Chapter Seventeen: Crystal Ball
As rode on the shoe, he looked around the city, of the many
people walking around, going on their routes. He suddenly felt
saddness sweep over him as he saw a family walking down the street.
He could see the two kids laughing and talking, and the two parents
trying to settle them down.
The shoe made it's way up the stairs and into the apartment.
"Mom, I'm home." The boy said. Wilber jumped off the
shoe and looked around. The boy walked down a hall way and dissappeared
into a room.
Wilber looked around the apartment, remembering the furniture
amd carpet.
"Who goes there!" A voice called. Wilber automatically
reconized DJ's voice.
"Yo DJ, it's me, Wilber." Wilber said. DJ appeared from
behind a potted plant.
"The totally awesome dude! How could I forget?" DJ said
slapping his head.
"Yeah, really." Wilber said looking around.
"Man, you've changed. Look at you, you look like a total
geek." DJ said looking at the glasses.
"I'm not a geek." Wilber said. DJ rolled his eyes. "You're
saying that because you're afraid of being a geek." Wilber
said taking the hat from on top of his head and examining it.
"I'm not afraid of anything." DJ said. Wilber grinned.
"Oh yeah? Show me that you're not afraid." Wilber said.
DJ blushed and looked around.
"Look, I'm going to take you to this place. You know, somewhere
cool. See, it's kind of boring in this wierd apartment thingy,
so why don't we go to the roach hotel?" DJ asked. Wilber
shrugged.
"Fine with me, but I've got to-"
"Come on." DJ said, not letting Wilber say another word.
He pulled Wilber to a small hole in the wall. "Enter at your
own risk." DJ said.
Wilber walked through the door and looked around. There were little
candles everywhere, and roaches were waving little papers in front
of them so that they would go on and off like strobe lights.
He spotted many roaches dancing to music that was played at the
far corner of the hotel.
Wilber looked around at the bar, where many roaches were sitting
around talking and wrestling.
"This place is wierd." Wilber said. He turned to see
DJ walking over to the bar and talking to a bunch of guys.
"Hi," Someone said from behind Wilber. He spun around
to face a roach with glasses on.
"Hello," Wilber said. "My name's Wilber, what's
yours?" Wilber asked. The roach took his hand and led him
out of the way of a couple of roaches dancing.
"I'm Josie." She said. Wilber looked around. "Are
you waiting for someone?"
"No." Wilber said turning to her.
"Come here, I wanna show you something." Josie said.
Wilber followed her to another room.
"What is that?" Wilber asked, pointing to a glass marble.
"It's a crystal ball. It help you learn about a person."
Josie explained. She sat down behind it and looked into it.
Wilber sat down across from here and looked at the crystal ball.
"It's not on the outside. You must look in the center of
the ball." Josie said. Wilber looked in the center of the
ball and began to focus on it. As he focused, he could see a butterfly
flying toward him.
"Wilber," Josie said. Wilber looked up at her.
"I saw something." Wilber said. Josie started to laugh.
"Is there anything you want to know? I can tell you, well,
some things you want to know, that is." Josie said.
"I want to know what my mission is." Wilber said. Josie
studying the crystal ball.
"It's inside of you, I can not tell you that." Josie
said. Wilber became to confused.
"I don't understand." Wilber said. Josie nodded.
"I can't tell you want I mean, you have to figure it out."
Josie said.
"Wilber," His mother said. "You have to keep
going on your mission."
Wilber began to see a vision of the city. He began to see the
forests.
"No, not those, you must go beyond them." His mother
said.
Wilber felt as if he were floating above the city.
"The closer you are, the farther away you are." His
mother said.
"Maybe it's not so far after all." Wilber thought.
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Chapter Eighteen: Breaking Free
"DJ, do you know how to get out of the city?"
Wilber asked. DJ looked at him for a moment, then did an Ollie
on his skateboard.
"What? You're asking me that?" DJ asked. "I've
never even been out of the city." DJ said. They were outside
on the street, talking, when a car road by splashing little drops
of dirt.
