بطری قهوه ای

The brown bottle

once there was a caterpillar named Charlie, who lived in the valley of promises. there was nothing observably special about Charlie. he was an average looking caterpillar amidst thousands of others like them, he spent the majority of his time crawling from leaf to leaf. eating as much as he pleased and dozing in the warm sunlight.

life was good and Charlie was happy. as you know there is something very special about caterpillars. from the time they are born, they are aware that something beautiful beyond imagination will one day occur. it is called the promise.

Charlie was a believer for as long as he could remember, he had loved the promise. its mystery filled his days and nights with dreams of anticipation. in this way Charlie was special for his love of the promise by for exceeded that of any normal caterpillar. he grew more and more impatient in his intense desire to receive its gift.

one day as Charlie was exploring the valley, he was attracted by a bright shiny object lying in the meadow. it was a brown bottle. the sun’s rays danced on the glass and gave it an aura of golden splendor. it seemed to beckon Charlie. filled with excitement he hurried as fast as he could go.

Charlie was a bit scared when he reached the bottle. for it was something entirely new and frightening. as he explored it curiosity soon overcame his fear. he traveled its surface from end to end and top to bottom.

when Charlie entered the bottle something magical seemed to happen. a soft mellow glow enveloped him in the warmth of a false utopia. after a time, he was lulled to sleep by the gentle voice of the bottle, whispering of pleasures yet to come.

At first Charlie spent most of his time leading the normal life of a caterpillar with only occasional trips into the brown bottle. But as the days passed he loaned more and more for the mellow glow it offered and his trips became frequent.

he began to venture deeper and deeper into the bottle to find the utopia he sought. sometimes Charlie’s friends came to visit while he was in the bottle. as he moved about within its glass walls he appeared to be different than he really was. pleased with all of the attention he received he would do silly things to make his friends laugh. Charlie loved being the center of attention and his friend’s laughter made him feel important.

then the bottle seemed to whisper, “Charlie, when you are with me, you are a very very special caterpillar.” and Charlie felt that indeed. what the bottle had said was true.

by the end of the summer Charlie seldom left the bottle. it had become more important to him than the warmth of the sunlight. more important than the companionship of his friends. even more important than the valley of promises it south.

he began to depend on the bottle for all of his needs. it had become his home. with the coming of fall, the world outside the bottle began to change. cold winds swept down from the north. green plants turn brown and died. there was a rush of activity among the caterpillars for they knew that they too must change with the seasons and prepare for the winter to come.

on the final day of preparation Charlie’s friends went to the bottle and call to him, “Charlie, please come out before it’s too late. we must get ready to receive the promise.”

surrounded by the warm glow, Charlie gazed upon the barren Valley. “I would be foolish to leave this warm place and go out into the cold with you. I could leave if I wanted to but I would rather stay here.”

laden with sorrow Charlie’s friends turned away from him in hopelessness and returned to their tasks.

one day as Charlie gazed out upon the snow-covered Valley the bottle again spoke to him, “Charlie, you have seen your friends suffer from the cold in their quests for the promise, while you have remained here warm and safe with me. surely by now you know that I am better for you than an empty promise.” and Charlie knew that indeed what the bottle had said was true.

on that day Charlie deserted his belief in the promise and surrendered his dreams to the control of the brown bottle. winter passed slowly and Charlie lived in a hazy world within his glass confines.

during his long stay he had not eaten or taken care of himself. he began to grow frail and thin. the warm glow was slowly fading. the bottles walls were becoming cold and uncaring.

on occasion Charlie tried to reach the bottle’s opening in an attempt to again find the outside world. but now the voice of the bottle was cruel and commanding. “Charlie, you cannot leave.” weak from hunger and filled with despair, Charlie would slide feebly back into the depths of the bottle.

at these times he would utter quietly drips down. “I could leave if I wanted to. but I would rather stay here”. the mellow glow was completely gone now and there was nothing special about Charlie anymore. his good feelings about himself had gradually being replaced with guilt and hatred. he had become nothing more than a sad frightened little caterpillar trapped in a brown bottle.

spring came the valley was filled with beauty beyond compare. the sky was a rainbow of color as thousands of butterflies tested their wings for the first time in a never-ending flight of freedom. the promise had been fulfilled.

on the day of the promise Charlie died alone in silent desperation. no one knew. no one cared. least of all, the brown bottle.