The Enid Blyton Society

Dear Mr. Summerfield and all,

I am trying to recollect an Enid Blyton poem I recited during my childhood. It is called "The Caterpillar and The Butterfly". I wanted my daughter to recite it as well in school, but just cant seem to remember the entire poem. This is how it goes:

A caterpillar green and fat
Upon a juicy cabbage sat
Eating all day through
And then a dazzling butterfly
Creamy white came sailing by
And the both said, “How do you do?”

I hope you like my powdered wings
They’re just the very latest things
Said the butterfly in glee
And see my tongue so long and curled
The finest one in all the world
A treat for you to see

Poor caterpillar, you cant sip, the nectar from a flower’s lip
Nor fly the summer through
I eat all day, I sit and stare
I want no flying through the air
A caterpillar fat (?)

I am not sure of the verses after this. Could anyone kindly help and send me the poem at rnarweker@hotmail.com or post it here? I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thank you,

Rupali

You've remembered it well, Rupali. The full text is:

A caterpillar green and fat
Upon a juicy cabbage sat,
Eating all day through;
And when a dazzling butterfly,
Creamy-white, came sailing by,
They both said, "How d'ye do!"

"I hope you like my powdered wings,
They're just the very latest things,"
Said Butterfly in glee.
"And see my tongue, so long and curled,
The finest one in all the world,
A treat for you to see."

"Poor caterpillar! You can't sip
The nectar from a flower's lip,
Nor fly the summer through!"
The caterpillar raised his head,
"Don't pity me!" he rudely said,
"I'm better off than you!

"I eat all day, I sit and stare,
I want no flying through the air,
I like to creep and crawl.
A butterfly I'd hate to be,
It's best to be a grub like me,
A caterpillar small!"

Then all the elves who listened near
Laughed like woodpeckers to hear
The quarrel 'twixt the two;
But neither grub nor butterfly
Could ever guess the reason why -
I know it, though! Do you?

I have the poem in Enid Blyton's Treasury of Verse (Purnell.) It also appeared in Enid Blyton's Book of the Year (1941) and was originally published in the magazine Teachers World in 1934.

I hope your daughter enjoys reciting it!

Anita

Anita, you are just wonderful.

[intense look of admiration on face]

Of course!

You're Anita the Great!

Hi Anita,

You are the greatest!! Thank you so very much! This is really exciting...my daughter is going to be so happy! I cant thank you enough.

Take care,

Rupali

I noticed a polite request on the main Society Message page today:

I want analysis, summary and an explanation of the poem 'The Caterpillar and Butterfly' by Enid Blyton.

The request intrigued me.It's similar to a request about the same poem back in 2007.
I wondered what my own analysis, summary and an explanation of the poem would be?
I thought it might be an interesting exercise to jot my thoughts on the poem down here.
Feel free to join in and post your own thoughts on the poem too!

While I was mulling over the poem below I thought I would check in the cave how much the subject of the Caterpillar had been used by Enid over the years too.
As usual,the cave instantly provided a comprehensive list!


..


It's one of Peeves' Favourite Poems too.

http://peeves-poems.blogspot.co.uk/2011 ... erfly.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



The Cave Search Results - Caterpillar

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/sear ... aterpillar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems that the poem is still being used in some schools. When Enid Blyton wrote it in 1934, I bet she never dreamed it would still be being recited and analysed in 2014 - and probably beyond!

Then all the elves who listened near
Laughed like woodpeckers to hear
The quarrel 'twixt the two;

I think I will start my analysis here.
'Laughed like woodpeckers'
I am not familiar with that term,but remembered Woody Woodpecker had a distinctive laugh..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xan2dkMouM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But as Enid's poem is from the early 1930's and Woody Woodpecker didn't appear until 1940 onwards he cannot have been the inspiration for this line.
Perhaps it was just an observation of Enid's,being a keen nature lover she would no doubt be aware of the evocative cry of the woodpecker...

There is a song about the woodpecker dating from about 1888.But if you listen to the real thing,you can indeed imagine that Elves might indeed laugh a little like woodpeckers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTjYjInP6QE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I expect Enid's inspiration, as usual, came from close to home. The green woodpecker - very common in Britain (I've heard it often, in only three years here!) - has a very distinctive call that is often likened to a laugh. You can listen to it here (under "audio"): Green woodpecker

Of course, if the elves were in Australia, they'd have laughed like kookaburras!

I think laughing like kookaburras is far more descriptive!

I think so too, but kookaburras - especially when there's a whole flock of them doing a dawn chorus - probably laugh a lot louder than elves!