"Yuck." Wilber said, wiping himself off.
"I think you've been in the city too long. You're worrying
about dirt now." DJ commented, attemping to do an Ollie and
following on his face.
"You're right, I can't be out here. I have to return on my
mission, whatever that may be." Wilber said. DJ looked at
him for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and attempted to do another
Ollie.
"Well, see ya." DJ said as Wilber began walking away.
He walked down the street, looking around at all the cars and
trash along the street.
This place is a mess, Wilber thought. He walked along and spotted
some grass ahead. He started running toward it, realizing that
with his new legs, he could go faster.
"Whoa." Wilber said as he saw a group of termites playing
cards.
"Hey kid, what's your name?" One of the termites asked.
Wilber looked at him for a moment.
"My name's Wilber." Wilber said. The four termites began
to laugh.
"Wilber? What a name." Another of the termites said.
"What's your names?" Wilber asked. The termites set
down their cards and looked at him.
"Come with us kid, we'll show you how to party." One
of the termites said. Two of the termites grabbed Wilber and began
to lead him through a little hole into a dark room. He could see
small lights everywhere. Smoke filled the air.
"Want a smoke?" One of the termites asked. Before Wilber
could refuse the termite stuffed the cigeratte in his mouth. Wilber
spit it out.
"Gross. That's sick." Wilber said. Another of the termites
laughed.
"You'll get used to it." One of the termites said.
"I want out of here." Wilber said. The termites ignored
him and lead him toward a bar.
"Want a drink?" One of the termites asked. Wilber shook
his head.
"I want to get out of here." Wilber said. The termites
ignored him again.
"Hey, my friend here will take a Jungle Brew." One of
the termites said, setting Wilber down on a stool.
"Let me out of here!" Wilber cried. One of the termites
covered his mouth.
"He doesn't know what he's talking about. Just get us the
drink." The termite, that was covering Wilber's mouth, said.
Wilber tried to pull away, but the termite was too strong.
"Here's your Jungle Brew." The bartender said handing
one of the termites the drink.
"Here, drink up." One of the termites said handing Wilber
the drink.
"I don't want any." Wilber said.
"Come on, it's good, taste just like candy." Another
termite said.
"No!" Wilber cried. He pushed past the termites and
attempted to run out of the club, when he felt a hand grab his
shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Someone asked from behind him. Wilber
ignored the question and began running again. He finally broke
free of the club and began running down the street.
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As Wilber ran through the city, he could feel sweet drip
from his forehead and onto the ground. He breathed hard, and felt
dizzy, but kept on going.
Wilber breathed in a breath of city air, the polution was so great,
it caused Wilber to feel even more dizzy.
Wilber laid back against the side of a building to get some rest
so that he could run again without getting even more dizzy. He
breathed in and out, breathed the polution that caused him to
become weary.
"I have to keep going." Wilber said getting up. He began
to walk again, walk until he spotted a lawn with freshly cut grass.
He began to run across the street when a car came right toward
him. He began to run away from the green grass.
Wilber ran faster and faster, away from the green grass.
He looked behind him to see the car right behind him. Wilber became
even more afraid.
He looked behind him to find that the car was right on top of
him.
"I'm going to die." Wilber cried. He ducked down and
waited to feel the pain. He felt another car pass over him, and
another.
Suddenly, he looked around the and street was completely deserted.
He got up and brushed himself off.
"I'm alive!" He cried happily.
"Of course you're alive." Something said from behind
him. Wilber spun around to see a moth behind him.
Suddenly he remembered about the ants pulling the moth apart.
"H-hello." Wilber said. The moth flew across the street
toward him.
"We better get out of the street." The moth said. Wilber
nodded and ran across the street till he was on the sidewalk.
"What's your name?" Wilber asked. The moth looked around.
"I'm Candy." The moth said. Wilber grinned. I guess
that's why the ants were eating the moths, he joked to himself.
