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Below is an example of a peace-building story with multiple endings. Which one do you think is the most peace-building?
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Remember the peace-building elements? Which ones can you identify in the story?
The Grasshopper and the Caterpillar © Ann Mason August 2005 ‘Live simply so others can simply live.’ Mahatma Gandhi Grasshopper sang his usual morning song. The sun breaking over the treetops glistened as it did every cloudless morning. Others joined in his melodic singing. The bottom of the garden in this story was like all gardens. It was full of many different creatures, all with different wants and needs. In one secluded corner of this garden a tiny caterpillar cracked the fine shell that surrounded his protected beginning. Hungry and wanting he stretched to his full but minute length and zigzaggedly moved forward along the glossy underside of the leaf upon which he had been lovingly deposited only a few hours earlier. His jaw opened then widened ready for the first chomp of his existence. Soon his ravenous ways had consumed the entire leaf. He had nearly doubled in size and as each following day unfolded he continued his relentless chomping until he was so large the remaining leaves upon which he was standing arched downwards towards the tuffs of grass below the bushes. Gravity pulled and tugged at him and even though he desperately tried to hang on by his mouth he fell and unfortunately bounced upon an area of hard dry earth. Grasshopper, who had been watching the entire episode, smiled and said: “There’s never enough for the likes of you!” Having never heard another sound from the grasshopper other than his chirping poor Caterpillar stared in amazement. Caterpillar’s back was sore and his head was dizzy. “I’m hungry! What else is there to do than satisfy that desire?” retorted a bewildered Caterpillar who was unsure about the intentions of the strange observer. “Oh poor fellow,” responded the wise, elder veteran of garden life. “There is much more to life than just merely consuming my dear friend.” “Ha!” Caterpillar, not really knowing anything else, ignored the remarks, marched away and began climbing the stalk of a tasty shrub that had been taunting him and was dangling in his way. Unable to contain his curiosity Grasshopper lauched himself into the air and hovered closely by the caterpillar continuing to deliver his unwelcomed commentary. “You and your kind are destroying our beautiful garden, Caterpillar! Haven’t you eaten enough?” Grasshopper remained intent upon changing the caterpillar’s ways, ones he disagreed with, ones he never understood. The continous barrage of words from Grasshopper made no difference at all to the caterpillar’s way of thinking. As soon as Caterpillar had resumed chomping he refused to raise his head or even focus upon listening to the pleas of his unwelcomed garden companion. Finally, Grasshopper flew away in disgust. The next morning brought storms and chilly winds to the garden. But this did not deter the caterpillar. He was so intent upon chomping he did not even notice the cold air or the rain drops that pounded upon all the leaves and his rapidly expanding body. A shivering grasshopper hid under the canopy of overhanging rose bushes that had been planted alongside the shrub the caterpillar was devouring. By now the caterpillar was so large he could barely move his heavy and uncomfortable frame along the scarred leafy remnants. “Satisfied yet?” Grasshopper embarked upon his mission to convert the unwanted interloper. “The others like you are equally as greedy. Don’t you and your kind know when to stop?” “What?” requested an astonished caterpillar who was unaware there were others like himself in the garden. “There are others like me?” “Oh, unfortunately yes and everyone is as greedy as you are and every year you consume all the freshly grown leaves and turn our plump and beautiful garden into a mass of ugly skinny stalks. You destroy everything you see!” Grasshopper’s anger was making little impression upon the singleminded caterpillar. His attention was not upon eating now but upon finding out more about the others like himself. “Show me where the others are?” interrupted an insistent caterpillar. “I would but how will you be able to get there? You are so large now you cannot even see your feet let alone move them.” Grasshopper smirked, happy he was able to undermine the caterpillar. “You are all the same….only think of yourselves!” Now one might expect that as this story continued to unfold the caterpillar, like all of his hungry kind, might suddenly hide himself within a carefully constructed cocoon and be