Oscar and Alphonse

Marie knew it was time to send them back. The caterpillars softly wiggled in her hand, spelling out ‘goodbye’. She sniffed. Marie was standing in the middle of her front yard, about to take the caterpillars back to where she found them, over by the oak tree in the grass. After school, Marie had to come home and do her homework right away. On her way in, she spotted the grass moving. Marie quickly ran over to see what it was, and that is how she had those brown, fuzzy caterpillars. She had shown them to her mother, gotten a jar, put some leaves, twigs, and grass in to make it feel like outside, and slipped them into the jar. After the caterpillars were in, Marie covered the top with plastic wrap and poked holes into it with a sharpened stick. Then, she put the jar on her shelf where her little sister, Laurel, couldn’t reach it. Marie was about to start her homework when she realized she didn’t name them. She turned around, took the jar off the shelf, and began to think of names.

By the time Marie was done, it was her dinnertime.

After they prayed and started to eat, Marie announced, “From now on, my caterpillars will be known as Oscar and Alphonse.”

“I want to see the caterpillars!” exclaimed Laurel, Marie’s little sister. I bet they’re pretty!”

“No!” cried Marie. She shook her head. “No one is allowed to touch my caterpillars except for me and only me. You’d scare them too much!”

Laurel’s eyes started to tear up. “You won’t let me touch anything!” Laurel snatched up her doll, Kylie, got out of her chair, and stomped up to her room.

“Laurel, come back!” yelled Marie’s mother, Julia.

What they didn’t realize is that Laurel didn’t go to her room. She went to MARIE’S room. Laurel found a stool, snatched the jar of the shelf, opened it, opened the window, and dumped out the caterpillars as Marie ran into the room.

She gasped. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY OSCAR AND ALPHONSE?!” yelled Marie. She ran out of the room crying.

The next day after school, Marie looked for Oscar and Alphonse everywhere. Finally, she found them under her window where Laurel had dropped them. She took them inside of the warm, dry house. Marie put them back in the jar and put it on the shelf like she did before. Then, since she knew how Laurel dumped them out of the window, she hid every stool in the house in her closet and locked it. When she looked back in the jar, she was surprised to see the two long bodies spelling ‘thank you for saving us.’  It was so surprising that she fell backwards and fell onto the floor. She rubbed hear eyes. She looked to see if it was only a dream. It wasn’t only a dream. It was real.

“Those caterpillars are magic,” said a small voice.

Marie turned around. She had to look around for a second, because the voice that she heard was a fairy on her desk. Finally, Marie found her and picked her up with one hand.

The fairy said, “My name is Ruby. Those caterpillars need to be taken back to the land of fairies, Pixieland.”

“W-why?” asked Marie. “Oscar and Alphonse were perfectly safe with me!”

“No, they aren’t,” said Ruby.

She stomped her foot and continued, “Oscar and Alphonse are rare, magical caterpillars. If they don’t come with me and live in Pixieland, they won’t be able to reproduce and they will surely die!”

After Marie heard all of this, she decided that it was time to let them go. Marie took them out of the jar one-by-one, wrapped them up warmly in a piece of cloth, and took them outside to Ruby. She set them where she found them, under the oak tree, in the grass.

After saying a silent prayer, she softly said, “Goodbye, Oscar. Goodbye, Alphonse. I love you!”

Ruby slashed her wand and waited. Suddenly, they disappeared into midair. She knew they would live for a long, long time. 

Marie knew it was time to send them back. The caterpillars softly wiggled in her hand, spelling out ‘goodbye’. She sniffed. Marie was standing in the middle of her front yard, about to take the caterpillars back to where she found them, over by the oak tree in the grass. After school, Marie had to come home and do her homework right away. On her way in, she spotted the grass moving. Marie quickly ran over to see what it was, and that is how she had those brown, fuzzy caterpillars. She had shown them to her mother, gotten a jar, put some leaves, twigs, and grass in to make it feel like outside, and slipped them into the jar. After the caterpillars were in, Marie covered the top with plastic wrap and poked holes into it with a sharpened stick. Then, she put the jar on her shelf where her little sister, Laurel, couldn’t reach it. Marie was about to start her homework when she realized she didn’t name them. She turned around, took the jar off the shelf, and began to think of names.

By the time Marie was done, it was her dinnertime.

After they prayed and started to eat, Marie announced, “From now on, my caterpillars will be known as Oscar and Alphonse.”

“I want to see the caterpillars!” exclaimed Laurel, Marie’s little sister. I bet they’re pretty!”

“No!” cried Marie. She shook her head. “No one is allowed to touch my caterpillars except for me and only me. You’d scare them too much!”

Laurel’s eyes started to tear up. “You won’t let me touch anything!” Laurel snatched up her doll, Kylie, got out of her chair, and stomped up to her room.

“Laurel, come back!” yelled Marie’s mother, Julia.

What they didn’t realize is that Laurel didn’t go to her room. She went to MARIE’S room. Laurel found a stool, snatched the jar of the shelf, opened it, opened the window, and dumped out the caterpillars as Marie ran into the room.

She gasped. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY OSCAR AND ALPHONSE?!” yelled Marie. She ran out of the room crying.

The next day after school, Marie looked for Oscar and Alphonse everywhere. Finally, she found them under her window where Laurel had dropped them. She took them inside of the warm, dry house. Marie put them back in the jar and put it on the shelf like she did before. Then, since she knew how Laurel dumped them out of the window, she hid every stool in the house in her closet and locked it. When she looked back in the jar, she was surprised to see the two long bodies spelling ‘thank you for saving us.’  It was so surprising that she fell backwards and fell onto the floor. She rubbed hear eyes. She looked to see if it was only a dream. It wasn’t only a dream. It was real.

“Those caterpillars are magic,” said a small voice.

Marie turned around. She had to look around for a second, because the voice that she heard was a fairy on her desk. Finally, Marie found her and picked her up with one hand.

The fairy said, “My name is Ruby. Those caterpillars need to be taken back to the land of fairies, Pixieland.”

“W-why?” asked Marie. “Oscar and Alphonse were perfectly safe with me!”

“No, they aren’t,” said Ruby.

She stomped her foot and continued, “Oscar and Alphonse are rare, magical caterpillars. If they don’t come with me and live in Pixieland, they won’t be able to reproduce and they will surely die!”

After Marie heard all of this, she decided that it was time to let them go. Marie took them out of the jar one-by-one, wrapped them up warmly in a piece of cloth, and took them outside to Ruby. She set them where she found them, under the oak tree, in the grass.

After saying a silent prayer, she softly said, “Goodbye, Oscar. Goodbye, Alphonse. I love you!”

Ruby slashed her wand and waited. Suddenly, they disappeared into midair. She knew they would live for a long, long time.