Slide 1 How Beetle Got Her Coat A Tale from Brazil Have you ever seen a beetle? What was it like? Do you think a beetle could beat a rat in a race? Why or why not? A long time ago, when Beetle first lived in the Amazon rain forest, she had a plain brown coat. In this same rain forest lived Rat. He was not a nice neighbor. He made a habit of making fun of all the other small animals and insects, especially Beetle. One day, Rat spied Beetle walking down a dirt path.“Well, look who’s here!” Rat said, laughing. “You are so plain-looking that you blend in with the dirt. Why, I almost stepped on you!” Beetle just looked ahead and did not say anything. Rat continued to tease, “Of all the animals in the forest, you are the ugliest and the plainest. I would run and hide if I were you.”

Slide 2 How Beetle Got Her Coat A Tale from Brazil (Cont.) Day after day, the teasing went on. Day after day, Parrot sat perched in a tree high above the rain forest floor and listened to the teasing. Parrot was old and wise and finally had heard enough. “Rat,” said Parrot. “Do you know that you have a rather dull coat yourself? Your coat is a plain gray color. It’s not bright and colorful like my feathers, so what do you have to brag about?” “I may be gray, but I’m beautiful. And I’m certainly smarter and faster that any little beetle!” Rat said. “Prove it!” said Parrot. “Why don’t you and Beetle have a race? Whoever wins can have a new coat—any color he or she chooses!” Now Rat’s strong legs made him extremely swift and he was confident that could easily outrun Beetle. “There is hardly any point in such a contest,” he said, “since we all know who will win. But I could probably use the exercise.” “I would like to race,” said Beetle softly.

Slide 3 How Beetle Got Her Coat A Tale from Brazil (Cont.) Parrot set down the rules. “Beetle and Rat, you will race from this tree to the waterfall.” Rat looked over at Beetle and teased her one more time. “I’ll bet you wish you could run fast like me!” he bragged. Beetle just looked ahead and didn’t say anything. Then Parrot gave the signal and the race began. Off ran Rat as fast as his four legs could carry him. At one point he looked back to see where Beetle was but she was nowhere to be seen. “Ho, ho, silly Beetle!” laughed Rat. “That Beetle is so far behind, she’ll never catch up with me! I can’t wait to see myself with my new coat!” When Rat reached the waterfall, he was in for a big surprise. There was Beetle sitting on a rock waiting for him! “How did you beat me, you dull little creature?” asked Rat. “I flew,” said Beetle, feeling very proud of herself. “You flew!” yelled Rat. “I didn’t know you could fly.” Then the wise old Parrot said, “Yes, Rat. You didn’t know about a special feature that beetles have—wings!”

Slide 4 How Beetle Got Her Coat A Tale from Brazil (Cont.) “See how my wings flutter?” asked Beetle as she moved her wings up and down for Rat to see. Parrot flew down to teach Rat one last lesson. “From now on, don’t judge other animals by the way they look. Just because a creature is plain-looking does not mean it isn’t special. Even small, plain animals may have special talents.” Slowly, Rat seemed to understand. He scurried off into the forest, grumbling as he went. Now it was time for Beetle to choose her new colors. “I choose three colors for my new coat,” she said. “I choose gold for the sun, blue for the sky, and green for the plants in the forest. The colors also make me think of you, Parrot.” That is why today beetles wear a colorful coat of gold, blue, and green and wild rats are a dull gray color. Unit 6, Week 4 1. How does a grasshopper blend in with grass? 2. What are some things that people brag about? 3. Describe the clothing you are wearing. Which colors are bright and which are dull? 4. What features do cats have? 5. Which kind of insect flutters, a spider or a butterfly? 6. What habits can help you stay healthy? 7. Why is it important to taste new foods before you judge if you like them? 8. What kinds of animals perch in a tree? 9. Which animal is swift, a jaguar or a tortoise? 10. How does it feel to be teased? 11. What can you do if you don’t understand how something works?