FanStory.com - The Caterpillar & The Butterflyby Jessica Wheeler

Once upon a time, there lived a complaining caterpillar named Chloe, who longed to fly. Jealous of their glamorous wings, she often stared at the butterflies dancing around.

One fateful day, Chloe noticed a beautiful butterfly named Bella, who fluttered about before landing on a nearby flower. Chloe, struck by Bella's breathtaking wings, introduced herself. Bella was gracious as Chloe asked what it was like to fly.

Bella kindly revealed that she'd once been a caterpillar and that Chloe would soon become a butterfly. Chloe couldn't believe this. It was a dream come true! She demanded to know when. Bella cautioned Chloe to have patience; she must endure the process of metamorphosis before emerging from her chrysalis with wings. Chloe dismissed Bella and went to brag.

As time passed, Chloe grew irritable. She approached Bella rudely, demanding answers. Bella reminded her there were no shortcuts in this transformation. Chloe told Bella to get lost.

The very next day, it was finally time. In her chrysalis, Chloe began to feel her wings. Deciding she'd waited long enough, she impatiently broke out. Fluttering, she fell straight to the ground below her chrysalis. That's when Chloe noticed her underdeveloped, shriveled wings. She burst into tears.

Bella rushed to Chloe, who waited for the inevitable "I told you so." But instead, Bella asked for patience once more and offered to help her strengthen her wings. Chloe agreed, painfully realizing if only she had been patient, she'd be soaring with beautiful wings by morning; Instead, she spent most of her days struggling. Chloe's wings were not of beauty as desired, but eventually, she became the most patient butterfly in the land.

And the moral of the story is that patience is crucial to any desired transformation or outcome; attempted shortcuts may lead to undesirable consequences.