Our fifth grader ran into the house one day holding his thumb and moaning, "A bee stung me."

"Do you want to suffer for a while, or shall we handle it right away?" I said this because sometimes children—and adults—like to play the hero and enjoy the attention which an accident centers on them.

But he was suffering and wanted to be rid of the sting, and he knew Christian Science was the way.

I smiled and felt such love for his honest appeal. "First, get rid of your resentment toward the bee. You probably did something to disturb or frighten him and he was trying to protect himself. Love him for his courage and industry. And see him as in reality a spiritual idea, God's creature. Mrs. Eddy says, 'All of God's creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible.'"  ^{Science and Health, p. 514;}

He said he understood this, and went into another room to be alone. In a few minutes I heard him crying. Some rather frightening symptoms had appeared on his body, even on his face, and he was obviously uncomfortable.

I decided we ought to have some help; this was no ordinary bee sting! I telephoned a Christian Science practitioner, who explained that nothing can poison Love or Love's idea and that Mind is the source of all action. And she reminded me of how Paul, who understood God governs all, shook the viper off his arm into the fire, proving it to be harmless. She agreed to help me know that God is in control.

I had such a feeling of confidence and trust that God was caring for the boy that I was able mentally to release him. But he was making so much noise that I could not think clearly. I went into the hall and prayed: "Father-Mother God, he is Your child, but let me help. Show me what to do."

It occurred to me then that we needed less of error's noise and more noise about what was true. So I went back into the room and suggested we both say things out loud that we knew were the truth.

I began with "the scientific statement of being," the first sentence of which reads, "There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter." ^{p. 468;} Soon the boy was repeating it with me, at first in a foggy way, then firmly and clearly.

Next we started declaring what we knew of God as Christian Science reveals Him to us.

I saw that we had to acknowledge that God is the source of all action. We had to see and know that there is no reaction or over-action—no action ever, anywhere, at any time—apart from God the all-acting One. I became convinced that this was true and that my son's perfection as God's child could never be stung because there was no active power but God's goodness. And among the signs Christ Jesus said would follow them that believe the truth was one referring to poison: "If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them."  ^{Mark 16:18;}

Within twenty minutes the boy was calm and relaxed, and in spite of the swelling of his mouth he was able to eat the food which was given him. He slept quietly through the night and awoke feeling and appearing normal, except for the thumb, which returned to proper size the following morning.

Later he asked, "Why did this have to happen to me?"

I knew he had thrown something at the beehive, so I pointed out that this act violated his more loving inclination to live and let live. Needlessly disturbing any animal's haven is not expressing intelligence, to say the least.

"So, then, do we always get hurt if we do dumb things? Sometimes we do dumb things and don't know it," he answered.

"We don't have to do dumb things. God gives us dominion, not minds of our own. We have all the intelligence of the divine Mind at our command. That's why we pray each day to know our oneness with God as His likeness. Mrs. Eddy says, 'Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way.' ^{Science and Health, p. 326 .} I think that means the way right through every day," I answered.

"But what if something still happens," he persisted.

"Then we know that we are believing in something that is a lie. We turn to the law that is higher than nature, to God's law which says God's creatures move in harmony with each other. There is no material creation, no material sense of bee or boy. What was stung was our belief in material laws, and our belief that man can do dumb things."

He smiled. "So if that belief is gone, I won't be stung ever again. That's pretty neat, isn't it?"