Worm & Caterpillar

TALES FROM WORMY WOMP-PILE
The Worm and the Caterpillar

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2)

Let it be known; the tale I am about to tell is older than time itself. But tho it is worn, and stiff and stale, tell no one the end, be no tattle-tale.

One day an old worm waddled into Wormy Womp-pile, odd and strange, and covered with fuzz from his tail to his nose. Now therein lies an oddity in itself, since none of the inhabitants of Wormy Womp-pile even have a nose upon which to be fuzzy.

And if fuzzy nose was yet enough, the funny fact that this worm had legs upon which to waddle was fairly funny-peculiar and an oddity all in itself; For no worm whatsoever had ever wandered into Wormy Womp-pile upon legs before nor since.

"Have you seen the wooly old worm who wandered into Wormy Womp-pile this day?" inquired Windel Worm inquiringly.

"Yes I have," responded Worthington Worm respondingly. "And I must declare, he is the first worm I have ever witnessed with legs with which to walk upon. It surely causes one to wonder, does it not?"

"Surely it does, Worthington" replied Windel Worm respectfully. "And I must declare, such an odd worm, with a multicolored coat of wool, which in itself runs contrary to any one worm I have yet to encounter, must surely not be one which one such as we should intentionally encounter."

"I must whole-heartedly agree," agreed Worthington Worm agreeably. "When a worm such as the one we witnessed today saunters into such a small and simple site as Wormy Womp-pile on legs, and such a multitude of legs at that, it would behoove one to wander with caution about such a one, would it not?"

"Assuredly it would," assured Windel Worm assuringly. "And I must declare that I for one will have nothing whatsoever to do with that wooly old worm; for I find a fear far within my frame which warns me of something wondrously weird about any one worm with wool upon its nose."

"Which makes the two of us of one accord regarding the wooly worm with a nose with which to have wool upon and legs with which to walk thereon," concurred Worthington Worm concurrently. "And I would surely suggest that all worms such as we support such a sensible suggestion."

And so it goes that yet another rumor regarding a wandering wanderer is begun in a simple little burrow such as Wormy Womp-pile. Now it must be said that such a rumor in itself in such a small burrow is not in itself such a terrible thing considering the fact that few stories of any sort are available to any-worm in Wormy Womp-pile. Nor would any such stories be of much significance considering that none of the residence of Wormy Womp-pile have ears with which to hear such stories, nor hearts with which to judge one way or another about such stories should one hear them in the second place.

Now it must be known and understood that what I have told you above is for your ears only since, tho none of the worms of Wormy Womp-pile have ears with which to hear nor a heart with which to discern, they are totally unaware of this fact, and so therefore believe they have ears with which to hear and a heart with which to discern. And thinking such thoughts without a brain with which to think is surely a dangerous situation indeed when all is considered. Don't you think?

If you are wondering about the wooly old worm which wandered into Wormy Womp-pile; Fear not, for we have not forgotten him, and for all that we will forthwith inform you of all information we have found affecting him.

Woolly, if we may so refer to him as such, for such is surely a distinguishing distinction which distinguishes him from all the other worms within Wormy Womp-pile, is unaware of the agitated attitudes of the community into which he has wandered. Nor, might I add, is he apparently appreciative of such an appalling state of affairs affecting his future.

Fortunately for our furry friend, there is but one worm in all of Wormy Womp-pile which is either unaware of the prevailing attitude attributed toward this total stranger; or is unappreciative of the unsubstantiated conclusions which have been cast toward this castigated creature which has wandered into such a wormy wonderment.

"Greetings, brother worm, welcome to our Womp-pile," greeted Willie Worm graciously. "Have you wandered far before finding our fabulous field we call home?"

"That I have," replied the wooly old worm respectfully. "I began this final leg of my journey long, long ago and far, far way from the point at which I now walk with finality," the wooly old worm concluded conclusively.

"From whence have you journeyed?" inquired Willie Worm inquiringly.

"That is rather difficult to speculate," speculated the wooly worm speculatively. "I would venture to speculate that I have traveled at the least two hundred yards from the point at which I first began my journey."

"That is indeed a great distance for any one worm to have wandered," announced Willie Worm with amazement. "For I myself have not ventured farther than a few feet from the hole from which I was born. And did I not, if I may so inquire, hear you say that you were on your last leg of your journey? It appears to me, sir, if I may say so, that you have many, many more legs to use and to lose before such a journey is concluded. May I further inquire, if I am not being too inquisitive of a stranger such as yourself, how many legs more you had when you first began your adventure, and further, if I may be so bold, how you came to acquire even but a few of the many legs you now stand upon so regally?"

"I do not mind at all your mentioning such, nor your inquiries," responded the wooly old worm responsibly. "For you see, we caterpillars are provided with legs, and all other such necessities, in order to fulfill the requirement which is required of each and every one of us. If it were not so that we were provided with such, we would certainly be totally incapable of fulfilling such requirements. Concerning your inquiry regarding my reference to this being my last leg, my meaning is that this burrow of yours called Wormy Womp-pile is where I am destined to fulfill my final destiny."

