On a chilly February morning, Percy put on his backpack and hustled over to see his friend Lizzie. She lived in Ms. Melly's greenhouse during the winter. Lizzie loved following along behind Ms. Melly, planting seeds, watering the plants, and helping with many other greenhouse chores.Lizzie especially loved the corner where Ms. Melly kept a collection of special plants called orchids. When Lizzie finished her chores, she would often lay underneath them, staring into the rainbow of colors and breathing in their beautiful scents. It was her favorite time of day.

As Percy knocked on the large, green door, he called out,
"Hello! Is anyone here?"

He didn't hear an answer.
The door made a loud, squeaky sound as he pushed it farther open.
The air inside the greenhouse was warm and misty.
Percy stopped and took a deep breath.
Ahhh! It smelled like dirt, grass, worms, and flowers.
"Hello? "Percy called again, inching farther into the greenhouse.
"Back here!" called Lizzie.
Percy followed a narrow path toward her voice and found Lizzie trimming back a bunch of broccoli seedlings.
"Hello, Lizzie! Wow! Those are getting tall!"
Lizzie stepped back to look at her work. "It doesn't take long. The sun makes them grow very quickly! I'm glad you stopped by," she said. "I want to show you something."

Lizzie Lizzie polka dot lizard with a pink bow

Lizzie led Percy around the little path.
They went under the giant leaves of a monstera plant,
Over a thick vine,
Through a cascade of orchid blossoms,
And between two pots.
"Oh! I like the artwork on these pots," Percy remarked as he squeezed through the tiny space between them.
He walked around the pot, admiring the drawings of birds and trees. He caught up with Lizzie near the watering can.
"There you are," she said with a chuckle. "Look!" She was pointing to a piece of tree bark.
"Ms. Melly has been using it to prop up an orchid plant," she said. "But this week, I saw something that I hadn't noticed before."
They both peeked around the back as Lizzie turned on her flashlight and pointed it at a colorful, oval object dangling above them.

Lizzie stared at it. "I thought it might be a bead from a pretty necklace. But I have been checking on it for a few days now, and it keeps changing. It was green, and now I see other colors inside it. Even more weird….
Sometimes, it wiggles a little!
"Really?" Percy replied. "What do you think it is?"
"I hoped you might be able to help with that," Lizzie replied. "You are always looking around the woods and painting stuff. Have you ever seen anything like this?"
Percy moved closer to the little bundle and poked at it with the end of his paintbrush. It was stuck pretty well to the bark by its tip.
And Lizzie was right.
As they stood there watching, it wiggled!
"Well," Percy said. "I did see something like this last summer, but it was a different color."
Lizzie's eyes widened. "Really? What happened?"
"I returned to look at it a few days later, and it had broken open.
There was nothing in it anymore. I never did figure out what it was."
Lizzie sighed.
"Hey," said Percy, "Maybe we could camp out tonight to see if anything happens."
"That's a great idea," Lizzie squealed.
"I will run home and get my toothbrush and my favorite stuffy," Percy said.
Lizzie found seed packets for sleeping bags and used dandelion fluff to make soft pillows.
That night, they lay underneath their discovery, watching and waiting with the flashlight.
Lizzie made up a song to help them stay awake.

Wiggle wiggle, little bead,
A mystery you are indeed,
Up above my head tonight,
Dancing colors shining bright,
Wiggle wiggle, little bead,
A mystery you are indeed.

Everything was so quiet. Lizzie yawned and fell asleep. As the rays of morning sunlight came through the greenhouse windows, the friends woke up to discover that they had both fallen asleep and the bundle was empty!
"Oh no!" Lizzie cried. "We missed it!"
"I'm so sorry," said Percy. "Staying awake when you are tired is hard."
"Hey! What is that?" said Lizzie. "I think I see something moving up there!"
Percy looked up where Lizzie was pointing and squinted into the sun.
Lizzie gasped, "Is that orchid moving?"
They stood amazed as the flower flapped its petals and flew up, landing on the tip of the plant.
"I don't think that's a flower," said Percy.
Just then, it swooped down and landed in front of them.
"Surprise! I'm a butterfly!!!" It said as it cheerily spread its dazzling new wings.
"Wow!" said Percy, "I can't believe you fit inside that little bundle!"
"Gosh! You are as beautiful as one of these orchids," Lizzie exclaimed.
"Thanks!" Said the butterfly. "And look what I can do!!"

It flapped its colorful new wings, flew in circles around their heads, and fluttered above the plants, giggling and singing Lizzie's song.
Percy and Lizzie joined in, dancing and singing along. They stared at the brilliant colors of the orchid blossoms above and watched the fantastic fluttering butterfly dancing among them.
"It looks like you have a new friend in the greenhouse," Percy said. "And we finally know who was in that bead!"
Lizzie grinned. "The mystery is solved indeed."

A Greenhouse Guest