The Bees, the Drones, and the Wasp

A fable retold from Fifty Famous Fables by Lida B. McMurry

This fable comes from Fifty Famous Fables, a collection retold by American educator Lida B. McMurry and published in 1907. The story follows the structure of a classic Aesop-style fable: a dispute, a wise judge, and a test that reveals the truth. Fables like this one teach children about fairness, honesty, and the value of work. Judge Wasp's clever solution shows that actions speak louder than words, and that those who truly do the work are not afraid to prove it.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 338 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Fifty Famous Fables, Lida B. McMurry · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.