One day a cockroach was walking across a linoleum floor wondering why cockroaches were not kings of all insects. The cockroach thought and thought about it and when he got back to his den under the kitchen sink, he called a family meeting. Cockroach told his family he had decided to become King of cockroaches. They laughed and said there had never been such a thing. The cockroach left his house and moved into the barn. There he stayed and thought and thought. His family ignored him. His wife ignored him and in fact, all the cockroaches ignored him as they went about with their daily chores. Time passed and the lonely cockroach thought more and more that he should be a King. Then one day, when he was very hungry, he decided that being King was not good enough. He wanted to be a god. A god has magic and if he had magic he wouldn't be living in the barn with an empty stomach. He started to pray. He did not know which god to pray too, but he covered the god field of all the god's names he had ever heard. This he did for days and days until he almost died from lack of food. As he was lying in his cow paddy near death, a figure appeared to him. A small figure and it spoke.

"Cockroach, why do you lie there next to death? Have you no pride in who you are?"

"Who is it?" Asked the weak and thin cockroach.

"It is I, one of the gods. You have been praying for one have you not?"

In a weakened voice the cockroach answered. "Yes. I have been doing so."

"Get up. Since you have been praying so hard, I have decided to help you."

With a shout of joy, the cockroach flipped onto his stomach and bowed to the god.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou." He said all in one breath. The small god touched the cockroach and strength returned. The cockroach grew stronger. "Now, I am god of all the cockroaches." Shouted the cockroach as he jumped up and down on his many legs.

"No, little cockroach, I have only touched you so you may live. I have given you no power over anything." Answered the god

"Wait a minute. I asked to be a god of the cockroaches. Why have you cheated me?"

The small and insignificant god looked at the cockroach and sighed. "I see that you will not be satisfied until you become something more than what you are. " Intoned the little god. "I will grant you your wish." The small fat god waved his hand and the cockroach became as he most desired to be.

"I am now like you, small god."

The little being laughed. "When you have become more powerful than I, then you shall be made a god over all you see. Use your powers wisely." Said the fat little god who sat with his legs crossed.

With a shout of glee the cockroach ran back to his den under the sink, summoned his family, and told them what happened. They laughed. Then the cockroach waved one of his little legs and a piece of mildewed bread appeared. They stopped laughing and fell upon their little cockroach knees.

Time passed and the little cockroach wrought miracles and was loved among his subjects. Because there was no longer a lack of food, the family grew until there were millions upon millions of them. In fact, there were so many that every other living thing moved out. Songs were written about him. He began to think he was all-powerful and he became bored.

One day the god of cockroaches left to conquer the world. Everywhere he went he wrought miracles. Butterflies bowed their wondrous rainbow wings to him, spiders wove silken strands of fibers to make him clothes, and eventually all insects bowed down. He had become a god of insects. A mighty cockroach among all insects. After many years of wandering and gathering new followers, the little cockroach god became bored once again.

He wanted to be more than what he was. He started walking up a giant mountain with his followers behind him, but as time went on, the followers dropped behind for the mountain was fierce. It was tall and ragged with howling winds and blowing snow. Some of the little bugs got blown off and into the unknown. The followers prayed to their little cockroach god to stop the wind, the ice, and the cold, but he heard them not. He was deaf to their pleas and their prayers. Eventually, the little cockroach god was alone.

Alone he crawled up the sheer face of the frozen mountain. Higher and higher until he was above the clouds. Still he climbed until he reached the highest and brightest star where he rested. On the second day of rest, the little cockroach god shouted. "Where are you, you little fat god. Come see what I have become. I am now more powerful than you are. You owe me a present."

A great booming voice from above him spoke. "What is this little bug doing here? Oh, it is you little cockroach god. I had forgotten about you. What is it you want."

Trembling, the little cockroach spoke. "I said, I am now greater than you, for I have traveled to the stars and am a god to everything I see. You must make me a bigger god for I am bigger than you."

The large voice gentled as it said. "Look up little bug of wonders. Do you see me?"

The little cockroach looked, saw, and trembled. "Yes, I see."

"You are standing in my hand, little bug. I am the universe. I am whatever any creature wants to call me; I am any god yet I am but one God. "

The little cockroach fell upon its back and cried out. "I only wanted to be more than I was."

Eyes that expanded across the galaxy looked down upon the bug and said with compassion. "You were more than what you thought you were little cockroach. Your family loved you and they were happy. They basked in your warmth and serenity until you wanted to become as a god. Now, they are alone, and without your guidance, they have scattered throughout the land where they will be hated by other creatures."

"Send me back and I'll make it the way it was." Sobbed the little cockroach.

"It is too late. Nevertheless, I will grant this. I will give to each of your kind a hard shell that will endure and a nature to survive. When there is no more goodness left in your world, I will send a fire that will destroy all. It will be your kind who will survive. This I grant to you as a present. You, little god of cockroaches will stay here with me among the stars and tell me of your many adventures."

The little cockroach stood and thought and realized that he had had everything that any god or king had ever wanted and it wasn't magic that had made his family love him or he them. With infinite sadness, the little cockroach turned to the god and began to tell of his adventures.

"Once upon a time there was a foolish little cockroach who wanted to be King of all the insects."