On a large, comfortable, perfectly lovely leaf, there lived a caterpillar named Cecil.
Cecil loved his leaf.
It was green. It was wide. It had a very pleasant smell after rain.
He ate it for breakfast.
He ate it for lunch.
He slept on it at night.
Life was perfect.
And then an older caterpillar told him what was coming.
“You’re going to go in a cocoon,” she said.
“I absolutely am not,” said Cecil. 🐛
🌲 The Cocoon Problem
“It’s what caterpillars do,” said the older caterpillar.
“Not this caterpillar.”
“You’ll go in and then you’ll change into something extraordinary.”
“I’m already extraordinary. I have seventeen legs.”
“Sixteen.”
“Extraordinary,” said Cecil firmly.
He did not want to change.
He did not want a cocoon.
He wanted his leaf.
Forever.
Thank you very much.
He ate an extra large bite to make his point.
🐛 The Butterflies
Then one afternoon, a butterfly landed on his leaf.
Not one butterfly.
Three.
All different colours. Blue, orange, yellow with black edges.
They moved their wings slowly in the warm air.
Up. Down. Up. Down.
Like breathing. Like flying. Like both at once.
Cecil stared at them.
“Were you caterpillars?” he asked.
“We were,” said the blue one.
“Was it terrible? The cocoon?”
“It was dark,” said the orange one. “And quiet. And a bit strange.”
“And then?”
All three opened their wings at once.
Cecil had never wanted anything so much in his life.
💛 Carter Watches Him Go
Carter came to the leaf every day for two weeks.
Watching the small silver cocoon that hung from the branch.
Waiting.
And then one morning it trembled.
Tremble. Shake. Crack.
And Cecil came out.
Not the same.
Wings the colour of autumn leaves. Orange and gold and a little bit green at the edges.
He opened them. Closed them. Opened them again.
“Well,” said Cecil.
And lifted up into the air for the first time.
Carter watched until he was just a flicker of orange between the trees.
Smiling.
Because he had been so sure he didn’t want this.
And look at him now. 🦋