can climb! I'm brave!'"

The queen looked down at her kits. Treekit was already falling asleep. Leafkit flicked her tail impatiently. Brackenkit had wide attentive eyes.

"So the Bumbling Bee flew to his tree with Curious Kit following behind. They came upon his tree, and when Curious Kit looked up, the honey hollow was very, very high up. The Bumbling Bee began to fly up to the hollow to drop off his share of honey he made. The Curious Kit climbed up after him.

"She was half-way there. The busy bee looked down at her.

'Are you sure you want to keep going?' he asked. 'It's awfully high up for a kit like you.' he added with a buzz.

'Of course!' she nodded. 'I want some honey.'

So the Bumbling Bee continued to fly and the Curious Kit continued to climb. She hopped up onto the last branch. The hollow was right in front of her. It was filled with golden honey."

The three kits were looking up at her. She purred. This was good.

"The Bumbling Bee stopped her from going in.

'Are you sure you want some honey?'

'Of course I do!'

'But if you reach in an take our honey my friends will sting you.' he warned.

'I want some honey. I won't take very much.'

The Bumbling Bee shrugged. 'Okay, but you can't have more than one honeycomb.'

The bee flew into the hollow and disappeared. The Curious Kit looked around to see if any bee was watching her. It looked like the coast was clear. She reached in a paw and swiped big gobs of honey, much more than what Bumbling Bee said she could have.

Suddenly thousands of honey bees swarmed out of the hollow. Their buzzing was loud and angry and their stingers were shiny and sharp. The Curious Kit screeched as they pierced her body leaving big black pricks in her skin. She tried to run away from the buzzing mass of bees. But when she ran, she fell out of the tree."

"What happened to her?" The three kits asked tiredly.

"She fell. She tumbled and was hitting branches on her way down. And then the Curious Kit hit the ground."

"That's it?"

"Yes. She died."

From that day on, Treekit, Leafkit, and Brackenkit never left camp to search for honey.

The End.