1 / 4 Everyone has a story, it's personal and unequal. Yet, all of us, share the same story, the story of growth. John Berger once says "Never again will a single story be told as though it's the only one." Today, the story I am telling you, is not a story of mine. But, it is a story about me. And it maybe also a story about you.
Once upon a time there was a little caterpillar 1. She was on her own and wanted to make something of her life, but she didn’t know where to start. She sat on a rock and thought about how she might be able to achieve her dreams.
Soon a group of caterpillars hurried by. She called out to them, but they were in too big a rush to notice her.
“Gosh”, thought the little caterpillar, “they look like they know where they’re going! I’ll follow them.”
And while she were following, there were more and more caterpillars joined the group.
Eventually, they came to a huge gathering of caterpillars, and the little caterpillar saw something she couldn’t believe. Ahead of her was a huge column 2 of caterpillars, all climbing on top of one 1 [cat ·er ·pil ·lar | | 'kætəp ɪl ə] n. 毛虫.
2 [col ·umn | | 'kɒl əm ], n. 专栏, 纵队, 圆柱.
2 / 4
another, creating a tower of caterpillars and stretched upwards as far as the eye could see.
“What am I supposed to do?” asked the little caterpillar.
Another caterpillar paused just long enough to shout over his s houlder, “Don’t you know?! You must climb up the tower. Success lies at the top.” And then he hopped into the crawling mass of caterpillars, and was gone.
The little caterpillar knew what she had to do now. She took a deep breath and plunged3 into the column. She fought with all her might, pushed and squirmed and climbed higher and higher and higher.
She soon became the fastest climber around. Once she even stepped on another caterpillar’s head, because she was determined to reach the top. She believed that if she could make it to the top she would find success, and all her dreams would come true.
3 [pl ʌnd ʒ], v. 投入, 陷入, 跳进.
3 / 4
She soon lost all track of time, but felt as though she had been climbing for weeks and weeks. Then one day, she did it. She broke through to the top!
She looked around and saw-
There was nothing. Just air.
Then she noticed that in the distance, there were many other caterpillar towers. All packed with thousands of caterpillars pushing their way to the top. Pushing their way to…nothing.
The caterpillar sat there for a few moments.
And then she just dived down, back into the column.
When she finally found herself back on the ground. She looked once more up at the tower and walked away. She didn't known where she was going, but she knew the answers didn’t lie there.
She walked aimlessly for some time, and soon grew bored. Now She picked up one of her favorite things, to spin silk. She thought it took too much time and had given it up. Now, she spun silk with joyful abandon. She got better and better at it, and soon she was
4 / 4
able to spin a lovely silk button, and it was so strong she could hang from it. She was tired after the spinning, so she decided to take a long nap.
She had no idea how long she had slept. When she woke up, she found herself inside a chrysalis 4. She pushed her way out and realized that something was very different.
Her body had changed, and she was no longer a caterpillar. But now she had two, beautiful, brightly colored wings. She had become a butterfly!
This is a story told by Trina Paulus, a story of caterpillar, her story and my story. This is your story as well. For it is a story of life and of growth. Life is a gift, we all want to make something out of it. And indeed, we should make something out of our life. So, on the journey of life, we climb, we push, sometimes we even fight for the higher places. Yet, in the end, we have to go back. We have to know that the answer is not at the top, but it lies in ourselves. It is who we are matters, not what we can achieve.
4 [chrys ·a ·lis | | 'krɪs əl ɪs], n. 蛹, 准备期, 茧
1 / 4 Everyone has a story, it's personal and unequal. Yet, all of us, share the same story, the story of growth. John Berger once says "Never again will a single story be told as though it's the only one." Today, the story I am telling you, is not a story of mine. But, it is a story about me. And it maybe also a story about you.
Once upon a time there was a little caterpillar 1. She was on her own and wanted to make something of her life, but she didn’t know where to start. She sat on a rock and thought about how she might be able to achieve her dreams.
Soon a group of caterpillars hurried by. She called out to them, but they were in too big a rush to notice her.
“Gosh”, thought the little caterpillar, “they look like they know where they’re going! I’ll follow them.”
And while she were following, there were more and more caterpillars joined the group.
Eventually, they came to a huge gathering of caterpillars, and the little caterpillar saw something she couldn’t believe. Ahead of her was a huge column 2 of caterpillars, all climbing on top of one 1 [cat ·er ·pil ·lar | | 'kætəp ɪl ə] n. 毛虫.
2 [col ·umn | | 'kɒl əm ], n. 专栏, 纵队, 圆柱.
2 / 4
another, creating a tower of caterpillars and stretched upwards as far as the eye could see.
“What am I supposed to do?” asked the little caterpillar.
Another caterpillar paused just long enough to shout over his s houlder, “Don’t you know?! You must climb up the tower. Success lies at the top.” And then he hopped into the crawling mass of caterpillars, and was gone.
The little caterpillar knew what she had to do now. She took a deep breath and plunged3 into the column. She fought with all her might, pushed and squirmed and climbed higher and higher and higher.
She soon became the fastest climber around. Once she even stepped on another caterpillar’s head, because she was determined to reach the top. She believed that if she could make it to the top she would find success, and all her dreams would come true.
3 [pl ʌnd ʒ], v. 投入, 陷入, 跳进.
3 / 4
She soon lost all track of time, but felt as though she had been climbing for weeks and weeks. Then one day, she did it. She broke through to the top!
She looked around and saw-
There was nothing. Just air.
Then she noticed that in the distance, there were many other caterpillar towers. All packed with thousands of caterpillars pushing their way to the top. Pushing their way to…nothing.
The caterpillar sat there for a few moments.
And then she just dived down, back into the column.
When she finally found herself back on the ground. She looked once more up at the tower and walked away. She didn't known where she was going, but she knew the answers didn’t lie there.
She walked aimlessly for some time, and soon grew bored. Now She picked up one of her favorite things, to spin silk. She thought it took too much time and had given it up. Now, she spun silk with joyful abandon. She got better and better at it, and soon she was
4 / 4
able to spin a lovely silk button, and it was so strong she could hang from it. She was tired after the spinning, so she decided to take a long nap.
She had no idea how long she had slept. When she woke up, she found herself inside a chrysalis 4. She pushed her way out and realized that something was very different.
Her body had changed, and she was no longer a caterpillar. But now she had two, beautiful, brightly colored wings. She had become a butterfly!
This is a story told by Trina Paulus, a story of caterpillar, her story and my story. This is your story as well. For it is a story of life and of growth. Life is a gift, we all want to make something out of it. And indeed, we should make something out of our life. So, on the journey of life, we climb, we push, sometimes we even fight for the higher places. Yet, in the end, we have to go back. We have to know that the answer is not at the top, but it lies in ourselves. It is who we are matters, not what we can achieve.
4 [chrys ·a ·lis | | 'krɪs əl ɪs], n. 蛹, 准备期, 茧