CHAPTER ONE ... Gloria Visits the Earth

Gloria was a very tiny sunbeam who lived with her mother near the edge of the sun. She spent most of her time bouncing around the sun and making up little songs to sing about herself or one of the other sunbeams.

One morning Gloria felt very sad. "I am tired of doing the same things every day," she thought to herself. "Surely, there are other things to do."

To make matters worse, Gloria noticed how much bigger and brighter all the other sunbeams were, and she became even sadder.

"Why am I the smallest sunbeam?" Gloria asked her mother. "Why are all the other sunbeams bigger and brighter than I?"

"The other sunbeams have learned many lessons," Gloria's mother replied. "Each lesson they learned made them a little bit bigger and a little bit brighter."

"I want to learn a lesson," said Gloria. "I want to be as big, and as bright, as all the other sunbeams. How can I learn a lesson?"

Gloria's mother thought for a moment. "Earth is a very good place to learn lessons," she said. There are many wonderful teachers there; but it is far, far, away. You would have to use all the energy you have and stretch yourself a great distance, just to get there."

"Oh, that will be easy," said Gloria. She stretched herself just as far as she could. But she soon discovered that she could only stretch herself a very short distance.

"This is not as easy as it sounds," Gloria said to herself; but with great determination she tried over and over again. Each time she stretched, she reached a little farther; but the earth was still far, far away.

After many days of stretching, Gloria said to her mother, "Oh, how impossible! I shall never be able to reach such a far away place. I will never get to learn a lesson." Then she curled herself back up into a little ball of light.

"I believe you are a little bit bigger and a little bit brighter than you were before you began stretching yourself," replied Mother.

Gloria looked at herself. "Do you really think so?" she asked with a proud smile.

The next morning Gloria awoke just as the sun was beginning to rise over the earth. "Now is my chance," she chanted. "While no one is looking, I will stretch myself far, far away."

Gloria stretched as hard as she could. She stretched past a nearby star and could almost touch a second one. "Wow!" said Gloria, "This is fun. As soon as I touch the second star, I will go home and tell Mother," she said. "This may be more fun than learning lessons."

Gloria tried harder and harder to stretch just enough to touch the second star, but the harder she tried, the farther away it seemed. She returned home tired and disappointed; A little tear fell from her eye.

"Oh Mother!" Gloria cried, "I will never be able to learn a lesson! I have already stretched myself as far as I can reach! I have used all the energy I have, and it is not enough!" Then she curled herself into a little ball of light.

Mother wiped away the tear. "Don't cry," she whispered. "I believe you get a little bit bigger and a little bit brighter every day that you stretch yourself."

Gloria looked herself over carefully. "I can not see that I am any bigger, or any brighter, than I have ever been. I just know that I will always be the tiniest sunbeam!" she cried.

But Gloria did not give up. Many days passed as she continued to practice. The earth did not seemed so far away once she reached the Milky Way. From there she could see the planets. Now she was feeling very anxious about reaching the earth so she could start learning lessons. More than anything, she wanted to be a big sunbeam and shine as brightly as those around her.

Finally Gloria said to her mother, "Today I tried even harder than all the other times, and I stretched a little farther than ever before. I stretched until I could almost touch the earth. I will soon be able to learn a lesson." Then she curled herself into a ball of light to rest.

"You have already learned a very important lesson," said Mother. "Look at yourself now. Look how big and bright you are."

Gloria looked at herself. "Well, maybe just a little bit," she said as she nestled close to her mother.

CHAPTER TWO ... Gloria Finds a Friend

Gloria woke up the next morning excited. She could hardly wait for the sun to rise over the earth so she could beam herself down. She wondered what it would be like to find a teacher. Mother had told her that every creature of the earth had a lesson to teach. She hoped that all the lessons would not be as hard as the first one.

Gloria hurried out to be the first sunbeam to leave for Planet Earth. She was so excited that she did not notice the tiny creatures of the forest moving about, and she landed right on top of a crawling caterpillar.

"The earth is a very strange place," Gloria chuckled. "It moves and tickles."

"Don't be silly," said a wee little voice. "I am not the earth, and anyway, it is of your own doing that you got tickled. I was here first and you landed right on top of me."

"Oh, I am terribly sorry," said Gloria, "I hope I didn't land too hard."

"No, no," replied the little voice. "A sunbeam is always welcome so early in the morning."

"Thank you," said Gloria rather proudly. "I was the very first sunbeam to leave the sun today. I was in a hurry, because I wanted to meet my teacher and learn a lesson. Are you my teacher?"

"Oh, no. I am not a teacher," replied the little voice. "I know nothing of teaching. I am only a caterpillar. My name is Dottie, because of the little white spot on the top of my head, and I am very hungry." Then she began to munch on a large green leaf.

"Well, if you are not a teacher, then I must go and look for one," said Gloria.

"Please don't go," pleaded Dottie. "You are welcome to stay and keep me warm."

"Why should I stay and keep you warm, if you can not teach me a lesson?" asked Gloria.

