Once upon a time, in a sunny and upbeat town, there lived a shy caterpillar named Crawly. Crawly loved to bask in the warm sun and was always in a good mood, but he was a bit weary from all the crawling he did every day.

One day, Crawly met a seething ant named Andy. Andy was always angry and tense, and Crawly was a bit wary of him at first. But Crawly was a friendly caterpillar and soon they started talking.

"Why are you always so tense, Andy?" asked Crawly.

"I am seething because the other ants keep teasing me about my small size," replied Andy.

Crawly felt sorry for Andy and decided to help him. So, he took Andy to a tranquil spot under a tree where they could relax and have a picnic.

As they ate, Crawly shared some jokes with Andy and soon Andy was laughing and no longer seething. Crawly was happy to see Andy so relaxed and happy.

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise and Crawly got scared. Andy quickly climbed a tree to see what was happening. It turned out to be a group of kids playing and having a picnic of their own.

Andy and Crawly joined the kids, and soon they were all having a great time playing games and eating together. Crawly was no longer shy and Andy was no longer seething.

From that day on, Crawly and Andy became the best of friends and they enjoyed many sunny days together. Andy learned that it was okay to be small and Crawly learned that even the shyest of creatures can make new friends.

The end.

Reflections

1. Who is Crawly and what is he like?
2. Why was Andy always seething?
3. How did Crawly help Andy feel better?
4. What did Crawly and Andy do together under the tree?
5. How did Andy and Crawly become friends?
6. Why did Crawly learn that even the shyest of creatures can make new friends?
7. What was the most important lesson that Andy learned?
8. Can you think of a time when you made a new friend who was very different from you? How did it go?