The little ladybug, Dot, woke up on a soft dandelion leaf and stretched cheerfully. The morning sun tickled her antennae and the air smelled of sweet dew. “What a beautiful day!” she chirped, and prepared to take off for her morning tour of the garden. But first, she wanted to look at her reflection in a dewdrop that glittered on the edge of the leaf.
She leaned over it and... gasped. Her wing cases, which had always been bright red and dotted with seven beautiful black spots, were almost empty! Only one single spot remained, right in the middle. All the others were gone. She was frightened. What had happened? Where were her spots? Without them, she didn't feel like a proper ladybug.
Sadly, she drooped her antennae and slowly climbed down from the leaf to the ground. She felt so plain, so orange. Suddenly, it seemed to her that the grass was less green and the flowers less fragrant. She walked along the path, wondering if the wind had blown her spots away during the night, or if some other insect had borrowed them. What if she never found them again?
As she walked with her head bowed, she almost bumped into something small and brown. It was her friend, Milo the ant. But Milo did not look happy. He was sitting on the ground, desperately looking at scattered poppy seeds. “Milo, what happened?” Dot asked in a quiet voice. “Oh, Dot! I was carrying supplies to the anthill and I tripped. Look, I've spilled everything,” the ant sighed, pointing to dozens of tiny black seeds scattered all over the path. “It will be evening by the time I gather them all up.”
Dot looked at the sad Milo and then at the spilled seeds. Although she felt like crying herself, she knew her friend needed help. “Don't worry, Milo, I'll help you! Two can do it faster than one.” And so they got to work. Dot picked up one seed after another and gave them to Milo, who placed them on a large leaf. Together, the work went quickly. It took a while, but in the end, all the seeds were in a neat pile.
“Thank you, Dot! You saved me,” Milo said gratefully, and patted her on the back. “I couldn't have done it without you.” At that moment, Dot felt a strange, pleasant warmth on her back. Curiously, she turned and looked at her reflection in a nearby dewdrop. And she couldn't believe her eyes! Next to her one and only spot, a second one had suddenly appeared, beautiful, black, and shiny.
“Milo, look! One of my spots came back!” she exclaimed enthusiastically. Milo looked her over. “It's true! That's strange. How did that happen?” Dot shook her head. “I don't know. But it happened right when you thanked me.” They both thought for a moment. Could her spot have appeared because she helped a friend? What do you think, children, could that be so?
They decided they had to investigate. They set off together further into the garden. On the way, they met Buzzy the bee. She was sitting on the stem of a bluebell, looking very tired. “Buzzy, why aren't you flying?” Milo asked. “Oh, my friends,” the little bee buzzed. “I've been collecting sweet nectar all day, but this bluebell is so deep! I can't reach the very bottom, where the sweetest pollen is. I've already tried five times and I'm always just a little short.”
Dot examined the flower. It was indeed deep. But then she had an idea. “Buzzy, what if you fly just above the flower and I crawl inside? I'm small, maybe I can push the pollen a little higher, right up to you!” It was a great plan! Buzzy flapped her wings and hovered over the flower's cup. Dot carefully crawled inside. It smelled of honey and sunshine within. She went all the way to the bottom and with her tiny feet, gently pushed a clump of sweet pollen upwards.
“I can feel it! I've got it!” Buzzy called out joyfully and drank up all the nectar. When she flew out, she was all smiles. “Thank you, Dot! Your idea was brilliant! And you're so brave for crawling into that darkness.” And just then, Dot felt it again! Another pleasant warmth on her back. She quickly looked at Milo, who nodded with a smile. Three beautiful spots were now shining on her back!
“It's working!” Dot cried out. “Every time I help someone, a new spot appears!” She wasn't sad anymore. Quite the opposite. She felt happy and full of energy.
“Let's go find someone else who needs help!” Milo suggested, and all three of them ran through the garden with cheerful laughter. It was no longer just about getting the spots back. It was about that wonderful feeling of seeing their friends happy.
A moment later, they heard quiet crying. A little caterpillar was sitting under a large burdock leaf, with big tears streaming down her face. “What's happened, little one?” Dot asked her gently. “I'm lost,” the caterpillar sobbed. “I'm looking for my favorite raspberry leaf, but all the trees look the same. I'll never find my way home.” Dot, Milo, and Buzzy looked around. Indeed, there were green leaves and bushes everywhere. “Don't worry,” said Buzzy. “I'll fly up high and look from above. I can see the whole garden from up there.” Buzzy took off and returned a moment later. “I see it! The raspberry bush is just behind those big sunflowers. It's only a short distance away.” “I'll show you the way on the ground,” Milo added. And Dot? She walked beside the little caterpillar the whole way, telling her cheerful stories about how one day she would spin a cocoon and become a beautiful butterfly. The caterpillar stopped crying and listened with a smile.
When they reached the raspberry bush, the caterpillar waved at them joyfully. “Thank you, you're the best friends ever!” Guess what happened next. Yes, that's right! Dot felt two more warm places on her back. One for helping to find the way, and the second for cheering the caterpillar up. Now she had five spots! She was almost like her old self again.
Suddenly, she noticed a thirsty spider trying to drink from a dried-up puddle. Without hesitation, she flew to the nearest clover, where a large dewdrop still clung. She carefully carried it on a leaf to the spider, who drank gratefully. And right after that—pop! The sixth spot appeared.
Only one more was missing. The sun was slowly setting and the friends were tired, but happy. they sat on a large stone to rest. Dot looked at her almost complete back and smiled. Each spot reminded her of a good deed. One was for helping Milo, another for the great idea for Buzzy, more for comforting and guiding the caterpillar, and the last for giving water to the thirsty spider.
As they sat there, Dot noticed that Milo was shivering from the cold. The evening breeze was chilly. Without a second thought, she snuggled up to him and covered him with her wings to keep him warm. She didn't expect anything in return. She did it simply because she loved her friend.
At that moment, something magical happened. Her back didn't just glow in one spot. Her entire wing cases were flooded with a warm, bright light, and when the light faded, the last, seventh spot was in its place. It was the brightest of them all.
“I have them all!” Dot cried out with joy and hugged her friends. “I understand now. My spots aren't just for decoration. They are little lights for every good deed. The more joy I share, the more of them shine on me.” Milo and Buzzy nodded. They had discovered that helping others is the greatest fun and the most beautiful magic in the world. From that day on, Dot was never sad if one of her spots happened to disappear. She knew that all she had to do was open her heart, look around, and she would surely find someone whose day she could make brighter. And then her radiant spots would shine not only for her, but for the whole garden.
And what about you, children? Will you also try today to notice if someone needs your help or a kind word? You may not have magic spots on your back, but that warm feeling in your heart is just as beautiful.