Dear Reader,

 

Here is a story I originally wrote for children ages 3 to 6... but I really should say, ages 3-60!

 

I hope you enjoy it!

 

Martha

 

 

 

 

 

This is not really the story about a fly on Mars. It's just that something happened to one particular fly which made him feel as though he had landed on Mars!

 

 

And this is his story.

 

 

There was once a fat little fly who was born and spent his whole life in a garden in front of a house on a hill. The house was very big, and the garden was full of plants and flowers and bushes and trees. The fly led a very busy life indeed and had many friends. Among them were ladybugs and ants and an assortment of snails and slugs - as well as a couple of birds who thought it was okay to have a fly for a friend.

 

 

This little fly did not know very much about the people who lived in the house. They

came and went a lot. They sometimes sat in the garden. They did a bit of weeding now

and then, a little watering (as needed) and a little pruning. Nothing fancy, which

was lucky because that's how everyone who lived in the garden preferred it.

When it was cold outside, the people stayed in or hurried out to their car. When

it was hot, they opened all the windows. and the fly could see lovely white curtains

blowing about.

 

 

Sometimes, when the people came home from shopping and had lots of bags, they would

leave the front door open while they unloaded their groceries. There were flies who

liked to hover about the front door, trying to catch a glimpse of what was inside,

fascinated by the smells coming from within. The fat little fly never did, though.

He knew that people got cross with flies and swatted them.

 

 

One day, however, when it was incredibly hot and muggy, the people opened all

their windows and the front door to try and cool the house down. The fat little

fly happened to be flying about the rhododendron bush, minding his own business and

trying to keep cool himself under the shade of the bright pink petals. All of a

sudden ... Whoooooosh!

 

A slight breeze swept him right through the front door!

 

 

To his horror, he heard a voice say, "Flies in here again? Would somebody please

shut the door? "

 

 

Oh, no, the fat little fly said to himself. I'd better look for a window!

 

 

But, to his further horror, storm clouds were forming in the sky, and he

heard another voice say, "It's starting to rain. Would somebody please help me get

these windows shut? "

 

 

Doors shut! Windows shut! The fat little fly tried to remain calm. He buzzed around,

through the kitchen, through the dining room and into the living room. There he saw

an enormous window. He flew towards it, but he didn't realize that it was already

shut and banged straight into it! He didn't hurt himself, but he was a little

shaken up. If the house was shut tight, what would he do? He flew around in circles

and buzzed and buzzed.

 

 

Then he heard a voice say, "Would somebody please do something about that annoying fly? "

 

 

That's me! The fat little fly said to himself. But.. hold on! What would they do to him?

 

 

He saw someone come into the room. It was a small boy who spotted the fat little fly right away. He went to the window and opened it, and then he took a comic book from the table and started to wave it around as if he was trying to direct the fly towards the window. The fat little fly saw the opening and, whispering "Thanks little boy!" flew straight out.

 

 

It was then that the fly, taking a quick look around him, felt he had landed on Mars. For this was not his garden. This was a place he had never been before. He did not see any of the familiar plants or flowers or bushes or trees. This must be the ... Back Garden! He had heard stories about the Back Garden! Now the fat little fly felt utterly lost. He had always wondered what sort of creatures lived in the Back Garden, and now he was afraid what sort of creatures would find him!

 

 

He tried to buzz quietly and fly low. The Back Garden ? Well then, he thought to himself. I will just have to become an explorer and pretend I really have landed on Mars.

 

 

He flew over to a flowering bush with large purple petals. He settled himself gently on one petal and felt somewhat comforted. It wasn't too different from the rhododendron bush in the front garden. In fact, it could well have been a rhododendron bush. He flew up in the air and looked down. Why, it was a rhododendron bush! Only this one had purple flowers. And so, settling back down on a petal and feeling very brave, he took a good look around the Back Garden, or Mars as he secretly began to call it.

 

 

The clouds soon disappeared, and the sun began to shine again. It got very hot. The fat little fly noticed creatures crawling out from underneath their rain shelters. They looked an awful lot like some of his friends in his garden.

 

 

Impossible! he said to himself. He continued to fly low, looking left and right, hovering up and down. The flowers here were very beautiful. The trees were not as large as his trees, and there were plants trailing over what looked like a huge white spider. Or was the spider trailing all over the plants? He was trying to be very brave. But he had to admit to himself that the spiders on Mars were very big.

 

 

After a while, the sunshine began to fade. The sky was blue on top, just like it was in his garden, but it was pink lower down and, as he turned towards the sun, the sky and the sun looked completely red.

