1 BUG HOUSES

PROLOGUE These days my cat Sassafras and I are always desperately hoping we'll hear our barn doorbell. I know most people are excited to hear their doorbell ring. It might mean a present or package delivery, or a friend showing up to play. But our doorbell is even more exciting than that. Because it's a magic doorbell. When it rings, it means there's a magical animal waiting outside our barn. A magical animal who needs our help. My mom's been helping them basically her whole life. And now I get to help, too…

这些天，我和我的猫Sassafras总是绝望地希望我们能听到我们谷仓的门铃。 我知道大多数人听到门铃响都很兴奋。 它可能意味着一个礼物或包裹的递送，或者一个朋友出现在一起玩。 但我们家的门铃比那更令人兴奋。 因为这是一个魔法门铃。 当它响的时候，就意味着有一只神奇的动物在我们的谷仓外面等着。 一只需要我们帮助的神奇动物。 我妈妈基本上一辈子都在帮助他们。 现在我也要帮忙了…

CHAPTER 1 BUG HOUSES A gentle breeze ruffled the tree branches in the forest as I knelt next to my cat. "Now remember, Sassafras—no eating the bugs that come stay in the bug houses we build! They are guests, not food." "Mrrrowww," grumbled Sassafras. "Ooh, look, Sass!" I touched a bud on a nearby bush. "The forest roses are getting ready to bloom! Somehow we missed them last year, remember? They sure don't last long." Sassafras blinked in agreement and came closer to the rose bud. He closed his eyes as he

我跪在我的猫旁边，一阵微风吹动着森林里的树枝。 “现在记住，萨萨弗拉斯——不要吃来的虫子，呆在我们盖的虫屋里！”他们是客人，不是食物。” “先生。”黄樟嘟囔道。 “哦，看，萨斯！”我摸到了附近灌木丛上的一个花蕾。 “森林里的玫瑰就要开花了！”去年我们错过了他们，记得吗？ 它们肯定不会持续太久。” 黄樟眨了眨眼睛，表示同意，然后走近玫瑰花蕾。 他闭上眼睛

took a big sniff. I leaned my head in next to him and did the same thing. "Even though we can barely smell them right now, they still smell like the BEST thing in the whole world, don't they? I can't wait until they bloom and the whole forest smells like this!" I leaned back and set my hand on a fuzzy patch of moss. "Oooh! This will make a perfect carpet for one of our bug houses!" I peeled it up and continued our walk through the forest, keeping an eye out for sticks, leaves, and lichen—anything that would be good as a part of a bug house. Once my hands were full, I plopped down and got to work building. "Sass, can you bring me that twig?" When he brought it over, I gave him a pet and added the twig to cover a gap on one side of the house. "What kind of bugs do you think will move in? I'm thinking definitely roly-polies with the moss floor. I hope worms move into that pile of dead leaves, and that chunk of wood might get some beetle friends, don't you think?" Sassafras sniffed a group of leaves nearby, and one wiggled. He bopped it with his paw, and

吸了一大口气。我把头靠在他旁边，做了同样的事情。 “尽管我们现在几乎闻不到它们的味道，但它们闻起来仍然是世界上最好的东西，不是吗？” 我迫不及待地想看到它们开花，整个森林都是这种味道！”我向后靠了靠，把手放在一块毛茸茸的苔藓上。 “噢!这将是我们其中一个虫屋的完美地毯！”我把它剥了下来，继续在森林里散步，留意着树枝、树叶和地衣——任何可以作为虫屋一部分的东西。 一旦我的手满了，我就扑通一声坐下来开始建造。 “萨斯，你能把那根小树枝拿给我吗？”当他把它带来时，我给了他一个宠物，并加上了一根小树枝来填补房子一侧的空隙。 “你认为什么样的虫子会搬进来？” 我想肯定是铺着苔藓的地砖。 我希望虫子能爬到那堆枯叶里去，那块木头也许能交到一些甲虫朋友，你不觉得吗？”黄樟嗅了嗅附近的一堆叶子，其中一片叶子扭动了一下。 他用爪子拍打着它，然后

it flipped over. "Whoa! A little millipede!" He was all curled up so I knew he was scared. I gently set my finger next to him and waited for him to uncurl. He crawled along my finger as I held down a giggle. "He tickles!" I whispered to Sassafras. I set my finger in the bug house and watched the millipede walk inside. "Make yourself at home, Mr. Millipede!" Sassafras leaned dangerously close to the millipede but then stopped and shook his head. I scratched Sassafras under his chin. "Thank you for being such a good kitty and not trying to snack on our bug friends. I think you've earned some tuna when we get home!"

它翻了过来。“哇!一只小千足虫！”他蜷缩成一团，所以我知道他很害怕。 我轻轻地把手指放在他旁边，等他舒展开来。 他爬过我的手指，我忍住咯咯的笑。 “他痒!”我低声对萨萨弗拉斯说。 我把手指伸进虫屋，看着千足虫走了进去。 “千万别客气，千足虫先生！”萨萨弗拉斯危险地靠近千足虫，但随后停下来摇了摇头。 我挠了挠他下巴下的黄樟。 “谢谢你是这么好的一只小猫，没有试图吃掉我们的虫子朋友。 我想我们回家的时候，你已经赚到一些金枪鱼了！”

He purred at the mention of tuna, but then his head snapped to the left and his ears flicked around. "What is it, Sassafras?" I looked over to where he was staring. "Is it the roses?" Sassafras chattered, tail puffed up. I heard a sound like rain, but when I looked up the sky was blue. And when I put my hand out it was dry. "Is it just me or is that sound getting louder?" Sassafras took a few steps backward, but kept his eyes over by the roses.

一提到金枪鱼，它就咕噜了一声，但随后它的头猛地转向左边，耳朵四处乱转。 “这是什么，黄樟？”我朝他凝视的地方望去。 “是因为玫瑰吗？”檫树叽叽喳喳地叫着，尾巴翘了起来。 我听到像是下雨的声音，但当我抬头时，天空是蓝色的。 当我把手伸出来时，它是干的。 “是只有我这么想，还是声音越来越大了？”萨萨弗拉斯向后退了几步，但他的眼睛一直盯着玫瑰。