by John Lechner
On the underside of a spring-green leaf, a mother ladybug laid fifteen eggs and flew away. There was nothing more she could do, the rest was up to them.
After a day of rain, a day of wind, and a day of sun, the eggs hatched and the tiny larvae emerged. Their mother had wisely chosen a plant covered with delicious aphids, and the hungry larvae gobbled them up.
As the long days passed, the larvae grew bigger and bigger, shedding their skin several times in the process.
Finally each become a pupa, and attached themselves to the leaf. They slept for days and days, dreaming of a world filled with possibility.
One morning they began to feel itchy and restless. One by one, the ladybugs emerged from their cocoons into the bright sunshine.
All except for one. His name was Snug. He wanted to stay tucked away, but he was hungry. Finally he wriggled out of his old skin and stepped onto the leaf.
The world seemed wholly new, brighter and louder than he remembered. It hurt his eyes to look at it. The plant was crawling with his ladybug siblings, laughing and talking about the many adventures awaiting them.
Snug looked around for food, but the other ladybugs were so fast they gobbled up all the aphids. So he nibbled the bitter leaf instead.
Then one of the ladybugs shouted, “Bye everyone, I’m off to try my wings and see the world!” She crawled to the edge of the leaf, opened her wings with a buzz, and jumped off.
Another ladybug said, “Me too! There’s nothing to do here, and it’s time to move on. Goodbye!” He scurried to the edge of the leaf and jumped over the side.
Snug was astounded by all this. He crept to the edge of the leaf and peered over. He couldn’t even see the ground below. Stretched out before him was a shining river, countless trees, and miles of unknown. It was wondrous and magical and terrifying.
What if his wings didn’t work? There were so many dangers in the world, and creatures who might want to eat him. His shell was still soft, and he felt so unprotected.
A big ladybug walked up to him and said jovially, “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“Nothing,” said Snug. “I’m just not ready.”
“Not ready? Ha!” The ladybug laughed, almost rolling off the leaf. “What do you mean you’re not ready?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” said Snug. “I just need a little more time.”
“I think you’re scared!” said the other in a know-it-all voice.
Snug was so stunned, he didn’t know what to say. It was true he was nervous, but to admit so would validate the other ladybug’s superior attitude, and concede that there was something wrong with being afraid.
He stood there with his mouth open, trying to think of something to say. The other ladybug said, “I thought so!” and flew away.
One by one, the other ladybugs jumped off the leaf and sailed off into the unknown. A few of them stopped beside Snug to say, “Aren’t you coming?”
But each time he would simply reply, “I’m not ready yet.”
Finally Snug was all by himself.
It was quiet now that the other ladybugs had gone. He could hear the breeze as it settled into the trees. He could hear a meadowlark in the distance, and the croaking of a bullfrog.
As the afternoon sun sank towards the hills, Snug could hear crickets chirping. And best of all, in the still peacefulness of the evening, he could finally hear himself think.
As the sun lowered to the horizon, he crawled up to the edge of the leaf and smiled.
Then he opened up his wings…
…and flew!