The Caterpillar Adventure
A Story and Play By Philip Hunt
Suitable Resource For Key Stage 1 & 2 English & Drama
unrevised 1
Copyright 2012 Philip Hunt
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
The Play
Part 1
Part 2
About The Author
Introduction
“The Caterpillar That Wanted To Fly” is a story that explores the theme; From child to a student. The story uses the world of insects to parallel a child’s experience of starting school for the first time. The story focusses on the caterpillar which will mature into a butterfly. Before doing so the caterpillar has an adventure which allows him to learn and meet new friends.
The Story
Chapter 1.
Once upon a time, there was a big tree. Under this big tree there lived a caterpillar. He lived with his family who were butterflies. Mummy, Daddy and all the other butterflies flew around under the leaves of the tree. Sometimes they flew over the field. The caterpillar would watch his family fluttering around and wished he could fly too.
Chapter 2.
One sunny day the caterpillar's family flew over the field. They wanted to feel the sun on their wings. The caterpillar felt very sad, he could not go. He wished he could fly like his Mummy and Daddy. In the big tree there lived a Ladybird. Ladybird was a very clever and wise beetle. She will know how I can fly, he thought.
Chapter 3.
The ladybird said “You should go and ask the Grasshopper. Ask to sit on his back while he jumps very high. He can jump to the field.” Caterpillar went to see the Grasshopper. “Yes, yes,” said the Grasshopper, “I'll take you to the field. Get on my back and off we will go.”
The Caterpillar had eaten lots of leaves. He was very heavy. “Ouch!” said the Grasshopper, “My legs can't carry you. You're too heavy Caterpillar”.
Chapter 4.
The Caterpillar went back to see Ladybird. “I was too heavy” he said. “Okay, I have another idea” said Ladybird. “Climb the big tree and sit on a leaf. Then eat the stalk of the leaf. The leaf will break from the branch. It will float down to the ground and you will know what it's like to fly”.
So the Caterpillar climbed the tree. He went munch, munch, on the stalk. The leaf broke away from the tree and the wind blew hard! Whhheeeew. The leaf tumbled through the air and went off far, far away.
Chapter 5.
The Caterpillar was very scared. He gripped the leaf tightly in his hands. The leaf went round and round and round! Finally the leaf came to rest on the ground. “Phew!” Said the caterpillar.
Chapter 6.
Suddenly the caterpillar heard a strange sound. Crunch, crunch, crunch, it was like the sound of many little feet. The sound got louder, and louder, and LOUDER. There was a hole near Caterpillar. Out of the hole popped the head of an ant. Then another, and another, and another!
There were hundreds of ants. They made a circle around poor caterpillar. He was very scared. The ants looked hungry and excited. He thought he was going to be eaten. “Please don't eat me!” said caterpillar.
Chapter 7.
The ants all started to laugh. “We don't want to eat you”, they said between chuckles. “We want to eat your big juicy leaf. We're leaf ants, we love to eat leaves. But that leaf is too big for our hole”.
Caterpillar thought for a moment. “You could try rolling up the leaf. We caterpillars do this when we turn in to a chrysalis. We roll up the leaf in a tube and sleep inside”.
“That sounds like an idea worth trying!” said the ants.
Chapter 8.
All the ants went to work, helping to roll up the leaf, then carrying it to the hole. The leaf fitted into the hole easily. “You must have some leaf soup with us”, said an ant. “After, we can ask the Queen Ant how to get you home”.
“How did you know I'm lost?” said the caterpillar.
“One of the drones saw you” replied the ant.
“Drone? What's a drone?” asked Caterpillar.
“Drones are male ants that fly. Come on, lets eat.” said ant.
Chapter 9.
The ants shared their soup with Caterpillar. It was very good. All the ants helped to put out the bowls. When everybody had finished their soup, they helped to tidy up. They washed the bowls, wiped the table and put everything away in it's place.
“Come on then”, said an ant, “Lets go and see the Queen”. They walked through the tunnels of the ant's nest. It was nice and warm. They entered a large room. It was like a cave. Lots of ants were fussing over little eggs and ant larvae. “It is hot in here!” Sighed the caterpillar.
Chapter 10.
“Your majesty”, said the ant bowing. “I present you with The Caterpillar, a friend to the ants. He shared his leaf”.
“Yes I have been told all about you”, said the Queen. “Are you far from home little one”?
“Yes your Majesty”, replied the caterpillar, “Very far from home. I don't know where home is. I only know that my home is under a big tree”.
“Well that sounds like an address we can find. Call 5 drones to help. 4 will carry the caterpillar on a leaf. The 5th drone will look out ahead for 'The big tree'”.
