Each colony of honeybees consists of three classes: a) the queen, who is a prolific layer of eggs; b) the workers, who are the bulwark of the colony; and c) the sedentary drone, whose only function is to mate with a young queen. The queen lays the eggs that hatch into thousands of female workers; some queens live as long as five years and lay up to one million eggs. The frugal worker builds and maintains the nest, collects and stores the honey, and is the antithesis of the lazy drone, or female honeybee, who does no work and has no sting. When the drone is no longer needed, the workers, in effect, liquidate him by letting him starve to death. It’s a cruel, cruel world!
- Colony: Koloni, perkumpulan, tempat tinggal bersama
- Consist of: Terdiri dari, berisi, memuat
- Prolific: Produktif, subur, banyak menghasilkan
- Layer of eggs: Lapisan telur, susunan telur
- Bulwark: Benteng, pertahanan, penghalang
- Sedentary drone: Lebah pekerja yang tidak terbang, lebah pekerja yang tidak bergerak
- Drone: Lebah jantan, pesawat nirawak, suara berdengung
- Mate: Kawan, pasangan, jodoh
- Hatch: Menetas, menetas telur, menetas anak ayam
- Lay up: Menyimpan, menimbun, menyimpan cadangan
- Frugal: Hemat, sederhana, tidak boros
- Antithesis: Kebalikan, lawan, kontras
- In effect: Efektif, berlaku, berlaku secara efektif
- Liquidate: Membubarkan, menyelesaikan, mencairkan
- Starve: Kelaparan, kekurangan makanan, tidak makan
- Cruel: Kejam, keji, tidak berperikemanusiaan.
Under the Emerald Canopy: A Tale of Sacrifice and Survival
Colony 047 pulsed with life, a symphony of chirps and clicks echoing through the vibrant undergrowth. It consisted of millions, each clinging to their roles within the emerald cathedral of leaves. Queen Atheria, prolific layer of eggs, ruled from her silken throne, a bulwark against the ever-present threats beyond the canopy.
Atherian drones, sleek and muscular, patrolled the borders, eternal sentinels against predators. Then came the hatchlings, a bursting surge of tiny wings and insatiable hunger. Atheria would lay up stores, her meticulous planning the antithesis to the sedentary drones, who lived only to mate and die.
Among them was Apis, a drone with emerald eyes and a restlessness gnawing at his chitinous soul. He longed for something beyond the endless cycle of hatch, feed, defend. One day, venture led him beyond the colony’s boundaries, and he stumbled upon a sight that chilled his antennae.
A withered forest, ravaged by a merciless blight. Starving figures, once proud drones, wandered aimlessly. His heart constricted. Could this be their cruel future? He returned, fear gnawing at his resolve. To speak of the truth meant banishment, maybe liquidation. Yet, silence meant condemning his siblings to the same fate.
He took to the central platform, his voice trembling against the hushed murmur of the colony. He spoke of the blight, of the dying drones, of the need for action. A chorus of dissent met him, the weight of tradition holding them down.
But Atheria listened. In her ancient eyes, Apis saw the glint of a queen who had seen generations rise and fall. With a rasping chirp, she silenced the crowd. “He speaks truth,” she declared, her voice laced with the authority of countless molts. “The colony must adapt, or we shall perish.”
Thus began the exodus. Atheria, carried on the backs of the strongest drones, led them to a new haven. The journey was perilous, fraught with hunger and predators. But they persevered, driven by Atheria’s resolute chirps and Apis’ unwavering courage.
They reached a verdant valley, untouched by the blight. Under Atheria’s guidance, they rebuilt, this time learning from the past. They diversified their food sources, explored further, and embraced a spirit of innovation. Apis, the restless drone, became their scout, their warrior, the living embodiment of change.
Colony 047 thrived. Generations later, under the emerald canopy of their new home, the tale of Apis, the restless drone, was an anthem of courage and sacrifice. It served as a constant reminder that even the most rigid traditions must bend in the face of adversity, and that true strength lies not in blind obedience, but in the daring to question and the courage to change.
This, under the emerald canopy, was how a colony faced its cruel fate and chose, instead, to write its own story of survival.
