copyright Jennifer Pendergast
Old Rusty
Old Rusty went to heaven yesterday. A man couldn’t have asked for a better giant bee companion.
It wasn’t just his honey-making superpowers. That paid the bills, but he was also a real sweety—the way he liked getting scratched behind the wings and how he got all excited about the annual apiary box social.
I can see him now on one of his grizzly hunting trips. He wouldn’t kill ‘em; just play with them a while. Nobody could make a grizzly wet itself in terror as fast as Rusty.
Somehow, a dog just isn’t going to cut it anymore.
The Green-Walled Tower 
July 31st, 2013 at 8:35 pm
That’s a great story. Wonder if he used to take rides on it as well 🙂
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:44 pm
I’d like to think he could ride on it. What’s the good of a giant bee otherwise?
July 31st, 2013 at 10:24 pm
A giant pet bee would take a giant owner, wouldn’t it? Otherwise, he could get stranded in a drop of honey from the giant hive. Wild times!!
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:45 pm
You’d have to watch out not to get caught in a flood of honey. I was trying to think of what kind of flowers a bee like this would require.
July 31st, 2013 at 11:33 pm
Love the last two lines! Made me laugh. Good job!
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:46 pm
🙂 Thanks.
August 1st, 2013 at 1:42 am
Just think of all the free honey! Sounds promising so long as he doesn’t sting you. Funny one, David!
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:47 pm
Can you get diabetes from eating too much honey? In any case, you’d have a lot. I can imagine getting stung. I had a part in the story about playing Sting the Watermelon, but cut it for length and also it sounds like a euphemism. 🙂
August 1st, 2013 at 4:21 am
Great twist on the story!
August 1st, 2013 at 4:22 am
Oh, and I think you forgot to add yourself to the list on Rochelle’s counter…
August 1st, 2013 at 10:19 am
ah, you are right. I’m getting old seemingly. 🙂
August 1st, 2013 at 1:25 pm
Somehow I’d still rather a dog. Though the bee had his virtues, no doubt about it!
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:48 pm
Well, a dog is more manageable, to be sure. This is more on the order of having a flying elephant with a poison lance in its butt.
August 1st, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Heck of a “pet”.
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Yeah. But at least no more bully problems. 🙂
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:52 pm
True dat 😉
August 1st, 2013 at 3:39 pm
I could see he’d be a hard act to follow. 🙂
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Yeah. Probably best to get a goldfish next: start at the bottom and work back up again. 🙂
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:39 am
D’awww! Who’da known a bee would make such a good pet?
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:50 pm
🙂 He’s just a big, stinging softy.
August 2nd, 2013 at 9:47 am
I guess when you think about it, they even have fur and everything! Ah! Now I want a giant bee, and I bet you could train them under saddle as well.
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:51 pm
I wonder just how furry a bumble bee would be at that size. It could be quite cuddly, although it also might be deafening when it took off.
August 2nd, 2013 at 4:17 pm
this is one amazing piece of imagination! if you try you can have a heart to heart competition with Stephen king!
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:29 pm
Ha! That’d be awesome.
August 2nd, 2013 at 7:19 pm
Dear David,
You’ve written a gem. Somehow you turned the ridiculous into the sublime. Silly, yet touching. I enjoyed it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:20 pm
I’m glad you think so. Silly, yet touching was exactly what I was going for, so I guess I succeeded. 🙂
August 2nd, 2013 at 7:55 pm
haha that’s a really awesome pet! no, a dog isn’t going to cut it anymore… great imaginative story, as always 🙂
August 2nd, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Thanks. Not sure if I’d want it, but it’d be something else.
August 2nd, 2013 at 11:34 pm
No wonder Old Rusty had to hunt down those grizzlies in order to play–they learned early on to stay away from his honey. Gotta get a replacement. Fun.
August 3rd, 2013 at 3:16 am
A quaint ol’ tale – just 2 inches left of reality. Loved it!
August 3rd, 2013 at 5:44 am
So that is why Grizzlies stink so bad. here I thought it was all the dried blood and guts from their prey!
August 3rd, 2013 at 6:38 am
Aw, this is almost a love story. Nice little eulogy to an old friend.
August 3rd, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Dear David,
Simple, imaginative and well written. Your first line hooked me and the whole story entertained me. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
August 3rd, 2013 at 9:51 pm
Thank you, Doug. Glad you liked it.
August 3rd, 2013 at 10:50 pm
I just want to see the grizzly wet on itself in terror. What a lovely image. Well done, David.
August 5th, 2013 at 11:18 am
Now everyone kid is going to want a giant bee for their birthday. That was good about antagonizing a grizzly.
August 6th, 2013 at 11:10 am
Making this into a pet story took a lot of imagination and inventiveness. I think my reaction would be the same as the grizzly. Ron
August 8th, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Maybe you could teach your dog to fetch honey?
August 8th, 2013 at 6:56 pm
True. There might be some way to make the best of it. 🙂