Retold and illustrated by Phillip Martin

1
Retold and illustrated by Phillip Martin
2
(No Transcript)
3
Gather around me, soldiers," instructed Lion. "We
are about to go to war against the insect
kingdom. As your general, of course, I will lead
the attack. But, before the fight begins, I need
to be sure that you are all clear on our battle
plan."
4
The kudu, oryx, and jackal drew close to hear his
advice. "We have size on our side, said the
lion. However, our enemies outnumber us by
millions. We must show no mercy. Attack and
destroy them. Remember they will try to do the
same. They will swarm, sting, and bite, but we
will overcome."
5
The general lowered his voice to barely a
whisper. He motioned his officers even closer to
his side so nobody else would hear his words.
6
"Now listen carefully because this is the key to
our plan. Throughout the battle, tell your
soldiers to keep an eye on me. Since I'll be in
the front, I'll be able to tell if we are winning
or losing our fight.
7
As long as we are winning, I will hold my tail up
high in the air. If our soldiers see my tail up,
they are to continue their attack. However, if
for any reason we are losing the battle, I will
drop my tail. That will be the signal to
immediately stop all fighting and run for your
lives."
8
The kudu, oryx, and jackal listened carefully to
all their instructions. Then, they moved off
silently to pass the word on to their troops.
The lion took a moment to reflect before the
battle began. A smile crossed his face he knew
his plan was good.
9
But, what he didn't know would cost him the
victory. Hidden among the flowers of a nearby
bush, a tiny bee overheard all of the plans. As
soon as the lion moved on to his battle station,
the bee flew back to the insect camp with the
news.
10
The lion roared, the elephant trumpeted, and the
terrible fighting began. For a while both sides
were evenly matched. Lion, his tale flying high
in the air, directed a brilliant attack.
Encouraged by their brave leader, the animal
kingdom charged onward.
11
Eventually, it was clear to the insect general
that the battle had turned against his kingdom.
There was only one hope for the insects.
He looked at the little bee and said, "It is
time."
12
That was all the instruction that the little bee
needed to hear. He knew what to do and where to
do it! In a moment, he flew into the thick of the
battle. He didn't have far to go, and he had no
trouble in locating Lion at the front of the
fight.
13
The little bee smiled as he flew into position.
Then he cried, "Bee-ware from bee-hind!" as he
gave the general a sting he would never forget.
14
Of course, in the heat of the battle, none of the
animals heard the little bees battle cry. All
they noticed was that their leader had suddenly
dropped his tail. And they knew that meant!
15
The animals ran for their lives. So, the insects
won their war against the animal kingdom all
bee-cause one little bee was bee-hind enemy lines
bee-fore the fighting even bee-gan.
16
About the Author Phillip Martin The countries
in Southern Africa offer such a wealth of
experiences. I know this because, I lived in
Zambia and took every opportunity possible to
travel the region. I searched for whales off
the coast of South Africa, explored for wild
animals in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and encountered
fascinating traditional life of the San people in
Botswana. I also contracted malaria at the base
of the world's largest sand dunes in Sossusvlei,
Namibia.
17
About the Author Phillip Martin Along the way,
I searched for collections of folk tales which
Ive retold with my own humor. However, this
story was shared around a campfire when I spent
two nights with the Herrero people in
northeastern Namibia. The story of Bee-Ware
from Bee-Hind was brought to you all the way from
Africa.
18
For a wealth of African folktales retold and
illustrated by Phillip Martin, click here!
19
This presentation is brought to youby Petes
Power Point Station.Visit us on the web at
pppst.com!