Ladybug, fly to the sky!
By Leonard Rempel
A little ladybug rests in my palm.
I see her, and she takes my breath away.
Little one, go to sleep now, stay calm.
Don’t worry about where you’ve flown today.
Little one, with your black head and red wings,
The ones with the polka dots on each side!
Autumn’s here, and you completely forgot—
You completely forgot—that it’s time to hide.
Soon, the white snow—the sky’s strong, fluffy wall—
Will diligently drape us in one single try.
But under the foliage, and under frost tall,
You’ll hardly notice how winter flies by.
In the spring, you’ll smile at the sun as you awake.
You’ll bring us joy, and happy people you will make.
I read this lovely poem today. Unfortunately, it recalled some unpleasant memories for me. It seems like these cute insects should treated with care, but I, for one, don’t think that the ladybug is so wonderful—to my regret!
Many of my readers will be surprised and indignantly ask, “What nonsense have you written? How can you not be moved, looking at such polka-dotted beauty?” Many parents read or tell their children fairy tales about these amazing creatures. The children are amazed—they hold this tiny miracle in their hands and recant little rhymes, watching the insect fly up and away. What a lovely beauty! This is what this little creature has to say about herself:
“You’ll easily recognize me by the dots on my back. [In Russian,] I’m called “God’s little cow” because I produce orange milk. But the milk is actually blood—acrid and unpleasant. Because of this, neither birds nor lizards eat me. With my bright colors, I warn predators: “Don't touch me! You can’t eat me!" Gardeners, though, love me; after all, I feed on aphids, who eat plants and spoil the harvest.”
When we were young, we would say this nursery rhyme whenever we would hold a ladybug in our hands:
Little ladybug,
Fly to the sky!
Where your children will be
Eating lots of candy
Each child gets one
But for you—none!
And kids loved reciting this nursery rhyme! How delightful!
I now want to tell you the story of my trip to the beautiful city of Kakhovka, in Ukraine. My sister lived in this city with her family and raised her two sons there. We missed each other greatly, and one day, I had the opportunity to visit her with my son Vlad (5 or 6 years old at the time).
We loved the city very much. We admired its beautiful monument to the tachanka [a horse-drawn cart carrying a machine gun, used in battle during WWI] and walked around the small, cozy town.
But the sea made the biggest impression on us. In the evening, we walked along the beach, surrounded by a warm breeze and small waves. It was splendid! We decided to spend the following day on the shore, swimming and breathing in the salty sea air. We were so excited—we couldn’t wait!
And finally, the morning came! We got up, gathered our beachwear, and headed straight to the beach. We soaked up the sun’s tender rays and the warmth of the water.
All of a sudden, something happened! People began running into the water, many squatted down and shook their heads and arms, swatting away something. To add to the confusion, we had no idea what they were running away from! What a nightmare—hordes of red insects, ladybugs, were flying over the beach and the sea! They landed in the water and on the beachgoers, and, worst of all, they were biting the people very painfully. First, we heard the screams and shouts of the travelers; then, we felt our own bodies being bitten. What a nightmare! How’s that for a wonderful vacation on the Kakhovka Sea? And with a nice swim, too—plunging headlong into the water just to flee millions of insect bites! We were mortified. It turns out that not every ladybug is holy! [Ed. Note: This is a reference to “ladybug” meaning “God’s cow” in Russian.]
Little, red tots
With backs of many spots.
They do not sing, they do not shout,
But through the leaves they run about.
My son and I quickly jumped out of the water and ran home to my sister, hoping that we’d be able to at least escape the ladybugs’ bites there. What did we see in the house? A dark, red flying cloud—that attacked us left and right! We found out that there was a vineyard nearby and that the grape leaves were frequently eaten by aphids. These aphids would be eaten—or rather, devoured—by these hordes of red bugs.
They were everywhere! In the doorways, in the apartment, everywhere—all they did was fly and bite! These insects are (of course) ladybugs.
The term “God’s little cow” [the literal Russian translation of “ladybug”] apparently originated long ago, when people noticed that, when there were many of these red insects, a good harvest was sure to follow.
Ladybugs have a big appetite—they eat up to 200 insects per day, and their larvae eat even more!
Anyway, although there is still no consensus about the origin of the word “ladybug,” the legends surrounding these winged creatures are still alive today.
“The ladybug is God’s creation and must not be harmed.” [Ed. Note: Religious people believe this, according to Kim.]
My son and I still don’t trust ladybugs to this day. After all, God helps those who help themselves! May they fly far, far away from us!