The Dragonfly and the Ladybug

The Dragonfly and the Ladybug

“You’d better stay off that lily pad,” somebody yelled out as Dolly the Dragonfly sat down to rest. She barely had time to fly up before the red tongue of a huge frog shot up out of the water and took a swipe at her.

“That was close. I could feel the wind blow.” Dolly was a dazzling flame skimmer and her shimmering wings flashed in the sunlight as she searched for a safe place to land. She let out a big sigh and looked around to see who had warned her.

“Don’t you know better than to sit on a lily pad?” scolded Betty the Ladybug. Dolly looked at Betty who was red with black spots and looked like any ordinary beetle except for that.

“I guess I’m eating too many mosquitoes. I got sleepy and wanted to nap,” Dolly admitted, making excuses for her dangerous and almost fatal behavior. She could still smell that frog's bad breath.

“Let your guard down again, and you’ll end up as somebody’s dinner.” With that remark, the little red ladybug flew away to a pretty green plant on the shore.

Dolly really was sleepy and thought maybe if I stay close to the Ladybug, I can nap and be safe.

Looking for a nice soft bed, Dolly flew under the plant where she had seen Betty land on a leaf. There were a few fallen leaves underneath, and Dolly snuggled in and got comfy.

Soon Betty could hear Dolly snoring. Betty continued munching on an aphid she found under her leaf. Aphids were her favorite food. They were fat and juicy, and there were plenty of them in this particular part of the forest.

As Betty chewed, a black cloud blocked the sun, and the day became very dark in the little green plant. The earth shuddered with loud booms and lit up from bright flashes of light. Suddenly, rain started to pour from the sky in huge drops that almost knocked Betty off her leaf.

The leaves, where Dolly was sleeping, began to float toward the pond. Betty crawled underneath her leaf and used it just like an umbrella. She stayed high and dry.

Down on the ground where Dolly slept was another story. Betty watched as Dolly's leaf began to move. Water trickled together like tiny rivers. The little streams moved Dolly's leaf ever so slowly down the slope to the pond's edge.

Dolly's leaf was about to slide into the pond. Betty knew she had to do something quickly so she flew down and pounced on Dolly to wake her. Dolly jumped and practically knocked Betty into the water, but Betty fluttered her tiny wings and flew safely back to her leaf.

The rain beat Dolly down to the mushy ground at the edge of the pond, but Dolly flapped and flapped her four silvery wings until she was back, safely underneath the plant with Betty.

“Thanks for saving me again," Dolly said sheepishly. "I'm Dolly, but I don't think I caught your name."

"I'm Betty, and happy to do it, but try not to knock me over next time."

"Sorry about that," said Dolly.

Even though very different, Dolly and Betty became good friends. They always stayed near each other after that. They made promises to watch out for one another shouting out warnings whenever they suspected danger was near. Good friends will always look out for each other no matter what.