David

                                                                        David

                                                            By Daryl Campbell



         David is a pill bug, a big, gray pill bug with greenish brown eyes. He has a mom and dad, two sisters, and three brothers. David is a happy pill bug, but he's having a hard time rolling up.

         It's time for David to start Doodle School.  All the pill bugs at the park are getting better at making themselves round and he doesn't want to be the only one who can't. Dad says it's no big deal, he'll just be a little different. Mom tells him it's important, it'll protect him from danger.

         David lies on the floor in his bedroom and practices rolling up.

         “Three days till school starts. I can do this,” he says, but soon falls asleep.

         The next morning, David rushes downstairs for breakfast.

         “John, can you help me after breakfast,” David asks his oldest brother.

         “I guess,” John answers, “but you'll owe me.”

         “Okay,” David agrees.

         After breakfast, David meets John outside. His younger brothers, Chris and Alex, show up too.

         “Just you, John!” David exclaims.

         “They tagged along.”

         “What you need help with?” Alex asks.

         “I wanna know too,” Chris adds.

         “They might as well stay, we'll never get rid of em.” John shakes his head.

         “No laughing or questions,” David demands.

         “Okay,” Alex agrees.

         “Why not?” Chris asks.

         “No questions!” David repeats.

         Chris, Alex, and John laugh.

         “What do you need help with?” John questions.

         David explains how he needs to learn to roll up in three days.

         “Three days?” John rubs his front legs together. “I don't know if you can do it in three...”

         “I can,” David interrupts.

         “Okay then,” John smiles, “but we'll need their help.”

         David frowns.

         The day's full of hard work. Alex holds David's legs while David does sit up after sit up.

         “It's so your muscles are strong enough,” John explains.

         David learns to stand on his head, roll over, and tuck in as tight as he can. Chris helps David get his balance each time.

         “It's so your instincts can take over,” John tells him.

         Finally, David hangs by his hands from a stick and lifts his back legs up to touch his head until he's too tired to do it any more.

         “It's just because we needed something else to do,” John says on the walk home.

         That night, David washes up, brushes his teeth, and gets in bed early. When mom comes in to tell a bedtime story, he tells her how tired and sore he is.

         “Tomorrow, your dad and I'll see if we can help.” She kisses him goodnight.

         Mom and Dad get an early start with David the next morning. It's mostly talking, exploring the woods, and rolling down hills in tin cans.

         Dad shows David how to relax each segment so they can bend around one another and Mom shows him how to fold his legs in as he becomes round.

         “Remember everything we told you,” Mom says as they walk.

         “It'll come to you.” Dad races David home.

         David beats his father to the door, he almost always does, and smiles when dad hugs him.

         “Heard you're trying to make yourself round.” David's sister, Eliza, says after dinner. He looks up to see her rolling their baby sister into his room. “Look how good Niki is.”

         “Leave me alone,” David tells her.

         “Leave my Eliza alone!” Niki unrolls and hugs her sister.

         “I don't wanna play games,” David says.

         “We're not playing games.” Niki sticks out her tongue.

         “What do you want then?” David asks.

         “We might be able to help you roll up tomorrow,” Eliza answers.

         “How? Sounds like a trick.”

         “No trick!” Niki shouts.

         “It's not a trick, David,” Eliza agrees.

         David decides to give them a chance. They won't say how they'll make him round, but promise they will. Eliza tells him to meet them where the acorns grow in the morning.

         “And don't tell anyone.” Niki leaves the room.

         It's cloudy the next morning. Neither Niki nor Eliza are at breakfast, probably off getting ready. Hoping the idea his sisters have will help, David makes the long walk to where the acorns grow.

         Except for a bunch of acorns and orange leaves, the spot's empty when David gets there.

         “They played a trick on me!” David yells.

         “Who played a trick on you?” A deep voice asks.

         “Yes, who?” a girl repeats.

         David turns to see two red and black squirrels behind him. He steps back.

         “Where ya goin'?” the girl asks.

         “I must be in the wrong place. I'm supposed to be...”

         “You must be,” the boy squirrel interrupts.

         “I won't bother you,” David tells them.

         “No bother.” The girl slaps her claws in the dirt.

         “Oh no, not David!” Eliza's sounds from the limbs overhead.

         “Run David!” Niki seems to giggle.

         David turns to run, but one of the squirrels gets in front of him. He looks for a hole, a rock, or log.

         “David,” Eliza yells, “maybe if you roll up!”

         David sees his chance. He stops thinking about the danger and  tries to roll up. He uses his lets his segments loosen up, uses his muscles to pull his feet toward his head, and folds his legs. IT WORKS! David turns into a ball and lets the squirrels roll him around. When they stop, he's a little dizzy, but isn't hurt.

         “That enough?” the boy squirrel asks.

         “It's good, Steve,” Eliza yells from the branch.

         “You okay, David?” the girl asks. “I'm Sara. This is my brother Steve. We didn't want to scare you, but your sisters said you needed help.”

         David unfolds. “I bet they did.”

         “No harm done,” Eliza climbs out of the tree.

         “Funny though.” Niki laughs.

         “It was mean,” David replies.

         “But you can roll up now, right?” Eliza smiles.

         “Happy to help,” Niki says.

         'Thanks,” Eliza tells Sara and Steve. “We'll come over next week.”

         “Bye,” Niki adds as she and Eliza start home.

         “Sorry, David,” Steve says. “I hope you're not mad at us.”

         “I'm not mad at you.” David runs after his sisters.

         At dinner, the talk is about David learning to make himself round. Mom and dad are proud and even his brothers and sisters seem glad he did it. It'll take practice, but David knows he can do it. School's will be great.