Chapter 11.
Off the six of them went. All the ants waved good-bye. The ants carried the caterpillar high into the sky. This time the journey was very nice and the caterpillar enjoyed the view. They quickly found the big tree. The ants put caterpillar safely on the ground.
Chapter 12.
All the butterflies gave caterpillar a welcome home. Mummy and Daddy were very happy to have caterpillar back home. “Mummy, Daddy!”, said caterpillar, “I missed you very much! I met new friends at the ant hill. They helped me home. Now I think I'll make a cocoon and have a sleep, I'm very tired...”
And we all know what happens to caterpillars that sleep in a cocoon don't we?
The End.
The Play
As a suggestion, you can make paper hats. On the hats draw the characters that the children are playing.
If your children need more of a challenge than the script gives, get them to add their own lines that their character might say. This play accommodates a group of 12 children.
Characters
Caterpillar, Butterflies; Mummy-Daddy-& Others
Ants; Workers, Queen, Drones (male flying ants)
Ladybird
Grasshopper
Tree & Leaf (if necessary)
Narrator (description in bold)
Part 1.
Once upon a time, there is a big tree.
Tree: “Animals Live in Me!”
Under this big tree there lives a family of Butterflies
Butterfly-Mummy: “I'm Mummy Butterfly, I like to fly”
Butterfly-Daddy:“I'm Daddy Butterfly, I like to fly too”
The caterpillar looks at his family fluttering around. He wishes he could fly too.
Caterpillar: “I'm a caterpillar. I want to fly.”
He goes and asks the ladybird how he can fly. Ladybird is a very clever and wise beetle.
Ladybird: “I'm a Ladybird, I like to help.”
The Ladybird says ask the grasshopper. He jumps very high into the sky. Sit on his back.
Grasshopper: “I'm a Grasshopper, I like to jump.”
But the caterpillar is too heavy from eating lots
of leaves and Grasshopper cannot jump. To feel better he goes Munch, Munch, on a leaf. The leaf breaks, just as the wind blows hard! The leaf flies through the air.
Leaf: “I'm a Leaf, flying around, around and around.”
The caterpillar is very scared. He grips the leaf tightly in his hands. The wind blows the leaf round and round and round! Finally the leaf comes to rest on the ground.
Worker Ant: “I'm an Ant, I eat leaves.”
2nd Worker Ant if needed: “I'm an Ant, Wow look, a leaf”
Drones: “I'm a Drone, I can fly!”
Queen/King Ant: “I'm The Queen Ant and you are far, far, away”
The students, still in a line, will then pretend to be Ants and march. As they march they will say “left, right, left, right...”
Cut a large piece of scenery paper in the shape of a leaf and paint green to help as a prop.
Part 2.
There are lots of ants, and they make a circle around caterpillar. He is very scared. The ants look hungry and excited. He thinks he is going to be eaten.
Caterpillar: “Please, don't eat me!”
The ants all laugh.
All Ants: ”Not you. Your nice leaf.”
The ants are leaf ants. The problem is that the leaf is too big to get in their ant hill.
Someone can ask everyone, “how shall we get it in there?” (pointing under a chair doubling as an Ant hole).
Caterpillar: ”Try rolling it up”.
Some caterpillars do this to turn into a chrysalis. They wrap a leaf into a tube.
All Ants:”Okay, Lets try it!”
All the ants go to work. They roll the leaf up. Then carry it to the hole. The leaf fits easily.
All Ants:”Hurray! Time for leaf soup!”
The caterpillar eats the leaf soup. It is very good. They wash the bowls up and put them away. After, caterpillar is tired and goes to sleep. What happens to caterpillars that go to sleep? That's right, they turn into a cocoon!
The students create a line, they will pretend to be a cocoon and grow into a butterfly. As an extra idea, get your children to pretend to fly. If suitable, get them to climb onto the table, one by one and catch them as they fly (jump) down.
Perhaps saying “I'm a butterfly, my wings are red, blue, pink, gold etc. (What ever their favourite colour is).
The End.
About The Author
Philip Hunt is a teacher of English and art and a designer and illustrator. He writes a blog about hand made clay characters called Box-Bods, which he created. He also writes a blog about his illustration experiences called Beyond the Hinterlands.
“If you would like help with your book cover, please get in touch. I charge a modest fee for origional illustrations.” Email me about your project.
His book, The Caterpillar Adventure, was written while teaching at primary level to Portuguese students. “It was great fun and a great challenge, especially as at the time I didn't speak much Portuguese.”
If you would like to get in contact with Phil send an email here;
[email protected] he's always happy to receive feedback on his book or blogs.