Linu the honeybee was an intelligent student. She loved science. After her class X exams, she enrolled to study science in class XI.

On the first day of class, she flew enthusiastically into the science laboratory where she met Shantu the horse, Wini the deer and Chuchu the cat. They were conducting experiments with test tubes and chemicals. Linu immediately wanted  to grab a test tube.

“Linu, this is not for you. You are tinier than the test tube. It won’t fit in your hands. You won’t be able to lift it,” warned Shantu. Linu drifted off towards a beaker of chemicals.

“This is not meant for you either. You will find it too heavy,” said Wini.

Linu was upset. Nobody was letting her touch anything in the laboratory. Teary-eyed, she flew out. “Everyone is making fun of me because I’m tiny. One day I’ll prove them wrong,” she decided.

Linu reached home, pulled out a few science books, and began reading them in detail.

“I have found many interesting things to do!” said Linu, slamming the book shut after she had read it. She worked hard, conducting new experiments everyday. She studied nanotechnology with great interest and even  invented a few nanodevices for herself.

Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale, especially to build microscopic devices. 

“Now since my equipment  is  tiny, like me, conducting experiments will be simpler,” thought Linu, as she made a small science kit for herself.

Linu spent day and night inventing new things. One day she poured some liquid from her test tube on an ant and it shrunk so much that she could hardly see it with her naked eye.

Linu jumped with joy. “Wow! I did  it! I can reduce the size of anything using this liquid.” She put the liquid in a bottle and flew out of her house triumphantly.

After returning, Linu picked up the bottle and sprinkled a drop of her invention on herself. Lo behold - she became tinier! 

Linu looked at herself in a mirror and found that her wings had become much smaller. She had become so tiny that she could hide inside a calculator.

Linu couldn’t hold herself back and flew right back to the science laboratory and into a calculator. The parts inside the calculator seemed too big. She placed her foot on a button of the calculator and the corresponding number appeared on the screen.

She flew out of the calculator and found herself in a computer class. Someone had brought the calculator into the class. She saw that the students were working away on computers.

She flew onto Lily the sparrow’s computer and started pressing some keys on her keyboard.

“What is wrong with my computer?” wondered Lily. “How are these letters appearing on the screen automatically?” 

She summoned the attention of the other students and all of them peered into her computer. 

“I think there is a virus in Lily’s computer,” said Tinku the panther. Suddenly Lily’s computer stopped malfunctioning  and  the same started in 

Ranu   the squirrel’s  computer.  Frightened,  Ranu ran out of  the lab. There was a lot of commotion and  computer experts were called in to correct the problem. The experts found nothing wrong with the systems, and began to reboot all of them. Linu flew out of the computer class and back towards the science laboratory.

“Students, look! There is phosphorus in this test-tube. It catches fire on coming in contact with even a drop of water, or too much moisture in the air. We need to be careful  while working with it,” their science teacher Weme the goat was saying as she placed the test-tube in its stand. Without warning, the test-tube exploded, shocking the students and Weme.

“Strange things have been happening at our school,” said Weme worriedly, “Letters appear automatically on the computer screen; test-tubes are exploding on their  own and now look at the colour of the chemical in the test-tube. It has turned red!”

Linu was overjoyed, “Now I can do whatever I want. I am so tiny that  no one can see or  stop me.” She flew towards the regulator of the ceiling fan and got inside it. She then touched the switch-port of the regulator.

“Ouch!” Linu got an electric shock and was flung away. Thankfully the current was not too strong. She shook  herself up and flew out of the regulator. Sitting  in a  corner of the room, Linu began to breathe heavily. She realised that she had gotten carried away. 

“Pride goes before a fall, and yet we let it go right to our heads. It’s good that I realised my mistake, else I would have had to pay a big price,” she thought to herself.

But Linu was now growing bigger! The nano constrictions were getting disrupted  due to the electric current. In a few minutes, she came back to her original size.“Linu!” everyone exclaimed. Linu narrated all that had happened to the class. “Sorry, Linu. We belittled you, and you felt insulted,” said Wini the fawn.

“I agree that you hurt me, but that doesn’t justify my misuse of science. I  became too proud, disturbed everyone and hurt  myself in the process. I have now realised my mistake. I’m sorry!” Linu bowed her head.

“You could demonstrate your inventions in class and teach everyone a thing or two, Linu!” said their teacher Weme. 

Linu was the most excited that she had ever been in the longest time, and hummed happily as she flew home to start preparing.