Little Green Worm

I

Six fat white worms were crawling along a branch, on their way to the top of the tree.

Along came a little, thin, green worm, crawling along the same branch. He asked the other worms; "Where are you all going?”

"We're going to the top of the tree where we are going to weave cocoons around ourselves, and transform into beautiful white moths,” answered the six fat worms.

And then all six fat worms asked the little green one; "Where are you on your way to?”

"I will also go to the top of the tree, weave myself into a cocoon, and transform into a moth, like you,” said the little green worm.

Then all the fat worms burst out laughing. They were laughing so much that their sides shook, and their tummies started to ache.

"A fine moth you'll make scrawny little worm,” said the one.

"Maybe you'll be a little green moth,” said the other, and they all kept on laughing.

They were still smirking and giggling among themselves as they crawled up the branch to go and metamorphose. The little sad green worm crawled on behind them.

They all weaved their cocoons about themselves in the top branches of the tree, and waited to transform into beautiful moths. The little green worm did the same.

Soon the silken cocoons were hanging silently in the tree, stirred only occasionally by the light wind.

II.

The days passed while the worms were metamorphosing inside their cocoons, until one early morning as the sun rose, when they started to break open.

As they opened one by one, the beautiful moths came out. First a one and then another, until they were all free of their cocoon shells and were flying about in the air.

The last cocoon to open was the one spun by the little green worm, and they all gathered around it to see what it would look like.

A pair of splendid red and yellow wings emerged from the cocoon as it broke open, and the most beautiful butterfly any of them had ever seen, came out of it. The little green worm had transformed into a beautiful butterfly, far prettier than any of them. In actual fact, they seemed drab and ordinary compared to him.

"How unfair,” shouted the six fat moths in unison, "He is a beautiful butterfly, and we are nothing but a bunch of ugly moths!”

But the lovely little butterfly paid them no mind, and flew off. He flapped his delicate wings and fluttered away happily on the light morning breeze. The ugly duckling often becomes a beautiful swan in the end.