Hello,
 
I heard a bee story yesterday which I would like to add to the
"Bee Fables" thread recently on this list:
 
It seems that a beekeeper in a rural southwestern Virginia
county also made a little moonshine whisky, which he
transported inside empty beehives on a flatbed truck.
 
The authorities eventually figured out this strategem, and made
plans to arrest him.  It is hard to keep secrets in small rural
communities, and our beekeeper got wind of the plan.  He loaded
his meanest hives onto his truck and started down the road,
soon to be stopped by the sheriff and alcohol agents, who asked
him what he was hauling.  He replied:
 
"Beehives -- you can see that."
 
"What's in the beehives?"
 
"Bees, what else?"
 
"We think you're hauling moonshine in those beehives.  Open up
a couple for us to check."
 
"No sir.  If you want to see inside you open them."
 
The sheriff jumped onto the truck, triumphantly jerked the
lid off a beehive, and was nearly eaten alive by the bees.
After that our friend ran moonshine whenever and wherever he
wanted and no one ever bothered him again.
 
 
Fred
 
Virginia, USA