The Caterpillar who did not want to become a Butterfly

There was once a little caterpillar who spent his days munching on mulberry leaves.

The only other caterpillars he knew were other young caterpillars; there were no adults.

One day he awoke to find beautiful creatures gliding through the air above his head.

“What are those,” he asked his smartest friend.

“Those are grown-up caterpillars,” his friend answered, “they're called butterflies.”

The little caterpillar looked at the butterflies, he admired how the flew softly through the air. He was amazed at the beautiful colors and designs on the butterflies wings.

“I want to be a butterfly too,” he said to his friend, “what must I do to make that happen.”

“Soon you will have to spin a cocoon for yourself. Then you will have to stay in the dark cocoon and slowly disintegrate into nothingness. After that you will be rebuilt again into a butterfly.”

“That sounds scary,” said the little butterfly, “I don't like the dark, and I am afraid to be turned into nothingness.”

“That's not all,” continued his wise friend, “after you turn into a butterfly you will have to force your way out of the cocoon. You will have to use up all your energy making a hole in the cocoon and squeezing your way out. If you don't do it properly you might never make it out of the cocoon or your wings could be permanently damaged.”

“I don't think I am strong enough to do that,” responded the little caterpillar, “and I don't want to take a chance of not surviving the trip out of the cocoon. I think I will just remain a caterpillar!”

One morning the little caterpillar noticed that many of his friends were not around. “Where is everyone,” he asked the wise caterpillar. “Look up in the trees,” his friend answered, “they are all making cocoons so that they can become butterflies.

The little caterpillar wanted very much to become a butterfly, but his fear of the dark kept him determined not to make a cocoon. “Being a butterfly is nice,” he told his friend, “but I am really content to remain a caterpillar. I don't see any need to change.”

The days passed and more of his friends disappeared. Over time he noticed them breaking out of their cocoons and gliding through the air, but the little caterpillar remained stubborn. He began to feel fat and sluggish.

“You really should reconsider your decision not to become a butterfly,” said his friend. “I know it is scary, but what is the alternative? You can remain a caterpillar and grow old and die without ever becoming anything better. Maybe you are satisfied with that. Or you can choose to enter a frightening dark place and allow yourself to completely disintegrate. I know you are wondering what will become of you if you allow that to happen. You wonder if you will ever make it out and what type of butterfly you will end up being. But do you really just want to end your life being the same caterpillar you were when you were born?”

The little caterpillar realized the wisdom of his friend's words and began to spin his cocoon.