The Bee-Man of Orn
The Bee-Man of Orn is a short story by Frank R. Stockton about a man who lives in the forest and has bees living inside his body. The story follows the adventures of the Bee-Man as he helps people with their problems using his unique ability to communicate with bees.
By Frank R. Stockton · First published 1883 · Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Children's Literature · 5,138 words
First lines
In the ancient country of Orn, there lived an old man who was called the Bee-man, because his whole time was spent in the company of bees. He lived in a small hut, which was nothing more than an immense bee-hive, for these little creatures had built their honeycombs in every corner of the one room it contained, on the shelves, under the little table, all about the rough bench on which the old man sat, and even about the head-board and along the sides of his low bed. All day the air of the room was thick with buzzing insects, but this did not interfere in any way with the old Bee-man, who walked in among them, ate his meals, and went to sleep, without the slightest fear of being stung. He had lived with the bees so long, they had become so accustomed to him, and his skin was so tough and hard, that the bees no more thought of stinging him than they would of stinging a tree or a stone.
What this Textopian page supports
The Bee-Man of Orn is listed on Textopian as a short story by Frank R. Stockton, dated 1883 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Frank R. Stockton
- Date: 1883 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Children's Literature, Adventure, Allegory
- Length: 5,138 words
- Structure: 1 section, 92 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Bee-Man of Orn by Frank R. Stockton
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Bee-Man of Orn?
- How does this short story by Frank R. Stockton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The Light Princess by George Macdonald
- Fins Rattles And Wings by Frank R. Stockton
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- Little Elfie by George Macdonald
- The White Cat by Gelett Burgess
Genres
- Fantasy — The story features magical elements and fantastical creatures.
- Fairy Tale — The narrative follows a traditional fairy tale structure with moral lessons.
- Children's Literature — The book is written in a style and with themes suitable for children.
- Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a journey with various challenges and discoveries.
Tags
fantasy · adventure · fable · whimsy · imagination · insects · bees · transformation · humor · morality · tale · narrative