Do Butterflies Remember They Were Once Caterpillars?

Light reading for the heavy heart!

They had known each other all their lives. From the moment light rays hit their eyes, awakening their awareness to a green surrounding heaven; they had been together through all kinds of weather. Come to think of it, they did not know anyone else! They had no memory of Mom or Pa. For all they knew they could be brothers or sisters, or just perfect strangers having the same colors. Green and yellow, black and white, all in umpteen stripes, painted mellow tracks on their backs. Not much time to see what else was in the air, as all that filled their minds was the hunger they could not bear. So it was, one day and the next, wobbling and crawling, munching and crunching, any leaf they could fetch. No thought, no pause, just eat the leaf and then repeat.
As things would have it, one day one of them, unknowingly and innocently, the unthinkable did. Instead of looking for the next leaf, he looked to the branch peaking on his left. His little black eyes could not stop the stare, as his buddy continued creeping and rippling towards his next feast. The curious one finally snapped from his trance, and realizing he was getting behind, twisted his torso as if on a trapeze, quickly making way as his stomach led his way. Finally by his friend, he again went astray, as instead of nibbling and feeding, he asked him… “Have you ever wondered if the leafs are much tastier on other tree limbs?”
The other thoughtless, while continuing his eating answered with his mouth full of green chew, “Why would we care? We got all we need right here, there is no need to compare”
“I’m just asking if you ever think, about things on the next limb. For all we’ve ever done is eating the leafs from right here”
With no pause in his binge, his words drowning in the bolus of his never ending feast, he replied, “Why should I mind about things I cannot reach! You know we cannot bend and stretch for long. We’d become skinny if we made it, and then what if we were wrong? We would have to eat leafs not as tasty as these!”
Then, before the curious could reply, something came from nowhere that he had to admire. It had beautiful colors, black and gold, in bold patterns broken with white spots. You could not tell if it was flying playfully, or if it was stumbling clumsily over walkways of air.
“Look, you must look! What an incredible sight! Look at it fly, it is such a delight!”
Not wanting to leave a new leaf to eat, the gorging one looked at the flying thing and again uttered words from his busy mouth, “Seems lost in the air…” He returned to his affair.
“I must go! I must know! There are so many wonders to ponder! I must explore. I can’t stay here anymore.”
Then as things would have it, at that moment, knowingly and purposely, the other one emptied his mouth with a big gulp. He turned around his bulk like a fanciful slug. He slowly rippled close to his kin. Without a word their antennas touched, just above their heads. Peculiar is the way they express their sense. They don’t have tears. They can’t cheer. Pruney faces hide away all their graces. As such, antennas touch was their way to greet or grief.
Thus it was, they both parted ways: one munching away and the other blazed away. The curious one was determined to make it to the other end. Like a leisured ocean wave, the kind that leaves no wake, he slowly made his way without taking a break. As surprises have a way of surprising you, the trekking one got surprised, the flying creature he had previously admired, landed on his path, not allowing him to pass. He lifted his front half, as its wings slowly flapped. Then as he started to tremble, from the awe of such color ensemble, the creature disappeared before they could endear.
A monster slowly appeared behind leafs in front of him. It was big and it was green! A big belly was supported by four thin limbs. It was slow, and it rocked back and forth as it moved its way forth. A huge head lead the way with weird eyes that did not know what way to see. All ending in a thin tail all curled up at its end. It was chewing the winged thing! As the once beautiful wings were consumed with body and limbs, the curious one stood still, not of fear but shear will.
“Will you eat me as you ate that thing?” the traveling one asked without a squeal.
The green monster finished its meal. With a clear mouth the tip of its tongue showed as it spoke “Nope, you’re too thour. You are not thweet and crunchy like the flying meal. Though I must thay the wings are a bit waxy…”
“Why do you talk so weird? ”
“Well you try to thpeak correctly when you have a tongue like this!" Then he opened his mouth letting out a tongue as long as a rope, just hanging loose while it drooled some thick goo.
“You are strange, beyond compare! What is with your eyes are you ill? One lokks one way and the othera different way! Its as if your eyes were angry at each other and did not want to do anything togeter!" The little one inquired.
“Look who’s taking! Have you theen your face? If I could count I would have no doubt you’d have more than two eyes! Besides, what is the point of having two eyes if you they always look at the thame thing? It theems to me its a waste of an eye, when each one can look at different things.” The monster answered quite sure of himself.
The wondering one could not make out a single thought about the green thing. Yet something was quite clear, he was ugly front to rear! Yet when he said such thing to him, the fiend felt defamed by the ignorant twit’.
”You little fool, thinking that all that astounds must be gratheful and gentle. You would be misled as so many eyes fail to thee beyond the glare!”
"I am so sorry, I didn't want to offend. I am just very tired from my long trek. I come from the other twig looking for things to see. In the middle of my wonders I got lost like a younker."
"No worries! Hop along! You can ride me as I am that strong. I am a bit tired of being alone!"
And so it was the little wonderer rode the monster like a horse. He, slowly moving trying to catch a moth, while snatching leafs with his tongue to give to his new friend to eat along. They both talked and joked, specially when the creature kept one eye on the little one and another searching for its next munch. Then a time came when the little friend turned pensive in thought. When asked about his troubled mind he was fast to answer back, "I miss my friend, brother and companion. Now that I've ventured past past what he censored, I miss his constant munching and the simplicity of our lurking."
"I can understand your yearn and thus will manage your return."
As the monster began to turn he stopped, just beside a fern. Then he started rocking, back and forth, and like fireflies born out of rainbows, his body changed colors. Yet, most important to mention: his eyes looked in the same direction. When the traveling one saw what he was seeing, in deep awe he saw another creature doing the same thing as his friend. "What are you two doing?" The traveling one asked out of ignorance.
"Can't you see? It's the love dance, and I think I might have a chance!"
Knowing it was the end of the ride, the curious one got off the monster's back. No need to say goodbye, as he was hypnotized by their strangest dance. Rippling and wiggling his way through the branch, he thought he had arrived, but his friend was not in sight. Yet there was one little thing, which out of place it seemed, it was green and hollow as if it had housed something within. The little one wondered, because he knew he was home and that wasn't there before. Despite his question, he continued in his depression, as he found himself alone, with no one to call companion.
So he did what his kind do, munching and wobbling from one leaf to the next. Until one day, unknowingly and innocently, the unthinkable happened. Out of nowhere, clumsily, another flying thing landed before him. It was white, black and gold, in bold patterns like those before. Yet unlike the ones before, this one seemed a bit curious about the curious one. Little by little the two approached, attracted by some unknown. Until, as a whisper's touch, their antennas touched, just above their heads.
No one knows what happened after then. No one knows what became of then. But I do wonder when I see a butterfly, if they remember when they were little ones...

Reviews

[Leviathus Fortes]

Brilliant. I'm glad that someone here understood the concept in which the contest was based. To get the creative juices flowing and to see if new fairy tales can exist. To see if we can create those stories which will be handed down for generations to come, even long after we have left this mortal plain.

This is a delightful read and is now a part of my favorites library. I see your talent in this field and look forward to reading much more of your work.

[Al R. Arce]

Thank you! You made me smile! This was hard to write. Not because of the story but because of the form I chose to write it in. I was afraid a lot was going to get lost in the mix, but it was one of those things I just had to try'! I am glad you liked it.