The Screaming Beetle and the Ant

Friends come in all types.

Once there was a young Screaming Beetle, named Dylan. He was a handsome beetle.

One day, while he was out for a walk, he wondered what the rest of the world looked like. Was it all green grass and blue sky? Was there anything beyond the tree?

Dylan decided to climb a tall blade of grass and see what he could see. He looked around for the right blade of grass.

When Dylan found a thick blade of grass that towered over him, he mustered up his courage, and he began to climb.Not half way up the blade of grass, Dylan's foot slipped and he fell off the grass. His feet throbbed from the landing, but otherwise he wasn't hurt. He was upset, though, and so he screamed at the grass. He screamed and screamed.

Soon Dylan decided to try again. He started climbing and this time he got just over half way up, when he slipped. This time he landed on his back.

He screamed and screamed. His feet hurt from his first fall. His back hurt from this fall. His head hurt from all the frustration. He screamed as loud as he could.

Dylan was still screaming, throat sore, face red, when an ant crawled by. She stopped beside him and held her hands over her ears. "Stop!" she yelled. Dylan stopped screaming.

"What happened?" asked the ant.

Dylan sniffed, "I fell off the grass."

The ant looked at the blade of grass, and then at Dylan. "Is screaming helping?" she asked.

Dylan felt embarrassed. "No," he said quietly.

"My name is Morgan," said the ant. "Want some help?"

Dylan looked at Morgan, still upside down, and nodded. "Yes, please."

First Morgan helped push Dylan over onto his legs. Dylan smiled and screamed for joy. Morgan clapped her hands over her ears again.

"Why do you do that?" she asked.

"I'm a screaming beetle!" he declared. "My name is Dylan."

"Oh," Morgan lowered her hands. "Well, don't scream at me." She looked at the grass and then at Dylan. "Why do you want to go up there anyway?"

Dylan looked up too. "To see what there is of the world."

"Okay," she replied, "let's get started." Morgan stood on the opposite side of the blade of grass from Dylan. He started to climb with Morgan under him.

He felt his foot slip, but Morgan caught it and he stayed on the grass. Dylan smiled.

They climbed steadily higher. Every time Dylan felt a foot slip, he felt Morgan catch it and push it back on the grass.

As Dylan passed the point where he had fallen to his back, he felt his heart begin to race. He was going to make it! He could feel it.

Morgan held fast with her six legs, supporting Dylan as he climbed. She felt him slip again and put his leg right. "You're almost there," she called. "You can do it!"

Dylan felt proud of himself. The tip of the blade of grass was only a few steps away. He made it! "Thank you, Morgan!" he said, but he felt like screaming. He smiled a big smile.

Looking around, the yard spread endless before him. The grass swayed in a light breeze. Flowers held their heads high toward the sun. The tree stretched its branches out far over the grass, and high into the sky.

Dylan could hardly speak. It was so beautiful.

"You did it," said Morgan, looking around. "Isn't this a beautiful view?"

Dylan nodded. "I wouldn't have made it without you," he said quietly. Then, after a moment, he couldn't help it. He screamed with joy and wonder.

Together, Dylan and Morgan climbed back down the grass. "That was the most wonderful thing I have ever seen!"

Once they were back on the ground, Dylan gave Morgan a hug. "Thank you so much."

Morgan smiled back. "No problem," she said. "That's what friends are for."

Author's Note

I wrote this for my son when he was 2. He was quite the screamer as a baby. I illustrated it with clip art, but I'd like to see it professionally illustrated in board book form.

Reviews

[Melissa Kesead]

Great story with a nice lesson!