the daring caterpillar tale

Once upon a time, there was a very hungry caterpillar. Oh wait. That's another story.

Once upon a time, there was a very daring caterpillar. And just because he (or she?) liked a good adventure, he climbed way up in an oak tree, way out onto a big limb, and then a smaller limb, and then a little branch and finally a leaf. And then he didn't know where to go. Being a very daring caterpillar, he decided the best possible thing to do, was jump. And jump he did...landing just feet from the writer of this tale, who had been sedately sitting in a lawn chair on the driveway, watching children ride bikes and scooters.

The daring caterpillar landed with quite a thump! He was surprised and so was this writer! So he sat there, stunned, for a minute or two, while children were summoned and then he was scrutinized closely. "Is he still alive?" he heard.  And then he was poked gently with a small twig, enough to make him wiggle a little bit. "He IS alive!"  Well, of course, he thought. But it had been a big fall. So he sat there for a few more minutes, letting them get a good look at his beautiful markings, and letting the big one with the camera get pretty close.

his markings...looked like a line of penguins! amazing.

 Finally, the children wandered off, and he decided the coast was clear, so he started wandering off down the driveway. His way kept being blocked by a big leaf held by the writer, for she knew that the daddy in his big noisy truck would be driving up that driveway very soon, and she did not want to see a squished little daring caterpillar. Finally the caterpillar gave up on his own agenda, seeing that the person was so determined, and cooperatively he climbed onto the leaf, and was carried to the safety of the grassy yard. "What fun!" he thought, and headed back to the oak tree to make another jump!

pretending to be the caterpillar!