1. WATERBUGS
AND
DRAGONFLIES
By Doris Stickney

2. On the bottom of a little pond lived a happy colony of water bugs
On the bottom of a little pond lived a happy colony of water bugs. They were far away from the sun.

3. They were busy little water bugs, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond.

4. One day they noticed that sometimes one of the water bugs would climb up the lily stem.

5. “Look” said one of the water bugs, “ Where do you think she is going?”

6. The water bug disappeared out of sight
The water bug disappeared out of sight. His friends waited and waited but he didn’t come back.

7. “That’s weird!” said one water bug to another.
“Wasn’t she happy here?” another asked.
“Where has she gone?” wondered a third.

8. No one had an answer, and they were all very puzzled.

9. The friends had an idea! They decided that the next person to climb the lily stem must promise to come back and tell everyone where he went and why. They all promised.

10. Not long after another water bug found himself climbing the lily stem
Not long after another water bug found himself climbing the lily stem. Up, up, up he went.

11. When he reached the surface of the water, he was so tired he lay on a lily pad and fell fast asleep.

12. When he woke up, he couldn’t believe what he saw
When he woke up, he couldn’t believe what he saw. An amazing change had come over his body.

13. When the sun had dried the moisture from his body, he moved his wings and suddenly found himself up above the water.

14. He had become a dragonfly!

15. Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air
Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt so exhilarated in his new world.

16. When he landed again on the lily pad he looked to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs!

17. They were scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before
They were scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before. He remembered his promise to return and tell them where he went.

18. He tried and tried to fly into the water, but he kept bouncing off
He tried and tried to fly into the water, but he kept bouncing off. He could no longer go into the water.

19. “I can’t return” he cried, “At least I tried, but I can’t keep my promise.”
“Even if I could go back, the water bugs wouldn’t recognise me in my new body.”

20. “I guess they’ll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too
“I guess they’ll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they’ll understand what happened to me, and where I went.”

21. The dragonfly flew off to enjoy his wonderful new world of sun and air.

22. Thank you, God, for the story of the water bugs and the dragonflies
Thank you, God, for the story of the water bugs and the dragonflies. Thank you for the miracle that makes shiny dragonflies out of water bugs.
Please remember our friend who has left the pond we live in. Give her a good life, in a wonderful new world of sun and air. And then remember me, and let me someday be with her again in that wonderful new world.
Amen.