Have you heard the busy bees buzz...buzzing in Granny's garden?  Now listen carefully.  Can you hear one of them zubb...zubb...zubbing?
 
That's the bumblebee that gets things wrong.  But he really wants to help.  His name is Zubb and he's much bigger than his sister Zillah.
 
Zillah is on the buzz all the time, going round all the pretty flowers.  "Hey, Zubb!" Zillah buzzed.  "Come and help me?" 

"I don't know what to do," Zubb zubbed. 

"Just copy me!"  Zillah buzzed off to a pink flower.  She landed daintily on the lip and picked up some of the yellow pollen from the throat of the flower.  "See - it's easy!" she buzzed.
 
Zubb landed on the lip of the next flower and toppled off.  "Hey, Zillah!" he Zubbed.  "I fell off."


"Oh, dear," said Zillah, "you're too heavy.  Let's find a big flower."

"There's a sunflower up there," Zubb zubbed.

Zubb and Zillah spread their wings and moved up, up, up in the warm air.  They were getting higher and higher and higher.  Zillah buzzed off towards the sunflower head.

Zubb couldn't keep up.  "Wait for me," he zubbed breathlessly.  "I can't go as fast as you, and I'm feeling d-i-z-z-y...ever so d-i-z-z-y!"

The sky and the clouds started whirling round and round as Zubb drifted down, down, down and landed in the flowerbed near the pink flowers.

"You're silly," Zillah buzzed when she got back.
 
"I'm not silly!" Zubb zubbed.  "I get dizzy if I go up high."
 
"Oh, so you won't be able to help, then, and I've got so much to do."  Zillah buzzed off in a huff.
 
Oh, dear, Zubb thought.  I do want to help.  Zillah just doesn't understand.
 
He zubbed off slowly over the lawn and landed on the head of a dandelion under the big tree.

Oh, this is nice, he thought.  It's just like a table, and the dandelion clock beside me is shading me from the sun.  I can balance and I don't feel dizzy.  Now, what have I got to do?  He looked all round but he couldn't see Zillah.


Chloe was spending the day with Granny.  It was hot so Granny had put the rug under the big tree.  Chloe made a daisy chain.  Then she picked the dandelion clock next to the yellow dandelion where Zubb was sitting.  She puffed out her cheeks and blew at the clock.  All the seeds from the clock blew away.

"Z...atishoo! Z...atishoo!" Zubb sneezed.  "Z...atishoo!"  And he toppled off the dandelion.  He landed on his back with his legs in the air. "Zillah!  Help me!" he zubbed.  "Zillah!  Help!"


But Zillah wasn't anywhere near.

"Oh, Granny, look at the bee!" Chloe exclaimed.  "Poor bee!"

"Oh, the poor bumblebee," Granny said.  "We must turn him over."

Chloe wanted to pick Zubb up.

"No, don't do that," Granny said, "in case he gets cross and stings you.  You must be very careful.  Now watch me."

Granny got a leaf and very very gently rolled Zubb over.  "Now just leave him," she said and he'll be fine."

Zubb stayed very still for a minute or two, and then he started to pick his way over the grass.  Everything was going to be all right.  The big people were kind.  So he stretched out his wings and zubbed slowly off to find Zillah.

"I had an adventure," he zubbed to her, "but Granny made it all right."

"I'm glad you're back," Zillah buzzed.  "I've been working hard."

"Perhaps I'm not meant to work," Zubb zubbed downheartedly.

"It's just girl bees that are busy bees," Zillah buzzed.

"I've got an idea," Zubb zubbed.  "I'll find all the best flowers and come and tell you where they are."

So Zubb is happy now.  He zubbs round Granny's garden.  He zubbs slowly because he is looking for all the best flowers.

Now, listen carefully and you will hear him...zubb...zubb...zubbing!
 

THE END

 Have you found Herbert?  He's not hiding today.
 

 
Find some bumblebee pictures to colour and lots of other bee activities at: http://www.first-school.ws/activities/alpha/b/bee.htm


 
 
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