My Pet Ladybug
|
Julianna wanted to go exploring for ladybugs. She L-O-V-E-D ladybugs and had wanted one for a pet for a very long time. Other bugs such as mosquitos, flies, bees and creepy crawlers scared Julianna, but not ladybugs.
She put her pink sweater on and her purple rubber boots. She grabbed one of her mother's plastic spoons and a small glass jar that had holes in the lid. Julianna had all the things she needed to find a ladybug.
Once she was in the backyard Julianna began to search for a ladybug. She searched under the step in the dirt. No ladybugs here. A spider was quietly weaving its web in the corner, "Do you know where I might find a ladybug, Mr. Spider?" The spider ignored her and kept on working.
Next Julianna went to the flower garden. She searched under the leaves of roses and tulips. No ladybugs here. A beautiful blue and yellow butterfly fluttered by and landed on a rose petal. "Do you know where I might find a ladybug, Mrs. Butterfly?" It just flapped its wings and flew away.
Julianna wondered out of the garden and onto the wet lawn. A robin was digging in the grass for his lunch. "Hello, Mr. Robin!" Julianna declared, "Do you know where I might find a ladybug?" The robin kept digging for his lunch and then flew away.
Julianna sat on the back steps very frustrated. Hanging her head a tear trickled down her rosy cheek. "I'll never find a pet ladybug," she thought to herself.
Julianna's big brother Zach was playing in the sandbox, scooping sand into his toy dump truck. "Julianna, come here, come quick!" he yelled. She grabbed her supplies and ran off to see what Zach was yelling about.
In the back of his dump truck, slowly crawling out of a pile of sand, was a beautiful red ladybug. Julianna squealed with delight as she scooped the ladybug up with the plastic spoon. Zach took the lid off the jar and held it while Julianna let the sand and the ladybug slide in. She grabbed a few handfuls of grass and leaves and placed them in the jar. "Now you have a pet ladybug!" Zach beamed.
Julianna was smiling from ear to ear as she walked with Zach across the lawn and into the house to show their big sister Victoria what they had found.
"A LADYBUG!!" Victoria exclaimed. "How boring! You can't keep it in a jar, what will you feed it?"
"Ladybug food, of course," Julianna replied not even hestitating. Victoria just shook her head and stamped off to her room.
Julianna hadn't really thought about what ladybugs liked to eat. Maybe she likes yummy doughnuts, Julianna thought as she broke off a huge piece of a Boston Cream and placed it in the jar. The ladybug nibbled at the tasty treat and before long it was all gone.
Everyday, Julianna fed her new pet a tasty morsel of everything she ate herself. Sometimes she would hide food in her pockets just to save it for her ladybug. Potato chips, french frys, even macaroni and cheese. And everyday, the ladybug ate every last bite that was put in front of her.
One day Julianna noticed her pet had gotten s-o-o-o-o-o big she could barely move around inside the jar. "I think you need a new house," Julianna said to her friend. She tucked the jar under her arm and strolled into the backyard to find her father. "Daddy," she asked, "Can you build my pet ladybug a better house?"
Julianna's dad scratched his head thinking as he looked at the pet she was referring to squished inside the small jar. He sauntered over to his wood pile stacked beside the shed. He picked out a few smaller pieces of wood and stacked them in a pile. Next he grabbed his hammer and his tin can full of nails.
Julianna watched patiently as her father constructed a small house with a roof and a chimney. Finally it was ready for paint. Julianna and her father painted the house bright red with big black spots. That way everyone would know it's a ladybug house. Julianna placed a doll bed inside with a blanket and a pillow.
Everyday after school, Zach and Julianna would take the ladybug for a walk. After supper they would tuck her into her bed and read her stories until she fell fast asleep.
Copyright Kandy Schlosser 2007
Kandy lives in Alberta, Canada and has 4 published poems.
Return to the Free Kids Books page.
