Sparkle Glen – The Sad Caterpillar – Part 2

This is part two of a series of fairy Stories by Nan Bosler.  To read part one click here.

The sad caterpillar

The sun climbed above a bank of clouds that had settled on the horizon.  Rays of light danced on the little pool.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was beaming.  The flowers smiled wide and the trees swayed gently to the rhythm of the frolicking breeze.  Everyone was happy except for a caterpillar nibbling on a leaf.

She was very prickly, not very pretty at all, and was feeling so sad that when Jackie Kookaburra flew into the tree she didn‘t even try to hide.

Jackie threw back his head and laughed in hearty delight.

“What is the matter with you little caterpillar?  I won’t eat you.  You are too prickly.”

That was the last straw!  The caterpillar wasn’t sad anymore she was furious.  “What’s the use of me,” she demanded. “You don’t think I’m good enough to eat.  Little boys think I’m a plaything and call me an ugly gubbi-gubbi.  And little girls scream when the see me.  Oh dear!”

Jovial Jackie Kookaburra was serious for a moment, put his head on one side and looked at the indignant caterpillar.

Slowly he said, “Don’t be sad.  Look little caterpillar, see that beautiful, delicate creature flitting among the flowers.  Her name is Grace and she is a butterfly, and you my friend will soon grow very sleepy and settle yourself down in a cocoon for a sleep.  When you awake you will have changed into a butterfly.  Just like Grace.”

Jackie couldn’t be serious anymore and the creek echoed with his rollicking laugh.  Now everything really was bright and happy.

The Builders

After breakfast the children returned to Sparkle Glen. Mikey was determined to look for tadpoles and ventured a little further up the creek to a spot where the creek became quite narrow.  There was a little pool that looked quite promising.

The girls wanted to build a fairy house.  The previous night, as they snuggled into their sleeping bags ready to go to sleep, they had agreed that the creek was a perfect place for fairies to live and that they would build them a new house.  They carefully chose a spot.  It was at the base of an old tree where lots of roots had grown above the ground.

“Look, the roots form little rooms,” exclaimed Katrina. “But goodness aren’t there a lot of spider webs around here.”

“I hope we aren’t gong to find any spiders,” said an alarmed Elly.

The girls set to work, gently scooping the soil away to form little rooms. Doorways were opened up to link the rooms.

Meanwhile Mikey was pleased to discover lots of tadpoles darting around in the clear water.  He had brought a container with him and set about trying to catch some.  Mikey had thought it would be easy.  He hadn’t realised that they could swim so fast.  He caught 5 tadpoles then sat down on the bank dangling his feet in the water.

Mikey looked at the narrow part of the creek and thought it would make a good place to build a dam.  He collected lots of little sticks and began to build his dam.

The girls were busy furnishing the new fairy house.  It was quite amazing how they used polished stones from the creek, pieces of wood and little bits and pieces that they had found to complete the new dwelling.

Leanne was very pleased with the sunken bathtub she had made with the white screw top lid from a lemonade bottle.

“Well, its finished,” said Katarina.

“Just in time too,” signed Elly, “because we go home tomorrow.”

“Come on Mikey. Time to go back to camp,” called Katarina.  There was a bit of a wait for Mikey, but finally he appeared clutching the jar containing the tadpoles.

“You can’t take them away from their creek, Mikey,” said a worried Leanne.

“You’ll have to put them back,” said Katarina.

Reluctantly he returned the grateful tadpoles back to the water.

image: Krappweis