"Sir, if I may say so, once again your responses to my requests have inspired yet another bevy of inquiries, so therefore, if I may pry further," queried Willie Worm questioningly. "What is a destiny, a word of which I have never heard nor had mentioned in my presence, yet one I have always wondered about deeply; and what, pray tell, is a caterpillar, and how does one become one should one ever choose to become whatever a caterpillar is and will be destined to further fulfill?"

"That is a wise set of questions you have set before me, Willie Worm, and questions I am more than willing to provide you with adequate explanations withal," answered the wooly worm, anxiously. "First and foremost I will answer your last question first in order that you may finally understand the last question before I explain the first question, which of course I will answer last. And now that you fully understand why I am answering your last question first, I will proceed with the last question which I fully intend to fully expound before proceeding to the first question, which, of course I will answer last.

"Firstly, my friend, a caterpillar is a creature which is chosen to become that which is not possible for any creature to become; yet, through no will or initiative of its own, it is able to become that which all creatures who are not, wish to become should they be able to become such. This may seem to one who does not understand, an impossible task; and that conclusion is entirely true, in spite of the fact that such an occurrence does occur upon those who have been chosen for it to occur upon.

"Of course I am sure you were already aware of what I have just witnessed to you, but I tell you that in order that you may more fully understand that which I am about to tell you after I tell you this. A caterpillar, as I am sure you are fully aware, is but an intermediate step betwixt being a worm, of which you are, and that for which you are fully destined to become. However it is an unfortunate fact that few fellow worms ever find the faith with which to fulfill that destiny which has been provided for him.

"Once again, I am sure you are fully aware of what I have just witnessed, however you needed to know that in order to understand this which I am about to tell you so that you can more fully understand that which I have just told you, since had you not understood that, there would be no way that you could understand this which I am about to tell you which you need to know in order to better understand what I am going to tell you forthwith.

"From that which I have just told you, I am certain that you have come to the conclusion that being a caterpillar is a wonderful thing to become. I am sure that when you look upon me, that is if you had eyes with which to look hereon, that you will find many ways in which I have been bountifully blessed. You see me with eyes with which to see, and legs with which to walk, and a lovely coat of many colors with which to keep me warm. And they are lovely things to have indeed, however with them comes responsibilities that are far beyond the capabilities of mere worms such as yourself.

"This lovely coat of many colors you see, if you had eyes with which to see, is given in order to keep me warm while I work the work which has been set before me to accomplish. For unlike you, as well as I before becoming a caterpillar, I can no longer crawl into a hole in the ground, nor a fresh womp-pile in order to warm myself. Nay, contrarily, I have nowhere to lay this head that has been given me, nor a home of which to call my own.

"And this mouth which has been given me has not come as freely as one might believe, for it has been provided for just such a purpose as that which I am purposing at this moment, which is to tell those of Wormy Womp-pile, as well as other womp-piles throughout the world, what awaits them if they so choose.

"And these legs, which are many, tho very slow indeed, are provided in order to carry me throughout this field proclaiming what I am proclaiming to you at this moment.

"But the task is far from effortless, and in fact is fairly arduous to say the least. For as you can see, if you had eyes with which to see, there is none beside me, for I have had to forsake friends and family as they had forsaken me, for they would not release themselves from the earth to which they are bound, nor could they see the vision I have seen; and that is the vision which is my destiny which will be fulfilled here directly.

"And the name which I bare, as lovely as it may sound to the ears, if you had ears with which to hear, in actuality means 'devil or ravager cat' at worst, and 'hairy cat' at best. That bane of which you may have witnessed with your friends here in Wormy Womp-pile wherein they shun me at best, and curse and cast me out at worst."

"That is a wonderful story indeed, if only I had ears with which to hear, and a heart with which to understand that which you have witnessed to me," proclaimed Willie Worm pointedly. "Were I to choose to become a caterpillar such as you, and be willing to leave all behind such as you have described, and hope for a destiny which you say we all are destined to have if we so choose, what must I do?"

"You cannot choose to become a caterpillar, for that is not a choice for you to make. You must be chosen for such a destiny, for which few are chosen," said the wooly old worm woefully.

"I, therefore, cannot become a caterpillar, even if I wished to become one with all my heart, if I had a heart with which to wish with fully?" responded Willie Worm dejectedly.

"You may choose to be chosen, should you desire to be chosen with all your heart, which, I am afraid you cannot do since you do not have a heart with which to desire at all with," responded the wooly old worm woefully.

"How then may I find such a heart, as I surely must assume that one may be found since you, sir, seem to have found one for yourself in order to desire fully with in order to become such as you are," rejoined Willie Worm hopefully.

