Sylvia lived in Caterpillarville, that was because she was a caterpillar, a very beautiful caterpillar--a beautiful, tiny caterpillar. Actually Sylvia was the smallest caterpillar that ever was. She had a little head and body. She also had very short legs. At the end of her legs were very tiny feet. Because Sylvia's feet were so small, she could only take baby steps. This caused her to walk very slow. All of the other caterpillars would make fun of Sylvia and call her names.
“Sylvia is a slow poke. Sylvia is a slow poke,” the other caterpillar would chant whenever she would want join in on the fun of the games they were playing. This really hurt her feelings.
One day when all of the other caterpillars were going to Caterpillar Park to play on the caterpillar slides and the caterpillar swings, Sylvia asked, “Can I go too? Oh please, can I go.”
The Caterpillar started laughing. Then one of them said, “Huh, Sylvia, your to much of a slow poke. By the time you got to Caterpillar Park, we would have been there and be back home by then. Of course you can't go.” And then they all started laughing at Sylvia and calling her slow poke as they left for Caterpillar Park
Sylvia was left there all alone. She hated being alone. She wished she had a friend, someone to talk to. Sylvia became very sad. She decided to go for a walk by herself out in the woods. She walked for awhile and then started playing by herself.
“Oh, this is no fun.” Sylvia said sadly. “I wish I had a friend to talk to and play with,” and then she began to cry.
“Why are you crying little caterpillar,” a voice from behind her said.
The voice startled Sylvia and when she turned around, she saw it was a grasshopper talking to her. “Oh, you scared me,” Sylvia said nervously.
“I'm sorry little caterpillar. I didn't mean to scare you,” the grasshopper replied. “Why are you crying?” he asked again.
“Well, its because I'm all alone. I don't have any friends. I have no one to talk to. I have no one to play with.” Then Sylvia began to cry again.
“Don't cry little caterpillar, I'll talk to you and be your friend.” the grasshopper replied and began patting her on the back. “ My name is Charlie. What's yours.”
Sylvia stopped crying and looked at Charlie and said, “Well, my name is Sylvia. You'll talk to me and be my friend? Really?
Charlie smiled and then answered back, “Sure----I'd love to be your friend.”
“You will?” Sylvia said happily and began to smile. “You won't run away and leave me behind?”
“No,” Charlie replied assuringly. “I've never understood why everybody is in such a big hurry. You know, if you slow down and take a look around, you'll see a lot of pretty and interesting thing you never would have seen if you weren't acting so busy all of the time.”
Charlie's words made Sylvia grin even bigger. She became very happy.
Charlie and Sylvia became the best of friends. Everyday they would meet at the same spot under the big oak tree. They would play, laugh and sing the day away.
Charlie had told Sylvia that sometimes he would have to leave her. “ I don't know why Sylvia,” Charlie explained, but there some days when I get a very strong urge to jump. Sometimes I go for a long distance. I guess that's just what grasshoppers do. But if I do jump away, don't you fret. I'll be right back.”
The first time this happened, Sylvia became worried. But Charlie had told her the truth. He came right back.
Charlie seemed to have to jump away about every other day. After awhile, Sylvia stopped worrying. She knew her good friend, Charlie, would not leaver her for long.
Their favorite game to play was 'tag, your it'. Even though Charlie could have hopped away from Sylvia and left her far behind, he didn't. He always went slow. That way Sylvia could tag him and they could take turns being 'it'.
One day while they were playing tag, Charlie said, “Uh oh
Sylvia. It's time for me to jump. I'll be right back.”
“Okay, Charlie,” Sylvia replied. “Take your time. I won't be worried. I know that you will be right back.”
“Okeydokey,” Charlie said. Then he waved goodbye and jumped away.
Sylvia watched him until finally he jumped out of sight.
Sylvia began to feel hungry and decided to look for something to eat. While looking under the oak tree, she heard a voice from above say, “ What are you doing caterpillar?”
The voice startled Sylvia and she jumped backwards. She looked up and saw that it was a spider who was talking to her. It had made a web on the bottom branch of the tree. The spider was looking down at Sylvia, rubbing its hands together and licking its lips.
Again the spider asked, “What are you ding down there caterpillar?”
