Book
The Ant and the Caterpillow is a book found by Deirdre Green in the Neithernor vault.
Description
The Ant and the Caterpillow is the story of two best friends, an ant, and a caterpillow. The pair became close as babies when a rainstorm threatened to sweep them away. After that, they always stuck together, never learning how to navigate the world alone. The ant would sit atop the caterpillow and warn it of danger, though the caterpillow secretly wished for adventure.
After gathering food for the winter one day, the ant made the caterpillow go back home early to avoid being eaten by corvids. However, the caterpillow secretly wished to see the corvids take flight. That night, the caterpillow dreamed of flying to strange lands, longing for adventure. When he awoke, he told the ant of his dreams, and that he’d like for them to adventure together, but the ant would have to become brave.
The ant, scared of the devastation he had seen in the flood, said nothing and remained in their home as the caterpillow left to go on an adventure. With no one to guide him, the caterpillow got lost, eventually deciding to climb a tree. Meanwhile, the ant remained in their home, sad to be apart for the first time and scared for his friend.
When the caterpillow did not return that night, the ant went out to search for him. Eventually, after hours of searching, the ant found the caterpillow in a high branch. He had encased himself in a caterpillowcase, and though the ant called out to him, his friend couldn’t hear. The ant remained with him for hours, days, and weeks, until a large corvid one day spotted the caterpillow.
Usage
In her blog post, “The Elusive Mr. Wallace,” Deirdre Green described The Ant and the Caterpillow to Orvin Wallace, who was shocked that she had even remembered the book.
“I told him about the dream and that I’m pretty sure it’s a memory. The long hallway. I told him about a story dad always read to me. The tale of the ant and the caterpillar. (I remember I used to think he was saying ‘caterpillow.’) This seemed to snap him out of his catatonic state. He couldn’t believe I remembered that book. It must seem like that when you’re in your eighties, but my childhood wasn’t THAT long ago and my memory works fine Mr W!”
Through the Magimystical Assessments, bits of the story became unlocked. For each key that was unlocked, two pages of the story were made available on the Book of Briars website.