Little Susie was not only scared to death of bees, she was also highly allergic. In fact, her fear kept her indoors most of the year accept for those months where the temperatures dropped low enough to keep the bees and wasps asleep. Susie had never heard about "winter bees" so she was shocked to find one getting a drink at the bird bath just outside the kitchen door. The little bee startled her and instead of filling the bird bath with more fresh water she ran back into the house.
She was torn between her desire to make sure the little birds had fresh water each day and her fear of the bees.
She waited a few hours in hopes that they would all go away. She looked out the window and it appeared that the coast was clear so she ventured outside with her two gallon jugs full of fresh water.
As she approached the bird bath everything initially looked fine. No bees flying around.
But, as she got closer she saw a little bee floating face down in the water with its wings spread. It had clearly drowned as it was not moving a muscle. Even though she was afraid of bees she felt sorry for this little guy.
Sometimes when we are afraid of things we automatically decide that they must be bad things and we can also decide that the world would be better off without them. Little Susie was torn between feeling bad for the little bee that had drowned and also being somewhat glad that it could no longer sting her.
A thought came out of now where, "What if the little bee is not dead"?
"Oh dear", she thought, "Now what I am going to do?" She knew that if he wasn't dead and she tried to fish him out, he might sting her. She thought on all the possibilities and decided that she simply could not live with herself if that little bee was still alive and she was the only one around to help him.
So, she went back into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic straw, removed the paper covering, and returned to the bird bath,
Although she was afraid that he might come back to life and fly right at her and sting her; with straw in hand she put her fears aside and gently placed the end of the straw underneath the little bees body and gently lifted his lifeless body out of the birdbath and placed him on the dry edge of the bath.
Instantly he started flapping his little wings and quickly walking back and forth! She could hardly believe that he was still alive! As he flew off, she realized that very moment that she had never, ever, been that close to a bee without a single thought of fear coming into her mind. She also knew in that moment, that if she had not been able to put her fears aside that little bee would have surely died.
As soon as that bee got back to the hive and reported to the Queen what little Susie had done, the Queen issued an official proclamation regarding what had happened on that very special day.
"Because of the love and brave heart that was displayed by little Susie, today, the Queen has officially decreed that it is 100% illegal and unallowable for any bee, near or far, who either lives in, or ventures into, the Wood's Secret Garden, to ever even try to ever sting little Susie, ever!"
Little Susie smiled and instantly fell into one of the deepest more restful sleeps that she has had in a long, long, time knowing that she need not fear bees ever again!
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