"I'm Wilber." Wilber said. Candy nodded.
"So why were you in the middle of the street?" Candy
asked. Wilber yawned.
"I was trying to get home, and I thought that if I found
grass, it would lead me to my home." Wilber explained. Candy
flew up in the air.
"Where is your home?" Candy asked, flying around above
Wilber.
"If I knew that, then I wouldn't be looking." Wilber
snapped. He instantly regretted it.
"Sor-ry I asked." Candy said rolling her eyes. She studied
Wilber. "If you want to go anywhere you have to follow the
sunrise and sunset to get where you're going. If it's night time,
then you should just rest."
"Thanks. I think I should start on my journey or mission
thingy again. Thanks for your help." Wilber said. Candy raised
an eyebrow, laughed, and flew away.
Wilber looked up at the sky, at all the clouds. He then looked
around for grass, and spotted someone's lawn.
"I've got to keep going." Wilber said.
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Wilber continued to walk through the freshly cut grass of
someone's back yard.
He looked around at all of the flowers around him, and at all
the indivual slits of grass.
The buzzing of bees could be heard all around the lawn, as Wilber
continued on toward the sun.
The sun grew lower in the sky as he sat down next to a tree, completely
exhausted.
"I'm never going to get home," Wilber complained. He
wiped the sweat from his forehead and lean back against the tree.
"Hello," A voice said from behind him. He turned around
to see a yellow worm walk up to him.
"H-H-H-" Wilber stuttered. He could barely speak. He
was stunned by the beauty of the yellow worm.
"My name's Lyla, what's yours?" Lyla asked. Wilber practically
fell over. Her voice sounded so different from any other voice
Wilber had ever heard. She wasn't too nasal with her words, and
was clear pronucing every word.
"I-I'm Wilber." Wilber said shyly. Lyla took a step
forward.
"Are you new around here?" Lyla asked. Wilber nodded,
staring hard at Lyla.
"I was traveling and I-I-" Wilber choked on his words,
he could barely speak.
"Traveling? Where are you headed to?" Lyla asked, sitting
down next to Wilber. Wilber moved farther back into the tree.
"I-I'm trying to find my way back to my clan." Wilber
choked out. Lyla smiled.
"I take it you're not from around here?" She asked.
Wilber shook his head.
"I don't even know where I'm going, all I know is it's to
a group of trees or someting." Wilber said, starting to feel
more comfortable.
"There are millions of trees in the world, how do you know
where the right ones are?" Lyla asked, scooting closer to
Wilber.Wilber began to feel uncomfortable again.
"Well, um, uh, I think that, uh-" Wilber couldn't find
the words who wanted to say. He began to get choked up.
"Ah, I think I've heard of that paticually group of trees."
Lyla joked. Wilber grinned.
"Yeah really," Wilber said rubbing the back of his head.
"So, you're of on this journey to find your clan." Lyla
said. Wilber nodded.
"Well, it's not boring at least, and it occupies me when
I'm bored, so I think it's kind of good for me." Wilber said,
studying Lyla's expression.
"Interresting." Lyla said grinning.
"Well, I didn't really know that it was all that interresting,
but if you say so." Wilber said sitting up.
"So what was your clan like? Do you know?" Lyla asked.
Wilber shook his head.
"I woke up on this leaf, then I fell down into this ditch,
then I met this ant and found out that grasshoppers are lazy and
don't answer questions. After that I met this really cool owl
that was so smart I can't explain it, then after that I rode down
this waterfall and surfed to the shore and met these totally awesome
beetles. Then I ended up in a library and ate all these books
and found out a little too much. Then I like rode to this apartment
that I had visited before and talked to this really awesome Roach
named DJ, man, you should meet him sometime. So basically I've
come along way from nothing." Wilber said sighing. Lyla's
eyes were wide, she sat there open mouthed, unable to speak.
Lyla cleared her throat.
"Wow," Was all she could say. Wilber laughed.
