Forgive me, Mr. Caterpillar

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Two of my kids got a super-delux insect catching kit for Christmas. It has a habitat complete with waterfall, sand pit, and scenic backdrop. It also has a magnifying glass and two easy-open lids. For getting insects into the habitat, they provide the option of a set of tongs and a bug vacuum.

We went hunting for bugs. We found three snails, a tiny caterpillar, and a number of small insects I didn't recognize that flew away if we breathed too heavily near them.

But what I have to confess is this: in one short sighted moment I thought to myself "Self, if these kids try to pick up this caterpillar with either the tongs or the vacuum, we are going to have a rather tragic end to our observations." So I, thinking quickly, picked the leaf where the caterpillar sat and tucked it into the observatory. Only as I instructed my charges on how to make sure the new friend remained happy did it occur to me the folly of my ways.

Said Mr. Three Year Old "I want to touch him."

Said Mr. Five Year Old to Mr. Caterpillar "Wake up. Stop sleeping. You are safe now."


Said I "Forgive me, Mr. Caterpillar."

Comments

caedmonstia said…
That reminds me of my 3-year-old godson on seeing my brand new tiny kitten:

"Yay, yay, yay! Time for me to put him to bed now!"
2:41 PM
caedmonstia said…
I would also like to know how the bug vacuum works. That sounds fun.
2:41 PM
slowlane said…
This particular bug vacuum looks like a semi-large water gun only instead of shooting water out the end it breathes in small things. I say breathes, because I think my nostrils have more vacuum power than this bug vacuum. But what this contraption has that my nose does not is a small screen that keeps the bug from going too far in and then it also has a valve that you can close to keep the bug from flying out of the gun.
9:53 PM
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