Written and Illustrated by Bron Smith
Once
there lived a ladybug whose name was Polly.
Her home was a small pebble cottage that
stood near the edge of Huckleberry Hollow.
Polly often dreamed of having tea and visiting
with the other ladybugs, but she kept to
herself. She never ventured far from her
cottage for fear of being teased by the
villagers. Polly’s shell, you see, was not
a shiny bright orange color like the other
ladybugs. Polly was born with a purple shell.
On long winter nights, she busied herself
with baking tasty treats…aphid cupcakes
and sweet tick tarts. Polly longed to share
her treats with others in the village, but
her purple shell made her too shy to invite
anyone in.
One night Polly had an idea. She baked
a big batch of flea biscuits and placed
them in her best basket. Then she slipped
into the village, long after everyone had
gone to bed, and left her basket of treats
near the well. Polly looked around the dark
village square and smiled. Then she hurried
back to her cottage.
Lucy Ladybug was the first to discover
Polly’s basket of treats the following morning.
“Who made these marvelous biscuits?” she
exclaimed, turning to her friend.
“Who, indeed?” Leatrice asked.
Every night Polly would slip into the village
and place her basket of treats in the same
spot at the village square. Each morning
the villagers would gather at the well and
try to decide who the mysterious baker could
be while merrily munching on Polly’s cakes.
Before long the “Huckleberry Hollow Baker”
became known throughout the forest.
One chilly winter night Miss Lola Ladybug,
who owned the boarding house above the village
square, arose to stoke the warm embers in
her stove. Passing her front window, she
saw a shadowy figure, small and round, moving
across the square. Miss Lola gasped as the
glare of the street lamp caught the ladybug’s
shell. It was purple! She watched as Polly
gently placed the basket of treats near
the well.
The next morning the villagers buzzed with
excitement.
“I saw her with my own eyes!” Miss Lola
exclaimed to all her neighbors.
“We must find this purple creature!” Leatrice
said.
“We need to thank her for sharing her treats,”
Lucy added.
“I can take you to her!” said Mrs. Thimbleberry,
who was Polly’s next-door neighbor. She
had seen Polly once or twice as she worked
in her flower garden.
So off they went down the path leading
to Polly’s house. “Oh dear me, whatever
shall I do?” Polly said, gazing at the large
crowd from her bedroom window.
Mrs. Thimbleberry scurried up to Polly’s
front porch and knocked on the door. Polly’s
feelers twitched nervously. Then, trembling
with fear, she walked toward the door and
opened it a crack.
The moment the crowd saw the door had opened,
they broke into cheers that echoed through
the forest! Polly’s fears melted away, and
tears of joy filled her eyes as the villagers
gathered around her.
“What a beautiful purple shell!” Miss Lola
cried.
“I wish my shell were so lovely,” Lucy
said, patting Polly’s shiny back.
Polly’s dream of having friends came true
that day. The very next morning, and every
morning after, Polly met her new friends
at the town square for tea and a visit.
Of course, she always brought her basket
of treats.
“Your beetle biscuits are the best!” Leatrice
said.
But the villagers loved Polly for more
than just her treats. They loved Polly for
her kind heart.
