Lina marches across the meadow, her six legs ticking over warm grass. A silver twig glints between two clover leaves.
She tugs at the twig until her little shoulders ache. It only wiggles, wiggles, and falls back with a soft tap.
Lina marches to Bibi the bee. "Can you help me move this twig?" The bee buzzed, "Maybe try over there!" and zipped away.
Lina marches to Tito the cricket. "Can you help me?" He strummed a wobbly note and hopped away into the clover.
Lina marches to Lulù the ladybug, who is napping on her back on a sun-warmed leaf. "Can you help me?"
Lulù stretches and crawls toward the twig. Together they push — the twig rolls one wobbly roll, then stops with a click.
Lina pushes harder, alone again. The twig jerks forward — into a narrow crack between two roots. A loud CRACK echoes through the grass.
"We can do this together," Lina calls. The bee, the cricket, and the ladybug all rush back.
All four push from different sides. The twig slides free with a wet POP and tumbles into the open.
The twig lands upright like a flagpole. A golden seed pod bursts open — and three tiny babies tumble out!
Everyone laughs as the little ones bump and bounce around Lina's feet. The meadow sparkles with golden dust.
That evening, the four friends drag the twig to the center of the meadow and prop it up between three stones. It becomes a bridge.
Bibi zooms across, Tito hops across, Lulù crawls across. Lina conducts with her antennae, tapping a happy rhythm.
The meadow glows warm and golden. Four friends march together across the bridge, one happy rhythm at a time.