the story.
there once was a little ladybug named sararyllis who lived in a beautiful garden in the town of west cupcake. you may have heard of the little town? it’s located just off the grid, between holy toledo and pawnee.
the little ladybug loved her garden. in it she saw all the beautiful colors that the world had to offer—
the reds, blues, and greens from which so many other colors could be made.
she built a sweet little ladybug home in the garden, and made many friends—ants, bees, earthworms, and ladybugs alike.
she loved nothing more than to soak in the sun and warm air with her sweet friends, to tell silly jokes, and to laugh.
one day, a very cold wind blew.
the wind chilled everyone, in gardens large and small, from east to west, and north to south, threatening to destroy the beautiful world the little ladybug had built.
she watched as the wind turned into a terrible storm, one that the elders called "ovidcay." she saddened as it began to turn the bright and beautiful greens, blues, and reds that she so loved into deep, dark blacks, and morose, somber greys.
as the colors turned so did her world. it wasn't long before the elders turned dark, too. the little ladybug soon learned that the very things that she loved, and that she believed that she had been loved for, were now shameful and unwanted.
she was told by the elders that that her colors were a disgrace, that she was not allowed to laugh, and that she must never, ever tell jokes.
the little ladybug felt so confused and alone. what had happened to the elders? what was so wrong with colors, and laughing, and jokes? what would the world be without these wonderful things?
with a sadness in her heart, she came to understand that the world had changed, and she was no longer loved for who she was.
she continued on in solitude, doing her best to take care of herself and tend to the garden that she had so loved; but no matter her efforts, the garden wilted.
the little ladybug found that, without colors or anyone to laugh and tell jokes with, she began wilting, too.
her heart broke into so many little pieces, and she cried herself into a deep, deep sleep.
so here she is---sharing a few jokes with you, and hoping you'll share a few, too!
"knock-knock"
"who's there?"
"orange"
"orange who?"
orange...or any other color you want; because you can make them all with red, blue, and green!
with love,
sararyllis
the little ladybug’s spirit and will were strong though, and after the long, deep sleep she awoke to a remembrance of herself.
"i'm sararyllis!" she said.
"i'm good enough, and i'm smart enough, and dagnabit, i like me!"
she remembered then that she was a fun little ladybug, one who loves all the colors, and one who really, really, really, loves laughing at jokes.