Do it Dragonfly

Its lunch time for the big, bad bear! All the forest animals are hiding. What does his tummy want today? Rabbits? Crickets? Honey? A bit of everything?

Find out what the bear wants for lunch. Hear Dragonfly arrive. Enjoy what she does. Love how brave she is. Find out what the bear does. Hear who becomes lazy! Discover what the animals learn.

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Do it Dragonfly

A Tales of Time Story.

The crickets were hiding under a rock. The rabbits were deep in their burrows. The bees were sitting still in their beehive and the squirrels were hiding in the hollows of the trees. The whole forest was silent. Even the wind held its breath.

Why? Don’t you know that it’s lunch time? For the big, bad bear! Every day at noon, the bear’s tummy started growling and the bear started prowling looking for some food. He was a particularly greedy, grumpy bear.

He plodded clumsily through the forest looking for his lunch. What did his tummy want today? Rabbits? Crickets? Honey? A bit of everything?

The forest animals huddled together and closed their eyes as the Bear’s nose started sniffing at the air, under the rocks and in the trees.

“Aha! Squirrels.”

The bear started clawing at the hole in the tree, breaking away bark and wood.

“No!” cried the crickets as they watched from under the rock.

The bear turned and snorted; “Mm, crickets. I‘ll have you for my dessert!”

The crickets hid deeper under the rock, watching as the bear carried on tearing the tree apart.

Who’s this? The forest animals opened their eyes to see who the silly animal was! Doesn’t she know that it’s lunch time?
It was Dragonfly!

Dragonfly buzzed around the head of the big, bad bear. The bear became so annoyed that he swished his paws in front of his face. But the Dragonfly was too fast.

“Do it Dragonfly!” called the rabbits.

“Do it Dragonfly!” yelled the bees. So Dragonfly did.

Dragonfly buzzed around the bear’s head so much that the bear started backing away from the tree. He got so fed up that he finally turned and ran off through the forest!

“Yeah!” The animals were safe. All thanks to Dragonfly. She wasn’t silly after all – she was really very brave. The rabbits threw a party and they all cried “Well done Dragonfly!”

The next day, the animals got up early and enjoyed a quiet morning in the sun. They were feeling rather scared. Then they heard it.

Lunch time.

The Bear’s tummy was growling and soon he’d be prowling looking for some food.

The crickets hid under a rock.

The rabbits went deep in their burrows.

The bees sat still in their beehive and the squirrels disappeared into the hollows of the trees.

The whole forest went silent. Even the wind held its breath.

The greedy grumpy bear plodded clumsily through the forest looking for his lunch.  What did his tummy want today? Rabbits? Crickets? Honey? A bit of everything?

The forest animals held their breaths as the Bear’s nose started sniffing at the air, under the rocks and in the trees.

“Aha! Honey.” The bear stood up onto its back legs and reached up to the beehive.

He hit it once and it wobbled.

He hit it again and it swung underneath the branch which was holding it.

“No!” cried the rabbits! The bear looked down, “Mm rabbits, I’ll be back for them tomorrow!”

The rabbits hid deeper into their burrows and watched as the bear lifted his paw to hit the hive again and then he heard it. It was Dragonfly! She buzzed around the head of the big, bad bear. The bear swished his paws about his face, trying to get rid of her. But Dragonfly was too fast.

“Do it Dragonfly!” called the crickets!

“Do it Dragonfly!” yelled the rabbits. So Dragonfly did.

Dragonfly started flying around the bears legs and tail. The bear twisted and turned and was getting angrier and angrier. Suddenly, Dragonfly darted off through the forest and the bear darted after him. But being a bear, he was so large and so dizzy, that he kept bumping into trees. Dragonfly was so small and clever that she flew through branches and the Bear couldn’t see her anywhere. So he wandered off, with a headache!

“Yeah!” The animals were safe. All thanks to Dragonfly. Again. The squirrels threw a party and they all cried “Well done Dragonfly!”

The next day, the animals got up early and enjoyed a long lazy picnic in the sun. They were feeling rather happy. Then they heard it. The Bear’s tummy was growling and soon he’d be prowling looking for some food.  But today, the forest animals weren’t feeling very scared at all. “Dragonfly will save us!” they said.

The crickets sunbathed on a rock.

The rabbits slept on top of their burrows.

The bees buzzed about their beehive and the squirrels scrambled around the trees.

Even the wind played in the branches.

THE BEAR!

Every one was so busy enjoying themselves that they had forgotten to hide! The bear was really hungry and wanted to eat everyone!
He clawed at the rabbits.

He growled at the bees.

He swished at the crickets!

Then he heard it.

“Do it Dragonfly!” called the squirrels!

“Do it Dragonfly!” yelled the bees.

“Oh, no you don’t. You won’t stop me having my lunch today little Dragonfly”, thought the bear as he swished so fast, that he hit poor Dragonfly, who went flying into a tree!

“No” cried all the forest animals.

The bear grinned. He turned to Dragonfly who had fallen to the floor. His nose sniffed around her tired little body. Dragonfly’s delicate wings fluttered in the breath of the big, bad bear. He opened his enormous mouth, and…..

“Ooow!” The rabbits were bouncing all over the bear’s feet.

“Oi!” The crickets were hopping all over the bear’s fur.

“Grrr” The bees were swarming around the bears head and

“Ow ow ow!” The squirrels were throwing nuts from the tree tops.

All the animals in the forest were looking after each other. And it was working. The bear was jumping up and down, scratching all over his fur, running round and round in circles crying:

 “Ooow!”
“Oi!”
“Grrr”
“Ow ow ow!”

And with that he ran off into the forest so far that even the trees couldn’t see him.

Yeah! The animals were safe.

But Dragonfly was not. All the forest animals gathered round her battered dusty body “Do it Dragonfly; do it!”

The littlest rabbit went up to her and peered over her head. “She’s not moving!” he whispered, his eyes becoming wet with tears.

The littlest squirrel scurried up and lifted a tired arm which flopped back down to the ground.

Then the littlest cricket sat down and cried.

The animals stayed at Dragonfly’s side all day. The sun started to dip behind the trees and the sky turned purple. They continued to sit at her side and sob.

“Huh?” thought the littlest cricket. “What was that?”

It was one of Dragonfly’s antennas; it jingled. Then again. The littlest cricket hopped over to Dragonfly’s ear and whispered, “Do it Dragonfly; do it!”

Then all the crickets chirped “Do it Dragonfly; do it!” Then the rabbits sang too. All the animals in the forest were standing in a circle singing as Dragonfly’s head slowly lifted off the ground and looked around. She carefully pulled her battered body off the floor and shook off all the dirt. As she stretched her wings, a smile spread across her face. She looked at all her singing friends and buzzed up and up and up. Far into the night sky and came buzzing back down with a

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Dragonfly was ok and all the animals were safe –thanks to...well thanks to everyone. They had all helped one another to beat the big, bad bear.
Dragonfly threw a party and all the animals celebrated with laughter and dancing. And they never felt scared again – because they knew that if they all looked after each other – they would all be alright.

The End.

©Tales of Time 2008