There was a little boy who found a caterpillar while playing outdoors. With great care he picked it up and took it inside to show his mother as he wanted to keep it. He took great care of the caterpillar which he placed in a jar. Everyday, he brought it fresh leaves to eat, and sticks to climb on.
Metamorphosis One day the caterpillar started acting rather strangely. Hurriedly the little boy called his mother who explained that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon and that after this it would change into a beautiful butterfly.
Everyday he watched, waiting for the butterfly to appear. And then one day, it happened. A small hole appeared in the cocoon and the butterfly started struggling to get out. The little boy started getting worried as he was concerned that the butterfly couldn’t get free even though it was struggling so hard!
He decided that the butterfly needed his help. He carefully snipped the cocoon to make the hole bigger so the butterfly could come out.
As the butterfly came out the boy got a shock. It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He kept watching but the butterfly’s body never did shrink and nor did the butterfly’s wings expand.
The butterfly never was able to fly…
So what went wrong? The boy had tried to be so helpful. In desperation he asked his mother what had happened. That is when he learned that the butterfly was SUPPOSED to struggle. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push itself through the small opening of the cocoon is what would push the fluid out of its body and into its wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly. The boy’s good intentions had actually hurt the butterfly.
To struggle is part of life … and it is GOOD for you!! It is the way you learn and grow and gives you the ability to fly!