"Yeah yeah, I talk alot." Wilber said rubbing the back
of his head again. "So tell me about you." Wilber said,
eager to make Lyla feel comfortable.
"Well, I was raised with 8 brothers and 11 sisters, I happened
to be the youngest." Lyla said. "Not much goes on where
I am. You could say I'm dull, boring, the whole gig." Lyla
said shrugging.
"I don't find you dull or boring." Wilber said.
"Well, you're much more fastenating than me. You've surfed,
you woke up on a leaf, you have a destiny." Lyla said looking
down at the ground.
"Everyone has a destiny, all they have to do is find it."
Wilber said, without realizing what he had just said. "I
think I've been reading too many books." Wilber said quietly.
"You're so sweet." Lyla said smiling. Wilber stared
at her for a moment, then kissed her.
Lyla kissed back, even though she had no idea what was going on.
Neither Wilber or Lyla had ever kissed someone before.
Man, Wilber thought, what am I doing? Whatever it is, I should
do it more often.
The kiss ended and Lyla and Wilber stared at each other for a
while.
"Um," Wilber said. Lyla looked down at the ground then
back up at Wilber.
Finding no words to say, Wilber kissed Lyla again.
"They grow up so fast," Wilber's mother said.
His father laughed.
"I think he gets it from me." His father said proudly.
"They're so cute." His mother said smiling.
"I just hope Wilber doesn't fall hard for that girl, he might
give up the mission and stay with here." His father said
sternly.
"Wow, that was fun." Wilber said. Lyla laughed
and smiled at him.
"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" She asked. Wilber
patted the ground.
"Right here, unless you have a better place for me."
Wilber said leaning closer to Lyla.
"You can come back to my place. It'll be fun." She said.
I think I'm falling in love, Wilber thought, I just hope I don't
fall too hard.
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Chapter Twenty One: Torn World
Wilber and Lyla began to walk back to Lyla's clan. They
admired flowers along the way, and chatted about Wilber's many
experiances.
"You're very smart for a catapilliar." Lyla said smiling.
Wilber stopped and looked at her.
"What did you call me?" Wilber asked. Lyla stopped to.
"A catapilliar." She replied, studying the look of confusion
on Wilber's face.
"I thought I was a worm." Wilber said. Lyla shook her
head.
"You were a worm, but now you're a catapilliar." She
said. Wilber stared off into the distance for a moment. "Are
you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Wilber said looking at Lyla. "I
just never knew that everything changed so rapidly, you know?
I mean, nothing stays the same." Wilber said shaking his
head.
"Everything changes Wilber, sometimes it's too slow for us
to suspect anything." Lyla said, beginning to walk along
side Wilber again.
Wilber thought hard as they reached Lyla's home.
"Hey Lyla! Who's your friend!" Someone called from behind
Wilber. Wilber spun around to see a little yellow worm crawl up
to him.
"Carrie, go away." Lyla snapped, holding on to Wilber's
arm.
"Hey Mikey! Lyla's got a boyfriend!" Carrie called to
a little pink worm that was standing in the doorway.
"Hey Mikey! I think she likes ya!" Lyla called teasingly,
looking at Carrie. Carrie frowned and pushed past Mikey into the
house.
"So who's your friend?" Mikey asked studying Wilber.
Wilber raised an eyebrow.
"Who am I?" Wilber asked, studying Mikey as he walked
over to him.
"Yeah, who are you?" Mikey asked walking around Wilber.
"Better question, what are you?" He asked laughing.
Lyla shoved Mikey.
"Go away," Lyla snapped. "Wilber happens to be
lost, and he's going to stay the night."
"Is that so," Mikey said putting his hands on his hips.
"Wilber, eh? What a name." Mikey said shaking his head.
"You got a problem?" Wilber asked. Mikey raised his
hands in surrender.
"You just better watch out." Mikey warned. Without giving
Wilber a chance to reply, he walked into the house.
Lyla looked at Wilber.
