In the charming world of a blooming garden during spring, a little caterpillar named Carly dreamed of adventure. This wasn’t just any ordinary day, as an intoxicating scent drifted through the air, brightening up the lives of everyone who took a moment to enjoy it. With her big eyes wide open, Carly burst out of her egg and immediately began to climb the tallest tree she could find. At last, she thought, all those lovely green leaves would be hers for breakfast!
But that was only her first wish. Carly soon discovered that there were lots of other creatures living in the garden as well—caterpillars just like herself, roaming about on different paths and looking with longing at the tender leaves to satisfy their tiny stomachs. Who were they?
Carly paused and politely asked one young caterpillar, who was not looking at the leaves above but at the dry twigs and stubs below: “Who are you, and why don’t you climb up and feast on the leaves just like the rest of us?”
“I’m a careful caterpillar,” said he, “and I eat everything that grows on the twigs where I am. You see, I want to have my breakfast over with, to be sure that I will not have to climb up a tree every day for something to eat. The way I look at it is that if one leaf is good, ten leaves on one day must be even better. My plan is to grow as fast as possible.”
“How far-sighted!” observed Carly politely, and climbed up a little higher to try for herself.
In her tender eagerness to be off, a rough wind caught Carly and tossed her off onto the ground where she remained for several hours. When at last the sun warmed her out of her nap, she started off again and soon became the happiest of caterpillars.
All around her were bright blossoms of every color. To the right stretched the bright blue grass, to the left a white thorn tree was bringing forth its tender, green leaves. Before Carly lay a gentle brook, under whose water all the stones seemed glowing with tints of gold, while all about her creatures of every sort moved to and fro, flying, creeping, and hopping.
At last, thought Carly, in all the world there cannot be a happier little caterpillar than myself. She climbed and climbed and feasted and feasted till at last she could eat no more. With a full stomach, she rested on a branch and her little body grew sleepy. “No time to sleep just now,” said a smart little ant who had come trotting along, “and we have by no means finished our journey. Forward, forward, forward!” And with short running steps, the ant sped away as if she were searching for something.
“But dear me, where are you going?” Carly cried after her.
“Oh, one place is just as good as the other for you,” answered the ant. “Our road is long, but all we have to do is to keep on tentatively walking and then we shall see.”
But Carly was so sleepy that she found it impossible to keep awake. From the branch, she had climbed, down she tumbled, and as she did so, she said, “Am I not a fortunate caterpillar? I feel both satisfied and happy. I will rest, and next time I wake it will be time for me to climb up to the very top of the tree.”
Next morning she opened her tiny eyes, and with her still sleep-filled sight did not at first recognize the huge caterpillar she was. “Oh,” sighed she, stretching her little legs, “it seems to me that I have slept longer than I ever slept before. However, it is nothing to boast of. He who once boasts of resting is sure never to rest again.”
It was an advantage to Carly that she slept so long, and the trees of her surroundings had by that time brought forth a great many new leaves, which surely would taste lighter and fresher than those which had grown during the older part of the year. Yet one leaf is good, ten leaves on one day must be even better. Carly did not quite know whether this wisdom really belonged to herself alone or whether it ought to be retold in every elegant company she honored with her presence.
With a slow and careful motion, she started on her way for what she considered breakfast. When she had eaten for a while, a little green fly looked at her and said: “Caterpillar, eat faster! You must eat when you are eating! What is it you make that awful face over? You should be thankful at least that there are both leaves and time for you to eat.”
“Ah yes, my friend; patience is favored in everything. There is an old saying that says, ‘Good things come to those who wait.’”
Whether or not the green fly took this sentence to heart, Carly never found out. But, satisfied and full of youth and freshness, continued to stretch out and to soak up the rays of light in the golden sunshine for many a day longer. The world grew green and beautiful all around her, but when one green leaf had all been eaten and the next took its place, so that the twigs where Carly had built her house always looked green above and below, Carly knew from the notices in the sky that winter had overtakend her. She gladly began to prepare for her travels; and as soon as the trees became ac_partner_ and fancier of colors she sleepily spun herself a beautiful grey cloak and locked up the whole caterpillar into a proper little cover, where she turned about a great many times that she might not deceive anyone.
The summer passed. Then came the winter, but it was no harder on her than on the rest of the world. The summer came back again, all green and bright, and the little zips who found her and called for her as long as they were able, and peeped about at all the bright, lovely creatures that flew about and kissed them and didn’t care the least bit about it.