It was a glorious May morning. The sun shone brightly and the scent of elderberries wafted through the air. Katie jumped out of bed in a fabulous mood. She ran to the window – her polka-dot robe was flowing behind her, just like a red ribbon.

“What a beautiful day!” she smiled at the puffy white clouds, peeking through the curtain. “I can’t spend this sunny morning inside, I’m going for a walk!” Katie decided and hurried to the closet for her favorite outfit: a pair or red pants and a polka-dot sweater. Fit for a seven-spotted ladybug, her wardrobe was full of poppy colored clothing.

Katie put a huge alarm clock into her backpack so she wouldn’t forget time to return home for lunch. Then, she locked the door on her mushroom house, and followed a little path to the forest.

Katie took her time, walking leisurely and taking in the sights, just like a real tourist would. The farther she got from her house, the tinier the bright dots on its roof appeared. Katie marveled at the beautiful blue sky and the golden rays of the sun streaming down. She took a detour to the meadow to see whether the bluebells had opened their petals yet. Katie just passed by a fly snoring under a burdock leaf, when her stomach began to growl.

“I’ve completely forgotten to eat breakfast,” she thought to herself. “There is a rosebush not far from here. If I am lucky enough, I’ll find something yummy on it.”

The rosebush was an old plant – full of sweet-smelling, pink flowers. Its leaves, however, were wilted and raggedy. When Katie noticed, she became so excited that the honeybees gathering nectar couldn’t stop wondering.

“What are you so happy about, Miss Polka Dots?”

“Can’t you tell? Just look at those leaves!” Katie pointed at the bush with a wide grin. 

The honeybees were dumbfounded. What was there to see on those wilted, raggedy leaves? The flowers, on the other hand, were a different story: sweet smelling and full of nectar to make into golden honey.

Katie suddenly noticed a big fat aphid sitting on one of the rosebush’s stems, chewing away at a leaf. Then, she found another one, gorging itself on a newly formed rosebud. She devoured them both.

The bees buzzed in amazement.

“I guess I surprised you, didn’t I?” The ladybug giggled. “I couldn’t imagine a tastier breakfast than these delicacies. Care to join me?”

The bees shook their heads.

“No, thank you! But we’re happy that you like these things…”

“They’re aphids.”

“Aphids, of course. Because they’ve sure caused us enough trouble by eating all these leaves. After all, without the leaves, it wouldn’t take long for the entire rosebush to die. And then where would we go to collect our nectar? We are so grateful to you!” they buzzed in unison.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” replied Katie with a wave of her wing. “But if you ever come across these pests, call me and I’ll take care of them. If I can’t eat them at once, I’ll just make them into aphid jam.”

“I’ll let you know,” buzzed an uncertain voice from behind Katie. A young bee stood there in a yellow sweater.

“My name is Ildi,” she introduced herself.

“I’m Katherine Seven Spots, but everyone calls me Katie. I live in a mushroom house at the edge of the forest. I just moved here to Great Meadow, after a spring storm washed my apartment away.”

Ildi Honeybee listened quietly.

“I hope you feel at home soon,” she said.

The honeybees buzzed in unison.

“And I hope,” Ildi continued, “that we will become good friends.”

Katie quickly swallowed the last fat aphid, nodded and smiled.