 

 

"Mars," the fat little fly said, his voice trembling. "This isn't the Back Garden after all. And I don't have to pretend to be an explorer. This is Mars!"

 

 

Just then, a Queen Bee flew by.

 

 

"Do I know you? she asked.

 

 

"N...n...no," replied the fat little fly in a small voice.

 

 

"Well, why don't I know you?" the Queen Bee demanded.

 

 

"Y..y...you see, this isn't my garden," the fly started to explain.

 

 

"I see," the Queen Bee said briskly. "You are lost, then. Do you know where you are?"

 

 

"Mars?" asked the fly, weakly. he was having great trouble maintaining his hover. Martian atmosphere, he thought to himself. What next?

 

 

"And why do you suppose this is Mars? And what do you think I am?" she asked.

 

 

"Well, I think you are a Queen Bee."

 

 

"Correct" she said, "and...?"

 

 

"And, well, I thought at first this was the Back Garden. But when I looked around and saw those thorny flowers over there that looked like they would grab me and that huge white spider and the red, red sky ... I knew I had landed on Mars. I only came in the front window and went out through the back window. That's all I did, and now look where I am!"

 

 

"Do you come from the Front Garden?" the Queen Bee asked, laughing.

 

 

"Yes, I do," replied the fly, wondering why she was laughing.

 

 

"And is the Front Garden smaller than this one?"

 

 

"Yes."

 

 

"And is it less hot in the Front Garden?"

 

 

"Yes."

 

 

"And you say you came through the window in the living room?"

 

 

"Yes."

 

 

"Well, I have news for you, my little friend. This is not Mars. This really is the Back Garden!"

 

 

"But what about the thorny flowers?" asked the fly.

 

 

"Roses," answered the Queen Bee crisply.

 

 

"And that huge white spider?" the fat little fly continued.

 

 

"A trellis, silly! The ivy love it. They grow better with something to grow up and around. Oh, yes. I had forgotten. You don't have a trellis in the Front Garden."

 

 

"You mean you've been to my garden?" the fat little fly asked in amazement.

 

 

"Many times," the Queen Bee replied.

 

 

"All right, then." said the fly, gathering up his courage. "What about the red sky?"

 

 

"You poor little thing," the Queen Bee answered. "How could you know? The sun rises in your garden. It faces east. The sun sets in the Back Garden. It faces west. And when it gets especially hot, the sun gets red as it sets and casts a glow over the western sky. You've never seen a western sky before! The sun is telling us it will be hot and sunny again tomorrow."

 

 

"Oh my goodness," said the fat little fly. "I have been so worried over nothing! Imagine that. The sun rises in the east, and it sets in the west. We could never understand where the sun went! I can't wait to tell my friends. Do you think you could take me home please?"

 

 

"I'll do more than that," the Queen Bee replied. "I'll show you two ways home. First along one side of the house and then along the other side of the house. Remember this: the house has four sides. Once I have shown you around the whole house, you'll be able to get round all by yourself, and you'll be able to get home from wherever you roam."

 

 

And off they went. The Queen Bee and the fat little fly flew along one side of the house. The Queen Bee pointed out the creeping plants growing up the side of the house. She also pointed out the window of room of the little boy who had let him out into the Back Garden through the living room window. They reached the Front Garden where they flew among all the flowers and plants and trees to let the little fly's friends know he was safe and sound.

 

 

"I'll be right back!" he shouted as loudly as he could.

 

 

The Queen Bee and the fat little fly continued on to the other side of the house where she showed him the tomato and cucumber plants growing underneath the kitchen window. Finally, they reached the Back Garden again. This time, the Queen Bee took the fat little fly on an official tour, introducing him to the insects and flowers and plants and trees there.

 

 

When they were done, she said to him, "Now then. You are on your own. Do you think you can make it home?"

 

 

"I believe I can," the little fly said confidently. He was so pleased that he had not only survived his little adventure, but that he had learned so much about the world as well.

 

 

"You kNow you can come and visit us anytime," the Queen Bee said. "And don't be surprised of you see me sometime in your garden!"

 

 

"Thank you!" the little fly said. "Thank you very much!"

 

 

To himself he whispered, Goodbye Mars. I'll be back again soon.

 

 

And with that he was off, flying high, flying low, flying in loops and circles all the way home where he got a big hero's welcome from all his friends.

 

 

THE END

 

 

p.s. This is a garden

 

 

 

p.s. and this is Mars!