"There is a way," proclaimed the woolly old worm pointedly, "But it is a difficult way at best to find, and few there are who even seek it; for the way is very ugly and froth with thorns and thistles of all natures, unlike the way we worms wish to walk or wiggle; that is in fields of flowers and warm womp-piles. But first, before you venture forth on such a venture, you must realize that the ugly route you must take is within yourself. Therefore you must see and say that what you are is but a worm, which those of Wormy Womp-pile will have little difficulty in doing. Then, thenceforth and thereafter you must recognize and adamantly proclaim that what you are is less than any worm the which of whom you have ever judged as being the lowliest of worms. And what is worse than wishing the worst on any worm?

"Thereafter and thence forth you must look inside yourself and search for and flush out all the filth and sludge and canker and grime which has been festering under the surface of your soul unbeknownst to you whatsoever.

"What I have hereby professed is that which you have wished me to declare, and that is the route which I have walked upon in which to reach my destiny. If there are others, of which I have heard of but am in doubt, I cannot tell, for only the path I have taken can I proclaim.

"And finally, my young friend who has listened to this old worm so patiently, I wish you the best of life in this short life we live running from womp-pile to womp-pile, and from worm hole to worm hole in search of peace and contentment; of which, I assure you will not be found in whatever womp-pile you explore.

"But the time has come for me. I have fought a good fight, and run a good race, after which my destiny awaits. Farewell."

Willie Worm watched as the wooly old worm waddled up the path to a high sycamine tree, whereupon he perched upon a leaf which thereupon he rested. After a while the wooly old worm did that which Willie nor any of the other worms of Wormy Womp-pile had ever witnessed before. That old wooly worm hung himself from a twig of the tree and began to wind himself into a wispy womb until he disappeared from Willie's sight altogether.

Willie Worm watched for oh so long, waiting for the old wooly worm to reappear from the womb, for he had yet many questions he wished to inquire of the wise old worm; Questions which burned deeply in what would have been his heart, if worms had a heart, in which to burn.

But the old wooly worm never withdrew from his womb, though day after day Willie Worm ventured forth with questions still burning, hoping to see the old wooly worm that could only have died in a tomb of his own making.

Willie Worm was not the only worm of Wormy Womp-pile who visited the sycamine tree; no indeed. Many others of Willie's acquaintance passed by the tall tree with the wispy white tomb hanging from a twig of the tree. They all stared and wondered about the womb that had become a tomb, and often wondered as well what had happened to the old wooly worm who had journeyed into Wormy Womp-pile, only to disappear and never to be seen or heard from again, even if worms had eyes with which to see and ears with which to hear.

One warm Springy day Willie Worm, as was his custom from that first chance encounter with the old wooly worm who now hung from a twig of a sycamine tree, went forth to watch the wispy womb which had become a tomb for the old wooly worm.

"I wonder, as I always wonder each day and each time I pass by or stand beneath this old sycamine tree, what the destiny will be for which the old wooly worm sought so earnestly," Willie Worm wondered earnestly. "Such a destiny to strive for surely is not to be bundled into a shroud of one's own making, only to die and be dead within sight of all who can see. Surely he must be destined for a destiny far superior to that which I see."

While Willie Worm pondered the preceding, he witnessed a wiggling of the womb which had become a tomb which hung from a twig on a high sycamine tree.

Excitement charged the spot which would have been a heart, if worms had a heart, of Willie Worm as he watched the tomb which may not be a tomb wiggle and wobble and wind every which way.

Willie Worm watched the womb excitedly, then within moments Willie witnessed what appeared to be a worm's head worm its way from beneath the tomb which now was obviously a womb, then struggle and wiggle and wobble with all his might in effort to work his way free from the womb of wound wispy windings with which he had bound around himself like a tomb.

"Hurray!" Willie Worm exclaimed excitedly, applauding and cheering as if he had hands with which to clap and legs with which to leap.

Within moments it was wondrously obvious that the wooly old worm would win his battle with the womb he had wound and would abound free from the womb which bound him as would a tomb.

Wiggle, wiggle, jump and jiggle went the wispy wound womb as the old wooly worm began to emerge from the wispy womb. Little by little the jiggle increased until it was clear that the wily old worm had defeated the tomb and was indeed fulfilling his destiny, whatever it might be.

Then wonder of wonders was there to behold; for there before Willie Worm's eyes emerged what should have been a wooly old worm; but no such thing did occur, but rather what came forth was a fanciful and beautiful fairy-like creature with wings of rainbow hue which spread its wings and did soar high in the sky, appearing ever so much like a flower in flight and riding upon a rainbow.

"Destiny awaits you, my son," sang the wooly old worm which was now a soaring flower riding upon a rainbow. "Do not defeat it, but rather do deny yourself and fight the good fight which is before you. Farewell."

Willie Worm watched as the flittering flower which was and had become his friend did fly away upon a rainbow toward whatever it was which is and will forever become the destiny of the wooly old worm who was so full of wisdom and with a heart with which to share that which a worm is without.

And so ends yet another Womp-pile tale

[Story inspired by: Luke 14:26-28; Jn 17:13-23; Matt 7:1-2; 13-23; 20:16; Eph 2:8-10; Phil 2:12-14; Tim2:11-12; Rom 12:2; 1Cor 11:31-32]