Maya the bee was conceptualized in the 1912 novel the Adventures of Maya the Bee by Waldemar Bonsels. The story follows a young bee named Maya who was born in a time of chaos as the hive is splitting into two colonies. Under the guidance of Miss Cassandra her teacher and caregiver who has taken a fondness to Maya tells Maya many things about the world driving her to leave the hive. The rest of the story follows Maya in the meadow meeting with many insects learning lessons about nature and how the meadow works. Towards the end of the book Maya is taken prisoner by the hornets hearing there plan against her hive. Maya escapes the hornets nest warning the hive of the attack. Maya is pardoned from her crime of leaving the hive and the bees win against the hornets. Maya now considered adult and was offered the job of a teacher to teach little bees about her experiences in the meadow.
the Adventures of Maya the Bee Was adapted into many languages after its release receiving enough success to get a 1926 silent documentary with real insects. it was lost for many years before a copy of it was found in Finland it is now fully found.