The Bestiary

BEE

Apis

The Bee is the smallest farmer, tending flowers that it does not plant and producing honey it does not eat. It lives in a city of wax, ruled by a Queen who never leaves her throne. The workers labor until death, knowing no rest, demonstrating perfect devotion to their community. Bees communicate through dance, telling their sisters where flowers bloom - thus poetry serves practical ends. The sting of the Bee is fatal to itself, making it a reluctant warrior who fights only in defense of home. Monks keep Bees for their wax, which makes candles that illuminate prayer.