Annabelle in the Woods #3: Annabelle Visits the Insect Village

Here is the third in the Annabelle in the Woods series. I used acrylic and gouache.


In a lush meadow in the woods, Annabelle came across the most delightful little village. The village was very tiny, yet with a robust population, yet not overcrowded….a riddle indeed! But the riddle is solved easily, because Annabelle was in a village of miniature…the insect village. Instead of a village of men, women and children, the village was full of grasshoppers, bumble bees and ladybugs. 



Annabelle had been drawn to the village after noticing a large blue beetle glistening on a tree trunk. She quietly sneaked up to it but the little creature was startled and fluttered zipped away through the air. Annabelle went chasing after it. But she was stopped when she heard a chorus of little voices saying “Stop, or you will trample us all!” She stopped in the nick of time. If she had put her foot one step further, she would have crushed a little acorn that was also a house.

“How do all you little insects of so much variety live together in peace?” Annabelle asked, her voice thundering around the village.

The cricket told her a little story full of little chirps and squeaks. “Once a long time ago, we didn’t live in an insect village. I lived in a cricket village. Bob lived in a bee village. Lacey lived in a lady bug village. Sometimes we’d see members from other bug villages, but we mainly ignored them. 

Then one day the ravens swooped down and ate all the tinkerbugs. Not familiar with tinkerbugs, you say… well, that is because they are extinct now. If the bees had been there, they could have stung the raven. If the crickets had been there, they could have distracted the raven with a song, and if the lady bugs had been there, they could have charmed the raven with their cuteness. That is when we learned we are stronger together then apart. The raven hasn’t bothered us once since we have joined forces.”


“The insects are wise” Annabelle thought as she carefully explored the beautiful town. 

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Sunny Day Hobbies