A Cricket with a Ticket

An adventurous cricket gets lost in the country and can’t find his way home. He asks the help of all kinds of creatures that he meets. First is Mrs. Lizard, but she doesn’t even reply and slithers away between the rocks. What bad manners, thinks the cricket, but he doesn’t give up and asks a light-green chameleon. She changes color, but also doesn’t bother to reply. Frustrated, the cricket turns to a sparrow perched in an olive tree and asks politely: Perhaps you, from your tree-top, can see my home? But the sparrow doesn’t answer either, and flies off. Evening comes, and out of the dark a firefly appears. Despairing, our cricket asks for her help, and the kindly firefly switches on her light and escorts the cricket to town, all the way to his home.

In this lovely tale, Lea Goldberg sparks hope in the hearts of her readers: Even when all seems lost, and the world seems dark, someone will come to our rescue.