In a sunny little flower meadow, where daisies danced and butterflies fluttered, lived a shy little ladybug named Lola. A golden sun stretched across the bright blue sky, painting a lively background for this tiny realm of joyous insects.
Every morning, while the other ladybugs were busy showing off their beautiful coats, Lola would shyly peek from behind a leaf, feeling her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red. Her little heart ached to join them, but her shyness held her back. “I wish I could say ‘Hello’ to the other insects,” she sighed quietly, “but what if they don’t want to be my friends?”
One sunny day, Lola’s best friend, Benny the Bee, buzzed excitedly over to her. “It’s such a beautiful day! Why don’t you come with me to make new friends?” he encouraged, doing a happy little jig in the air. But shy little Lola just shook her head, her tiny wings trembling with uncertainty.
At that moment, Freckles the Butterfly floated down gently from a high petal, where she had been sipping some sweet nectar. “What’s the matter, Lola?” she asked softly. Benny explained how Lola was feeling, and Freckles smiled gently. “We’ve all been new somewhere,” she said, fluttering her colorful wings. “Just be yourself and let the other insects see the real you!”
But still, Lola felt shy. Two days later, when there was a huge rainbow party for all the insects, Benny and Freckles came again and urged little Lola to join them. “I’ll be right with you,” said Benny, and “I’ll fly just around you,” piped Freckles, but still shy little Lola couldn’t make up her mind.
At last, her friends decided that they must act. “You stay here, Freckles!” said Benny, and in the twinkling of an eye, he gave little Lola a gentle push, and away she flew toward the party. Lola was very much frightened, yet she saw that all the insects were smiling at her, and she landed daintily among them, the men buzzing delightedly about her and the ladybugs arranging her pretty coat. “Oh, how I wish Lola would speak to us!” they all cried.
Then shy little Lola took courage, fluttered her tiny wings, and said “Hello!” The words never seemed to reach her tiny lips, but every insect heard them. How happy our little friend was then!
And from that day to this, Lola has never been shy any more, and knows nearly all the insects in the flower meadow. Snuggle bugs turn over at the very sound of her voice
and she has long been a great friend of the rainbow butterfly.