When Dong White, Professor of Entomology at the university, was asked a simple question he went into contortions. The question, asked by a student, was simply, “Why do most species of bees have stripes?” Suddenly Dong White realized the answer to a question he had been pursuing all his intellectual life. Stripes on bees had evolved during, and even possibly predating, the Age of the Dinosaurs. Stripes acted as a warning to the Argentinosaurus, and other long-necked dinosaurs, not to come and pinch honey from the bees’ nests. If they did pinch, they would get stung.
These days, of course, stripes on bees are a hang-over from those days. Today, only giraffes could reach a bees’ nest high in a tree, but giraffes don’t eat honey.
Professor Dong White wrote a lengthy article on his insight and sent it to Scientific America for consideration. He had had other entomological papers published before. Why do bees have stripes? was sure to be a winner.
The magazine was kind enough to return the Professor’s paper. But scribbled at the top were the words: What a load of crap.
Weave a Web 
Oh, another genius is quashed.
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Anyone who can’t spell Argentosaurus Argenosaurus Argentinosrus whatever, is not a genius.
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Unbeelievable. This was a real honey of a story.
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Glad it gave you a buzz.
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Of course the real reason they have stripes is to make them look snazzy!
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I noticed (last time I looked) that you’re not wearing stripes.
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Yes, I’m not a snazzy guy on the outside, but on the inside I’m a cognoscente of circumlocution and my snazziness manifests in my sesquipedalian proclivities.
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Your sesquipedalian loquaciousness is hypnotically discombobulating.
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In the olden days, stripes were worn by the social outcasts such as prisoners, criminals, clowns, cutthroats, hangmen etc., people or creatures who could sting. Back to our enlightened days, embellishments such as stripes are worn by the socially enlightened and the and editors, other than tigers and lawyers.
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All I know is that horizontal stripes make me look fat (which I am) whereas vertical stripes make me look thin and lithe (which I am not).
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Hmm, nobody’s ever wrote that on top of a returned story of mine, but it sometimes feels like it!!! On the other hand Bruce, I think you have something there, perhaps send it to Scientific New Zealander?!
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LOL! I did once get a note (at the bottom not the top) which handwritten said “There’s enough trouble in the world without your play”!!
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Philistines!
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Maybe Dong should write a blog. You can write anything on a blog, and you don’t have to deal with stupid editors.
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That’s a very good point. Of course it hardly applies to yours and mine.
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Of course.
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Some discerning editors there! I just had to look up the subject, and yes those stripes are warning coloration, but the consensus is that it’s not particularly helpful to bees. The stingers are! Thanks for my diversion of the day!
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I knew you’d look it up! And interesting it is too!
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Dong is obviously too intelligent for the likes of Scientific American. Their readership isn’t nearly sophisticated enough for such challenging and critical research. Perhaps he should write a children’s book instead about a giraffe who decides to try to eat honey. I think there could be a valuable lesson in that. I don’t know what it is, but Dong is smart. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.
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Actually you’re right! (as usual!) A honey-seeking giraffe could make a fantastic children’s book.
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