One quiet afternoon, little Lala was exploring the backyard, her eyes wide with wonder as she tiptoed through the tall grass and scattered leaves. The summer air buzzed with life, and every tree and flower seemed to whisper secrets just waiting to be uncovered. As she knelt near a tree stump, something strange caught her attention—a loud, buzzing sound and a shimmering creature clinging tightly to the tree bark.
Lala’s eyes lit up. “What is that?” she whispered, slowly approaching the source of the noise. It was a cicada—its wings transparent like delicate glass, its body a mix of earthy browns and shiny black. It looked like a creature from another world. Fascinated, Lala crouched beside it, watching in awe as it rubbed its legs together and vibrated its wings, producing that mysterious buzzing sound she’d always heard but never seen up close.
She tilted her head and gently poked the bark near it, not wanting to hurt it, just curious. The cicada stayed still, its eyes large and unmoving. Lala giggled softly. “You’re not scary. You’re kind of cute!”
Then she noticed something even more curious—a dry, empty shell stuck to the same tree, right below the live cicada. “Is this… your old skin?” she wondered aloud, picking up the shell with care. It was hollow and crisp, like a paper sculpture. She held both the shell and her newfound friend in gentle admiration, amazed at nature’s magic.
Running back to her mom with the shell in hand, she exclaimed, “Mama! Look what I found! It’s a cicada, and it changes its skin!” Her mom smiled, explaining how cicadas live underground for years and then emerge to sing and fly in the summer sun.
Lala was amazed. “I want to learn more about bugs!” she declared with a grin. That single encounter with a cicada sparked a whole new curiosity in her heart—a love for nature and the tiny creatures that make the world sing.
