from Trevor’s window - a small story

Life can be full of wonder for caterpillars. 

It can also be full of danger.

My little brother Carver taught me all about caterpillars. 

Late one spring afternoon, we were sitting together under the oak tree in our back yard, a tree we called "Ol' Giant" because it was a humongous tree with two limbs that looked like a giant's arms branching out of a knobby trunk that looked like a giant's knee. 

It was one of the many places that became a laboratory or a classroom that Carver used for researching and teaching.

There were caterpillars everywhere, inching their way over and around "Ol' Giant" and us.

“Look at all these cat'pillers, Carver. There’s no end to 'em.”

“It might look like there’s no end to 'em but they have to be careful 'cause they have pred'tors that are out to hurt 'em an' ev'n kill 'em. 

See that bird settin' on "Ol Giants" arm? 

It's ready to swoop down on one o' these little ones and use it for it’s ev'nin' meal. 

Hear those wasps a buzzin' round the nest at the porch door? 

They’d like to use one o' these little ones for food, too. 

When poppa comes in from the field, his mud caked boots might accidentally step on one of these little ones and crush the life outta it. 

So there’s many things that could put a end to 'em.

But there’s some ways these little ones can protect themselves. 

These ways are amazin', wonderful ways nature gave ‘em to help ‘em. 

Look at this little one. What’s the first thing you notice 'bout it?”

“It’s got bright colors all around it.”

“This little one is a Monarch. Those bright colors tell that bird and those wasps that it’s been eatin' pois'nous plants an' so is pois'nous itself.

Nature makes it tough on the inside so it can be safe on de outside.

How 'bout this one? What you notice 'bout it?”

“Hey, that’s cat'pillar larva. At first I thought it was bird droppins'.”

“These little ones’ll be Tiger Swallowtails. 

Nature he'ps them camouflage themselves so they can stay safe.

What 'bout this one?”

“It has two big circles that look like eyes.”

“Those are called eyespots an' make this little one look bigger an' scarier than it really is. 

Nature he'pd it look like a snake so that bird an' that wasp will leave it alone.

Yep, life is full of danger.

But it’s full of wonder, too.