Why does August show Lily the queen less hive?

August shows Lily the queenless hive to teach her about the realities of beekeeping and the importance of the queen bee in maintaining a healthy colony. By demonstrating the challenges of a hive without a queen, August emphasizes the interconnectedness of the bees and the necessity of nurturing their environment. This lesson also serves to deepen Lily's understanding of responsibility and the natural world, a recurring theme in the story.