The Caterpillar and the Ant

Hogan the caterpillar watched as a butterfly flew into the beautiful spring sunlight. It had colorful, shiny wings. Hogan stared in awe as it made a perfect 360-degree turn before landing on a daisy. Hogan sighed. When would it be his turn? When would it be his turn to flap his wings ever so lightly, and feel no weight holding you down?

Hogan saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw that it was a leaf blowing in the wind. He crawled over to it and took a bite when it landed. As he chewed, he heard a faint, high-pitched scream. He stopped chewing and looked down. There sitting on the half-bitten leaf was a tiny ant crouching in fear. 

“Please, oh please don’t eat me! I just need directions to Ant Kingdom. That’s all!” 

Hogan looked at the ant with curiosity; he certainly looked smaller than a normal ant. 

“I mean you no harm little guy. I’m sorry if I scared you.” 

The ant looked up at Hogan with fear in his egg-shaped eyes. 

“No?” He asked.

“No.” Hogan replied. 

The ant half jumped, half crawled down the leaf Hogan was holding and landed on a low tree branch. 

“My name is Andy the ant.” He said with a smile. 

He stood his full height which barely came to Hogan’s face. Hogan smiled back. 

“My name is Hogan the caterpillar.” 

Andy the ant stared at Hogan for what seemed like eternity, until Hogan broke the silence. 

“You said you needed directions to Ant Kingdom?” 

Andy nodded. He looked out into the sunlight but turned back almost instantly from the light blinding his eyes.

“I got lost from my group when we went in search for food.” 

Something dawned on Hogan. There werethousandsof Ant Kingdoms, and they were in a huge forest that covered almost the entire state. 

“What was the last thing you saw?” Hogan asked. Hoping the ant would remember. Andy scratched his head deep in thought. 

“I…just ...can’t remember.” 

Hogan sighed. This was going to be a long day. 

“Why don’t we retrace your steps?” 

Andy looked confused.

“Retrace my steps?”

“Yeah, like go through the places you went before.” Hogan explained.

“But I don’t remember the places I went before.”

“Not one?” 

Andy shook his tiny little head but stopped suddenly. It was making him dizzy. 

“Not one.” 

“Well how did you get up here then?” 

Andy looked at the tree.

“I don’t remember.”

“Do you suffer from short-term memory loss or something?”

“I don’t think so…” 

Hogan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What kind of ant was this? 

“I guess we could give this retrace-my-steps thing a try.” 

After he said that Hogan just wanted to get it over with, so he could go back to staring at butterflies, wishing he would soon become one. Then Hogan had an idea. 

“Why don’t we go to the nearest Ant Kingdom and see if it looks familiar to you.” 

“That’s a great idea! I just hope I can remember.” 

Two Hours Later…..

“What about this one?” Hogan turned his head to the upcoming (and hopefully last) Ant Kingdom. Andy looked at it closely. He walked (or crawled. It was hard to tell) around the giant Ant Kingdom and felt around with his feelers. Then he went to the top where the entry hole was and stuck his tiny head in, so that all you could see was his tiny bottom. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Hogan called to Andy. 

Andy tried to pull his head up form the hole, but he was stuck. 

“I’m stuck!” Andy cried. 

“That’s what I was just about to say.” Hogan called back. 

Andy was scared. It was dark in this Ant Kingdom; from the looks of it, the Ant Kingdom seemed to be abandoned.

“Don’t worry! I’ll try and pull you out.” Hogan said. 

Hogan grabbed a hold of Andy’s hips, and pulled as hard as his caterpillar muscles would allow. But no matter how hard he pulled, Andy still wouldn’t budge. Exhausted from pulling, Hogan had an idea. 

“Hold on Andy! I’m going to go get some honey!” Hogan called to Andy as he headed into the woods. 

“What do you mean, honey? How could you be thinking of food at a time like this? Don’t leave me!” Andy cried. 

When Hogan got back, Andy was still in the hole. “I’m back.” Hogan said. 

“What took you so long?”

“I saw the most beautiful butterfly land on a tree branch, and I couldn’t help but stare.” Hogan admitted.

“Well, just hurry up, it’s getting hot in here.”

“Ok, I’m coming.” Hogan said as he began to spread the honey around Andy. 

“It feels cold.” Andy shivered. 

“Ok, now I’m going to pull you out slowly.” Hogan pulled with all his might. Andy was beginning to slowly come out of the hole. Hogan pulled a little harder. All of a sudden Andy jerked out with so much force, he sent Hogan flying backwards. 

“OW!” Hogan cried. Andy looked back. Hogan had hit a tree. 

“Sorry Hogan, are you ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Hogan grunted. Andy turned towards the woods. 

“Do you hear that?” 

“Do I hear what?” Hogan asked dumbfounded.

Just as he said that, an army of tiny little ants that looked similar to Andy, came stomping through the woods. Apparently the small one in front was the leader. He stopped directly in front of Hogan. 

The tiny little ant spoke: “And what on heaven’s earth are you doing in our home?” 

Hogan was stunned.

“Ummmm…we were just…just leaving.” 

The tiny little ant stared up angrily at Hogan. 

“Well you see here sir, we got lost looking for my home and we thought your home was my home, but we will just be on our way…” The tiny little ant stopped Andy in his tracks. 

