PRAYER BEES

So, to continue the tale of the honey harvest .. once upon a time, last year in fact, a poor beekeeper, (let's call him 'soulmate'), saw all his bees perish or disappear, even before the very harsh winter when it snowed heavily for two months and more. He went hither and thither seeking a new colony, and registered with all the beekeeps throughout the land (of Sussex) in case they knew of any lost colonies in need a loving home. After many fretful months, a Very Special Swarm was found. It seems that some local nuns had also seen their bee colonies dwindle and so they asked god for some new bees. They prayed and they prayed and finally their prayers were answered in the form of a swarm who came to live in their orchard. These bees worked so hard throughout the year that they outgrew their old home in the nunnery and so decided to divide and separate in order to find a new home. This is when soulmate became the proud new owner of the 'Prayer Bees', as they affectionately became known. The Prayer Bees continued to work as hard as they had done with the nuns and produced not one, but two, supers-full of honey. This is where the tale turns gruesome, for this is when the Prayer Bees are robbed. If you are faint of heart, follow the honey harvest story no more, and look away now..