How does Matt's father know the bees in the tree are not wild in The Sign of the Beaver?
In The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, Matt recalls how he and his father discover the bee tree. It is located near Loon Pond, and Matt mistakenly thinks that the bees he sees around the “old woodpecker hole” are wild. His father assures him that they are not, for as he explains, honeybees are not native to America. The first colonists carried them over from England, and this bunch probably got away from a hive near a river town. Matt's father warns him that bees are “better left alone.”
Now, however, Matt wants “a bit of something tasty.” He thinks about the honey in that bee hive and convinces himself that it really isn't all that dangerous to climb up and swipe a little. The bees will never miss it. One morning, he decides to give it a try.
This turns out to be a huge mistake. The bees largely ignore Matt as he climbs the tree, but when he breaks some bark away from the hole, the bees attack. Matt is stung again and again as he climbs down out of the tree. The bees encircle him as he runs to the water, getting his foot caught in a branch in the process. Even when he is in the water, the bees don't leave Matt alone. He has to duck down in the pond more than once, but when he tries to swim away, he gets tangled up in weeds and feels a sharp pain in his leg. Matt is finally rescued by an Indian man and boy who care for Matt, tending his stings, getting him home, and giving him medicine.
What advice does Matt's father give him about bees in The Sign of the Beaver?
In Chapter Five, Matt desperately wants some honey, but he remembers that his father had warned him to stay away from the bee tree before he left.
Although he realizes that bees are 'better left alone,' as his father had advised, Matt decides to try his luck. He climbs up the tree and tries to extract a piece of honeycomb from inside the trunk. However, he is soon surrounded by angry bees who sting him all over his body. Matt makes a desperate run for the pond and just manages to save himself. However, as he tries to swim out further in order to get away from the swarming bees, Matt finds his feet tangled in weeds. Already in great pain, he thrashes wildly to free himself, but is unsuccessful. Eventually, he is saved from drowning by an old, Indian man who proceeds to gently pull out all the bee stings from Matt's body.
Matt loses consciousness and eventually wakes up to find himself in his own bed in the cabin. During recurring intervals, the old man feeds Matt some bitter medicine. The chapter ends with Matt falling into a deep sleep.
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