Fred the Asian Lady Beetle

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Fred the Asian Lady Beetle

• By Eben Norvell

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• One day in a bean field, there lived a group of
  Asian Lady Beetles. In this group, lived Fred.
  Fred loved Aphids. He would eat them all day if
  he could. But Fred was smaller than most lady
  beetles, and couldnt catch as many as others.

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• Most of the Aphids went to Lance. Lance was a
  big, strong Asian Lady Beetle. All the other
  beetles liked him, and would do whatever he asked
  them. But, Fred didnt like him. He thought he
  was just a big show-off.

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• Fred decided to just chew on an aphid, but
  before he even took one bite, great big things
  appeared all over. Fred thought they must be
  aliens! The aliens began swooping all the beetles
  up in big green net things. It wasnt long,
  before Fred and even Lance found themselves
  caught in the nets and put in a small, dark place.

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• In the small dark place, all the lady beetles
  were running around in a panic. Because Fred was
  so small, he could weave and dodge between the
  other beetles. Suddenly, Lance climbed on another
  beetle, and called all the panicky beetles over
  to listen to him. But Fred didnt go. He felt
  lonely.

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• The aliens took all the lady beetles and began
  putting them in small, round, clear, plastic
  containers. Fred was terrified. When they began
  to put him in his container, they dropped and
  cracked the case. Freds case was put in a group
  of cases. His was next to Lances. Lance had
  some yellow stuff on his back.

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• Several days passed. Some of the lady beetles
  were let free. Fred thought that that it was
  because their Elytra was a lighter color. The
  aliens were also putting out pieces of raw meat
  for Fred to eat. He liked aphids, not meat.

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• The yellow stuff on Lances back, which the
  aliens called Fungus, was spreading all over him.
  Eventually, Lance was completely covered in it.
  He died shortly after. A lot of the remaining
  lady beetles were dying of the fungus. But Fred
  still didnt have it.

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• Fred was going crazy. Not even Lance could
  survive here. He had to get out of here. He
  looked over at Lances container and saw what was
  left of him. The fungus all over him made him
  look like a Native Lady Beetle. Suddenly Fred had
  a plan.

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• The aliens hadnt noticed Lance yet, and were
  cleaning the lid to his container. Fred reached
  through the crack in his container and took some
  dead fungus from Lances back. He took the dead
  fungus, and began rubbing it all over his elytra.
  He rubbed and rubbed and rubbed, until his elytra
  went from red to yellow.

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• The aliens looked over to put back Lances lid,
  and saw Freds yellow shell. Just like the other
  beetles with lighter shells, they thought they
  must be Native, not Asian. And picked up his
  container, and let him go just outside a window.
  Fred flew away happy and free, returning to the
  bean field from whence he came.
• In the end, Fred thought to himself, Every
  beetle will have his day, so Im going to make
  the best of each day Im alive.

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END

• Written by Eben Norvell and illustrated by Tyler
  McKinnery