Wild Wonder story
Remy Beetle's Big Push
Remy the rhinoceros beetle felt very small under the big fig tree. He was about to find out just how strong a small suit of armor could be.
A small beetle, a big fig tree
Under the big fig tree, Remy the rhinoceros beetle tucked his legs close to his shiny brown shell. He had a curved horn just like the bigger beetles, and thick armored legs just like theirs. But standing among them, he still felt like the smallest beetle in the whole forest.
The trail gets blocked
One morning, a fat twig crashed down and landed right across the ants' trail and the sweet trickle of sap the beetles loved to sip. Two big beetles nudged it, grumbled that it was far too heavy, and gave up. Remy looked at the twig. It was easily a hundred times heavier than he was.
Six legs, one big push
Something quiet and steady inside Remy told him to try anyway. He planted his six legs wide, lowered his little horn against the bark, and pushed. His legs did not wobble. His shell did not crack. Slowly, slowly, the twig rolled aside, and the sap trail sparkled open again.
A new puddle for everyone
By afternoon, two rival beetles were butting horns over the same puddle of sap, each one sure it belonged to him alone. Remy did not push either of them. Instead, he found a second trickle of sap just a few steps away, sweet and completely unclaimed, and called out for them to come see.
Small shell, mighty strength
That evening, an old beetle told Remy something wonderful: a rhinoceros beetle's armor and legs can carry about one hundred times its own body weight. If a person were that strong, they could lift a small car over their head. Remy looked at his small round shell glowing in the sunset, and for the first time, he did not feel small at all.