The TRUE story of the very hungry caterpillar

Oof, she was so squished!  She didn’t fit inside her tiny little egg anymore, it was time to come out.  The baby caterpillar started munching her way through her egg shell.  She was so hungry, and she wanted out...it made sense, to eat her way to freedom.  The shell was soft and squishy, and felt like unflavored jello in her mouth.  Yummy wasn’t the word she would use, but she was hungry! Famished even, like she’d never eaten before in her life.  She continued chewing her way way out of her egg until the hole was big enough to get her head through.  She’d chewed through the top of the egg though, so she pushed and wiggled and scriggled and squiggled until her front feet could finally touch the healthy dark green leaf that her egg was resting on.  Getting out was quite a bit more effort than she had anticipated though, it was like trying to climb through a window.  She made it through though, two feet at a time.  She was beginning to wonder if her body went on forever, but finally her last two legs popped out of the egg, and she circled around so she could see her bottom.  

Satisfied that she was free, she began to eat her way through the lush leaf that she’d hatched herself onto.  She ate and ate, and ate until she was stuffed, but now very thirsty, and decided to try and find some water.  

It took half her life to get down that darn tree, and when she finally made it to the ground, she was so hungry from the effort, that she decided to sit and snack on a blade of grass.  While she was eating her lunch, an ant wandered by.  Besides the tree, this guy was the biggest thing she’d ever seen!   

“Excuse me.” She squeeked.  The ant turned and looked at her, irritated for the interruption.

“What. Do you want?” He asked in reply.

“I’m, I’m sorry, I’m just very thirsty, and was hoping you could tell me where to find water.”

“Ha! An awesome ant like myself, help an ugly little caterpillar like you?  I think not!”  And with that, he marched off.  Awesome maybe, but certainly rude as well!

I’m ugly?! The caterpillar was strangely saddened by this, but picked a direction and headed off hoping to come across a puddle.  Before long, she came across an apple that had fallen on the ground.  She had an icky feeling in her tummy because the ant had said she was ugly, so she decided to eat her way through the apple thinking it would make her tummy feel better.  She ate, and ate, and ate her way through that apple.  Just as she was coming out the other side of her apple tunnel, she saw a bee resting on a flower near by.

“Excuse me.” She squeeked.  The bee turned and looked at her, irritated for the interruption.

“What. Do you want?” He asked in reply.

“I’m, I’m sorry, I’m just very thirsty, and was hoping you could tell me where to find water.”

“Ha! A beaming bee like myself, help an ugly little caterpillar like you?  I think not!”  And with that, he flew off.  

I’m still ugly?!  The caterpillar was saddened by this, but picked a direction and headed off hoping to come across a puddle.  Before long, she came across two pears that had fallen on the ground.  She had an icky feeling in her tummy because the ant and the bee had said she was ugly, so she decided to eat her way through the pears thinking it would make her tummy feel better.  She ate, and ate, and ate her way through those pears.  Just as she was coming out the other side of her second pear tunnel, she saw a cricket hopping by.

“Excuse me.” She squeeked.  The cricket turned and looked at her, irritated for the interruption.

“What. Do you want?” He asked in reply.

“I’m, I’m sorry, I’m just very thirsty, and was hoping you could tell me where to find water.”

“Ha! A classy cricket like myself, help an ugly little caterpillar like you?  I think not!”  And with that, he hopped off.

I must really be ugly!  The caterpillar was very saddened by this, but picked a direction and headed off hoping to come across a puddle.  Before long, she came across three plums that had fallen on the ground.  She had a really icky feeling in her tummy now, because the ant,the bee, and the cricket had said she was ugly, so she decided to eat her way through the plums thinking it would make her tummy feel better.  She ate, and ate, and ate her way through those plums.  

This kept happening, she came across a delightful dragonfly, elegant egret, fabulous falcon...all the way through to the youthful yack.  After each encounter she ate more and more.  She ate five oranges, a sausage, and ice cream, cake, lollipop, watermelon, pickle, cheese, and pie...to name a few.  Finally she was so full that she decided to make her cocoon so she could rest for a little while, maybe that would make her tummy feel better.

She took great care, and searched for the perfect leaf to attach herself to.  When she finally found it, she stuck her hind legs to it, and hung upside down.  She then began to spin the cocoon around herself.  Very slowly, and methodically, she spun and spun and spun, until she was completely encased in her cocoon. Finally, it was time to rest.  She snuggled up inside her cocoon, and went to sleep.  Unbeknownst to her, while she was sleeping, some magical things began to happen.  Her body changed, it changed so much that some might even say she was a different creature!

When she was starting to feel squished and hungry again.  She awoke from her long nap, and decided it was time to come out.  She gently pushed herself out of her of her cocoon, but this time there was no leaf beneath her to climb onto, so she desperately clung to the edge of her cocoon, scared she would fall.  She hung there for a while, stretching out her wings.  She stretched, and stretched, and stretched until her wings finally unfolded themselves, and caught the air.  This was a completely new sensation to her, but she liked it!  While she was stretching out her wings, a zebra was snacking on some grass below her.

“Excuse me.” She said, tentatively trying to get the zebras attention.  The zebra turned and looked at her.

“Yes? Do you want my dear?” He asked in reply.

“I’m, I’m sorry, I’m just very thirsty, and was hoping you could tell me where to find water.”

“A zealous zebra like myself, help a beautiful butterfly like you?  Of course!  If you fly up a little higher, you’ll see the river to the north of here.”

“F-fly?!  I can’t fly!” the butterfly stammered

“Oh, don’t be silly, of course you can!” the zealous zebra replied.  “Up you go now, you’ll find it.”

The butterfly let go of her cocoon, thinking she was going to fall, but instead her instincts took over, her wings began to flutter, and up she went. Fascinated by flying, she tested out her new wings.  She spiraled and swirled her way to the top of the tree.  She rested on a leaf at the top, gazing at the beautiful world around her that she had been unable to see or grasp as a caterpillar.  And just to the north...she saw the river!