Once upon a time, near a river on a warm spring day, a tiny mayfly named May was born. Her mama gave her a gentle hug and said goodbye, reminding May to use her wings and explore the world.
May’s wings were light and feathery. She flitted and fluttered into the sky, excited to see all the wonders around her. But below the water, something dangerous was lurking—a big, hungry fish!
The fish tried to trick May by pretending to be friendly. But a little voice inside May warned her to be careful. She didn’t listen and flew too close. The fish snapped its jaws, but May quickly dodged and escaped!
May found a safe spot inside a hollow tree. She was scared and didn’t want to come out. But soon, she heard a sweet sound. A robin was singing nearby, and May peeked out to see the beautiful world around her.
She saw a spider’s web shining in the sun and a bullfrog croaking by the river. May realized there was so much to see and decided she couldn’t stay hidden forever.
May flew out of the tree and followed the river. She saw cattails swaying, a toad hopping, and two bear cubs playing with their mama. There were flowers for hummingbirds to sip from and a baby deer learning to walk.
Then, May found a group of mayflies dancing and singing. She joined in, feeling happy and free.
As the day went on, May heard a cry for help. She followed the sound and found the fish that had tried to eat her. It was stuck in a tangled line and couldn’t move.
At first, May was scared, but then she saw the fish’s beautiful colors and realized they weren’t so different. She decided to help and worked hard to untangle the line. Finally, the fish was free!
The fish swam away, and May wondered if it would be okay. Then she saw it splash happily in the river, and she heard it say, “Thank you.”
As night fell, May watched the stars twinkle in the sky. Crickets and bullfrogs sang a sweet song, and fireflies danced in the moonlight. May felt happy and peaceful as she counted the stars and drifted off to sleep.
The end.
If you love stories like May’s, there are many more to explore! Ask a grown-up to help you find more fun and exciting tales. You’ll be glad you did!
Mayfly Adventure Drawing: Draw a picture of May’s adventure! Think about all the things she saw and did. Can you draw the river, the fish, the tree, and the other animals she met? Use lots of colors to show how beautiful and exciting May’s world is. Share your drawing with a friend and tell them about May’s story.
Nature Walk Exploration: Go on a nature walk with a grown-up and look for things that May might have seen on her adventure. Can you find a spider’s web, a bird, or a river? Listen to the sounds around you, like the birds singing or the wind blowing. Talk about what you see and hear, and imagine what it would be like to be a mayfly exploring the world.
Helping Hands Activity: Just like May helped the fish, think about ways you can help others. Can you help a friend with a task, or pick up litter to keep your environment clean? Discuss with your class or family how helping others makes you feel and why it’s important to be kind and helpful, just like May.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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[Music][Applause][Music]
Once upon a time, near the bank of a river on a warm spring day, a new life began, and her name was May. Mama held May in a warm, tender hug and then said goodbye to her sweet baby bug.
“You have your whole life—a day, perhaps more. Don’t waste it, May. Use your wings and explore.”
Her delicate wings were feathery light. With a flit and a flutter, May took off in flight. There was so much to see and so much to know, but a dangerous thing was lurking below.
It was big, it was hungry, and it needed to eat. A newly hatched mayfly would make a great treat. Disguising its dark and deceitful sneer, it pleasantly said, “Come closer, my dear. I have something here that you really must see, but you’re too far away. Come closer to me.”
A voice inside her warned, “Don’t go.” But May didn’t listen and swooped down too low. It sprang from the water, and that’s when May saw two rows of sharp teeth and a menacing jaw. It snapped its mouth tight to gobble up May, but she ducked and darted and somehow got away.
May found safety in the hollow of a tree. She covered her eyes and tried not to breathe. Her body shuddered at the thought of the trout. “I’ll stay here forever; I’m not coming out.” But when her heart slowed, May heard a sweet sound.
Peeking out slowly, she looked all around. A robin nearby gave a cheerful tweet, then flew to her babies with something to eat. The mist on the river was a fine pink cloak; a bullfrog bellowed his morning croak. May noticed the beauty of a web in the sun, the glittering silk the spider had spun.
Mama was right; there’s so much to see. “I can’t live my life inside this tree.” So May launched herself from the dark hollow place; a greeting from the sun put a smile on her face.
May followed the river along as it flowed. She saw cattails swaying and a stubby toad. Bounding along without a care were two cubs following Mama Bear. There were bluebells and clusters offering up for hummingbirds a cool drink from their cups. A newborn fawn on wobbly knees, and then in a clearing, May could see a singing, dancing jamboree—a wild mayfly jubilee.
Joining in, they danced with glee. The day rambled on, and shadows grew long; nature was singing its afternoon song. May floated along on a warm gentle breeze when faintly she heard a desperate plea.
With shaky wings, she followed the sound, but May stopped cold at what she found. Snagged in a mess, his body still, the only movement from his gill. May inched closer, slow and unsure, afraid he’d lunge at her. The trout was weak, no flip or flail; a tangled line had caught his tail.
May’s eyes lingered on the trout’s jaw, but this time there was more she saw. The snag had taken all trout’s fight, yet his colors shimmered in the light—rainbow stripes in every hue, silver, pink, and shades of blue. May saw a scar where once he’d fought to keep himself from being caught. And when her gaze met trout’s scared eyes, she realized, “We’re not so different, May.”
The fear she had felt, now forgotten, she quickly started on the knot—the knot so tight, her progress slow. But then at last, the line let go. The river carried trout away. They wondered, “Will he be okay?”
The silence was broken with a startling splash. Scanning the river, May saw a flash breaking the surface and catching the light. Trout flipped his tail and waved goodnight. And then an echo on the wind that blew—two simple, precious words: “Thank you.”
Her spirits matching the river’s glow, May settled in for the nighttime show. Crickets and bullfrogs played their sweet tune while fireflies twinkled beneath the full moon. The stars came out early for sweet little May; she counted each one, then called it a day.
The end.
If you don’t have books, what are you waiting for? It’s a kid-safe, ad-free library full of storybooks brought to life. My favorite story on books is the unicorn and horse because the horse feels like he’s not beautiful, but he actually is. I’m going to explore more on books, and you should too! Don’t wait around—ask your grown-up and start exploring more fun stories like these. You’ll be glad you did!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any unnecessary or potentially inappropriate content.
