Once on a time a Bumblebee
Addressed a Sunflower. Said he:
" Dear Sunflower, tell me is it true
What everybody says of you?"

Replied the Sunflower: " Tell me; pray,
How should I know what people say?
Why should I even care? No doubt
'Tis some ill-natured tale without
A word of truth; but tell me, Bee,
What is it people say of me? "
" Oh, no! " the Bee made haste to add;
" 'Tis really not so very bad
I got it from the Ant. She said
She'd heard the Sun had turned your head,
And that whene'er he walks the skies
You follow him with all your eyes
From morn till eve — " " Oh, what a shame! "
Exclaimed the Sunflower, aflame,
" To say such things of me! They know
The very opposite is so.

" They know full well that it is he —
The Sun — who always follows me.
I turn away my head until
I fear my stalk will break; and still
He tags along from morn till night,
Starting as soon as it is light,
And never takes his eyes off me
Until it is too dark to see!
They really ought to be ashamed.
Soon they'll be saying I was named
For him, when well they know 'twas he
Who took the name of Sun from me. "

The Sunflower paused, with anger dumb.
The Bee said naught, but murmured,
" H'm! "
'Twas very evident that he
Was much impressed — this Bumblebee.
He spread his wings at once and flew
To tell some other bees he knew,
Who, being also much impressed,
Said, " H'm! " and flew to tell the rest.

And now if you should chance to see,
In field or grove, a Bumblebee,
And hear him murmur, " H'm! " then you
Will know what he's alluding to.