Frank Richard Stockton

The Bee-Man of Orn and Other Fanciful Tales Frank Richard Stockton

"Do you know," he said, when the Bee-man came out of his hut, "that you have been transformed?" "What do you mean by that?" said the other, much surprised. "You have surely heard of animals and human beings who have been magically transformed into different kinds of creatures?" "Yes, I have heard of these things," said the Bee-man; "but what have I been transformed from?" "That is more than I know," said the Junior Sorcerer. "But one thing is certain-you ought to be changed back. If you will find out what you have been transformed from, I will see that you are made all right again. Nothing would please me better than to attend to such a case." And, having a great many things to study and investigate, the Junior Sorcerer went his way. This information greatly disturbed the mind of the Bee-man. If he had been changed from something else, he ought to be that other thing, whatever it was. He ran after the young man, and overtook him. "If you know, kind sir," he said, "that I have been transformed, you surely are able to tell me what it is that I was." "No," said the Junior Sorcerer, "my studies have not proceeded far enough for that. When I become a senior I can tell you all about it.