The Tale of EmmaJean Dragonfly

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I wrote this story "The Tale of EmmaJean Dragonfly" recently.  It was written both in celebration of my love of fiction and in honor of the six-year girl that eternally lives inside me.     

*****DISCLAIMER*****  

Please note that this tale is a work of fiction only.  Any resemblance to any actual people, dragonflies, trees, buildings, ponds, mosquitoes, gnats, no-see-ums, etc. etc. is purely coincidental.  Also, no dragonflies were harmed in the writing of this story.  There were a few insects eaten.  Sorry.

    EmmaJean Dragonfly was not the smartest of dragonflies.  She tended to fly slower than most of her kind.  She flew backwards instead of forwards (although this was not intentional).  Somehow she was always more clumsy and awkward than most other dragonflies.  While she flew from place to place, large items, such as trees and buildings, tended to jump out and block her path.  Poor EmmaJean often ran into them with a loud and painful "Thunk!"

    One day, on a day like most days, EmmaJean flew to the Big Pond on the far end of the Wide Meadow.  Now, a smarter dragonfly would get to the Big Pond just as the sun was beginning to slip below the tree line in the distance.  This time, just before sunset, was the time of day when the mosquitoes and gnats and no-see-ums would begin to arrive.  As if by magic, they would cluster around the Big Pond in great, buzzing hoards. 

    EmmaJean especially liked the mosquitoes.  They tasted sooo nice!  The mosquitoes were also a lot larger than the little gnats or the teeny-tiny, nearly imaginary no-see-ums.  A smart dragonfly would have arrived early enough so that they could enjoy those tasty, plump, mosquitoes, but, alas, EmmaJean wasn't the smartest of dragonflies.  

     It was rare that she had opportunity to eat many mosquitoes, and this day was no exception.  Poor, poor, sad EmmaJean Dragonfly arrived late at the Big Pond.  She arrived long, long, long after the sun had already set.  It was too late to eat any of the largest, fattest, juiciest mosquitoes.  No, those choice morsels went to the smarter, better skilled dragonflies.  They went to those dragonflies that could fly fast instead of slow, forwards instead of backwards.  They went to those dragonflies that didn't run into any trees or buildings or anything else for that matter.  Most importantly, the largest, fattest, juiciest mosquitoes went to those dragonflies who planned ahead, who arrived early, and who were all much, much smarter than EmmaJean.     

    When she arrived late at the Big Pond, EmmaJean had only the smallest of insects left to eat.  She was so slow and clumsy that she really had a hard time catching any food at all.  On days like today (and this was really typical of most days), EmmaJean found it difficult to catch enough of the little bugs to make up a complete meal.   

     It was very, very, very late before EmmaJean’s stopped hunting for insects.  She finally felt full enough, and she was also feeling soooo sleepy.  At this point, most dragonflies would have been smart enough to gently lie down upon a nearby leaf, their body resting and their wings outspread, yet unmoving.  They would be tired but also sated and at peace.  This is what most dragonflies would be smart enough to do, but EmmaJean was not a smart dragonfly. 

     Even feeling as exhausted as she did, even as slow and backward and awkward as she flew, EmmaJean still decided not to stay and rest after her hunting.  She flew back across the Big Pond, over the Wide Meadow and through the Deep Forest.  All the while, she ran into countless things; those pesky things which frequently liked to jump out at her.  Finally, FINALLY, with barely any energy left remaining, EmmaJean reached the Thick, Leafy Shrub that she called home.  Waiting for her there was her sister; her older, wiser, sister, MerriLee.

     MerriLee Dragonfly was one of the smartest of dragonflies.  She tended to fly faster than most of her kind, and she usually flew forward instead of backwards (unless she intentionally felt like doing otherwise).  Large items, such as trees and buildings, never chose to jump out at her and, thus, did not block her path in the slightest.

    Those dragonflies that wisely arrived at the Big Pond early always included MerriLee.  She enjoyed munching on the largest, fattest, juiciest mosquitoes.  It was, after all, these choice morsels that usually go to the smart, skilled dragonflies like MerriLee.

     On this day, when EmmaJean arrived at the Big Pond at her typically late time, MerriLee arrived as early as usual.  The sun was just beginning to slip below the tree line in the distance, when MerriLee began her feasting.  The plump, tasty mosquitoes were so plentiful that it took almost no time at all for her to feel full.  She stopped hunting and rested upon the leaves near the edges of the Big Pond.  A little later, after she was done resting, she gracefully flittered away.    

     MerriLee flew across the Big Pond, over the Wide Meadow and through the Deep Forest.  All the while, she ran into absolutely nothing, and nothing was ill-behaved enough to jump out at her either.  Quickly, efficiently, with plenty of energy left remaining, MerriLee reached the Thick, Leafy Shrub that she called home.  It was still fairly early, and it would be a long, long, long while before her sister would arrive home.  This was all due to the fact that MerriLee was one of the smartest of dragonflies, and her sister, EmmaJean, was not.

    Then, one day, a day that was remarkably different than any previous day, all the dragonflies at the Big Pond had a great surprise.  MerriLee (not at all surprisingly) had arrived at the Big Pond at her typical early time, and, as she usually did, she flitted about saying hello to all the other smart dragonflies.  She was just about to begin hunting, when who should also arrive at the Big Pond?  Yes, as you’ve probably guessed already, it was her younger sister, EmmaJean. 

     All of the smartest of dragonflies, including MerriLee, began to exclaim their surprise to one another.  "How strange!"  "How amazing!"   "EmmaJean had arrived at the Big Pond early!"  "This had never happened before!"  "How, for goodness sake, had this happened?!?"

     It turned out that EmmaJean was more than happy to explain the new circumstances to them all.  She admitted to her fellow dragonflies that she was still slow and clumsy.  She acknowledged that she still flew backwards, and she still flew into most things.  (It really was quite difficult to avoid them when they were so ill-behaved as to jump out at her!)  She confessed that she knew that she was still not among the smartest of dragonflies.  Yet, now there was one very, very, very important thing differently in her life.  Now, EmmaJean Dragonfly had discovered that even those who are not among the smartest of their kind are, nevertheless, able to LEARN.               

                               - - - The End ---

Until I type again,

  Kami