Although I grew up on a farm, I was never really into 'icky' stuff, like bugs, worms, or toads (did everyone else believe that touching toads would give you warts, or was this just me?!). One fine fall day when I was 5 years old (or so) I found a black and orange caterpillar out in the yard, and decided it was just the cutest thing ever. I carefully picked it up with a stick/leave contraption, (one still needs to use caution when handling even the cutest fuzzy things in nature) and decided it was going to be my new pet. Sure, we had a dog, but this pet was going to be my very own.
I proudly took my new little pet inside to house to show my mom. I was proud because I had caught the little cutie, and I was also proud because this caterpillar was going to be my new friend, not gross at all. "Look at what I found!" I said to my mom.
"Oh, what a nice stick," she said.
"No, the caterpillar!" I said, as I scanned my stick for my little friend. Then, I realized the tragedy. The caterpillar wasn't there. I shamefully looked down at the floor. I picked up my foot. There it was. A squished, little cute fuzzy caterpillar.
That was that. No more pet.
So, as I ran along today, I looked down more and more, as not to destroy the caterpillar/butterfly population further than my 5-year-old self had done all those years ago.
So...step lightly out on those country roads, running friends!
*my almost 5-year-old has taken to 'adopting' pets as well. One evening this summer, while out for a walk, he decided to befriend an Inch Worm. He desperately wanted to bring him home as a new pet. I told him, "no, he has to go back to the rock to be with his Mama and Papa." To which he replied, smartly, "Nope, he is a grown-up inch worm, so no one is waiting for him at home."
hmph. Somehow I got him to release the little green inch worm, but I did take his photo before we left:
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| Friends for life |
Great story Amy. I can picture it!
ReplyDeleteAdorable shot of Elliott and the inch worm.