"It's okay Wilber, Mikey's just jealous of me." Lyla
said. "See, he lost his girlfriend in a storm. They had been
playing outside when rain started to come down. Before either
of them reached shelter, his girlfriend was carried away by the
water. Mikey reached a tree and crawled up on it. Ever after that
he's been protective of me, not wanting to lose him so called
'favorite sister.'" Lyla said.
"That must've been awful." Wilber commented.
"Ever since his girlfriend died, we've become real close.
My whole family has gotten close because of that." Lyla said.
Wilber started to feel sadness sweep over him. He wanted so much
to have a family, he wanted so much to belong.
He began to remember his dream. The dream of his mother and father.
The dream of the butterflies.
Then falling. Falling down, off of the leaf that was his home.
"Wilber," Lyla said. Wilber looked up at her. "Are
you okay Wilber?" She asked. Wilber nodded.
"Wilber? What kind of a name is that?" Lyla's
father complained, looking Wilber up and down.
"It's my name." Wilber said boldly. He realized what
he had said, and no longer felt afraid of Lyla's father, who was
a great yellow butterfly.
"A smarty pants, are we?" Her father said grinning.
"Leave him alone, father, please." Lyla pleaded. Her
father looked at her then at Wilber.
"Look at him, Lyla, he's green! He's not even our color!
He's not even of our clan! Why can't you ever be like your sisters?
At least they pick noble men that are of their own clan!"
Her father complained. Lyla shook her head.
"You don't understand." Lyla said, a tear forming in
her eye. "I love Wilber." Lyla said.
Wilber looked at her, and studied her face. He could barely believe
what he had just heard. He had never been loved before. He knew
the meaning, but he didn't know the feeling.
"You do? But you've just met." Her father said. Lyla
nodded.
"Time doesn't matter, father. I know that we will be together,
with or without your concent." Lyla said, the tear rolling
down her cheek.
Wilber could see the serious look on her face. A serious, yet
pleading look on her face.
Wilber could feel himself gain courage, to stand up for Lyla.
"We may have just met, but it doesn't matter. I know that
I have found the one, and I will do anything to keep it."
Wilber said looking at Lyla. Lyla smiled at him, wiping her tears
away.
"Oh isn't this a soap opera." Carrie joked from the
doorway.
Lyla glared at Carrie.
"Father, you have to understand. You have to let Wilber stay."
Lyla said. Her father shook his head.
"I don't want him staying here." Her father said sternly.
Lyla began to cry. She ran out of the house.
Wilber ran out after here. As he ran toward the door, Mikey blocked
his path.
"Hey, hey, hey, where do we think we're going?" Mikey
asked, blocking Wilber's path. Wilber tried to push past Mikey,
but Mikey didn't budge.
"Let me pass!" Wilber cried, still struggling to get
past Mikey.
"I want you to leave my sister alone." Mikey said sternly.
Wilber pushed past him, and ran out of the house. He ran faster
and faster, looking in every direction for Lyla.
"Lyla!" Wilber called.
No answer.
"Lyla! Where are you!" Wilber called, looking all over
for her.
Wilber ran into the woods, searching for Lyla. He could feel twigs
snap beneath his feet as he ran along a dirt path way.
As he moved further into the woods, he began to hear crying.
He followed the sound until he saw Lyla, sitting on a rock, sobbing
loudly.
"I can't believe him." Lyla sobbed. Wilber sat down
next to her and put his arm around her.
"It's okay. Who need's his concent anyway? If we were meant
to be, we were meant to be." Wilber said comfortingly.
"You're right." Lyla said, brushing the tears away.
Wilber hugged Lyla.
"That poor boy." Wilber's mother said. She shook
her head. "I wonder if he knows that he's going to have to
leave her."
"He knows." His father said.
"We'll always be together, won't we?" Lyla asked.
Wilber shrugged.
"I'm not sure anymore. All I know is that you have a wonderful
family. You have a wonderful clan, you have everything I've always
wished to have." Wilber said sadly. "You have brothers
and sisters. You have a mother and father. You belong, I don't.
