Ava Learns the Hard Way

The Bee Is Not Bad

Ava sat on the step and looked at the world. The world was her backyard. There was so much to see. A traveling wind touched each rose in her mother’s garden and came to land on her face. It

felt good.

She had to share her good feeling with someone. “I’ll pick a flower for my mother,” she said.

Ava jumped over the side of the step. She landed softly on the grass and wiggled her toes. The long blades of green grass tickled her bare feet. As she stooped to pick the flower, she saw a flash of

gold. Thinking it was a butterfly, Ava stretched out her hands to catch it. Then…

“Waaah, Mommy!”

“What’s the matter, Ava?” Her mother rushed to her aid.

“Something bit me.” She clutched her hand where it hurt.

Her mother looked at Ava’s hand swelling rapidly just below the wrist. “You’ve been stung by a bee.”

“The bee is bad!” Ava screamed as her mother took her inside. “It stung me! I hate that bee!”

“The bee is not bad, Ava,” her mother said. “You disturbed the bee. That is why it stung you.

The bee likes to be left alone.” She put medicine on Ava’s hand. It felt cold.

Ava was silent for a while, and then her little face looked puzzled. “Mommy, did God make

the bee?”

“Yes, dear, God made the bee.”

“Why did God make bees? Why?”

“You love honey, don’t you, Ava? Well, bees make honey. God made bees to provide us

with honey.”

Ava’s large brown eyes opened wide. Pain forgotten, she ran to the kitchen. She came back

with a jar of honey. There was a picture of a bee on the jar.

“See, Mommy, a bee. The bee makes honey. But why did God make the bee bad?”

“The bee is not bad, Ava. God has provided each of His creatures with a way to protect itself

and its home. When you disturb a bee, it thinks that you are going to hurt its home. Stinging you is

the only way it knows to keep you away. It is not being bad.”

 “Lassie will bite anyone who tries to touch her puppies.”

“Yes, Ava. Lassie is a good mother. She will protect her puppies.”

“Mommy, will you bite my friend Danny if he hits me?”

“No, Ava. People do not need to bite anyone. God has made us much smarter than animals

and insects. We can protect our families without biting. If Danny hits you, come to me and I will find

out what the problem is. If necessary I will speak to his mother, but no, I won’t bite him.”

Ava laughed. “I know why you won’t bite him, Mommy?”

“Why?”

“Because you are not a dog.”

Mommy smiled. “Since when did you get so smart,” she said. “Just you remember when you go

outside to play to keep far away from bees.”

 “I will, Mommy,” Ava said as she headed for the door, “but I think I will just sit on the step until

my hand gets better.”

Ava sat on the step and looked at the world. God did make a very beautiful world. She saw a

bee sitting on a flower. She felt a little scared, but the bee took no notice of her. She looked at its

tiny golden wings. It did look like a little butterfly, but now she knew better. She made up a little

song: “God made the bee. The bee makes honey. Don’t touch the bee or you’ll be sorry.”

Ava Is a Spinning Top

Ava spun round and round. Her eyes were closed. Her arms flung outward, and her wide skirt, a rainbow of colors, twirled into the shape of an open umbrella.

“Ava, stop spinning, darling,” her mother called from outside where she was weeding the garden. “You will soon fall.”

“Ava can’t fall, Mommy. Ava is a spinning top.”

So Ava kept on spinning round and round, eyes shut tighter, skirt flying higher, short, plump legs going faster and faster.

“Ava!” shouted Mommy. “Ava, stop this minute! You’ll be dizzy!”

“I can’t stop,” came the frightened cry. “Ava can’t stop! Mommy, please catch me!”

But Mommy was too far away. And Ava kept on spinning like a top. Her little head felt very heavy. Her little eyes could not open. Her little arms could not come down, and her little chubby legs kept getting weaker and weaker until...bump!

By the time Mommy came inside, Ava lay in a heap on the ground.

Mommy picked her up and put her on the bed. Ava felt much better after Mommy put a cool washcloth on her forehead. She sat up in bed and looked at her mother.

“Is Ava a spinning top?” Mommy asked with a smile.

“No, no,” replied Ava, shaking her head. “Ava is not a spinning top. Ava is Mommy’s little girl.”

Ava’s Bad Day

Ava liked to have her own way and often got upset when she couldn’t. Today was one of those days.

Ava wanted to go outside , but Mommy said no. So Ava worked herself up to a real frenzy. She screamed and pounded her little fists on the closed door.

“Ava, go to your room until you calm down,” Mommy said.

But the little girl just ignored her mother and kept on screaming. Finally, Mommy grabbed her.

“I hate you!” Ava screamed as Mommy carried her to her bedroom.

“It’s no use throwing a tantrum, Ava. I won’t let you come out until you’ve calmed down.” Mommy’s calm voice made Ava angrier.

Mommy closed the door when she left the room. Now no one could hear Ava scream. She did it anyway. She waited. No one came . So Ava screamed louder and stamped her little feet. Still, no one came. She was getting tired. In frustration, she took her doll and threw it across the room. It bounced against the wall. The picture of her mommy and daddy that was on her dresser fell

to the floor. Ava looked at it. The glass on the picture cracked. Mommy and Daddy looked sad. Their smile was gone .

Ava remembered a Bible verse she learned in Sunday school. “Children, obey your parents.”

Ava stopped screaming. She didn’t want her parents to look sad. She took up the picture and lay on the rug with it. She felt sorry that she had been bad. She fell asleep.