Willie the Caterpillar

     Willie was a fuzzy black and brown little caterpillar. If you are out walking in the Fall, you might meet Willie crawling along the road or on a side walk. He had to be very careful watching out for cars and trucks or he would get squashed.


     Howard was his friend.  Howard loved being a caterpillar too, but he knew that one day he was going to  change.  He didn't know when it would happen, but it would be soon.  It was getting very cold and the evenings were getting darker and darker.  Howard realized that things just weren't going to be the same anymore.  Something inside him told him that he was to climb a tree, find a branch and spin a cocoon for himself.  There he would sleep for the next six months until Spring.


     Willie didn't want to listen to his inside voice telling him to spin a cocoon.  He was determined to keep crawling along the road from town and town.  One day a little boy was walking down the street and stopped to pick some flowers for his mother. Without noticing, Willie crawled up inside the little boy's pant leg. What a warm place to relax for awhile,, he thought. It wasn't long before the little boy discovered,Willie, and took him out of his pant leg, and hurried home holding Willie in his hand.  Before Willie knew it, he was confined inside a glass jar filled with twigs and leaves. Fortunately for Willie, the little boy did not put the lid on tight and later that afternoon when the little boy wasn't looking,Willie was able to escape. What a lucky little guy.  He got out of that situation and headed for the road again.

      The cold winter winds began to blow.  Willie found a pile of dead, dry leaves, laying between two big rocks. But, with one big wind storm all the leaves blew away and left Willie cold and bare.  So he started out to find another place.  This time Willie hid himself under the wooden steps of  an old abandoned house, but when the snow came Willie was buried.  After he struggled  to crawl out from under the snow, he left the abandoned house and headed for higher ground.  Willie was determined not to spin a cocoon and stay a caterpillar.


     The Spring crocus and tulips began to poke their little noses from the warm ground.  "Hurray!" yelled Willie, "It is spring again.  I wonder how Howard did through the winter?"  Willie started calling, "Howard, Howard, where are you?"  A small voice answered him, "I'm up here Willie.  Look up!!"'Fluttering high above Willie's head was the most beautiful butterfly . "Hey, Howard, is that you? What are you doing up there?" asked Willie curiously. "This is great Willie. I can fly from town to town twice as fast and explore many more things than I ever could as a caterpillar.," explained Howard, "I am sure glad that I listened to my inside voice and found a tree.  I spun a cocoon, fell asleep and when I woke up, well here I am.  Do you think I am handsome?"


     "I just don't understand, Howard.  It isn't fair that you are a butterfly.  You are suppose to be a caterpillar like me.  But I wish I was as beautiful as you, Howard, and could  fly  among the pretty flowers." said Willie trying to understand.  Howard went on to explain, "Willie, next Fall when your inside voice tells you to find a tree and spin a cocoon don't ask any questions, just believe and obey your creator's voice.  It is a
mystery and I have no idea how it happened."


     Willie waited all summer to hear his creator's voice say, "It is time Willie to spin your cocoon."  Willie didn't argue that Fall and entered into the most beautiful experience ever created for a caterpillar.

Willy and Howard are together again. Aren't they beautiful?