“Oh, I am hungry, so I am looking for something to eat,” Sylvia answered.
“You won't find anything there,” the spider quipped. “ I have already gathered everything up from where you are looking. Why don't you come up here and join me for lunch.”
“That's very kind of you,” Sylvia said with a smile. “Thank you very much.”
Sylvia excepted the invitation and began climbing up the tree. When she got to the branch and was next to the web she asked, “What are we going to have for lunch.”
The spider looked at Sylvia, and it's eyes got very big, and then it yelled out, “You, your what is for lunch.”
The spider then reached out and grabbed Sylvia and pulled her into the middle of the web and started spinning her up in it.
“Help! Help!” Sylvia began crying out.
Bong, bong, bong, It was Charlie. He was returning from his jumping trip. He began looking for Sylvia when he heard her voice yelling out, “Help!, Help!.”
Charlie looked up and saw what the spider was doing to Sylvia.
“Hey, you, spider, Charlie yelled out. Let go of my friend!”
The spider looked down at Charlie and said, “Mind your own business grasshopper. Go find your own lunch,” and continued to wrap Sylvia up in the web.
Charlie took one giant leap and landed on the branch next to the spider. Then Charlie grabbed the the spider and they began to wrestle back and forth and back and forth. Finally, Charlie got his legs underneath the spider, and with one giant push---wish, he kicked the spider clean out of sight.
“Oh, thank you Charlie. Thank you,” Sylvia said as Charlie freed her from the web.
“That's okay Sylvia. I'll always protect you,” Charlie assured her.
Charlie then pick Sylvia up. Once he had her safely in his grasp he jumped back down to the ground. When he landed, he started crying out, “Ouch, ouch, oh, nooooo.”
Sylvia asked worriedly, “What's wrong Charlie?”
“Look,” Charlie said as he pointed down to the ground. There beneath Charlie was on of his legs. It had broken off.
“Oh, Charlie, I'm so sorry,” Sylvia said sadly. “It's all my fault.”
“Oh, don't worry Sylvia,” Charlie reassured her. “It doesn't hurt any more. It just kinda startled me. The good news is I won't have to jump away any more. I'll be able to stay with you. I won't ever have to pretend to go slow. Everything is going to be fine.
Sylvia looked up at Charlie with tears in her eyes. “Charlie,” Sylvia said lovingly. “Your the best friend anybody has ever had.” Then she gave Charlie a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Ah, shucks, Charlie said and began to blush.
From sunrise to sunset, Charlie and Sylvia could be found under the oak tree, laughing and playing the day away.
One afternoon while playing tag, Sylvia stopped and got a real puzzled look on her face.
“What is it Sylvia, “Charlie asked curiously.
“I'm not sure Charlie. I cant explain it. All I know is I need to crawl away, and I don't know why.”
“Well,” Charlie responded. Sometimes grasshoppers have to jump, so I guess there are times when caterpillars need to crawl away.”
“I suppose you're right, Charlie. You seen to understand everything,” Sylvia said as she was nodding her head. “I won't be gone for very long.”
Charlie smiled and said, “I won't be worried, I know you'll be right back, because we are best of friends.”
“The best of friends,” Sylvia replied and gave Charlie an wave as she began crawling deeper into the woods.
Charlie felt a little tired so he sat down in the shade underneath the oak tree and took a nap. When he awoke, Sylvia had not returned yet. Charlie waited and waited. He waited clear to sunset but Sylvia was nowhere in sight.
“Oh, no,” Charlie said worriedly. Maybe she got lost. Or maybe another spider got her. Oh, Sylvia, please be alright. Please hurry back.”
Charlie continued to wait. He waited the whole night. He waited the whole nest day and all of the next night, but Sylvia did not return.
“I guess she's not coming back,” Charlie said to himself very sadly. With his head bowed down to the ground, Charlie began walking back home to Grasshopper ville where he lived.
When Charlie got back to Grasshopperville, all the other grasshoppers were happy to see him and they began shouting with joy, “Charlies back! Charlies back. We missed you Charlie. Come join us, we are about to play tag, your it.”
Charlie had been playing every day with Silvia from sunrise to sunset, and then going straight to bed. Because of this, the other grasshoppers did not notice he had lost one of his legs, and he could not jump.
