Water Bugs and Dragonflies
* By Doris Stickney
Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water
bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many
months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of
the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony
seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the
stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no
more.
"Look" said one of the water bugs to another. "One of our colony is
climbing the lily stalk. Where do you suppose he is going?" Up, up, up
it went slowly. Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from
sight. Its friends watched, and waited but it didn't return. "That's
funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't he happy here?" asked a
second water bug. "Where do you suppose he went?" wondered a third. No
one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water
bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together "I have an
idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to
come back and tell us where he went and why." "We promise," they said
solemnly.
One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the
plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up he went.
Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of
the water, and fallen on to a broad, green lily pad above. When he
awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A
startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four
silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse
to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from
the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up
above the water. He had become a dragonfly. Swooping and dipping in
great curves he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new
atmosphere.
By and by, the new dragonfly landed happily on a lily pad to rest. Then
it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he
was right above his old friends the water bugs. There they were
scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before. Then the
dragonfly remembered the promise: The next one of us who climbs up the
lily stalk will come back and tell where he went and why. Without
thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the
water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer
go into the water.
"I can't return" he said in dismay "At least I tried, but I can't keep
my promise. Even if I could go back, none of the water bugs would know
me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become
Dragonflies too. Then they will understand what happened to me, and
where I went" And the Dragonfly flew off happily into its wonderful new
world of sun and air
All About Me
What Katy did
* Doris Stickney and her minister husband were looking for a
meaningful way to explain to neighbourhood children the death of a five
year old friend they needed an explanation that would satisfy not only
the children but adults too. While they were preparing for the child's
memorial service.
The fable of the water bug that changed into a dragonfly came to mind.
"Water Bugs and Dragonflies" tells the story of a small colony of water
bugs living happily below the surface of a quiet pond. Every so often
one of them climbs up a lily stalk and disappears from sight, never to
return.
Those left behind are faced with the mystery of figuring out what has
become of them, revealing the "miracle that makes shiny dragonflies out
of ugly bugs", this graceful story reminds us that God has given us the
means of transforming our metaphorical selves into dragonflies capable
of winging off contentedly into a new world.
Recognizing that "the old answers will not satisfy today's children",
Doris Stickney presents instead a simple, wise tale that illuminates a
difficult reality without pretending to contain all the answers.