- The Bee and the Shield -

   by Stella Lee - Illustrated by Stella Lee

Bee was a member of the bear village. Many other animals, who had never seen Bee before, laughed and pointed at her. But the bears protected her.

    Bee had lost her parents many years ago. She was found helpless on the doorstep of one of the bear mothers, whom she now called "Mother." Ever since, Bee had become very brave and an adopted member of the bear clan.

    The bear village was in a dense forest. There was a large clearing where the bears had their caves made of stone. Around the clearing were all trees. The bears relied on the trees. They used the leaves as table cloths and to cover doors. They used leftover branches for tables and to carve into toys. But the humans were quickly cutting down the trees!

    One morning, the residents of the forest awoke to the sound of sawing. There was heavy metal buzzes and a loud THUNK! after.

    All the bears, squirrel, and bird residents were very scared. However, the brave Bee stood up with a shield made of pure stone that was more than ten times her size.