Young Writers Society

Once upon a time, in the slimy world of worms and insects, there lived a worm. An unhappy worm. An unhappy white worm. Her name was Chubby Wormy; at least that’s what they told her her mother named her before disappearing from her life.

‘Oh look at that pathetic worm,’ wormy would grumble from time to time all by herself, ‘all that muddy glitter, skinny pink skin with matching sliminess and she thinks she is the worm of the year!’

Of course, wormy had no friends. She did not like any worm or insect that was a size smaller than her. She thought they always looked at her with belittling eyes and she would not let them belittle her. One day she would be prettier than they. Much much prettier. And then, only then could she be the envy of the slimy world.

“Cheer up Chubby, it is a sunny day,” Mr. Caterpillar, her neighbor would tell her from time to time.

But of course, caterpillar just as she, was fat. Why should she listen to anyone fatter than her? What did caterpillar know about beauty? And most of all, she did not consider caterpillar a friend. Caterpillar was not pretty enough to be her friend. What an odd ugly pair they would make, she thought. A green caterpillar hanging up with a white fat worm – no, she wouldn’t be part of that crowd.

“Cater, what do you know about sunny days and beauty? If you don’t have anything to say that can change my appearance, well just go away.”

“Oh dear, but we have talked about this already.”

“And I do not want to talk about it again.”

“Let your inner beauty shine Chubby and you will be happy I swear,” Caterpillar just wouldn’t give up on her.

“Who will care for my inner beauty if they are repulsed at my very presence?” she sulked.

“No one is repulsed by your presence–” but Chubby Wormy had already sank into the mud of her home.

Caterpillar went away feeling distressed. He did not like having a grumpy neighbor. If only Chubby could overlook her outward appearance and see what she was really worth. Maybe then the entire neighborhood could love her.

So troubled he was that his family of sixteen asked what was the matter. He told them his thoughts about Chubby Wormy. They did not care much for Chubby wormy however, Mrs. Caterpillar advised him. She thought that if he was so concerned about the white fat worm, perhaps he could tell her the family secret. The family secret? Mr. Caterpillar was not so sure. But he felt so saddened by Chubby’s unhappiness. He knew what to do.

The next day dawned. Mr. Caterpillar ventured to his neighbors muddy home.

“Chubby, lovely day isn’t it?”

“What do you want?” Wormy was in no mood to speak to a fat green caterpillar. She wished he could be eaten by a bird already but did not say it.

“I… I have something to tell you.”

“You are moving away and taking your family with you? Oh, that’d be great.”

“No, it’s not that. I have a family secret to share with you.”

“Why would I want to know your family secret?”

“Because it can make you beautiful; but only as beautiful as you are on the inside will be shown on the outside.”

“Tell me this secret.”

“No, I can only show you.”

And for the first time, Chubby Wormy thought she liked Caterpillar. Finally, she will be the prettiest worm she had never been and all thanks to him. He had shown her his family secret; how to build a cocoon. Within that cocoon, a magical transformation took place. That transformation could change her from a fat worm to a bouncy beautiful butterfly with yellow wings. She especially liked yellow wings.

“I will keep your family secret Caterpillar only because I don’t want anyone to be as beautiful as me when I become a butterfly.”

“You should keep the secret only because it’s important to my family and not because you want to be selfishly beautiful.”

“Whatever, a secret is a secret.” Chubby Wormy went away feeling pleased. She hadn’t even bothered to thank Mr. Caterpillar.

A terrible thing happened on Chubby’s crawl back home. A large black bird came and swooped her off the path in its beak. It wanted to eat a fat juicy white worm for dinner. Oh dear, fat wormy was in trouble. She pleaded with the hungry bird to let her go. She didn’t want the bird to eat her before she had a chance to become beautiful.

“No, I cannot let you go worm,” the bird said, “I am very hungry.”

“And what if I told you that instead of eating me only for dinner, you could have sixteen or more…”

“What are you saying?” the bird did not want to be tricked. Chubby Wormy was not tricking.

“If you let me go, I will show you the home of seventeen caterpillars – all fat and juicy. You can even call your friends to have a party.”

“Very well, I will only let you go when you show me.”

And Chubby wormy did. She showed the birds to Mr. Caterpillar’s family home and they let him go. She was very pleased with herself because now she would be the only one to know the secret that would transform her to a butterfly. With no one sharing the secret, she would be the most beautiful creature in the entire slimy world.

Days went by, weeks and then months until Chubby had prepared all the ingredients to build a cocoon. Finally ready by the instructions that Caterpillar had given months past, she begun to build a cocoon.When it was complete, she lay in it ready for a transformation and it happened.

After a long while inside the cocoon, the transformation was ready. Chubby emerged from it and she could fly. She felt the wings flutter against the wind. She was ecstatic beyond measure. On her way to show off she nearly bumped into a yellow butterfly with large patterned wings. She admired his beauty and imagined that she looked just as great.

“Hello beautiful butterfly,” Chubby was ready to make friends.

However, she saw a stream of butterflies flying with him. They were seventeen in all and she realized, with shock that indeed it was the Caterpillar family, now butterflies. She felt a bit of guilt but hid it when she realized, Mr. Caterpillar, now beautiful butterfly had recognized her.

“Chubby Wormy, you are still chubby but with wings,” he greeted.

“What can I say? I am shining inside out. Can I fly with you? You are a beautiful family.”

“Yes we are but no, you cannot fly with us. Goodbye Chubby,” and they quickly flew past her. She wondered if they knew she had been the one who had betrayed them to a pack of hungry birds in the months past. She figured they knew.

“Oh well,” she said to herself and went her way. She would have no trouble making friends when they saw how beautiful she was. Perhaps Caterpillar had been jealous so that was why he hadn’t let her fly with them.

When Chubby made a stop to have some water to drink and perhaps have a look into her reflection, she had the shock of her life. The reflection she saw was shocking; murky, unflattering and big. She could not believe it and so flew to a window in order to see clearly but alas it was true.

Chubby Wormy had become a big fat brown moth. Before she could think clearly, a black bird swooped her away and had her for dinner before she could say a word.

It was a sad tale Mr. Caterpillar always taught his children so that they could not only focus on the good the world sees but also develop the good within them – being loyal to love, truth and of course loyalty itself in order for them to accept themselves as they are.

“So how did you escape from the bad birds grandpa?” small caterpillar asked. They, 28 grandchildren in all sat around their aging grandfather, intently listening to what he had to say.

“We didn’t escape the birds. But because I was wise, I asked the birds to spare my life and those of my children.”

“And they agreed?”

“Yes, because I showed a nice grain farm nearby that could feed them for years. They let me and your parents go because we thought of a solution. The birds were not bad, they were just hungry.”

“I want to be like you Cater grandpa when I grow up.”

“Oh, you are, you already are,” he smiled happy.

the End.

You can also read it on my short story website. Thanks.