The following legends were created by the students at The Orchard School.
  How the Ladybug Got Its Spots

   A long time ago there were only ladybugs living in the woods. The ladybugs liked to crawl up trees and sit on flowers. The ladybugs were little and red.
   The wind started to blow, and the sky started to turn black. There suddenly was a very dark cloud. Black rain started to fall from it.
   The ladybugs were all very quiet because they were scared. One ladybug said, "Hey lets go inside," and another ladybug said, "No, don't go inside lets se what happens." So they did not go inside.
   The rain stained the ladybug's backs. The ladybugs were all very excited. And that is how ladybugs got their spots.

Emma  How the Cat Got Its Claws

   Long ago cats could not go outside because it was too dangerous. The dogs could rip them apart because they had sharp teeth. The cat had to try to run away because it could not fight back.
   Then one day a cat went outside and it stepped in the right place. Nails got in it paws. It started to cry and it realized that it was safe.
   The next day a dog came and wanted to eat the cat and the cat turned around and scared the dog away by showing its claws.

Mary-Beth

Why the Snake Has No Legs

   Once upon a time there was a snake that was walking along the Painted Desert. Then an eagle was in a nearby tree. He flew over the snake. The snake ran under a rock. The eagle swooped down and pecked the rock in half. The snake ran out into a hole. The eagle went to get his friends. They all pulled the snake out. The snake got caught and the eagle ate the snakes legs. From then on the snake didn't have any legs.

Aaron

How the Raccoon Got His Tail

   Once upon a time there was a raccoon and a lizard. There names were Ringo and Lizzie. They lived in a forest of make believe.
   One day they were playing, and Ringo fell in a river. The river had not been discovered yet, so Ringo said, "Let's name the river 'Lizzie'."
   Lizzie did not want a river named after him, so he said, "Let's name this river 'Ringo'."
   "No!" said Ringo.
   "OK," said Lizzie, not very happy that he did that.
   The next day it was raining very hard and Ringo wanted to go to Lizzie's house. On the way to Lizzie's house he forgot his umbrellas and he tried to go to Lizzie's house. When he was on the way he tripped on a log. He fell in a puddle of mud and he was all black. He did not like it al all. But he thought that he could take a bath at Lizzie's house. When he went to Lizzie's house, he said, "Can I take a bath because I'm so muddy? Please!"
   "OK!" said Lizzie.
   "By the way where's the bathroom?" said Ringo.
   "Up by the bedroom," said Lizzie.
   You could hear the bath water running. When he was scrubbing his body for some reason he could not get three to five rings of mud off of his tail.
   And that's why raccoons now have three to five rings on their tail.

Jonathan

How the Earth Got Rain

   A long time ago it never rained. It was very dry. Rabbit said, "I wish water would fall from the sky."
   "Me too," said Turtle.
   "So do I," said Snake and Frog.
   Then the next day this water fell from the sky and the sun did not come out.
   The next day Rabbit went to Owl and said, " What is this stuff falling from the sky? And why is Sun not out? I am worried about Sun," said Rabbit.
   Owl said, "I don't know." So they went to ask Snake.
   Snake said, "I don't know." So they went to ask Frog.
   Frog said, "I don't know, but maybe if Owl flies up to the sky he'll see what is the matter.":
   So Owl flew up to the sky to see what was the matter. And he saw Cloud crying. Then he asked Cloud what was the matter. Cloud said, "I am crying because Sun won't come out."
   The next day the sun came out. And that was how the earth got rain.
   And now when the sun does not come out there is always rain.

Audrie

How the Cat Got Whiskers

   Once there was a tiger and a cat. The tiger had sharp claws. He always picked on the cat. The cat was wise. The tiger was stupid.
   One day the cat went to the tiger's house. The tiger said, "Who is it?"
"It is the cat," said the cat.
   The tiger opened the door. The tiger scratched the cat with his claws. The scratches moved up to the cat's face.
   That is how the cat got its whiskers.

Katie

Why the Skunk Smells So Bad

   Once upon a time there was a skunk. He went to the desert because he smelled so nice. But he could not find any food. He searched for the regular stuff, but he could not find it. It was very hot. And he was very tired and hungry.
   He wandered for four days, but he did not find any food. And every day he got more and more starving. He tried to find his way home, but he couldn't. Finally he fell asleep.
   The next day he found a plant! But he had never seen it before. And the plant said "You have to eat me! I'm a reed." The skunk ate it.
   And now the reed smells bad, and is called a skunk reed. And now that is why the skunk smells bad.

Danny

How the Sun Was Made and Why It Is Hot

   100,000 years ago there was no sun. One day a little girl named Kara was walking down the street, and she saw her friend frog. He had very good eye sight, so they went on a nature walk. Frog found a pebble, he gave it to Kara. Now she had a grandpa who hated pebbles. The next day was normal dark day. Kara decided to hide the pebble under ground. When her grandpa found out he dug it up, and told Kara he would put it in the fire.
   Kara said, "It's too dark!" But Kara knew he had very good eye sight just like frog. So he put it into the fire. The pebble rose into the air and kept rising. It stayed up in the sky forever.
   That is how the sun was made and why it is hot.

Olivia