had thought so slightingly of him earlier in their meeting.

"Often people are far more sensible than we take them to be at first," she told herself.

Puck went on with his story.

"It took a long time for me to get to understand their language. Now at last I know what they want. It isn't much, because they usually say the same thing every day."

"I can scarcely believe it," said Maya. "Why, they have so many interests, and think so many things, and do so many things. Cassandra told me that they build cities so big that you can't fly round them in one day, towers as high as the nuptial flight of our queen, houses that float on the water, and houses that glide across the country on two narrow silver paths and go faster than birds."

"Wait a moment!" said Puck energetically. "Who is Cassandra? Who is she, if I may make so bold as to ask? Well?"

"Oh, she was my teacher."

"Teacher!" repeated Puck contemptuously. "Probably also a bee. Who but a bee would overestimate human beings like that? Your Miss Cassandra, or whatever her name is, doesn't know her history. Those cities and towers and other human devices you speak of are none of them any good to us. Who would take such an impractical view of the world as you do? If you don't accept the premise that the earth is dominated by the flies, that the flies are the most widespread and most important race on earth, you'll scarcely get a real knowledge of the world."

Puck took a few excited zigzag turns on the leaf and pulled at his head, to Maya's intense concern. However, the little bee had observed by this time that there wasn't much sense to be got out of his head any way.

"Do you know how you can tell I am right?" asked Puck, rubbing his hands together as if to tie them in a knot. "Count the number of people and the number of flies in any room. The result will surprise you."

"You may be right. But that's not the point."

"Do you think I was born this year?" Puck demanded all of a sudden.

"I don't know."

"I passed through a winter," Puck announced, all pride. "My experiences date back to the ice age. In a sense they take me _through_ the ice age. That's why I'm here--I'm here to recuperate."

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