A few tales

A Fable, by me. What is a fable? Well, it is like a fairy tale, but the characters are always animals with human like qualities. And the most important part of a fable, is that it teaches us a lesson, or a moral at the end.

Calvin The Caterpillar by JLC Nelson

Calvin the caterpillar enjoyed his life on the caterpillar farm. He loved feasting on the leafy green leaves of the milkweed plants. Every once in a while, Calvin’s skin would get too tight, and he would need to change it out in order to accommodate his growing body. His brothers and sisters grew plumper and longer with Calvin. Then one day, they started to leave Calvin, one by one, hanging upside down on a twig and spinning into a cocoon. They were all excited for the change that they were about to make for themselves. But Calvin was content staying a caterpillar.

One day Calvin was munching on a bright green leaf when he felt his body changing, thinking it was time to change his skin again he crawled up under a large leaf, before he knew what was happening he started to spin himself into a cocoon. Calvin was very upset and as his body changed and morphed into something else he told himself that he would not accept this change in his life, no matter what happened! When Calvin emerged from his cocoon, he looked around, his brothers and sisters were now beautiful delicate butterflies. Calvin was unhappy with his new body, and refusing to fly, he crawled down from the leaf, and he found a spot on the milkweed and started eating again.

Calvin’s sister tried to convince Calvin of the wonderful world that awaits him. She described the feeling of freedom that her wings brought her. She described the fields of flowers that she visited; their many colors and sweet taste. But Calvin was stubborn and refused to budge.

The days grew shorter and colder, and the milkweed leaves started to die, Calvin was hungry and cold. Calvin’s brothers and sisters tried to convince him to migrate out West with them, but he refused to leave.

So, Calvin’s brothers and sisters left him, the brother that they loved. After wintertime had passed, they excitedly flew to the caterpillar farm, many of them ready to hatch new eggs. They were also excited to see their brother, expecting him to be large and fat from eating all of the milkweed plants that he had all to himself. But upon their arrival they found their beautiful brother, skinny and brittle, he had not survived the winter on the caterpillar farm.

Moral:  When you’re finished changing and growing, you’re finished.