Meet Lucy. She is a beautiful caterpillar.
One morning she saw Sally Spider.
"Hi, Sally! What are you doing today?" asked Lucy.
"I am spinning a web to catch some lunch.
Do you want to spin a web with me?" Sally asked.
"Oh, I'd like to spin with you.
But I think I have too many legs!" said Lucy.
"That's true. I only have eight legs," said Sally.
"But you have sixteen! Wow."
Lucy laughed and said, "Yeah, they help me hold on to branches better."
"I've got to keep spinning," said Sally.
"See you later, Lucy!"
Lucy said good-bye.
Then she met Anthony Ant.
"Hi, Anthony! What are you doing today?" she asked.
"I'm carrying food back to my house.
I will save it until winter," Anthony said.
Lucy was very impressed.
"I save my food too.
But I save it inside my body."
"That's very smart!" Anthony said.
"Hi, Lucy!" said a bee, drinking from a daisy.
"Hi, Bert! What are you doing today?" Lucy asked.
"I'm collecting pollen to share with the queen bee.
Do you want some?" Bert asked.
"No, thank you. I ate my lunch already.
Look at these leaves!
Aren't they delicious?" asked Lucy.
"Uh, sure! But I'd rather eat honey.
See you tomorrow, Lucy!"
And Bert flew off to a flower far away.
Can you guess Lucy's favorite hobby?
That's right, it's eating!
She needs to eat a lot of leaves because she stores her food in her body.
"I ate so many leaves today!
Maybe I will go someplace quiet and take a nap," thought Lucy.
"Oh, and sleeping upside down sounds comfortable.
I'm sleepy." Lucy started to snore.
Lucy is sleepy because she is about to make a big change!
After eating many leaves for many months, she will shed her caterpillar skin and form a hard shell called a chrysalis.
Inside her chrysalis, she will sleep for a long time.
Can you guess what happens next?
"Hey, Sally. Have you seen Lucy lately?" asked Anthony.
"No, Anthony. I haven't seen Lucy for two weeks!" Sally said.
"Bert, have you seen Lucy?"
"No, Sally. I haven't seen her either."
Bert was very worried.
"I think we should go look for her.
Do you want to come with me?" Anthony asked.
"Yes!" said Bert and Sally.
They flew and crawled after him.
"Look, Anthony! There are Lucy's clothes!" cried Sally.
She pointed at Lucy's old skin.
Bert looked at Lucy's hard shell.
"Why, it must be an evil monster!
I think it ate Lucy!"
He knocked on the monster's shell.
"Excuse me. Open up.
Did you eat my friend, Lucy? Hello?"
Suddenly the chrysalis opened.
"Lucy?" asked all three friends, confused.
"You're beautiful!" said Sally.
"Thanks. So you like my new wings?" said Lucy, smiling.
"I sure do!" said Bert.
"Will you join me for some leaves and pollen?"
"Sorry, Bert, but I have to fly across the field and lay over a hundred eggs!" said Lucy.
"For once I'm not hungry!
All I want to do is fly!"
Lucy floated off into the distance, and her friends cheered.
"Bye, Lucy! We'll miss you!"