This is Melissa's first day in the sun. Like all bees her age, she spent her life so far in the subdued darkness inside the hive, sheltered from wind and predators and surrounded by her cluster-sisters. As each bee takes wing and flies her own way, Melissa experiences the thrill of freedom, and learns to cooperate with her sisters to defeat even the mightiest of enemies. By the end of this eventful day she is connected to the swarm as a whole, and to each and every bee-sister, by a bond of compassion.
