CATIE CATERPILLAR
“…and then the cocoon broke open and a beautiful moth emerged, shook her wings and flew off into the morning light.”
The only sound that could be heard was the gentle breeze rustling the leaves on the oak tree where Catie and a group of her friends sat. The woolly caterpillars sat quietly remembering what the storyteller had said. They had never heard such a story before. And the moth, who was the storyteller, said it was true because it happened to her.
Catie and her best friend, Pilar, stared at each other.
“Well,” said Catie. “That was a fine tale, but I’m hungry and I’m going to start eating this end of the leaf.” She started munching. “It’s all fine to talk about going on journeys and having great adventures, but frankly my stomach couldn’t have stood another minute without food.” She continued munching.
Her friend Pilar just nodded.
“And, “said Catie, in between bites, “I don’t think I want to go on any journey like that. I’m quite happy being a woolly caterpillar.”
Her friend Pilar just nodded.
They were best friends. They hatched almost on the same spot and had spent most of the summer together on the same tree.
Life couldn’t be better – wonderful warm, sunlit days seemed to last forever and there were plenty of scrumptious green leaves to eat. What a wonderful life it was.
One day Catie awoke feeling a little strange. Oh, she didn’t feel sick, but she did feel quite strange.
“Oh, it’s probably just the change in the weather,” Catie said. “I have noticed it getting cooler.”
Her friend Pilar just nodded.
At times, Catie would find herself just staring off into space. She felt as though she had to do something but did not quite know what it was.
“Come on Pilar,” Catie called across their leaf. “I think it’s time we moved on.”
“So,” said Pilar. “Maybe the tale is true after all.”
Catie stopped eating. She looked at her friend and she began to understand. This was exactly what the storyteller had said would happen.
“I think it is, Pilar. I hope you will come on the journey with me,” Catie said wistfully.
The two little woolly caterpillars started on their journey.
They weren’t too sure where they were going, but felt they would know when they arrived.
The first day took them to the edge of the woods.
“I think we had better sleep here tonight,” Catie told her friend and they started off to find a good spot to sleep.
“Look,” said Pilar. “There are two other caterpillars just like us already asleep. I guess we must be doing something right.” They curled up and fell fast asleep for it had been a very tiring day.
The next morning all the caterpillars woke and found the ground all frosty. The sun soon warmed them and melted the frost and all four caterpillars started off in the same direction.
Along the way they met up with another three caterpillars who joined the roving band.
Night time came and just as they were curling up in a tight ball under some leaves there was a tremendous commotion. Catie was terrified. Pilar was scared. They crawled under a bigger leaf and curled up in a tighter ball.
The next morning one of the caterpillars was gone.
“Oh,” said Catie as she saw some of the hairs on the ground. “Oh, how awful.” All that noise must have been a skunk. Just like the storyteller told us. Skunks are practically the only animal we have to watch out for.”
Catie, Pilar and the remaining caterpillars left for another day of travelling.
“Perhaps we should just make our winter home here,” Catie
called to Pilar. “Then we can just hide and hope the skunk has gone somewhere else.”
“Come on,” said Pilar. “I don’t think this is the right spot.”
On and on they trudged. The mornings were getting cooler and cooler and the sun took longer and longer to warm them up.
“Oh Pilar, I’m so tired,” said Catie. “I don’t think I can go another day and last night we had snow. Oh, I’m so cold and tired.”
But Pilar kept on moving and Catie, not wanting to be left alone, followed her friend.
There was an awful noise just ahead. It didn’t sound like an animal. What could it be? Just as the sun reached its highest spot in the sky, Catie and Pilar – as well as a few new caterpillar friends, emerged from the field and faced an enormous black stretch of ground.
“What is it?” asked Pilar.
“Maybe it’s a huge rock.” said Catie.
“Look over there, Catie, “ Pilar said. “That’s where we have to go. Look at all those wonderful places to make our home.
All we have to do is cross this black bit of ground and then we can stop.”
All the caterpillars agreed. Off they started.
Suddenly, just as they were about half way across the black strip, there was a horrendous noise and the largest beast they had ever seen, came roaring towards them.
“Oh no,” cried Catie. “It’s going to eat us.”
“Run,” cried Pilar.
“I can’t run any faster,” sobbed Catie.
At that moment the beast was almost on top of Pilar. Catie could only watch with horror. One of the other caterpillars disappeared.
“Oh Pilar,” sobbed Catie, as she curled up into a ball.
As the beast passed, a huge gust of wind rolled Catie along the black ground.
Catie stayed curled up in a ball for a long time. Slowly she stretched and looked around her.
The wind had blown her to the edge of the black, hard ground – just where she wanted to be. Catie looked around her.
Several caterpillars had disappeared. They would never reach their goal.
“Pilar, Pilar,” Catie cried.
As she searched up and down the edge of the black ground she
saw a curled up caterpillar. Catie held her breath as the caterpillar started to uncurl.
It was Pilar.
Pilar slowly crawled over to where Catie was. The friends were overjoyed at seeing each other again.
“I think it is time to find our home for the winter,” Pilar told Catie. “We were very lucky that the monster did not eat us. In fact, just ahead looks like the ideal winter home.”
The two friends went off and curled up together for the long winter sleep.
“Well,” said Catie. “The storyteller was right so far.”
Pilar nodded and they both yawned and fell asleep.
Like the storyteller said, their adventure was only half finished.
When the long, cold winter was over, the two friends awoke. They were very hungry after such a long sleep. For a little while they ate and ate but soon they found another home and spun themselves cocoons. As the days got warmer and warmer the cocoons burst open. Two beautiful moths emerged.
It is told that the two moths were never far apart as they continued their wonderful journey, forever friends.
Story printed courtesy of Lorna Foreman. Copyright Lorna Foreman 2009 – All Rights Reserved.