Worm that Turned

"Hmmmm, excuse me," said Wincy Worm to the beautiful
caterpillar.

"Yes?" inquired the caterpillar, as it munched greedily on a juicy
leaf.

"Where can I get a beautiful coat like yours?" asked Wincy Worm.

The caterpillar stopped munching. It threw back its head and laughed.
It laughed so much it nearly choked.

Wincy Worm didn't like to be laughed at. She crawled into a damp corner
and started to cry.

The caterpillar crawled to where Wincy Worm was crying. "I'm sorry. I
didn't mean to make you cry. Please forgive me. Can we start again? My
name's Kevin. What's yours?"

"Wincy, and why did you laugh at me?" she asked as tears rolled down
her face.

"Well! Whoever heard of a beautiful worm?" replied Kevin
Caterpillar.

"But you're beautiful and you're a worm," answered Wincy Worm.

Kevin Caterpillar threw back his head again, and he laughed and he
laughed.

"You're laughing at me again," said Wincy Worm tearfully.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's because you think that I'm a worm and I'm not. You
see, I'm a caterpillar."

Wincy Worm looked at Kevin Caterpillar carefully. She was puzzled. He
was nearly the same size as her, and apart from his beautiful coat, he
looked like a worm. "What's the difference then?" she asked.

Kevin Caterpillar looked up to the sky and waited. When he saw what he
was waiting for he said: "Look up there. Those are butterflies. Soon I
shall fly like one of those butterflies."

"Don't be silly," laughed Wincy Worm. "You haven't got any
wings."

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning," said Kevin Caterpillar.
"Make yourself comfortable whilst I explain."

Wincy Worm settled herself and waited for Kevin Caterpillar to
begin.

"One day soon I shall be a butterfly," started Kevin Caterpillar. "To
do this I will have to spin a cocoon around myself. When I have done
this I shall stay inside until a big change takes place. Once this
happens, I will break out of the cocoon and I will be a
butterfly."

"What's a cocoon?" asked Wincy Worm.

"It's a bubble of silk. It's my wardrobe. It's where I can change from
a caterpillar into a butterfly."

"Oooooh. I see. Well, I think I do," said Wincy Worm. "So I can never
be beautiful like you then?"

"No, 'cause you're a worm and I'm a caterpillar."

Wincy Worm and Kevin Caterpillar looked at each other and sighed.
Suddenly Kevin Caterpillar shouted out. "I have an idea. It might
work."

"What is it?" asked Wincy Worm.

Kevin Caterpillar bent down and whispered into Wincy Worm's ear. When
he had finished whispering, Wincy Worm smiled happily."Oh yes please,"
Wincy Worm said.

For days and days Wincy Worm followed Kevin Caterpillar around the
garden. She watched as he munched and munched on anything green and
juicy. She waited and waited. Then one day it was time for the plan.
Kevin Caterpillar gave Wincy Worm the signal that he was ready. Wincy
Worm waited eagerly.

Kevin Caterpillar started to wriggle. He wriggled and he wriggled, and
then he wriggled some more. When he had finished wriggling there it
was, his old coat. Now it was Wincy Worm's turn. She wriggled and she
wriggled, and then she wriggled some more. At last, Wincy Worm had a
beautiful new coat.

"Hey Kevin look at me," she shouted.

Kevin Caterpillar crawled towards Wincy Worm. "It worked then," he
said. "It's a good job I ate a lot, or you would have been too big for
my old coat. Now you must look after the coat, because it could be the
last one I shed before I become a butterfly."

"Oh, I will. I promise," replied Wincy Worm happily. "Am I beautiful
now?"

Kevin Caterpillar looked at Wincy Worm and said: "Yes, you are
beautiful now. For a worm."

As Kevin Caterpillar turned to go, Wincy Worm turned round. "Hmmm,
excuse me," she said.

"Yes!" inquired Kevin Caterpillar.

"We...ll. Do you think that I could become a butterfly one day, now
that I have a caterpillar coat?"

Kevin Caterpillar shook his head, then he said: "I'm not going through
this all over again. No, you are a WORM. Now goodbye."

"I...I was only kidding. No need to shout at me," Wincy Worm softly
whispered. "Bye then."

"Bye," answered Kevin Caterpillar as he finally crawled away.Wincy Worm
didn't see Kevin Caterpillar leave. She had found a puddle and was far
too busy admiring herself in it. THE END