“I. Don’t. Think. So.” The tiny little ant spoke firmly. 

Hogan and Andy gulped. 

“You will come with us.”

A few minutes later…

“Well, it could be worse.” Andy joked. Hogan glared at Andy. They both had feather hats on top of their heads and were watching the tiny little ants dance around a pile of seeds as they sat on a log against the wall.

A few hours later…

Andy and Hogan sat and watched exhausted as the tiny little ants continued to dance around the pile of seeds. Andy looked around and saw a tiny bit of light in the corner behind the dancing ants. Andy poked Hogan in the chest. 

“Ow!” Hogan cried. “What was that for?”

“Look.” Andy pointed to the tiny bit of light. Hogan turned and looked at the hole.

“There is no way I’m going through there.” Hogan claimed. 

One minute later…

“PUSH!” Hogan cried.

“I ampushing.” Andy replied. 

“Ugh.” Andy pushed Hogan through the tiny hole in the corner. Or…tried to. 

“Push harder! And hurry, I think I hear them coming!” 

Andy looked behind him to see tiny little ants running towards him. Andy turned around and pushed with all his might. No luck. Time was running out and the ants were getting closer. Andy pushed again, much harder this time. 

“It’s working! It’s working!” Cried Hogan. 

Hogan was sliding out. Andy pushed a little harder. 

“Oof!” Hogan fell on his side into the fresh air. Andy hurried out behind him.

“RUN!!!” Andy cried.

“How do you expect me, a caterpillar, to run?”

“Oh. Uh-oh.” 

Andy had to think fast. He looked up and saw a tree with a cocoon hanging from a branch. “Hogan, isn’t that your cocoon up there?” 

Hogan looked up.

“Well I’ll be. We made a circle! It is! It is my cocoon!”

“We have to hurry and get up there before those tiny little things get to us!” Andy said. 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Hogan replied. 

Hogan crawled as fast as he could up the tree with Andy right beside him. 

“Faster!” Andy cried. 

Hogan looked down. The tiny ants were right at the bark of the tree staring up at him. 

“They aren’t climbing!” Hogan called. 

Andy looked down. 

“Why aren’t they climbing?” Andy asked. 

“If I can climb a tree, why can’t they?”

“I don’t know.” Replied Hogan. “Just keep climbing.”

Five minutes later…

“We made it!” Andy yelled. 

He looked down. “They’re gone! The ants are gone!” 

Hogan crawled over to his cocoon exhausted and out of breath. 

Sigh. “Yes…we made it. Ugh.” Hogan relaxed.

“Why don’t you try and climb into your cocoon and become a butterfly and fly me to Ant Kingdom. I remember now where it is located. It’s just beyond those trees over there.” Andy pointed North. Hogan stared at Andy with disgust. 

“Oh noooow you remember. After all of that? Ugh.” Hogan climbed into his cocoon. 

Once he was snuggled in, he stared down at Andy.

“Well?” Andy asked.

“Well what?” 

“Well now what?”

“Now we wait.” Hogan replied. Andy sighed.

One Hour later…

“This should do.” Andy said as he picked up a branch bigger than himself. Andy swung the branch around and hit the sleeping Hogan smack on the head. 

“OWWWW!” Yelled Hogan. “Wha…?” Hogan felt dizzy, and his head was throbbing with pain.

“Glad you’re awake.” Andy said cheerfully. 

He put the branch down and stared up close into Hogan’s eyes. Hogan glared back at him. 

“I don’t even want to know.” Hogan said. 

Hogan started to climb out but felt different. He felt something wiggling around on his back. Hogan climbed out slowly from his cocoon. Andy stood with his mouth wide open. “Whoa.” Andy stared in awe. 

“What?” Hogan asked. He looked behind him and saw beautiful colors of blue and green dance before his eyes. 

“Whoa.” Hogan was amazed.

“Now you can take me back to Ant Kingdom!” 

Hogan smiled at Andy.

“Yes. Now, I can.” 

Andy climbed on top of Hogan. He settled in between Hogan’s brand new beautiful wings. 

“Just over there.” Andy pointed. 

Hogan admired his new legs before he lifted off high above the trees. 

“Woooow.” Hogan and Andy were amazed at the trees below them. 

“Left!” Andy called. 

Hogan turned left, and Andy felt a breeze across his face. He smiled. 

“This feels good.” 

Hogan arrived a few minutes later on soft ground. He looked up and saw a giant ant hill just before him. 

“This is it.” Andy said. 

“Wow. It’s…huge.” Hogan said.

“Yep.” Andy replied. “This is home.” 

Andy looked up at Hogan. “I’m going to miss you Hogan.” 

Hogan smiled. “No you won’t. I’ll be around.” 

Now it was Andy’s turn to smile.

“Well, goodbye and thank you.”

“You are very welcome Andy.” 

Andy waved and turned towards his home where he was greeted by two slightly bigger ants. “Andy!” They called.

“Mom! Dad!” Andy embraced them in a hug. 

Hogan smiled and lifted off into the bright summer day. He flew off into a brand new life. A few seconds later and he was joined by other butterflies like himself. 

“I must be dreaming.” Hogan and the butterflies flew off into the horizon.