Bully Proof Your Child Podcast: Storytime: Day of the Bee Sting

Stories have a powerful way of helping kids understand their own experiences, especially when it comes to bullying. In this special Storytime episode of the Bullyproof Your Child podcast, we share a deeply personal story from Dr. Terrence Webster-Doyle’s book, Why Is Everybody Always Picking on Me?

The Day of the Bee Sting offers a heartfelt look back at Dr. Terrence’s childhood and the bullying he endured. Through a single, unexpected moment, the story reveals how a shift in self-perception can spark newfound confidence and resilience. It reminds kids that even when they feel powerless, they often possess more strength than they realize.

This story resonates strongly with children and adults alike, illustrating that while bullying may not disappear overnight, understanding one’s inner strength can change how it is faced. As you read, consider how storytelling can open meaningful conversations about empathy, courage, and the importance of supporting children as they navigate difficult experiences.

Podcast Transcript

Good morning, and welcome to a special Storytime episode of the podcast. Today, I’m reading a story from the book Why Is Everybody Always Picking on Me? by Dr. Terrence Webster-Doyle.

It’s called The Day of the Bee Sting, and it’s told from his point of view, looking back on his own childhood and what it was like to be bullied.

Kids really connect with the story. It helps them realize that they have more power than they think, even if it doesn’t always feel like it in the moment. It shows them that sometimes all it takes is one surprising moment to shift how they see themselves.

Let’s get into the story.

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Day of the Bee Sting

When I was a kid growing up just outside of New York City, I was bullied a lot. I am now fifty years old and I still
remember how it felt. I sometimes feel the hurt, anger and fear from those incidents that happened many years ago. Almost forty years later, some of the effects of bullying are still with me.

I remember two bullies in particular: Dickie M. and Vinnie B. I won’t mention their last names in case they’re still
around. (Maybe I’m still nervous that they’ll get me now!) It seemed that almost every day one of these two tough boys bullied me. They would make me do things I didn’t want to do. They made fun of me, and at times beat me up — just for the fun of it.

I was a big kid who hated to fight, and Dickie knew it. He would get me on the ground, with his knees on my arms, pinning me down. I always felt frustrated and angry and wanted to cry, but I didn’t want him to see any of this. I just let him beat me up without doing anything back. No adults ever stopped those beatings, although I wish they had.

One day, Dickie had pinned me down and was beating me up in the neighbor’s yard. Without warning, I was stung by a bee in the back. This sudden shock made me jump up fast. Since I was bigger than Dickie, my leaping up threw him across the yard. I was stunned to see him lying there, shaken up.

He looked at me and I looked at him, and we both saw the truth in that moment: I was the stronger of the two. From that day on, he never beat me up again, although he did bully me verbally, calling me names and ridiculing me.

His older brother hurt me badly twice, once knocking out my front tooth, and once running into me with his bike on purpose – which threw me into the air, causing me to hit my head on a curb. I had to go to the hospital on both occasions, first to have my tooth and split lip attended to, and second and more seriously, to have my head (near my left temple) sewn up. This hit to the head almost took my life; the doctor said that if the hit had been a little more in the temple area, I would probably be dead. I still feel the effects of that injury.

Commentary on the Story

And that is the story.

This story always really impacts kids when we read it in class. It shows that sometimes all it takes is a single moment, even if that moment is brought on by something as random as a bee sting, that it can change how you see yourself, which can really change everything and the whole experience.

Now, this doesn’t mean the bullying stopped completely, and it definitely didn’t fix everything, but it gave Dr. Terrence a glimpse of the power he didn’t realize he had. And that’s what stories like this do. They help kids recognize that even in difficult situations, they’re not helpless.

They have options, and they have strength. That is what all of our education is about; helping children realize that strength and that confidence.

If you’d like to read more stories like this one, you’ll find them in Why Is Everybody Always Picking on Me.