The Queen Bee
The Queen Bee — an illustrated tales story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Tales.
Page 1
High atop Mount Caelum, where emotions manifested as shimmering constellations, resided Astra, the Celestial Cartographer, and her two apprentices, kindhearted Bram and envious Elara. Their observatory, a beacon of light in the inky sky, mapped the human heart, but a darker constellation threatened to eclipse all others: the Queen Bee, a symbol of corrupted kindness and false promises. The apprentices will face the darkness and light of the cosmos. But the forest is ever changing for the unprepared.
Page 2
Bram meticulously charted new emotions, his brow furrowed in concentration. "The constellation of Serenity seems to be waning," he observed, pointing to a cluster of dimming stars. Elara scoffed, adjusting her elaborate headdress. "Sentimentality is weakness. Power is the true guiding star."
Page 3
"Elara, control your thoughts," Astra cautioned gently. "'The mind is everything. What you think you become,' as Buddha said. But even then, focus on the good; spread light." Elara bristled. "Easy for you to say, Master. You are the most powerful of us all, but power must be earned. What have you done with yours?"
Page 4
A tremor shook the observatory. "The Queen Bee's influence grows stronger," Astra announced, her voice grave. "Her honeyed words are corrupting the constellations. I need you both to venture into the Whispering Woods and retrieve the celestial pollen. It's the only thing that can reverse the corruption."
Page 5
Deep within the Whispering Woods, Bram stumbled upon a group of lost travelers, charmed by the Queen Bee's honeyed words. "She promises us power, prosperity!" one traveler exclaimed, offering Bram a taste of glistening honey. "Come join us, friend!", but Bram refused. "Kindness cannot be bought or sold."
Page 6
Elara, however, yielded to temptation. "Why toil in obscurity when true power is within reach?" she mused, accepting a generous spoonful of honey. A surge of energy coursed through her veins. The constellation in the skies glowed. She had tasted greed.
Page 7
Bram confronted Elara. "You've been poisoned by the Queen Bee!" he cried. "You cannot accept the pollen that way. You will only corrupt its light." Elara sneered. "You're just jealous of my power, Bram, but you will fall at my feet!"
Page 8
Knowing her betrayal, Bram followed his heart. He scaled the highest peak to reach the celestial pollen, ignoring Elara's threats echoing through the woods below. The air thinned, the stars grew closer, and he could see the galaxy.
Page 9
Reaching the celestial pollen, Bram bathed it in the starlight. Elara attacked, her honey-fueled powers surging, but Bram held firm, focusing on the power of kindness. Her eyes glowed with hatred.
Page 10
The Queen Bee's constellation dimmed, its influence broken. Elara, stripped of her borrowed power, wept, realizing her ambition had blinded her. Bram returned to the observatory, a beacon of hope restored. "The stars have realigned," Astra declared, smiling softly. "Kindness, not power, illuminates the true path."
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)