I've never known how it felt to belong. But now, now I feel I
belong. I feel like I belong with you."
I have a torn world, Wilber thought, and I have to fix it.
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Chapter Twenty Two: Going Home
"You can't go!" Lyla cried. She hugged Wilber
tightly, unwilling to let go.
"I have to." Wilber whispered softly. Lyla hugged him
tighter.
It had been a week since Wilber had first met Lyla. They had spent
so many wonderful times together. They had watched the sunset
from high in a tree, they had walked along the water's edge.
After all the time they had spent together, it was time for Wilber
to leave. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he just couldn't.
"Please say you'll stay with me." Lyla sobbed softly.
Wilber shook his head and pulled away from her.
"We'll meet again, I know we will, but now I have to go."
Wilber said.
Tears streamed down Lyla's face.
"I-I understand." Lyla said sadly. She kissed Wilber
on the cheek, then turned and walked in the other direction.
I have to stay, Wilber thought, I have to stay with her. If this
is true love, then I can't just leave her.
Wilber tried to walk into the woods, but forgot about the idea,
and ran back toward Lyla's home.
As he ran, he could feel the wind blow against his face. He could
hear the leaves rustle through the trees.
"Wait!" Wilber called, as he saw Lyla's head bobbing
as she ran.
Lyla spun around and ran toward Wilber. She hugged him tightly.
"I knew you'd come back." Lyla said, holding onto him
tightly. Wilber looked into her eyes.
"I couldn't just leave you." Wilber said shaking his
head.
"Oh, if it isn't the happy couple." Carrie said,leaning
against a tree, crossing her arms.
"Go away Carrie." Lyla snapped. Carrie walked toward
Wilber. She studied him.
"Why are you still here? Don't you have a mission to go on?"
Carrie asked. Lyla let go of Wilber and glared at Carrie.
"Don't you have some invisable friends to talk to?"
Lyla snapped. Wilber put a hand on Lyla's shoulder.
"Don't insult your little sister, just let her be."
Wilber said. Carrie rolled her eyes.
"Why don't you just leave, Wilber?" Carrie asked. Wilber
tried to control his anger.
"You know what, maybe I should leave." Wilber said raising
his hands in surrender.
"No!" Lyla cried. Wilber began walking away.
Lyla caught up with him and spun him to face her.
"I don't want to lose you." Lyla said, holding him in
her arms.
"I have to go. I'm not losing you, and you aren't losing
me." Wilber said, pushing away.
Wilber knew that if he didn't break free, that he would never
get home.
"I love you, Wilber." Lyla said. "Never forget
me."
"It takes a minute to crush, it takes an hour to like, it
takes a day to love, but it takes forever to forget." Wilber
said. He smiled and turned away.
Lyla made no attemp to follow Wilber. Instead, she fell to her
knees and began to cry.
Don't look back, Wilber said. If I look book, then I'll be weak,
and I'll never get home.
Wilber kept on walking, into the grass.
You can have anything you want, Wilber thought to himself, if
you know exactly what you want.
"I want to get home." Wilber said quietly to himself.
You must persist till you suceed, Wilber thought, and I must be
willing to pay a price.
"I gave up Lyla." Wilber said aloud. "You must
live by exspectation." Wilber said.
I need to walk along the path, Wilber thought, I need to go home.
"I'm going home."
Chapter Twenty
Three: Following The Rising Sun
Wilber woke up early in the morning, staring into the sun.
"Ah!" Wilber cried, looking away from the sun. He looked
again at the sun.
Wilber got up and brushed himself off. He looked around.
"Where am I?" He asked himself. He didn't even remember
falling asleep.
As Wilber looked around, he heard a loud chirping sound.
"What's that?" Wilber asked himself.
He began to follow the sun, trying to look away as much as possible.
The loud chirping sound was heard again, this time louder. Wilber
tried to figure out what the sound was, but had no idea where
it could be coming from.
