Risking it All A Bee's Fight for Change

A bee struggles to find nectar for his hive and faces various obstacles along the way, but ultimately perseveres and succeeds in bringing back enough nectar to feed his colony.

Excitement filled the air as the young bee buzzed towards the foreman. Panting heavily, he announced his discovery with a sense of urgency. "Foreman, Foreman!" he exclaimed. "I've found a new plain with the most beautiful red flower. Its nectar is delicious, and it could solve all our problems with the yellow flowers! We should tell everyone, even the queen!"

The foreman quickly hushed the young bee and looked around cautiously. "Quiet down," he warned. "Don't let anyone hear you taste the nectar of a different flower!"

Confused, the young bee questioned the foreman's secrecy. "What do you mean?" he asked. "That flower tasted amazing! Everyone should know about it. We don't have to search so hard for yellow flowers anymore."

But the foreman's tone grew stern. "How long have you been working?" he asked.

"A week," the young bee replied.

"Clearly, you didn't pay attention during your training," the foreman scolded. "We only use yellow flowers. Why did you go searching for something else?"

The young bee tried to defend himself, but the foreman wasn't having it. "You're new here," she said firmly. "You don't understand everything yet. Some things you have to experience for yourself."

The young bee felt frustrated and confused. He had been taught that all flowers, except for yellow ones, were poisonous and deadly. But he had tasted the nectar of the red flower and was completely unharmed. Why couldn't everyone know about this discovery?

Despite his doubts, the young bee nodded obediently. He didn't want to upset the foreman or cause trouble. But deep down, he couldn't help feeling that there was so much more to learn and discover beyond the rules of the hive.

The young bee questioned, "Did they teach us incorrectly or lie to us? They always warned that tasting any flower besides the yellow one would cause quick death. Yet, I've consumed nectar from the red flower for hours and feel fine. Maybe someone misled us." They haven't found out who it is or perhaps they're too afraid to try it."

The foreman responded, "Fool! I told you to never admit to tasting any nectar except for the yellow flower. It's a rule. I'll let it slide this time, but if it happens again, I'll have to report it to the guard."

The young bee spoke up bravely, "Then report it. I did nothing wrong. I want to save the hive from the lack of nectar. I'm not the enemy! The guards are only meant to destroy enemies. If you don't listen to me, I'll have to spread the news in other ways."

The elderly bee, head of the hive's guards, made a laborious entrance into the meeting and settled in a designated spot while the bees buzzed and scurried about.

As soon as the old official spoke, the guards quieted down. He then addressed a young bee, saying, "So, bee! I heard you claim to have sampled the nectar of red flowers."

The young bee replied, "Yes, sir. I believe these flowers can help solve our issues."

The chief retorted, "Are you unaware of the rules? The doctor of the hive declared all flowers, except for yellow ones, poisonous."

The young bee answered, "Yes sir, I am aware of the rules. However, I personally tasted the nectar of these flowers, and nothing happened to me."

The chief asked, "Are you implying that the doctor of the hive is incompetent?"

The young bee clarified, "No, I have no connection to the doctor of the hive. The issue is something else. I don't understand why the doctor of the hive did not mention red flowers. I just want to express that the nectar of red flowers is beneficial and poses no harm."

The chief bee responded, "How do you know? Perhaps there will be consequences later on. Maybe you will become sick and perish after a few days. There must be a reason why the doctor of the hive did not include red flowers."

The young bee suggested, "Well, why don't we wait a month? If nothing happens to me, then we can use red flowers."

The chief bee exclaimed, "How do we know you are telling the truth? You may be a spy for our enemies. We all know that the red bees are our adversaries. These flowers are also red. The red bees will do anything to destroy us. They are constantly scheming." They probably created these flowers and sent you as a spy to convince us.

The young bee declared, "No, sir. I am not a spy. I am willing to put myself in danger for the sake of the hive. In fact, I took a risk and tasted the red flowers. I am prepared to drink the nectar of the red flowers in front of everyone to prove that I am not a spy."

The chief bee yelled, "Silence! You will be confined to a cell for two weeks for breaking the hive's rules, and you will be prohibited from working outside of the hive for the rest of your life. If you persist, you will be executed for espionage."

The young bee argued, "But, sir..."

The old foreman who was standing nearby the young bee interjected, "Excuse me, sir. This young bee does not know what he is saying. The red bees may have tricked him."

Two weeks later, the foreman approached the young bee, whose imprisonment had ended. The young bee was sitting alone in a corner, staring blankly. The foreman said, "Now you see that my advice was correct."

The young bee argued, "I still stand by my belief. You have not tasted the red flowers, so you cannot understand their taste. They taste much better than yellow flowers. Ever since I tried the nectar of red flowers, I cannot enjoy the taste of yellow flowers anymore."

The foreman responded, "How do you know that I have not tasted the nectar of red flowers? The taste of those flowers is no different from that of yellow flowers. It is just that they are forbidden, which makes them more desirable to you."

The young bee looked directly into the foreman's eyes, and in a quivering voice, asked, "If you have tasted the nectar of red flowers, why didn't you speak up? Your support would have been beneficial. After all, two voices are stronger than one."

The foreman grinned and replied, "How do you know that it is just the two of us who have tried the nectar of red flowers?"

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

Well done. It's a great story, and held my interest throughout. Also very clean and free of errors. I'm wondering if the mention of the red bees is really necessary--you could either omit them or expand on the part they play.
Though my youth was some time ago, I very much recall the way my generation wanted to try new things and embrace new ideas, all to the chagrin of the older folks. It's always like that, I think, and I easily put myself in the bee's shoes.
Did you know that many used to think the tomato was poisonous? Just like the red flowers! If interested, look up Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson.

[Charlotte Flores]

Thank you for your feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed the story! I appreciate your suggestion about the red bees and I'll definitely consider either expanding on their role or possibly removing the mention altogether.

It's interesting how generations can clash over new ideas and experiences. I'm glad you were able to relate to the bee's perspective. And thank you for sharing the story about the tomato! I'll be sure to look up Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson.

[Frankie]

Oh man! I love this! What a cool original story. You have excellent skill. The dialog Is very good. And the story is compelling.