Luna was a very busy ladybug. She loved to zoom around the garden, checking on all the flowers and saying hello to everyone. But Luna had a little secret: she didn’t always *listen* to what others said. She was too busy thinking about what *she* wanted to do next!
One sunny afternoon, Luna’s friend, Barnaby the bee, was trying to tell her about a patch of extra-sweet clover. “Luna,” Barnaby buzzed, “There’s the most wonderful clover over by the big oak tree! It’s the sweetest I’ve ever tasted!” Luna, already planning to visit the roses, just waved a leg and said, “That’s nice, Barnaby! I’m going to see the roses now.”
She flew to the roses, but they weren’t as bright and cheerful as she remembered. Old Man Tiber, the caterpillar, was trying to tell her why. “The roses are a little sad today, Luna,” he mumbled, munching on a leaf. “They miss the sunshine because the sunflowers are blocking it.” Luna, thinking about finding a shiny pebble, just chirped, “Oh, that’s too bad!” and flew off.
Luna searched and searched for a shiny pebble, but she couldn’t find one she liked. She felt a little grumpy. Why wasn’t anything going right? She bumped into Mama Ladybug, who was carefully tending to a small patch of wildflowers. “Luna, dear,” Mama Ladybug said gently, “Barnaby told me about the clover. It’s perfect for making a special nectar for your little brother, Leo. He’s been feeling a bit sleepy.”
Luna’s wings drooped. She hadn’t listened to Barnaby! And she hadn’t listened to Old Man Tiber, so she didn’t know the roses were sad. She realized that being busy wasn’t an excuse for not listening. She flew back to Barnaby and apologized. “I’m so sorry, Barnaby! I didn’t listen about the clover. Can you show me?”
Barnaby happily buzzed and led Luna to the clover. It *was* the sweetest clover she had ever seen! Luna carefully collected some nectar for Leo. Then, she flew back to the roses and helped Old Man Tiber gently move some leaves so the sunshine could reach the flowers. The roses perked right up!
When Luna gave Leo the clover nectar, his eyes sparkled. “Thank you, Luna!” he said with a big smile. Luna felt warm and happy. She learned that day that listening to her friends and family wasn’t just polite, it helped her be a better friend, a better sister, and a much happier ladybug. From then on, Luna always made sure to lend an ear, and the garden was a much brighter place because of it.
As the stars began to twinkle, Luna snuggled close to her Mama. She knew that even the busiest ladybug could find time to listen, and that listening was the sweetest thing of all. Now close your eyes, little one, and dream sweet dreams of buzzing bees, cheerful roses, and a listening ladybug named Luna.