Freedom Bee, a new children’s book by Nicole Haas provides parents and grandparents a great way to help kids learn the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance at an early age It’s a quick read (about 5 -10 minutes) and appropriate for 3 – 9 year olds.
In this metaphorical story, there are two main characters. Queen Bee represents the overbearing government and Scout represents the self-reliant entrepreneur who worked his way to the top.
Queen Bee’s objective is to gain greater control of the hive. She realizes that if she can get the most productive worker bees, like Scout to give more of the pollen they collect to make honey to her, she can redistribute it to the less productive bees, thus garnering their support.
Of course, since the most productive bees are no longer allowed to keep much of the pollen they work so hard to collect, they become less productive. Meanwhile, the less productive bees have even less motivation to work hard for their own pollen since they are supplied by Queen Bee with all the pollen they need. The result, of course is the hive eventually collapses.
Scout and the other worker bees decide to build a new hive. This hive is “bigger and bolder, shinier and new.” Eventually, Queen Bee apologizes to Scout for letting the Great Hive fall.
Scout graciously stated,
“Pay attention, Queen Bee, because I don’t work for you, but you work for me.”
“Don’t ever forget,” said Scout. “You work for us all.
The strong and the weak, even the tired and small,
We are the workers and we make this hive hum.
For those willing to work, it’s here they will come.
You have your place, and in your place you must stay
Or be prepared to be sent on your way.”
The second hive becomes a great success, with all the bees working hard and prospering.
The moral of the story is that hard work and self-reliance are the keys to success, rather than dependence on someone else.
If that’s a lesson you want your children and grandchildren to learn at an early age, pick-up Freedom Bee here. For $9.00, it provides a message worth a pile of gold.
