professor Humblebee in
Jamie Jonathan Ball
professor Humblebee in
Hello. I am a botanist...
... a scientist who studies plants.
Jamie Jonathan Ball
Often, to study plants...
brrrrrrrrrr ... a botanist must get away from the desk...
cr r r kk ... z
z z z z. ..
putt putt
putt
... and out into the field... nature that is!
whoooooosh
kk
The Western Ghats, India.
It was a long flight, but it’s great to be here. Humid.
Now to find a nice spot for base-camp...
Base-camp is set... it’s time to science!
I say, what a lovely butterfly. I. Must. Study.
I wonder who these fascinating footprints belong to?
A relationship most symbiotic.
sneak
Time to prepare some more samples...
click
Woah, this li’l fella is growing f-f-fast!
trembl
e
More curious footprints...
creep
creep
These weren’t here before...
A true mystery. I’ll make a note.
pages of the professor’s notebook...
Bell jar experiment.
ses moisture to evaporate. u a c t h Sunlig
Glass dome captures evaporating moisture.
Light spots on leaves caused by high-humitidy.
90 cm
Thick stalk. Fast growing. Nutrient rich soil.
25 cm 50 cm
Light spots.
Leaf gaps.
Discovered... some rather ts. curious sets of footprin Very mysterious...
I wonder who they belong to.. perhaps I will find out, as I explore more of the forest...
45 cm
the A study of ots seed and ro in the soil.
A short stroll later...
Ah there’s nothing quite like fresh air...
W-o-a-h going down!
trip
That’s a funny rock. Looks rather like...
... toes! Hello there, an ancient statue.
professor Humblebee is unaware he is also being closely studied...
slink
What is it?
M-o-n-key...
Gulp. peep
Moss-terious place... lost and forgotten for hundreds of years.
The only residents these days seem to be my dear old friends, the plants.
Well I never... more footprints. Baffling.
Very unusual moss...
Never seen a m-o-n-key before...
Let’s just stay out of its way.
Night falls silenty...
I wonder who you were, sir.
Eeep what was that noise!?
crack crack
Inside the temple...
What the plant-pot.. monkeys?
I think it’s seen us.
Who are you calling a monkey, monkey..?
It thinks we’re monkeys...
Intruder alert!
If there’s one thing that gives us Vanara the heebie-jeebies, it’s monkeys!
Come back. I mean you no harm. I’m a scientist...
Run away!
Entering the temple tunnels, a shadowy shock awaits...
Jeepers, I don’t much like the look of this... brrrr....
perhaps this was a bad idea... I... I...
We’ll show that monkey a monkey.
Hihihihi!
Shadow monkey unleashed!
... I’m outta here arghhhhhhh!
Wait a minute, would ya look at that there...
Hihihihi!
Wait, doesn’t that look like...
sp
la
t
If I can just clean this up a bit grmphh...
scratch
sp
spl
lat
at
Why yes... yes I believe it does...
This statue looks like our mystery intruder... how strange...
Urm, guys...
I’m so confused... It called itself a s-c-i-e-ntist...
Hey you two wait up...
Should we take a look what happened to it?
Watch out for the ...
H-------o-------
doiiiiii
Oh this not good...
previously...
trip
... not good at all...
-l-------e!!!
iiiiing
I don’t feel cut out for this kind of adventure.
Monkey or scientist, I don’t think it’s a good idea to meddle further in this...
But this is kind of our fault... shouldn’t we at least try to help?
Absolutely not, terrible idea I say. Just listen to it yelling!
Urrr he’s sneaking to the hole though...
I’ll get to the bottom of this...
Hello there monkey, how about a little help...
I think you are mistaken, we are not monkey, we are Vanara... you are monkey...
You are mistaken, friend. I am no monkey, I am a human scientist.
Human... scientist... boy did we get it wrong... okay we’ll help you!
Thanks. I’ve hurt my knee, I can’t stand...
We’ll pull you out, we’re stronger than we look...
... right?
Hup.
I’m not sure, he looks kinda heavy...
C’mon, put your backs into it... Easy for...
you to...
say! Hrmph!!
Heeeave!!!
Wo-aaah!
swoosh
Bofff it worked... the human scientist is out of its hole.
Ooooof.
Hey... arghhh... where are you taking me?
Don’t worry, we know someone who can help you...
So, you call yourselves Vanara... Yes, VANARA! We have lived in this temple for hundreds of years. ... and we don’t get many visitors... so this is super exciting!
What are those rascals up to now?
Looks like they got themselves a monkey...
That’s no monkey, I think it’s a H-U-MAN...
... zzz...
Okay guys... this is getting a bit creepy...
This will help you do not worry...
Mmm...
Huzzah. Injured knee. ... Easy fix.
W-a-a-ooowww!?! You a Dr. pal?
Not really. But still, an easy fix.
I can stand again! That’s amazing!!
I feel giddy... oh look, sunrise.
Seems a bit disoriented...
He’ll be fine.
I present you with my lucky scarf. A token of thanks.
... and we present you a special leaf from our temple garden.
So long, human scientist man. Don’t forget us! Oh believe me, I won’t...
Take care Vanara... give the monkeys a chance!
Rrrrrrrrrrrrr
Rrrrrrr
rrrrrr
rrrrrmmmmmmm
szzzhhhh
uuhhh
These leaves grow ferociously fast... lucky this glass is reinforced.
Well would you look at that... !
Learn more about the Vanara, their temples and the Worldwide Society of Scientists:
www.professorhumblebee.com @professorhumblebee
Story, illustrations and characters copyright © 2023 Jamie Jonathan Ball. The author/illustrator asserts the moral right to be identified as the author/illustrator of the work.
professor Humblebee in
Whilst studying flora in the lush jungles of Western India, professor Humblebee makes a startling discovery; an overgrown temple, lost and forgotten for hundreds of years. But, unbeknown to our keen botanist, the temple holds a far greater secret indeed - its inhabitants.
www.professorhumblebee.com @professorhumblebee