A bit of a palate cleanser for the end of the day. During the annual Easter Egg Roll celebration at the White House on Monday, President Barack Obama watched helplessly as a gaggle of children were mercilessly attacked by a swarm of bees.

I kid. The “attack” seemed harmless enough, and the high-strung children in attendance were likely fine. They were, however, clearly nervous about the prospect of being shot through with paralyzing amounts of bee venom.

“Oh no, it’s a bee. That’s OK, guys. Bees are good, they won’t land on you. They won’t sting you, they’ll be OK,” Obama joked amid the terrified screams of the assembled children.

“Hold on! Hold on! You guys are wild things!” the president added in reference to the book he was reading to the children. “You’re not supposed to be scared of bees when you’re a wild thing!”

“The South Lawn features its own beehive, and the White House uses honey from it in the kitchen, including in its Honey Porter and Honey Ale beers,” http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/obama-bee-attack-easter-children-screaming-116704.htmlreported.

If even one child had succumbed to a bee sting as a result of allergies, the White House would probably have been compelled to revisit the wisdom of keeping an apiary on the grounds. Fortunately for craft brew enthusiasts across the country, it seems like all the kids made it off the South Lawn alive.