Flash Fiction Friday - "Caterpillar"

A Bedtime Story

Clive woke up on a green leafy bed. He was a brand new caterpillar - just a little baby. But even though he was a baby, when he looked around he couldn’t see anyone. No mom or dad, or anyone, and he was just starting to feel sad when he heard a little voice in his head. It said “that is a tasty leaf you’re on. Why don’t you give it a try?” so he did. First he licked it, then he took a teeny bite, then he took big bite, and another bite, and another until he had eaten the whole thing. Clive got a little bit bigger from eating that whole leaf, but his stomach wasn’t full yet! Now what would he do? But just then the little voice talked again “See that leaf just above your head? That one’s tasty too.” So Clive climbed up the stalk and ate that leaf and grew bigger, then he ate another and grew, and another and grew until he had eaten the ENTIRE bush! Clive was MUCH bigger now and his stomach still wasn’t full! Even after eating a whole bush! What would he do now? The voice said “See that bush across the yard? It’s tasty too.” So Clive walked his chubby body with his dozens of legs ALL the way to the other bush and ate every leaf on it too! This time he didn’t worry because he knew the voice would tell him what to do next. You see, baby caterpillars don’t ever get to see their mom or dad. They don’t have anyone to tell them what to do or how to live, but it’s okay! Because God knows they don’t have any help so HE helps them. He tells them what’s good to eat and how to walk and where to go so they don’t die. So God kept telling Clive what bushes to eat until FINALLY Clive’s stomach got full. By now he was a GIANT caterpillar from eating all those leafs! After all that work of eating and walking to new eating places he felt pretty drowsy. On top of it, his stomach was full for the first time in his whole life! (and you know how relaxing it is to have a full stomach.) Clive had only ever eaten. He didn’t know what to do when he was sleepy, but God whispered “see that branch over there? Way up that tree? That will be a really comfy bed.” Clive always followed God’s voice since it had taken such good care of him, so he climbed up in the tree and laid down on the branch. After a while he got cold, but it was okay because God wrapped him up tight in a super warm blanket and Clive slept and slept and slept. Finally, he woke up. But the blanket was wrapped SO tight he couldn’t get out! He wiggled and wiggled, until finally he got out into the sunshine and... What?! He wasn’t a caterpillar anymore! While he was sleeping God turned him into a butterfly with beautiful wings so he wouldn’t have to crawl on the ground anymore! And he had a new mouth that could eat sweet flowers instead of bitter leaves! And that is how Clive the Caterpillar turned into Clive the Butterfly, even though he didn’t have a mom or dad. The End.