The New Pollen

Two bees went out to find provisions for the hive. The first bee went to the places that he knew. He'd come across provisions there before, but knew they were running thin.

The other bee went to a field distant from the hive. So distant in fact, that he had to lay down in  a strange plant and sleep before he could return.

When he did return, the other bees were angry with him, for they thought he had abandoned his task. Whereas the other had returned with his usual stash, which he was bringing in rations so that he would appear to be very good at finding little bits of what they needed continuously.

The bee that had travelled far, however, brought back a pollen unlike that which the bees had ever seen. Its fragrance was strong and sour, and the others balked at the scent, claiming it to be poisonous and unusable. The travelling bee, exhausted and dejected, left the pollen in their hands and slunk back to his home to rest.

During the night the pollen filled the storehouses with it's fragrance which was so strong that all the catacombs filled with it, enraging many of the older workers. The first bee who played it safe was showered with praise for his tiny pile of pollen, for it was the normal pollen, and smelled not at all.

The travelling bee was no longer sent out, for his pollen was despised. The workers let it sit, and chose only to use the safer bee's pollen. that is, until the queen arrived.

With an abdomen full of larvae, she sensed the new pollen and swooned over it, declaring it fit for her new eggs and insisted it be used immediately. 

So greatful was she that she gave the new bee a mighty new home and workers to oversee.

Which he did. 

And he sent them to his field to gather more pollen. Pollen that sickened the older bees, so they gathered with the safe bee and his pollen and refused to change. The queen allowed this, much to the confusion of all.

It wasn't until the new eggs hatched, and the queen died, that all the old bees died with her and the new pollen became the new norm.

And none of the next generation had any recollection of the dispute between pollens.