content to sleep for a while. This would have surely annoyed the grasshopper. But this story had a different, perhaps unexpected ending. “Dear Grasshopper,” began the caterpillar, feeling somewhat moved by the grasshopper’s passionate request. “I honestly would like to join the others who are like me. How can I do that? I also want to stop this wanting that has so overwhelmed me these past days?” Surprised by the caterpillar’s change of heart a wise but wary grasshopper pondered their options. What do you think happened next???? Ending 1: “Well my dear Caterpillar, began a determined Grasshopper, “soon you will be able to fly to your companions all by yourself, if you can only be patient and allow time to attend to your problem.” “Hm, do you mean I will have to wait Grasshopper!? I don’t know if I can do that? I want to see them now!” beseeched the lonely and fearful caterpillar. “Yes Caterpillar,” continued the knowledgeable Grasshopper, who knew the ways of garden existence, “just follow your instincts my friend and you will have to wait but not for long.” Poor Caterpillar had no patience and was unwilling to abide by the suggestions offered to him. Frustrated and confused, afraid he would never meet others like himself, he turned and awkwardly dragged his bulbous frame to a low hanging leaf and began chomping again. He chose to not refrain from his endless consuming and before the sun had set that same afternoon he had burst and his enormous body was split and spreading all over the ground. “You got what all your kind deserves!” Grasshopper pouted then flew off.
Ending 2: “Well my dear Caterpillar, began a determined Grasshopper, “soon you will be able to fly to your companions all by yourself, if you can only be patient and allow time to attend to your problem.” “Hm, do you mean I will have to wait Grasshopper!? I can do that?” bellowed a determined caterpillar desperately wanting to meet others like himself, maybe even meet a cute and friendly lady caterpillar. “Yes Caterpillar,” continued the knowledgeable Grasshopper, who knew the ways of garden existence, “just follow your instincts my friend and you will have to wait but not for long.” Caterpillar willingly abided by the suggestions offered to him. Patiently and carefully he began spinning his silken cocoon. Within an hour or so he had locked himself safely within its protective walls. He was fast asleep but his body began magically transforming into a beautiful butterfly. A few weeks quickly passed and a sleeping caterpillar did not even realise it was time to break free. A watchful and wise Grasshopper tapped upon the side of the cocoon. “It’s time my friend!” Grasshopper began tearing his way through the silken threads but the caterpillar had woken and he also was pulling at the woven walls. “Thank you Grasshopper.” Caterpillar happily smiled and began stretching his new, longer and shapely legs and unfolding his damp but beautifully coloured wings. “You are a good friend.” Soon the warm sunlight dried Caterpillar’s wings. “Now for your flying lesson! Just flap and follow me!” Grasshopper propelled himself forward and an eager Butterfly followed him. “Grasshopper, I know my kind should not destroy the garden. It needs to be looked after for for our children and grandchildren.” Grasshopper contentedly smiled. He had a new friend and his garden would be beautiful forever.
Ending 3: “Well my dear Caterpillar, began a determined Grasshopper, “soon you will be able to fly to your companions all by yourself, if you can only be patient and allow time to attend to your problem.” “Hm, do you mean I will have to wait Grasshopper!? I don’t know if I can do that? I want to see them now!” beseeched the lonely and fearful caterpillar. “Yes Caterpillar,” continued the knowledgeable Grasshopper, who knew the ways of garden existence, “just follow your instincts my friend and you will have to wait but not for long.” Poor Caterpillar had no patience and was unwilling to abide by the suggestions offered to him. Poor Grasshopper was also frustrated and tired of watching his garden being destroyed by the likes of the caterpillar. It seemed, though, that to some others, both the Grasshopper’s and Caterpillar’s existence didn’t matter. The gardener chose to spray insecticide that afternoon in order to protect his precious and beautiful garden from all those that consumed and those that stung. Besides it was the gardener’s anyway. It didn’t belong to anyone else.
This story may be copied and printed for free peace-building storytelling purposes only. It cannot be used, printed or published in any other form and sold without the written permission of the author. © Teaching and Learning for Peace Foundation October 2005 |
