Wondering how long it had been since the sun went down, Hattie looked up at the stars in the sky. She was thankful that the silvery moon provided enough light for her to see so she could continue her adventure. She was still on the hunt for something to eat, convinced she could find something suitable in the forest instead of returning home.

            “I can find something much better than those silly berries,” Hattie said. “And much tastier than anything at my…” Hearing a buzzing sound near her, she stopped midsentence to find out where it was coming from. She spotted a bee hive, hanging low in a nearby tree. It looked as if a bear had recently eaten some of its honey, for the sweet golden nectar was dripping from a large hole at the bottom of the hive. The sight of the spilling honey made Hattie’s mouth water. “I bet if I get the bees to leave their home, I could get some of that!’

            Hattie sat down to think about how she was going to make the bees leave. Several minutes passed and she couldn’t think of a single idea. Frustrated that the honey was so close yet so untouchable, she slapped the ground with her hands. “Ouch,” she exclaimed after she cut her hand on a rock hidden in the dirt floor. The rock gave her an idea, “If I throw stones at the hive, the bees will be scared away and I can have something to eat!”

            Hattie collected as many stones as she could find and stepped closer to the hive. She was about to throw the first one when she stopped, recalling her mother’s warning. “What rubbish!” she decreed, tossing the stone, “She just doesn’t want me to have any fun!” The bees started buzzing more loudly but not a single one left. Hattie scowled and threw some more stones, but still no bees flew away. She grabbed the largest rock in her hand and launched it at the hive, which caused many to take flight. “Hurray!” Hattie smiled with success, but it was short lived; a bee stung her cheek, making her jump.

            Instantly, more bees swarmed around her; one stung her hand, making her drop the rest of the stones. Swatting at them made them even angrier, she got stung on her arm and above her eyebrow; there were so many bees Hattie couldn’t think above the buzzing noise. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, covering her face with her hands so they couldn’t sting it.

            Not looking or thinking where she was going, she tripped over a tree root and ran into the foliage. The bees chased her relentlessly and her lungs were crying out for air when she reached a large clearing. To her surprise and relief, a tall house stood in its center. She sprinted for the front door, pouring every ounce of energy into getting away from the frenzied swarm.

            By a twist of fate, the door was unlocked, so Hattie entered, slamming the door behind her. She leaned against it, grateful she was safe from the hundreds of bees.