Near the village of Tomintoul a woman sipped tea outside a cottage, near a patch of heather where the brambles met a stacked stone wall.  She was sweeping her porch with a crooked old broom when she spotted a slow-moving bumblebee, pulling itself slowly across the ground.  Closer examination revealed the bee was a queen, and the woman was pleased to be in the company of such royalty.

The early spring air was bitter cold, and the woman shivered as she knelt down for a better look.  “Careful with that broom,” said the bumblebee.  “I mean you no harm, and I will soon be on my way.”  But the porch was cold, and the woman hoped the pollen-laden queen could make it to the edge of the garden.”

The queen inched across the stone until she could move no more, and her furry, yellow and black body slowed to a stop.  The woman knelt closer.  The bumblebee was in trouble, heavy with pollen for the return flight to her nest.  But the morning air was cold, and the nest must have been a frightful distance.  The bumblebee queen had apparently refused to take in enough nourishment for herself while provisioning for her brood, and the cold morning air had taken its toll. 

Motionless, the bumblebee queen appeared near death.  The woman removed her bonnet and scooted very close.  She coaxed the bumblebee onto the edge of the bonnet and retrieved the bee to the safety and warmth of her cottage.  After placing the bonnet on a plank table, the woman turned a glowing log in the fireplace and rubbed her hands together for warmth.  Several minutes later, the queen chanced to take an unsteady step--then another and another.  Before long, she began to get a bit of her buzz back.

The woman went to the cupboard, stood on a stool and retrieved a jar of honey.  She unscrewed the lid, scooped a bit of honey into a thimble and topped it off with warm water from her kettle.  She gave the thimble a gentle swoosh to mix the honey and water and placed it near the queen.  The bumblebee queen thanked the woman for her kindness and sipped the elixir until she’d had her fill. 

Before long, the queen was looking downright plucky.  She crawled about the table and buzzed her wings—as if to test her flying abilities.  She did a little curtsy in mid air and hovered a few inches from the woman’s nose.  The queen smiled, and the woman smiled back, delighted with the bumblebee’s speedy recovery.  And the two of them just stayed there for a time, each transfixed by the other, and all the while smiling.

The queen flew toward the window and stared outside.  She longed to be free and could think of nothing but her brood.  The woman followed her to the glass—she could see the concern on the queen’s face.

“I have to get back to my nest,” said the bumblebee queen.  “I’ve been gone far too long, and my young need warmth and food, and they need me beside them.”

Unafraid, the old woman held out the thimble, offering a bit more honey tea.  The queen lighted on her finger and sipped a bit more for the long flight home.

“Do you have a scarf?” asked the bumblebee.

Curious as to the nature of the queen’s request, the woman rose to her feet and disappeared down the hall.  She returned a few minutes later with several scarves over her arm and walked near the window.  The morning sun shone down on the glistening silk and the queen flitted from scarf to scarf.  She passed over red scarves and all manner of fancy scarves with fine tassels and such.  Finally, she came to rest atop a lovely silk scarf with sky blue flowers and violet blooms, the background alive with pollen gold.  The queen lifted a corner of the scarf to her cheek and smiled a regal smile.  “This one,” she said.  The woman looked on, perplexed.

“I vow to return the favor of your kindness,” said the queen.  “I ordain this royal scarf the symbol of our friendship…between gentle garden keepers and the bees.  Each and every spring and summer, when blooms begin to form inside your garden gate, tie a bow with blue and violet flowers amidst your plants, and my progeny will visit your garden from this day hence.  We will forage in service to your garden for the kindness you have shown, now and forever more.  Treat us kindly, and yours will be the grandest garden of all.”

With that, the bumblebee queen bade the woman goodbye with a wave and a buzz, forever to keep her promise in the presence of blue and violet flowers amidst seas of pollen gold.