THE TWO LITTLE CATERPILLARS

Amy and Liam were two gentle caterpillars and they lived in a beautiful tree. They loved to climb and climb along the branches of the tree and then stop and munch the big, green, juicy leaves. They had a sweet and simple life and couldn’t imagine anything ever being different.

Until one day when they woke up in the morning and the sky was not blue but grey and the sun did not shine but Instead was covered with black clouds. “I don’t like this,” said Amy looking up with scared eyes at the darkness.

“Me, neither,” said Liam.

“What shall we do?” asked Amy.

“I don’t know. Let’s ask someone,” he answered.

“Excuse me,” Liam said to a passing bee, “what’s happening?”

The bee looked surprised at the question and stopped his buzzing for a moment to speak.

“Don’t you know? Don’t you know?” he repeated over and over again. “Very bad, very bad; a flood is coming; very soon; very soon. Fly away, fly away.”

“But we can’t fly!” Amy cried after the frightened little bee but he had already zoomed off.

The two caterpillars looked at each other. “We must try to go to the mountain,” said Liam “we may be safe there." 

"Yes," agreed Amy. "Perhaps the water will not come up so high. It will be hard though because the mountain is many days away.”

Together they began to crawl from branch to branch. It was very tiring though and they had to keep resting and eating. Eventually it was time to stop and they found a quiet little hole in the tree where they fell asleep.

That night the moon was high up in the sky and shone bright with all the stars twinkling around it. Amy had been fast asleep when suddenly she woke up. She thought she heard a voice speaking to her.

“Go to the ark,” she thought she heard the voice whisper.

She woke Liam up.

“There’s a voice speaking. I think it’s saying go to the ark,” she told him.

“Oh it’s just the wind,” said Liam.

Amy agreed it must have been the wind and went back to sleep.

The poor little caterpillars worked really hard every day. They would march along the tree branches; then munch a big, green leaf and finally have a tiny rest before marching once more.

At last both of them needed to stop. They were so sleepy.

“Shall we just have one more rest,” said Amy, her eyes almost closed.

“Good idea,” agreed Liam, “I am tired as well.”

They slept for a long, long time when a most amazing, wondrous, beautiful miracle happened to the two little creatures. They began to change. A thick blanket like a cocoon began to spin around their bodies whilst they stayed all cosy and warm inside. They lay inside the cocoon many days, quiet and still. When suddenly both the cocoons began to break open and Amy and Liam pushed their way out into the fresh air.

Oh they were bright, colourful butterflies.

“Look at me!” cried Amy as she flew around and around in circles.

“I can’t believe it,” shouted Liam as he soared up high into the air.

Then they heard it; both together this time. The voice saying the same thing over and over again:

“Go to the ark. Go to the ark. Go to the ark.”

“I heard it that time,” said Liam.

“But where is the ark?” said Amy, then smiling she continued, “We must fly up high and perhaps we will see it!” 

Together they fluttered quickly up to the tops of the trees. It was so easy now. On and on they went until at last right in front of them, they saw an amazing ship. It was the biggest ship in the world and there were lots of animals and they were all going inside.

As the two butterflies watched an old man called Noah came out of the ark. He looked up at the sky. It was getting blacker and blacker. He told the animals to hurry up and come into the ark.

Suddenly there was a huge, booming noise. Everyone including Amy and Liam jumped. They had never heard such a sound before. Then great drops of water began to fall from the sky. It had never thundered or rained before and the animals did not know what was happening. Amy and Liam fluttered down towards the ark and Noah.

“Amy and Liam?” asked Noah.

The two butterflies nodded and sighed as Noah stretched out his hand for them to climb on.

"Is this the ark?" asked Amy

"It certainly is," replied Noah, "we have been waiting for you! God wouldn't let us go without you. Now come and get warm and I will get you something to eat."

So Amy and Liam curled up in Noah's hand and went inside the ark, safe and warm from the flood outside.

(Based on the story of Noah's Flood in the book of Genesis)