Good old Pooh comes across a lot of bees in the book "Winnie-the-Pooh", just as we did one day in summer.

"...from the top of the tree, there came a loud buzzing-noise.

Winnie-the-Pooh sat down at the foot of the tree, put his head between his paws, and began to think.

First of all he said to himself: "That buzzing noise means something.... and the only reason I can think of for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you're a bee.

...The only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey.

And then he got up, and said "And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it."

This is a swarm of honey bees that appeared one day around a hollow in a pine tree. They were there for weeks and as far as I know may be there still, settled down for the winter now.

To see others remembering Maire in song, poem and proverb: http://forum.pbase.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=47823&sid=43007bc7bde6f9b742565e0da91d6967