Bella the Bunny by Lily Small Page A

Hill.”
    â€œDo come along. Everyone’s welcome,” the friendly butterfly said before whooshing after the hoverflies.

    â€œOh, I wish we could go,” Carla sighed. “Watching the insects race must be so much fun!”
    â€œI know!” said Bella. “Maybe we can, if we’re really quick with our cobwebs and flower buds.”
    â€œGreat idea!” Carla exclaimed. “I’d better start hanging up these dewdrops, then. Bye, Bella. See you later at Heather Hill.” Carla rubbed noses with her friend and flew off toward the edge of the wood, where the cobwebs were waiting for their dewdrops.
    â€œBye!” Bella called after her. Then she set off toward Bluebell Glade, humming her happy song.
    When Bella reached the glade, she swooped down and landed among the bluebells. Each one had lots of tight green buds just waiting to be opened. Bella’s nose tingled with excitement. When she finished her work, the glade would be a sea of blue, and the sweet smell of the flowers would drift all through Misty Wood.
    She hopped over to a bluebell stem and twitched her nose against the biggest bud. Very slowly, the petals began to unfurl. Bella hopped back and watched, her whiskers quivering in delight. This was her favorite part of her job. It was like watching a beautiful present unwrap itself. She held her breath, and a pretty blue flower, the same shape as a fairy’s cap, burst out.
    Bella sang happily as she hopped and bounced her way over to another bud.
    A hippity-hop and a hoppity-hip.
    Opening flowers makes me skip!
    Soon she had opened dozens of bluebells. They tinkled like bells in the breeze, and the glade was filled with their sweet scent.
    Then there was just one flower left to open. Bella hopped over to it eagerly. One more flower and then she could go to Insect Sports Day! But just as she placed her velvety nose next to the bud, something very strange happened.
    â€œPlease don’t!” a voice squeaked.
    Bella hopped back on her heels and stared at the plant in shock. The voice was coming from the flower! In all the time she’d been a Bud Bunny, Bella had never heard a bud speak to her before. What was going on?

 
    CHAPTER TWO
    A Sad Ladybug
    Bella pricked up her ears and listened. Everything was quiet. Maybe she’d imagined the voice.
    â€œAfter all, buds can’t talk, or can they?” she said to herself.
    She hopped up close to the bluebell again. She was about to touch her nose to the bud when—
    â€œDidn’t you hear what I said?” the bud squeaked. “Please, please leave me alone!”
    Bella jumped back in surprise. She definitely hadn’t imagined the voice this time.
    â€œDon’t open me,” the flower pleaded. Its voice was quivery now—as if it was about to cry.
    â€œWhy ever not?” Bella asked.
    The bud went quiet again.
    Bella leaned in close. “Don’t you want to be a pretty flower?” she whispered.
    The bud made a noise that sounded like a sigh. Then it said, in a teeny-tiny voice, “Well … the thing is…”
    â€œI can’t hear you,” Bella said.
    The voice spoke again, a bit louder now. “The thing is … you see … I like being a bud. I don’t want to change.”
    Bella’s ears shot up and her eyes opened wide. She couldn’t believe what the flower was saying. “Don’t be silly!” she said. “You’ll be a beautiful bluebell!”
    â€œNo!” squeaked the bud.
    But Bella’s nose was already twitching. The bud was probably just shy. Once Bella had opened it, and the flower saw how lovely it looked, it would soon change its mind. She pressed her nose against the bud and wiggled it.
    One by one, the shiny blue petals unpeeled to reveal the biggest, brightest bluebell in the whole glade.
    â€œThere, see. You’re beautiful!” Bella cried, clapping her silky paws.
    â€œNo!” the