The Water bug Story

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 up the lily stalk. Where do you think she's going?" Up, up, up
it slowly went... Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from
sight.
Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return...

"That's funny!" said one water bug to another... " Wasn't she happy
here?" asked a second... "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a
third... No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled.

Finally one of the water bugs 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 or she 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 into the broad and free lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what
he saw. A startling change had come over 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 his new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly
found himself 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. It
was then 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 around, just as he had been doing some time before.

Then the dragonfly remembered the promise. 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, not one 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'll understand what has happened to
me, and where I went."

And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun
and air...

Dear God, please remember my loved one who has left the pond we live
in...and remember me...