7 THE VIOLET AND THE BEE

“And pray, who are you?”

Said the Violet blue

To the Bee, with surprise,

At his wonderful size,

In her eyeglass of dew.

“I, madam,” quoth he,

“Am a publican Bee,

Collecting the tax

Of honey and wax.

Have you nothing for me?”

( John Bannister Tabb )

The Author

John B. Tabb (1845-1909), a Southern poet, was born near Richmond,Virginia. All his life he was interested in birds, flowers, and outdoor life.When the Civil War began, he joined the Southern army, although he was a mere lad of sixteen. After the war he became a clergyman and a teacher.

Word list

quoth : said

publican : a tax collector

You Practice

Answer the following questions.

1) What did the violet ask the bee?

2) What surprised the violet?

3) What is the violet’s “eye glasses of dew”? zCOAzviwWWhz1v9do7URP1tMKHWWdQP+nH5rsTjGUVVt7B7yIIaEDSkTqzp4rJru