A Safe Moat for a Beetle

I waddled down the back porch steps to see what needed care out in the midday sun. Beneath the green garden hose reel, I noticed a shiny black beetle struggling to climb out of a deep boot print in the drying mud. Its tiny legs were slipping on the baked rim. I paused to test the ground's firmness first, then gathered two flat pine needles lying nearby. Using both flippers, I pressed the needles against the steep slope, building a gentle ramp. The little beetle grasped the pine fibers and marched right out into the cool clover.