A Queen Bee from Hymettus flew up to Olympus with some fresh honey
from the hive as a present to Jupiter, who was so pleased with the
gift that he promised to give her anything she liked to ask for. She
said she would be very grateful if he would give stings to the bees,
to kill people who robbed them of their honey. Jupiter was greatly
displeased with this request, for he loved mankind: but he had given
his word, so he said that stings they should have. The stings he gave
them, however, were of such a kind that whenever a bee stings a man
the sting is left in the wound and the bee dies.
