The Very Hungry Caterpillar
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf. One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and…Pop! Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. He started to look for some food.
On Monday, he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry. On Tuesday, he ate through two pears. But he was still hungry. On Wednesday, he ate through three plums. But he was still hungry. On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries. But he was still hungry. On Friday, he ate through five oranges. But he was still hungry. On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night, he had a stomach-ache!
The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that, he felt much better. Now he wasn’t hungry anymore, and he wasn’t a little caterpillar anymore. He was a BIG, fat caterpillar. He built a small house called a cocoon around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out, and… he was a beautiful butterfly!
Questions
1. What do you think the caterpillar was feeling when it was still hungry after eating so much?
2. What do you think the caterpillar learned from this experience?
3. How do you think the caterpillar felt when it emerged as a beautiful butterfly?
4. What do you think the caterpillar would have eaten if it hadn’t become full after eating the watermelon?
5. Are there any experiences in your life where you felt like the caterpillar, very hungry and in search of something?
6. What do you think it’s like to stay cocooned for two weeks?
7. What do you think this story teaches us about life?
8. What other food items do you think would have been part of the caterpillar’s journey?
