Well, he couldn’t wait to tell his best friend what he’d just seen, but when he got to his friend’s house, he wasn’t there.
“Where could he possibly be?” the young caterpillar wondered. “He’s always home at this time!” But he didn’t stick around to think about it for too long. In a flurry he was off again to see that beautiful flying dancer.
He didn’t see find it until he got all the way home, but once he arrived, there it was, flipping and dipping, fluttering and dancing right above his house. It was truly the neatest thing he’d ever seen. He just had to try it . . .
So, the young caterpillar set out to find the brightest, prettiest leaves he could. He searched all day long and when the sun had almost gone down, he finally found them. They were the most brilliant leaves he’d ever seen—they were almost as beautiful as the beautiful flying dancer’s.
Once he got his leaves, he scurried to the maple tree and got some sap. Covering himself, so he was nice and sticky, he gently placed the two colorful leaves on his back. He thought it would be best to let it dry overnight.
The next morning, he awoke to the beautiful flying dancer flittering overhead, but this time, he had brilliant wings too! Although, as much as he tried, he could not flip and flutter or dip and dance. In fact, he couldn’t even get off the ground.
How could he get up high? After lots of thinking and staring up in wonder at his new fluttering friend, he had an idea. He would climb up the stem of a rhododendron and wait for a bumblebee to come.
So, up he climbed and he waited for a good hour or two. But when the bumblebee finally arrived, it was not happy to see the young caterpillar in his flower. It promptly stung him and sent him back to down to the ground. The leaves broke off of his back and he was covered in dirt and sticky sap.
The young caterpillar began to weep. He would never be able to flip, flutter, dip, or dance! There was simply nothing he could do to be like the beautiful flying dancer. Feeling very sad, he decided to forget all this and inch himself back home—and right into bed.
His bed felt so nice and it was very comfortable. It was no time at all before he was fast asleep, and boy, oh boy, was it a deep sleep. The young caterpillar was so exhausted that he slept for an entire month!
Now, you’ll never guess what happened when he woke up. It was one month later and he arose to the familiar sound of fluttering. He could hear the movement of someone dancing. He tried to open his eyes, but he saw nothing but bright colors—yellow, orange, red, and brown. Once he stepped out of bed, he gave a big yawn and an even bigger stretch—and whoosh! He was in the air, flipping and dipping, dancing, and, yes, fluttering! He was so happy that his little heart nearly burst with joy!
Then, just when he thought he could not get any happier, he heard the sound of his best friend calling to him, “Well it’s about time! I’ve been waiting for you for a whole month! Rise and shine! Let’s go!” And off they flew, together again.
How Fish Understand the Stars
School was out. The bell rang and hundreds and hundreds of pinfish were on the loose.
It was quite dark out and many of them wondered to themselves, “How come some days when our school is out, there is one big light that shines down on us, and other times, like tonight, there are lots and lots of tiny lights instead?”
The teacher, a cantankerous old puffer fish who was exhausted from chasing after unruly pinfish all day, was on his way home and he did not want to be bothered.
“Teacher, teacher! Can you tell us about the great light? Where has it gone?”
In an effort to make the annoying little fish go away, he simply retorted, “School is out. I don’t know. Now go home to your moms and dads!”
Obviously not satisfied with that answer, they decided to swim down to the bottom and ask the old crab. He was a very learned professor, full of knowledge, but the children didn’t know that with such intelligence often comes cynicism.
“Children, I’ve never seen a light such as you speak of. Sure, I’ve heard others speak of it, and many have even described its wonders. But for this old crab, the sea-floor is what I know and there is no light here at all.”
Well, the pinfish kids had seen a light. They were sure it existed. But why was it there on some days, and gone on others? They didn’t know where to turn and they were bickering among themselves about who to ask next.
As they began to ascend closer to the surface, a shrimp dropped down out of nowhere. Young Charley, not able to contain himself, broke away from the pack to try nibbling on the shrimp.
Just then, a great sonar blast grabbed all of their attentions. A mother dolphin, crossing their path, grabbed young Charley and ushered him back to the school.
“Keep an eye on this one,” she grinned. “He almost got taken by a silver hook disguised as a shrimp.”
Relieved that their pal was saved, and grateful for the mother’s wisdom, they were all in agreement as to who to inquire next.
“Mother, why is it that the great light is seen above some days so clearly, and on other days, like today, there’s a bunch of tinier lights instead?”
“Dear children,” began the mother dolphin, “I cannot begin to provide an answer for you. But this I can tell you: The great light comes and goes as it pleases. It is our duty to be watchful and anticipate its glorious coming on nights like tonight. The tinier lights are there to remind us that darkness can never entirely take over and as little as they are, they are a wonderful grace containing the message of promise. When the great light does shine brightly again, it is our duty to be thankful and to embrace it with everything you have, for the great light is truly a gift, more so than you or I will ever know.”
Who Does the Master’s Will?
The cat walked through the front yard trying to mind his own business.
“What are you grinning at?” he sneered at the dog.
“Nothing much,” retorted the dog. “It’s just that my Master is very pleased with me.”
“Oh yeah, why’s that?” inquired the cat.
“Because I do my Master’s will.”
“Oh, do you?
“Yes, in fact, I do. When my Master tells me to sit, I sit. When my Master tells me to roll over, I obey. When my Master tells me to heel, I do it.”
“Very good. But I see that you are attached to that stump over there. Is that your Master’s will as well?”
Knowing where the cat might be going with this, the dog became defensive. “Yes, obviously it is my Master’s will that I be tied up or I wouldn’t be here. And as you see, I am perfectly fine with it. I’m not complaining, barking, whining or anything.”
“I see, I see. So if I were to just chew through that leash for you, like this, you would continue to do your Master’s will?”
The cat began gnawing on the dog’s leash and the dog became a bit nervous.
“Stop that! Hey stop chewing that! You’re gonna get me in trouble!”