“I,... I can't play tag,” Charlie said slowly and very sadly.
“Why,---what do you mean? Why can't you play tag?” one of the other grasshoppers asked.
“Well,” Charlie began to explain. “I don't have one of my legs. I can't jump any more. I can only take little hops.”
“What?” several of the grasshoppers said out loud. Then they all moved closer to Charlie and noticed he was right. One of his legs was missing.
“Ha ha, you cant jump That's the funniest thing I've ever heard,” one of the grasshoppers said as he was laughing. Then the rest of the grasshoppers began to laugh too and started making fun of Charlie.
“Charlies a slow poke! Charlies a slow poke!” they all started shouting. Finally they all jumped away to play their game of 'tag, your it' leaving Charlie by himself. This really hurt his feelings.
Every day it was the same thing---the grasshoppers would make fun of Charlie and not let him play with them. He had no friends, he was all alone.
One day when all of the other grasshoppers were going to Grasshopper Park to play on the grasshopper slides and the grasshopper swings, Charlie asked, “Can I go too? Oh please, can I go.”
The grasshoppers started laughing. Then one of them said, “Huh, Charlie, your to much of a slow poke. By the time you got to Grasshopper Park, we would have been there and be back home by then. Of course you can't go.” And then they all started laughing at Charlie and calling him slow poke as they left for Grasshopper Park
Charlie was left there all alone. He hated being alone. He wished he had a friend, someone to talk to. Charlie became very sad. He decided to go for a walk by himself out in the woods. He walked for awhile and then started playing by himself.
“Oh, this is no fun.” Charlie said sadly. “I wish I had a friend to talk to and play with,” and then he began to cry.
“Why are you crying grasshopper,” a voice from behind him said.
The voice startled Charlie and when he turned around, he saw it was a Butterfly talking to him.. 'Oh, you scared me,” Charlie said nervously.
“I'm sorry grasshopper. I didn't mean to scare you,” the butterfly replied. “Why are you crying?” she asked again.
“Well, it's because I broke of one of my legs and I can't jump any more. I can only take small, short hops. Now I can't go very fast and all of the other grasshoppers make fun of me all of the time and call me 'slow poke'. They never talk to me or let me play with them. They always leave me by myself. And, well, I just wish I had a friend, someone to talk to and play with. Then Charlie began to cry again.
“Don't cry grasshopper. I'll talk to you and be your friend,” the butterfly said as she patted Charlie on his back with one of her wings.
“You will?” Charlie said happily and began to smile. “You won't fly away and leave me behind?”
“No,” Charlie, I wont,” the butterfly replied assuringly. “I've never understood why everybody is in such a big hurry. You know, if you slow down and take a look around, you'll see a lot of pretty and interesting thing you never would have seen if you weren't acting so busy all of the time.
Charlie remembered that he had once said that. Then he thought for a second and said, “Hey, how did you know my name is Charlie?
“Because, the butterfly began to speak, because, Charlie, I'm Sylvia.”
“What! Charlie exclaimed. “How can you be Sylvia? Sylvia was a caterpillar."
“I know, Charlie---I know I was a caterpillar.” Then Sylvia began to explain. “You see, Charlie. I did not know at the time why I had to go away, but I found out later on. It was because I had to make a cocoon. I didn't know I was going to be gone so long, but it takes awhile for it to happen. And when it did, and it was time for me to come out, I wasn't a caterpillar anymore. I was a butterfly. I found out that caterpillars turn into butterflies. But just as soon as I got free from the cocoon, I flew straight back here. I have been waiting here every day. I knew you would be back sooner or later. Oh, Charlie, it is so good to see you.”
Then Sylvia put her wings around Charlie and gave him a giant hug. Charlie was so happy. He smiled at Sylvia and said, “Sylvia, you're the best friend anybody has ever had.” Then he hugged her back.
Charlie and Sylvia remained friends for the rest of their lives. Every day you could find them playing their favorite game, 'tag, you it' under the old oak tree. Though Sylvia could have gone fast and flown away from Charlie, she didn't. She went slow so Charlie could touch her too. This way they could take turns being 'it'.
Steve Lemco
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