One day, as she was springing as high as she could, she happened upon a man lying in the grass. She was a curious little cricket, so she slowed down to check things out.
He was a gentle man and let her crawl on his hands and he talked to her. He told her his secrets and jokes that made her laugh.
She had such fun with the man that she was a little sad to see him go, but the sun was going down and they had to part ways.
Every day the man would return to the same spot in the meadow. And, every day the beautiful little cricket would hop around him, listen to his secrets, and laugh at his jokes.
And, every day as the sun went down, he would leave.
One day, the man asked the beautiful little cricket if she wanted to go with him. "I have made you a lovely blue box to live in," he told her. The little cricket was happy of the thought of being with the man all the time. So, she gladly agreed to go with the man.
He scooped her up from the lush meadow and took her home with him.
She was content to live in the lovely blue box he made just for her. The man held her and talked to her every day.
One day she noticed there was a lid on her box. The lid had minute holes so, very little light shone into her box. The man put her in the box, put on the lid, and went on his way. Over time, he left the little cricket in the box more and more until he forgot about his beautiful little cricket.
In her box, ignored and sad, she hopped and hopped as high as she could, as strongly as she could, but to no avail. Every time she hopped, she hit the lid on the box but she was not strong enough to knock the lid open.
The next morning, she noticed her wings had fallen off from hitting them on the lid so much, so hard. Now she could never fly again. She wept for her loss.
The anxiety of being trapped in the dark, empty box took its toll on her, and she began to frantically run around in the box.
The next morning, she noticed her hind legs had broken off from running so much, so fast. Now, she could never hop again. She wept for her loss.
Sad and lonely, she ran around her dark, empty box faster and faster, longing to feel the warmth of the sun and hear the man's voice.
The next morning, she noticed that her exoskeleton had faded. Without the bright sun to shine on her, her colors changed. Her rich chocolate brown faded to a burnt orange. She could never have her beauty again. She wept for her loss.
Later, the man happened by the box and lifted the lid to take a peek at his sweet little cricket. But, when he looked inside, he screeched and dropped the box.
The little cricket ran out of the box and scurried to hide.
The man plundered through the cabinets, searching for poisonous insect spray. "Where did that roach come from?" He said to himself, "What happened to my beautiful little cricket?"
Hearing this, the little cricket was confused. "Maybe he screeched because he didn't see me there," she thought. So, when he walked into the room, she crawled out of her hiding place. She ran up his pants to show him she was okay.
He swatted her off his pants and immediately sprayed her. She could never be with the man again. As she was dying, she wept for her loss.
He swept up the dead roach and tossed it into the yard. He searched all over for his beautiful cricket, but could not find her. He knew she was gone. He wept for his loss.
