Chapter 2

Chapter II

THE FIRST MOMENTS on the pile were a shock. Stripe was pushed and kicked and stepped on from every direction. It was climb or be climbed... Stripe climbed.

No more fellow caterpillars on Stripe’s pile – they became only threats and obstacles which he turned into stepping opportunities. This single – minded approach really helped and Stripe felt he was getting much higher.

But some days it seemed he could manage only to keep this place. It was especially then that an anxious shadow nagged inside. “What’s at the top?” it whispered. “Where are we going?”

On one exasperated day Stripe couldn’t stand it any longer and actually yelled back: “I don’t know, but there’s no time to think about it!”

A little yellow caterpillar he was crawling over gasped: “What did you say?”

“I was just talking to myself,” Stripe mumbled. “It really isn’t important – I was just wondering where we’re going?”

“You know,” Yellow said, “I was wondering that myself but since there’s no way to find out I decided it wasn’t important.” She blushed at how silly this sounded – quickly adding, “No one else seems to worry about where we’re going so it must be good.” But she blushed again. “How far are we from the top?”

Stripe answered gravely, “Since we’re not at the bottom and not at the top we must be in the middle.””Oh,” said Yellow, and they both began climbing again.

But now Stripe had a new feeling. He felt bad. He had lost his single – mindedness. “How can I step on someone I’ve just talked to?”

Stripe avoided Yellow as much as possible, but one day there she was, blocking the only way up. “Well, I guess it’s you or me,” he said, and stepped squarely on her head.

Something in the way Yellow looked at him made him feel just awful about himself. Like: no matter what is up there – it just isn’t worth it.

Stripe crawled off Yellow and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

And Yellow began to cry: “I could stand this life hoping in what was ahead until I met you talking to yourself that day. Since then my heart just hasn’t been in it – but I don’t know what to do.

“I didn’t know how badly I felt about this life until then. Now when you look at me so kindly, I know for sure I don’t like this life. I just want to do something like crawl with you and nibble grass.”

Stripe’s heart leapt inside. Everything looked different. The pillar made no sense at all.

“I would like that too,” he whispered. But this meant giving up the climb – a hard decision. “Yellow dear, maybe we’re close to the top. Maybe if we help each other we can get there quickly.”

“Maybe,” she said.

But they both knew this wasn’t what they wanted most.

“Let’s go down,” Yellow said.

“Okay.” And they stopped climbing.

They clung to each other as masses of caterpillars crawled over them. The air was terrible but they were happy with each other and made a big ball so nobody could step in their eyes and stomachs.
They did nothing at all for what seemed a long time. Suddenly they didn’t feel anything crawling over them. They unrolled and opened their eyes. They were at the side of the caterpillar pillar.

“Hi Stripe,” said Yellow.

“Hi Yellow,” said Stripe.

And they crawled off into some fresh, green grass to eat and take a nap.

Just as before they fell asleep Stripe hugged Yellow. “Being together like this is sure different from being crushed in that crowd!”

“It sure is!” She smiled and closed her eyes.