The Caterpillar (misspelled catterpillar) was my first “long” story (~1800 words). I wrote this in kindergarten on the sheets of half-lined paper they gave us so that I could use the top half of the sheets to draw pictures. You will notice a motif of the protagonist defeating enemies and capturing them to join his side. I believe this was inspired by my first exposure to Pokemon around this time of my life.
If you want to read it in its full glory, a scanned pdf is available here. If you have trouble reading my poorly spelled cursive, then the full text is copied below (typos and all). PDF page numbers are provided at rough “chapter” boundaries in case you want to follow along with the illustrations in the PDF.
The Catterpillar
Page 1
once upon a time there lived a catterpiller. This catterpiller was unuasul because he ran really fast and when I say really fast I mean really fast! there is a huge monster siad the catterpiller’s parents everyone took the short path and did not get to practice with the weacar monsters on the way. once you beat a monster you can tame it. can you even train the master monster asked the catterpiller. Yes if you beat him siad the catterpiller’s parents. I want to go siad the catterpiller. you better hurry because whoever beats him gets to tame him and gets his magic power. the catterpiller’s name was joe. joe kept walking out of the house and kept on walking till he saw two doors. one said short path and alot of catterpillers were going in and the other door said long path and no catterpillers going in. joe went in the long path. it looked like a rainforest. there was sticks all over the ground. there was insects flying all over in the air, and bunches of trees. there was even sings that said long path and they had alot of insects on them. it was crasy!
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suddenly a little one inch long thing came. it was all oxygen ecsept the outside. the outside was a thin lawer of slime. a p.o.o.s.! said the catterpiller. the p.o.o.s. spat out a tornado and joe dodged it and sucked up the p.o.o.s. then the tornado went out then joe spat out the p.o.o.s. you beat me said the p.o.o.s. i shall come with you. i have lost my tornado power said the p.o.o.s. but i can still tacle the badguy. what does p.o.o.s. stand for p. for pufs o. for of o. for oxygen and s. for slime. pufs of oxygen slime asked joe yup said the p.o.o.s.. the p.o.o.s. and joe kept on walking and they got hungry so they picked fruit and ate the fruit. when they got thirsty they would squeese the fruit and get juice. when they finished eating they went on. sudenly another p.o.o.s. came. this time it was stronger. it kept on spiting tornados at joe. joe kept dodgeing the tornados and going forward and then was joe about to smack right into him when he moved up and dodged it then joe’s p.o.o.s. was right behind him then joes p.o.o.s. tacled the wild p.o.o.s. then joe sucked up the p.o.o.s. and all the tornados went out then joe did not tame it but used its power then the joe’s p.o.o.s. grew legs. legs shouted the p.o.o.s. they are wonderfull thanks so much. that is what friends are for said joe.
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they kept on going on till he saw a door. it said field two. it is locked said joe i saw a key when i beat the p.o.o.s. it must of been for this door said joe. let’s go get the key said joe. what should i call you asked joe? bob said the p.o.o.s. there is the key get it before it disapears yelled bob. joe ran as fast as he could and got the key. the walked to the door on the way joe asked so is your real name bob? no answered the p.o.o.s. i do not have a real name. i want you to call me bob because i like the name bob. then they saw the door. thew went inside there was a huge hill right in front of them they started climbing. field two is on the other side of the hill said joe. they kept on climbing till they got to the other side. it looked like a desert! it was a little diferent. It had nothing living in it except bob and joe. sudenly through a pipe about ten feet away from where joe came from a catterpiller that went in the short path and tried to beat the master but he could not even scrach the master so he escaped in a door behind the master. he he came to the place where short path and the long path met. the other catterpillar dashed at joe. joe shot fire bombs from his tail. noone knew joe could do this not even joe intill now. to bad the other catterpiller died said joe. he did not die said bob he was defeated. i think you got those fireballs because you gave me legs and did not get something for yourself. and by the way where did the other catterpiller go asked joe. he is at his home said bob. he can start over if he wants.
