The Boy and the Dragonfly

The Boy and the Dragonfly Çınar BİBER

On a bright summer morning, a boy named Leo sat by the pond. He wore a yellow t-shirt, blue shorts, and red sneakers. His messy black hair stuck up in tufts as he leaned forward. He loved watching the dragonflies zip and hover over the water. One dragonfly had an electric-blue body and huge glossy eyes. Leo grinned, his freckled nose twitching with excitement. 1

The dragonfly darted over the pond, its four transparent wings shimmering in the sun. Leo noticed the fine dark veins crisscrossing each wing. He watched how the wings moved so fast they looked like tiny fans. The insect could stop in mid-air, then zoom away like a tiny helicopter. Leo sat very still, his dark-brown eyes wide. He wanted to understand how such delicate wings could fly so well. 2

Leo pulled a small canvas satchel from his shoulder. Inside were folded paper models he had made at home. He loved building things, but he had never tried to copy an insect before. He took out a paper airplane and tossed it. It glided for a moment, then flopped into the pond. Leo sighed. The dragonfly zipped past, as if laughing. "I'll figure you out," Leo whispered. 3

Back at home, Leo found a stack of paper and some tape. He remembered the dragonfly's wings: long, thin, and see-through with tiny veins. He folded a piece of paper into a long, narrow wing. He made four of them. Then he taped them to a small paper body. He held his paper model up. It looked a little like a dragonfly, but would it fly? 4

The next morning, Leo took his paper model to the pond. He held it high and let it go. It wobbled and spun, then crashed into the grass. Leo frowned. The real dragonfly hovered nearby, its glossy eyes seeming to watch. Leo watched it too. He saw how the wings tilted slightly as the insect turned. He realized his paper wings were too flat and stiff. He needed to change them. 5

Leo ran back home and found his mom in the garden. She wore her green apron and held a trowel. "Mom, can I have more paper?" he asked. She smiled, her hazel eyes warm. "Of course, Leo. What are you making?" He showed her his crumpled model. "A dragonfly," he said. "But it won't fly right." Mom gave him a fresh stack of paper. "Keep trying," she said. "You'll get it." 6

Leo went back to the pond and watched the dragonfly again. This time, he paid close attention to the veins in its wings. The veins made the wings strong but flexible. Leo cut thin strips of paper and glued them onto his wings like veins. He also curved the wings a little, just like the real ones. He held his new model up. It looked much better. Would it fly? 7

Leo climbed onto a small rock and held the model high. A breeze ruffled his messy hair. He let go. The paper dragonfly dipped, then caught the air. It glided for a few seconds before fluttering down. Leo's grin spread across his face. It worked! But the real dragonfly zipped by and did a loop. Leo wanted his model to do that too. He needed to make it turn. 8

Leo studied the real dragonfly's body. It was slender and flexible. He realized his paper body was too rigid. He made a new body from a rolled-up piece of paper, leaving the ends open. He attached the wings with tiny loops of tape so they could tilt. He tested it again. The model flew a little farther, but it still couldn't turn. Leo sat down, thinking hard. 9

Just then, the dragonfly landed on a reed nearby. Leo saw how it moved its wings independently. Each wing could twist and tilt on its own. Leo jumped up. He needed to attach each wing separately, not all together. He ran home and carefully taped each wing to the body with its own tiny hinge. He worked slowly, making sure each wing could move. His mom brought him a snack and smiled. 10

The next day, Leo took his improved model to the pond. His heart beat fast as he held it up. He let go, and the paper dragonfly soared! It glided, dipped, and even turned a little. Leo laughed out loud. The real dragonfly zipped over and seemed to dance around the paper one. Leo felt proud. His careful observation had made his model better. 11

Leo's mom came out to the pond. "Look, Mom!" he shouted. "It flies!" She watched as the paper dragonfly looped and hovered. "That's wonderful, Leo!" she said, her silver earrings glinting. "You really watched the real one closely, didn't you?" Leo nodded. "The wings have to move separately," he explained. "And the veins make them strong." Mom hugged him. "You're an inventor," she said. 12

Leo and his mom sat by the pond, watching the real dragonflies zip and hover. Leo held his paper model in his lap. He thought about how much he had learned just by watching. He couldn't wait to make more models—maybe a butterfly next. The dragonfly landed on his knee for a moment, its wings shimmering. Leo held his breath. Then it zipped away. "See you tomorrow," Leo whispered.