Suddenly, Wilber looked up and spotted a bird eying him from a
branch of a tree.
"Ah!" Wilber cried as the bird flew down at him. Wilber
began to run, faster and faster, away from the bird.
Wilber looked back. He cried out as he saw the bird right behind
him.
He suddenly felt himself be picked up. He was now flying. Through
the air.
"I'm flying." Wilber said. He looked down at the world
so far below him.
He suddenly looked up to find that the bird had picked him up,
and the he was really being carried.
He looked around at the clear blue sky. There were no trees in
site, there were no flowers, no grass.
He could see the clouds above him, moving just about as fast as
he was.
Suddenly, he saw a hawk fly above the bird. The hawk grabbed a
hold of the bird.
The bird flew on, struggling, trying to free itself from the hawk.
As he struggled, he losened his grip on Wilber.
Wilber cried out as he began to fall. He saw tree beneath him.
He screamed all the way down, as he fell.
He knew he had to follow the sun, but now he was falling down,
and there was no way to follow the sun now, no way to get home,
no way to stop falling.
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Chapter Twenty Four: The Wiser Worm
Wilber fell and hit a bunch of leaves on a tree branch.
He could feel the pain as he hit the branch hard.
"Ouch." Wilber choked out. He laid still for moment,
then sat up. As he sat up, he could feel all the pain flood through
him again.
"And what do we have here?" Someone asked. Wilber looked
around when he spotted the owl.
"Oh, hey! I remember you!" Wilber said, brushing himself
off.
"You are a smart fella aren't you," The Owl said, grinning.
"You look different." The Owl said, studying Wilber.
"Yeah," Wilber said. "I didn't find that grasshopper,
he didn't help me at all." Wilber said, slumping against
the trunk of the tree.
"You weren't supposed to ask the grasshopper! You were supposed
to follow him!" The Owl loudly, beginning to laugh.
"Yeah, yeah," Wilber said shaking his head.
"Any other adventures you want to tell me about?" The
Owl asked. Wilber nodded.
"After calling the grasshopper, I met a cricket. He was really
smart, I mean, really." Wilber continued. "Then I woke
up in a storm and got carried away in this stream. Then I fell
down a waterfall, surfed to the shore, and met a bunch of beetles
on the beach."
"Is that so?" The Owl asked.
"Yeah," Wilber said. "And then I got stuck in this
basket thingy, and got carried to this place full of books. I
met this guy there who gave me these glasses, and this hat."
Wilber said, showing the Owl the glasses and hat.
The Owl nodded, but didn't touch them.
"Then I rode into this city and almost got run over by a
car. Then I met this wonderful catapilliar, but I had to leave."
Wilber said sadly.
"Ah, a girl, eh?" The Owl asked. Wilber looked at him.
"Yeah, a girl." Wilber said.
"And you had to leave her?" The Owl asked.
Wilber nodded sadly. He shook his head.
"I have never loved a girl like that before. I knew, the
moment I saw her, that we were going to be together. I didn't
want to leave, but I had to." Wilber said.
"If it was true love, than not even death can take you away
from each other." The Owl said. Wilber looked at him.
"You know, you're right. What was meant to be will be."
Wilber said, standing up.
"Yes, and if you come on this tree one more time asking me
questions, you won't be." The Owl teased.
"Yeah, really." Wilber said. "Thanks for not eating
me." Wilber said. The owl nodded.
"No problem. Hey, if you ever need any advice, find me, okay?
I'll be on one of these trees." The Owl said.
"Thanks." Wilber said.
"You certainly have become a wiser worm. You must really
have learned a lot." The Owl said, studying Wilber from a
side angle.
"If I learn more, what will it do?" Wilber asked. The
Owl shrugged.
"The more you know, the less you know." The Owl said.
Wilber closed his eyes.
I'm a wiser worm, Wilber thought, and I know as much as I can
know. If I learn, then I will be able to find my parents and my
family. Then I will really be that wiser worm.