Madeleine’s Lady Bug

Based on a true story.

Madeleine ran into the house carrying something in her hand. “Look at the rocks that I have found,” she cried excitedly, holding out two smooth, oval shaped rocks. “They are perfect for painting into ladybugs!”

Madeleine is not like most other little girls her age who like to wear pretty clothes and play with dolls. Madeleine likes bugs. Actually, to be precise, Madeleine loves bugs.

So it made perfect sense for Madeleine to spend her Saturday afternoon turning a couple of rocks into ladybugs.

Madeleine and her dad went to the hardware store to buy red and black paint. When they got back they painted the rocks red. Once the paint was dry, they painted on the black spots.

They took their time. They painted carefully. And when they were finished, the two rocks really did look like real ladybugs.

Winter came. And with winter came heaps and heaps and heaps of snow. Since there was so much snow this winter, Madeleine’s mom would throw bread out for the squirrels and birds to eat. The backyard was always full of chirping and chattering friends.

On one of those rare warm and sunny days in March, Madeleine put her ladybug rocks out on the back porch. Madeleine smiled as she looked at her ladybugs. “They look just like real ladybugs,” she exclaimed.

One of our backyard squirrels most have thought so, too, because he climbed up on the table and picked up the nut sized rock in his front paws. He started to nibble at the rock, gnawing the paint off the rock like you would peel the skin off of an apple.

Boy, did he ever look confused when he tried to eat his prize!