Bella the Bunny (2 page)

 

CHAPTER TWO

A Sad Ladybug

Bella pricked up her ears and listened. Everything was quiet. Maybe she'd imagined the voice.

“After all, buds can't talk, or can they?” she said to herself.

She hopped up close to the bluebell again. She was about to touch her nose to the bud when—

“Didn't you hear what I said?” the bud squeaked. “Please, please leave me alone!”

Bella jumped back in surprise. She definitely hadn't imagined the voice this time.

“Don't open me,” the flower pleaded. Its voice was quivery now—as if it was about to cry.

“Why ever not?” Bella asked.

The bud went quiet again.

Bella leaned in close. “Don't you want to be a pretty flower?” she whispered.

The bud made a noise that sounded like a sigh. Then it said, in a teeny-tiny voice, “Well … the thing is…”

“I can't hear you,” Bella said.

The voice spoke again, a bit louder now. “The thing is … you see … I like being a bud. I don't want to change.”

Bella's ears shot up and her eyes opened wide. She couldn't believe what the flower was saying. “Don't be silly!” she said. “You'll be a beautiful bluebell!”

“No!” squeaked the bud.

But Bella's nose was already twitching. The bud was probably just shy. Once Bella had opened it, and the flower saw how lovely it looked, it would soon change its mind. She pressed her nose against the bud and wiggled it.

One by one, the shiny blue petals unpeeled to reveal the biggest, brightest bluebell in the whole glade.

“There, see. You're beautiful!” Bella cried, clapping her silky paws.

“No!” the voice wailed. “I'm not beautiful at all. Look at me!”

Something flew out of the flower, zoomed toward Bella, and landed on her nose. Bella squinted to see what was there.

It was a tiny ladybug! She had a tiny frown on her face.

“Why didn't you listen to me?” the ladybug whispered. “Why couldn't you leave me in there?”

“I'm really sorry.” Bella's ears flopped down over her face, the way they always did when she felt upset. “I … I thought it was the flower talking.”

“But flowers don't talk!” the ladybug exclaimed.

“I know, but…” Now Bella frowned. “What were you doing hiding inside a bluebell bud?” she asked.

The ladybug looked sad. “I was hiding from Insect Sports Day.”

“What? But why?” Bella asked. “Sports Day is fun. I'm going to see it with my friend Carla.”

The ladybug flew down from Bella's nose and landed on top of the bluebell in front of her.

“How can I go when I look like this?”

Bella stared at the ladybug. “What's wrong?” she asked. “You look all right to me.”

The ladybug sighed. “How many spots can you see?”

Bella peered closely. The little insect was as red and shiny as a juicy apple. Right in the middle of her back was a single black spot.

“Oh!” Bella said. “You have only
one
spot.”

The ladybug's eyes filled with tears. “Exactly! How can I go to Sports Day with just one spot? I'll look stupid!”

“It's a
nice
spot,” Bella said.

The ladybug shook her head. “Proper ladybugs have lots of spots. I'm the only ladybug I know with just one. My family knows I'm different. They love me all the same. I don't even mind when my friends call me One-Spot. But”—the ladybug stopped to catch her breath—“if I go to Sports Day,
all
the insects in Misty Wood will see me, and they'll laugh.” The ladybug's lip trembled. Her eyes were bright with tears.

“Don't be sad,” Bella said.

“How can I not be sad?” the ladybug replied.

Bella's violet eyes lit up. “I know! I'll help you find some more spots.”

The ladybug looked confused. “How will you do that?”

“Hmm. Let me think.” Bella crouched down and leaned her head to one side to help her brain work better. She wiggled her nose—sometimes that helped her think. Suddenly, her whiskers twitched, and she hopped in the air.

“We need a song! I never do anything without a song.”

Bella hopped and skipped around the little insect. Then she started to sing, thumping her paws on the ground to keep the rhythm.

This ladybug needs some spots.

Hoppity, hoppity, hop!

We're going to find lots and lots.

Hoppity, hoppity, hop!

Hopping here and hopping there,

Hopping, bopping everywhere!

She'll be happy when she's got

LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOTS!

“How was that?” Bella asked, giving an extra-bouncy hop as she finished singing. But there was no reply.

The ladybug had vanished!

 

CHAPTER THREE

Wanted: Spots!

“Don't worry, I'm up here!” a little voice cried from high in the air.

Bella peered into the sky.

The ladybug zoomed down past her nose. “Wheeee!” she squealed, whizzing up again and making a big circle in the air.

“Wow! Loop-the-loops!” Bella cried, sitting up on her hind legs to watch as the tiny insect whizzed around again.

“I always do loops when I'm happy,” said the ladybug, swooping down to rest on a bluebell stem. “I'm so excited you're going to help me. Thank you!”

“You're welcome. I'm excited, too! By the way, my name is Bella.”

“I'm Lexi!” said the ladybug.

“It's lovely to meet you, Lexi. Right. Let's get started,” Bella said.

“Hurray!” said Lexi, swinging from the bluebell stem, her eyes shining.

“Now, let me think.” Bella tilted her head and wiggled her nose. “Spots … spots,” she muttered to herself. “Where can we find some spots?”

Then she jumped up, her long whiskers quivering. “I know! My best friend, Carla, has lots of beautiful spots. Let's go and ask her where they came from.”

Lexi didn't say anything. She looked down at the ground.

“What's wrong?” Bella asked.

“I'm scared.” Lexi's voice shook as she spoke. “We might bump into some of the insects who are going to Sports Day. They'll laugh at my one stupid spot, and … oh … it'll be awful!”

“Don't be afraid!” Bella said kindly. “We'll think of something.” She leaned her head to one side again to think. How could they find Carla without anyone seeing Lexi? One of Bella's long ears flopped down and touched the ground.

Bella grinned. She had the answer! “Look, Lexi.” Bella lifted her silky ear with her paw. “You can hide under here.”

“Ooh, yes!” Lexi flew over and crawled under Bella's ear. There was lots of room, and as Lexi nestled into Bella's soft fur, she felt cozy and safe.

Bella gently flapped her golden fairy wings and floated up into the sunlight. She headed for the edge of Misty Wood, where the cobwebs hung thickly on the tall hedgerows. That was where Carla would be.

*   *   *

Carla looked very surprised when she saw Bella. “I thought you were going to Bluebell Glade,” she said.

“I was—and I did—but I need to ask you something,” Bella replied, fluttering down to land beside her friend. “Something really important.”

Carla blinked her big green eyes. She looked puzzled. “All right. Just let me finish this.”

Bella watched as Carla hung some of her dewdrops on a cobweb that stretched along the top of the hedge. The dewdrops shone and sparkled, and the spider silk glittered like a diamond necklace.

“What's happening?” Lexi whispered. “I can't see.” She started wriggling about under Bella's ear.

“Shh!” Bella whispered. “And keep still. You're tickling me!”

Carla glanced around. “I'm not tickling you,” she said, looking confused. “How can I be tickling you when I'm over here hanging up my dewdrops?”

Bella frowned. “No, not you. I … I meant my nose was tickling me. I think I need to sneeze.” She rubbed her nose with her front paws.

“Are you okay?” Carla's big eyes widened with concern.

“I'm fine. Look.” Bella hopped and skipped a couple of steps, just to prove it.

Carla placed her basket on the mossy ground. “So, what did you want to ask me?”