Ruby landed on a green leaf. She peeked at her shiny red shell and counted her black dots — one, two, three, four, five, six!
The leaf trembled. A tiny drop of dew slid off the edge — plop — right onto her spot.
Ruby crawled along the stem. A yellow butterfly fluttered past — wings bright as sunshine.
The butterfly landed on a red rose — the same red as her shell. Ruby tapped a black spot with her antennae. 'Huh,' she thought.
Ruby climbed higher. Below, the garden spread out like a painted map — green leaves, pink flowers, purple petals.
A bumblebee hummed past — buzzing so loud it shook the air. Ruby shrank into her shell. The world went quiet except for the hum.
A gust of wind rushed through the garden. Ruby tumbled off the stem — down, down —
but then her wings snapped open with a crackle. She rose, rose, rising above the roses, above the lavender, above everything!
Ruby floated higher on the warm air. She spun in a slow circle, then dipped one wing. The wind caught her and lifted her up, up, up.
Ruby spread all six legs wide and flew home.
