The Caterpillars and the Panther (and Thelma)
This is installment #12 in my several-part series, Shit I Wrote a While Ago. I wrote it in 4th grade, and it is inexplicably attached to a fairly large drawing of a kangaroo. Mystery was the name of the game in 1995.
The Caterpillars and the Panther (and Thelma)
Once, a long time ago, there was a beautiful blue panther. This panther bragged for hours on end about his beautiful blue fur. The other animals were really sick of him.
Then there were some caterpillars. Their names were Lily, Iris, Violet, Rose, and Martha. The panther (his name was Sebastian) always bragged about being so perfect and fast and no one could see him he was so camouflaged, and other stuff. To make matters worse, he always told the caterpillars that they were the ugliest creatures on earth.
One day a fairy (her name was Thelma) came and said, “You, Sebastian, will be given three chances.”
“‘If you do not behave, you will be turned into a Goon.’ I know, okay?” Sebastian said in a strange little mocking voice.
Thelma looked at him. “Two chances.”
Over the next few days, Sebastian continued to bother Lily, Iris, Violet, Rose, and Martha. After 48 hours, Thelma came back.
“Sebastian, dear,” she called sweetly.
“Yes, Sweetness?” he asked just as sweetly.
“WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING HARASSING THESE POOR LITTLE CATERPILLARS?! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!” She calmly closed her eyes. “And as for you,” she said, motioning towards (big breath) Lily, Iris, Violet, Rose, and Martha, “here.” She gave them a bag of good-tasting Fairy Dust. They ate it. Something wrapped them in wool stuff. In five minutes they were released. Five beautiful butterflies flew out. They picked up Sebastian and dropped him in a nearby tar pit.
That’s why, to this day, panthers are black and caterpillars turn into butterflies in the spring.
The End!
I guess this was possibly part of an origin of the world myth-type assignment. It seems that I really couldn’t write anything without borrowing from other stories or myths, which is sort of cheating a lot of the time, but also sort of celebrates the idea that each person is a product of his historical moment, and that you can’t really separate yourself from what came before you. Because I’m totally sure that’s what I was going for. B-
