The Lazy Letter B

by Daniel Errico

Illustrated by Michiko Cayce

The Lazy Letter B lives in the Land of Words. He doesn't like to do much of anything at all. When he's forced to finally go outside he finds that sometimes working for something is the best thing you can do for yourself. The Lazy Letter B deals with working towards goal and having pride in what you create. 

Cover art for The Lazy Letter B. Letter B sitting looking at a pond, smiling.

The Letter B lived in the Land of Words.

He didn’t like doing much.

It all started when he was a lowercase b.

On his birthday he was too lazy to blow out the candles. 

He just waited until they burned out.

Lowercase b is enjoying a birthday party with lowercase g and lowercase j.

When he went to the ocean, he was too lazy to dry off.

He got everything wet and sandy.

When all the other letters went sledding, he waited at the bottom of the hill.

He was always the first one back in time for cocoa.

Lowercase letter b is drinking cocoa with a winter hat on.


As he got older, the Letter B got even lazier.

He didn’t like doing anything except sitting around.

One day his friend the Letter W said, “If you’re just going to sit around, at least go sit outside!”

So he did.

The Letter B greeting the Letter W in his home.

He didn’t have a good place to sit though.

“If I’m going to sit outside, I need a comfortable chair.”

So he went and cut down a tree.

He carved the wood and used it to build a nice big comfy chair.

The Letter B, outside, building a chair from logs on the ground.


Then he looked out at his yard.

“If I’m going to sit outside, I’d like some water to look at.”

So he took his shovel and started digging.

He dug a large hole that he filled with water to make a beautiful pond.

The Letter B sitting on the chair he built, smiling at a pond.

“If I’m going to sit outside looking at my pond, I need some shelter from the sun.”

So he used the branches of a tree to make an umbrella that he stuck by his comfy chair.

A strange feeling came over him as he sat down.

He was very proud of what he had done.

He felt much more proud than he ever had felt sitting around.

The Letter B, sitting on the chair he built, under the umbrella he built, smiling at a pond.

“What else can I make?” he thought to himself.

From that day on, the Letter B spent most of his time building things for the other letters and helping them with their yards. 

And when he was all finished for the day, he would relax in his chair in the shade looking over the water.

The Letter B, happy in his workshop, with the Letter W and the Letter Y.

In the Land of Words, there is nothing more satisfying than a hard day’s work.