Nellie, The Caterpillar

One day, Rose, a girl who was very scared of animals, saw a small animal crawling in the garden then climbed on a rock and began to shout:

- Help! Help! Please...!

The little animal stopped walking because of the screaming girl and then asked:

- What is going on?

The girl, seeing it talk, stopped screaming, wiped her tears and asked:

- Do you speak?

- Yes! Just like you! What is the reason for the screaming, girl?

Rose stopped crying and looking at the animal, said:

- I did not know you could talk!

- And I did not know you could scream so much! - it replied.

- I was afraid of you - she explained.

- Why? Did I threaten you? Besides, you're so much bigger than me.

Calmer, the girl sat at the root of a tree and watched the little bug.

- What’s your name? - the creature asked.

- Rose. What about you?

- I'm a caterpillar. My name is Nellie.

- Ah! What do you do?

- I look for little animals to eat. And you, what do you eat?

- Well, I usually eat meat, vegetables, grains... Things like that.

- Ah! So, you feed on animals, like me?

- Well, thinking like that, it's true. I eat animals!

- Wow! I thought humans would choose better what they eat! But as they eat animals, there is no difference between us!

- No?!...

- No. We eat the same way, don’t we?

- It is true. You're right. I'm going to stop eating meat...

Nellie thought for a moment and then considered:

- But you can feed on other things!

- Yes, I can eat bread, fresh vegetables, legumes... lots of things!

- Ah! So you have more options than I do. Caterpillars feed on what they find on the ground, and it is not always that we have something to eat.

- So you need to get food from the floor? - asked the girl, looking at her with pity.

- Certainly and we cannot always find food.

- Well. Then look in our rubbish bins. There you will always find what to eat!

- Thank you for the suggestion, Rose! I will look! And did you know we help humans? Yes! Because we eat little creatures that could harm you!

The girl smiled and said to the caterpillar that she was very nice. Rose was afraid of her before, but now that she knew her friend, the fear had vanished. And she completed:

- My mother does not know that! I'm going to leave enough food for you in the rubbish and my mother will be glad to know that your species protects us.

- Thanks. You're such a sweet girl, Rose! The best I've ever encountered. We're friends now, aren’t we? See you another day! - said the caterpillar, smiling and thanking her.

Rose returned home happily. As she entered the kitchen, she saw her mother throwing away the unwanted parts of some vegetables and shouted:

- No, Mom! Do not throw it away! The caterpillars eat scraps of vegetables!

- They do? How do you know that, honey?

- I have a friend, Nellie, who only eats those parts of vegetables!

- Wow! And how did you meet her, Rose?

- Playing in the backyard. But it's a long story, Mom!... One day I'll tell it to you.

MEIMEI

(Psychographed by Célia X. de Camargo on 10/09/2017.)

Translation:
Johnny Silveira / silveirajohnny@yahoo.com