The Queen's coming." And at the same moment the Queen Bee came.

"Go your ways," she said to the Bees; "I wish to be alone."

For a long time she stood in silence before the Princesses'
chambers. "Now they are lying there asleep," she said at last.
"From morning till evening they do nothing but eat and sleep, and
they grow bigger and fatter every day. In a few days they will be
full grown, and will creep out of their cells. Then my turn will be
over. I know that too well. I have heard the Bees saying to one
another that they would like to have a younger and more beautiful
Queen, and they will chase me away in disgrace. But I will not
submit to it. To-morrow I will kill them all; then I can remain
Queen till I die."

Then she went away. But the little Grub had heard all she said.

"Dear me!" she thought; "it is really a pity about the little
Princesses. They are certainly very uppish, and they have not been
nice to me, but still it would be sad if the wicked Queen killed
them. I think I will tell the old growler outside in the passage
all about it."

She began once more knocking at the door, and the head Bee Nurse
came running up, but this time she was fearfully angry. "You must
mind what you are doing, my good Grub," she said. "You are the
youngest of them all, and you are the worst for making a noise.
Next time I shall tell the Queen."

"First listen to me," said the Grub, and she told her about the