Swimming pools are fun for people- not for Beetles, at least at first.
After he is shot out of his flower pot and into the water by a garden hose, Beetle faces the terror of being adrift in the open water, without knowing how to swim, and without being able to take proper safety precautions.
Normally a shy loner, to save himself Beetle must open his mouth and do what is so hard for him- call for help.
Various backyard inhabitants answer his call.
Their efforts, together with his own resolve, get Beetle out of danger.
A nearby floating leaf serves as his initial refuge.
Once aboard, Beetle begins a character transformation: he goes from shy to confident, from loner to leader, from rescued to rescuer.
Beetle's courage is rewarded with a crew, all of which have their own skills.
The spider that he rescues spins his web to make a sail.
The centipede he rescues offers her many legs to row.
Both acts of generosity surprise Beetle.
Even though he never met a centipede or a spider, both bugs are negatively stereotyped.
Overcoming these generalizations is a struggle that calls for courage.
It is a call that Beetle answers, and quickly begins to pay off.
For the basic life raft that he navigated alone morphs into a mighty ship that commands the very waters Beetle formerly feared.
Work becomes play.
The pool is now a playground.
Scary strangers are now friends from other flower pots.
That calls for a celebration back at Beetle's place.
and everyone is invited.
| Transformation | He goes from shy to confident from loner to leader from rescued to rescuer |
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