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look said joe it is the key to field three. and look said bob a silver fruit. come on joe it says i bet you to eat me. i will eat it said joe. then joe ate it. i am metel all over said joe now if a person tried to smush me they would not be able to said joe. they went on then joe said i am feeling hot i am happy that i took some spare fruit so now we can squeese the fruit and get juise. sudenly they heard something the p.o.o.s. look and saw a very strong moster. i hope you know the weakness of this monster joe. i do not know the weakness of this monster but i know what the monster is called a mooc. then the mooc was distroed its weakness is to say its name out aloud to it. then the mooc went up to joe and said you beat me i shall come with you. they went on then a whole heard of mook came then joe’s mook coverd his ears then joe and bob kept on saying mooc til the whole herd was defeated. the p.o.o.s. got spikes on his back and joe could spin spiderwebs.
Page 31
then they went on then they saw something it was burly it’s a monster useing blury efect said joe. then bob yelled haiya then the p.o.o.s. faced his spiky back at the monster. it went right throuh the monster’s armor the monster was distroyd. then the monster came up to joe, bob and the mooc and said you beat me i will come with you not! calm down p.o.o.s. we will soon beat him in his strong form. they kept going. then they saw the door to field three they tried to fit the key in but it would not fit. then the p.o.o.s. yelled that is the key to the master! now we have to go back and get the key said joe. then they started going back then another mook came joe’s mooc just coverd his ears and said mooc then the wild mooc was distroyd. then another mooc came. joe’s mooc did the same thing and the wild mooc was distroyd. then they came to the door to field two.
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they went into field one. then they saw something flying around then it landed and it was a flying apatasaurus! then from its tail chuncks of ice at joe. joe doged them and became steel. then joe shot fire bombs at the flying apatasaurus and sinse fire melts ice the flying apatasaurus was beaten. then the flying apatasaurus went up to joe and said you beat me now i am on your team. then they got to the door to adventure. they got the key to field three and went back to the door to field two but on the way they found another flying apatasaurus. joe used his fire bombs at it and it was distroyed. they went on. then they saw a fruit that was just like the metal fruit exept it was fiery instead of shiny. joe ate it and became fiery. then they came to the door to field two. they went inside. then a big monster jumped up and said i am the desert montor. i devoer elephants and you are a mere catterpiller! then joe said i am not mere and i have gained a lot and will beat you. then the flying apatasaurus wacked the desert monster and stepped on it. then the desert monster went up to joe and siad you beat me i will now come on your team. soon joe saw another desert monster. then joe’s desert monster held hands with the wild desert monster and flung it to the ground. then they got to the door to field three.
Page 47.
they went in. it was a vast ocean. the two strange things were first of all the water wasn’t crashing through the doors. second of all when they looked in there was lots of fishes but when they went in they all swam away. then the caterpillar that joe defeated came and joe asked what’s your name? bob said the other caterpillar hey! said joe you are my twin broter and the master monster used his magic to seperate us. let’s beat the master monster together and since my p.o.o.s.’s name is bob I will call you bro. at that moment a zooming shark zoomed at joe. joe spun a web and caught the shark. then joe shot fire bombs at the shark. the shark was defeated. then the shark went on joe’s team and swam joe team to the door that leads to the master. then the shark told joe he could fly on land. they went in.
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it was like a gigantic rock box. when they went in the door was sealed! they were traped! the master shot fire at joe. joe turned into steell so the fire wouldn’t harm him. then the fire turned into a net. then joe turned into fire and burned the net. by that time all of joe’s friends exept for his bro were burnt. then the master used distruction beam on joe. then joe’s bro went in front of joe and was defeated. then joe found out that the master’s life was stored in his asistant so joe used his firebombs on the asistant and beat it. bye bye master. then everyone was healed. then joe spun a cacoon and because of his speed he came out right away as a butterfly. then joe and his team went home.