Once upon a time, in a cozy little house with a bright green garden, lived a little boy named Joshua. Joshua loved to wake up with the sun and see what wonders were waiting for him just outside the back door. His garden was a magical place, full of tall sunflowers, fluttery butterflies, and busy little bees buzzing from flower to flower.
This morning, Joshua put on his little blue boots and peeked out the door. He saw something small and red near the big pink rose bush. What could it be? Joshua stepped carefully into the garden, his eyes wide with curiosity. He walked slowly, tiptoeing past the marigolds and the daisies until he was close to the rose bush.
He bent down low, low, low. There, on a green leaf, was a tiny little ladybug! She had a shiny red shell with neat black spots, just like little dots drawn with a pen. The ladybug was wiggling her little legs, looking like she was trying to climb the big, bumpy rose stem, but it was very high for such a small friend.
Joshua watched the ladybug for a long moment, seeing how hard she tried. He thought about how he felt when he tried to climb something tall, like the slide at the park. Sometimes, a little help makes things easier. Joshua looked around and found a big, sturdy leaf that had fallen onto the path.
Very, very gently, Joshua held the edge of the leaf near the ladybug. He didn't touch her, but made a little bridge for her to walk onto. The ladybug seemed to understand. She slowly, carefully, stepped off the rose stem and onto the wide green leaf. Now she was safe and sound on her little leaf boat!
Joshua smiled. He carefully carried the leaf boat with the ladybug on it over to a flat, sunny stone where it would be easier for her to explore. He placed the leaf gently down. The little ladybug wiggled her feelers as if to say thank you and then slowly crawled off the leaf onto the warm stone.
Joshua felt a warm, happy feeling inside. He had been curious and careful, and he had helped a tiny friend. As the sun started to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the garden, Joshua waved goodbye to the little ladybug. He knew it was time to go inside, ready for his own cozy bedtime. He dreamed of spots and leaves and being a kind friend to even the smallest creatures.