The Murmur of Bees

Francisco Junior describes his life at age six. He rides to school on an old horse named Thunderbolt, led by Simonopio. A boy asks Francisco whether he’s afraid to be with someone who has the face of a monster. Francisco punches him. This is the first of many fights. Francisco takes offense at anyone who comments on Simonopio’s appearance. When the children play in the orchards, Francisco is the only one unafraid of the bees, who accept him as he accepts them.

Francisco spins terrible stories about witches, ghosts, and mummies that walk the streets at night. He never tells his mother he learned these stories from Simonopio. The only story that frightens him is the one about the coyote, which really is something to fear.

After dropping Francisco at school one day, Simonopio hears a sound wagon. The announcer says that on Saturday evening at the river, someone will sing underwater without instruments. Simonopio wants to hear this because he can’t talk to the fish. He sees that Francisco has climbed onto the truck and is waving at people. Simonopio puts Francisco on the horse. Francisco makes Simonopio promise to take him to the event on Saturday.