Such was the old man's tale.
When he had finished speaking, he led me behind his house, and showed me his little domain.

It consisted of about two acres in admirable cultivation; a small portion of it formed a kitchen garden, while the rest was sown with four kinds of grain, wheat, barley, peas, and beans.
The air was full of ambrosial sweets, resembling those proceeding from an orange grove; a place which though I had never seen at that time, I since have.

In the garden was the habitation of the bees, a long box, supported upon three oaken stumps.

It was full of small round glass windows, and appeared to be divided into a great many compartments, much resembling drawers placed sideways.

He told me that, as one compartment was filled, the bees left it for another; so that, whenever he wanted honey, he could procure some without injury to the insects.