As ducks and hippopotamuses and آپ and I get older, we get bigger. Especially hippopotamuses.
But not caterpillars.
They turn into butterflies.
Turning into something else like that is not a thing just anybody can do.
Down سے طرف کی the pond there lived a کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر who was very proud of being different.
She bragged about it to her friends.
“When I grow up, I’m going to turn into something else,” she told the snail.
“That’s nice,” کہا the snail, who really didn’t care one way یا the other.
“When I grow up, I’m going to turn into something else,” she told the turtle.
“I don’t blame you,” کہا the turtle, who didn’t much like wiggly things.
“When I grow up, I’m going to turn into something else,” she told the polliwog.
“What fun!” کہا the polliwog.
“What are آپ going to turn into?”
But the کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر hurried on her way, looking for someone else to tell her secret to.
“I wish I could turn into something else when I grow up!” کہا the polliwog.
“You will,” کہا the fish. “All polliwogs do.”
“What am I going to turn into?” the polliwog asked.
But the مچھلی saw a tasty bug and dashed after it.
“When I grow up,” کہا the caterpillar, who had circled the pond and was going around for the سیکنڈ time, “when I grow up,” she told the polliwog again, “I’m going to turn into something else.”
“So am I!” کہا the polliwog.
“You?!” The کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر was so surprised she almost fell into the pond.
“The مچھلی کہا so,” the polliwog told her. “Fish know things. They go to school.”
The کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر was upset.
“I though only caterpillars could do it,” she کہا rather sadly.
“What am we going to turn into?” the polliwog asked.
“Well, I’m going to turn into a butterfly!” کہا the caterpillar.
“Then I guess I will, too!” the polliwog کہا happily. “What fun! Let’s do it together!”
“All right,” the کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر agreed, although she would rather have done it alone. “But I get to go first!”
The polliwog didn’t mind. He wasn’t at all sure how it was done. “I’ll watch you,” he said.
So when the time came, the کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر started to spin a cocoon.
“This is the tricky part,” she said.
The polliwog watched as the کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر spun. Soon only her head was uncovered.
“Now I have to close the lid,” she said.
“And when I come out, I’ll be a butterfly.”
“Go ahead!” the polliwog کہا excitedly. “I want to see آپ do it!”
“It will take a while,” the کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر warned. She started spinning again and was soon out of sight in the cocoon.
For a long time nothing happened.
But the polliwog was patient.
He watched
and watched
and watched,
for days
and days,
and days.
At last there was activity in the cocoon. The end of it opened and, very slowly, the کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر climbed out.
Only she wasn’t a کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر anymore. She was a butterly! A beautiful yellow butterfly!
The polliwog was so excited he hopped up and down with delight!
He hopped! Up and down! Like a frog!
“I was so busy watching you,” he said, “I didn’t notice what was happening to me!”
“You’re a very handsome frog,” the تیتلی said, as she flew off to try her new wings.
But the frog was puzzled. “I thought I was going to be a butterfly,” he said.
A کیٹرپلر, كيٹرپيلر wiggled by. “When I grow up,” he کہا proudly to the frog, “I’m going to turn into something else!”
But the frog wasn’t listening.
He was admiring his reflection in the water.
“I am, آپ know, a very handsome frog!” he said.