"Well, it is always good to have a friend," replied Dottie.

"I am not looking for a friend," said Gloria emphatically. "I am looking for a teacher."

A look of disappointment came over Dottie's face. "I wish I were a teacher," she said. "I would be only too glad to teach you a lesson if I knew one."

"Why would you want to be a teacher and teach me a lesson, when I am not willing to stay and keep you warm?" asked Gloria.

"Because, if I were a teacher and could teach you a lesson, then you would need me as much as I need you," said Dottie."

"I'm sorry," said Gloria, "I didn't mean to be selfish. I was just so excited about finding my teacher. I suppose I could be your friend today and look for my teacher tomorrow."

"Will I need to find a teacher too?" asked Dottie.

"Of course," said Gloria, "If you want to learn a lesson."

"If you would stay and keep me warm for a few days, perhaps I could help you find your teacher," said Dottie

"That sounds fair enough," said Gloria; "for I am not sure what a teacher looks like."

All day, Dottie ate leaves and basked in the warmth of the little sunbeam.

"What else do you do?" asked Gloria. "Watching you eat leaves is rather boring."

"Oh, nothing really," said the caterpillar between bites. "I just eat more green leaves."

"That doesn't sound like much fun," sighed Gloria. "I think I should have gone on and looked for my teacher."

When evening approached, Gloria said to the caterpillar, "The sun will be setting soon. I must go home now."

"I am glad you came and spent the day with me," said Dottie. "I would have been quite chilly without you. Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Are we going to look for a teacher?" asked Gloria.

"As soon as I finish eating the leaves and have my nap." said Dottie.

"Then look for me early," called Gloria as she turned to go. "I will be the first sunbeam to leave the sun again tomorrow." Without another word, she was gone. Gloria felt a new excitement. She was in a hurry to get home and tell her mother about her new friend.

"Mother! Mother!" cried Gloria, "I stretched myself all the way to the earth this morning. I found a friend named Dottie. You were mistaken about every creature there being a teacher. Dottie is a caterpillar, and caterpillars are not teachers. They are only friends. She asked me to come again tomorrow to keep her warm, but I really need to find a teacher. Oh, Mother! What should I do?"

"Be patient, Gloria," said Mother. "I am sure you will find a teacher. But first you must give what you have to the caterpillar. If she is cold, it would be kind of you to keep her warm."

Many days passed as Dottie continued to eat the green leaves. Gloria felt good inside about keeping Dottie warm; but oh, how she longed to find a teacher.

Then one day, Gloria noticed that Dottie moved very slowly over the bush and hardly ate anything. "Is something wrong, little caterpillar?" she asked.

"I am not hungry today," said Dottie. "I think it is getting time for my nap."

"Well, perhaps you will feel better when you wake up," said Gloria.

"I'm sure I will," mumbled Dottie. "But I wanted to be sure that you would keep me warm until I wake up. Will you promise to come every day until I wake up?"

"Of course," said Gloria; for she had no idea how long a caterpillar could sleep. "I will be the first sunbeam to arrive again tomorrow."

The next morning when Gloria beamed down, she did not see Dottie anywhere. She began to call softly as she looked among the few leaves that Dottie had not eaten. Then she heard a faint whisper which seemed to come from a strange looking object hanging from a stem on the bush. Gloria drew closer.

"I am inside," said Dottie. "I made myself a little bed to sleep in. I am glad you came early, for I shall rest better knowing that you will come every day to keep me warm." Then she relaxed, closed her eyes, and was soon fast asleep.

CHAPTER THREE ... Gloria Learns a Lesson

Day after day passed as Gloria hovered over the little cocoon.

One night she said to her mother, "Dottie did not wake up again today. How long can a caterpillar sleep?"

"I am not at all sure," said Gloria's mother. "Some sleep longer than others."

"Well I hope she wakes up soon, because I want to find my teacher," said Gloria."

Mother looked very serious for a moment, then she said, "Gloria, sometimes being a friend requires a great deal of sacrifice and a lot of patience."

"What does sacrifice and patience mean?" asked Gloria.

"Well, if you continue to warm Dottie until she wakes up, you will understand the meaning of both," replied Mother.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Gloria was beginning to wonder if Dottie would be able to wake up. "Maybe she ate too many green leaves before she went to sleep," Gloria said to herself.

Every day Gloria rose early to catch the first ray of the sun; every evening she returned home disappointed. "I cannot see that I am of any use to Dottie anymore," Gloria said to her mother. "Dottie does not even know when I am there. If she sleeps much longer, my teacher may become too busy to teach me."

"You must keep your promise to Dottie," replied Mother. "I am sure she is depending on you."

"I wish I had never made such a foolish promise," muttered Gloria as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning when the sun rose, Gloria did not get up as usual. She saw no reason to be the first sunbeam to leave the sun anymore, so she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

"Gloria! Wake up!" called Mother. "You are late!"

"What difference does it make if I am early or late?" complained Gloria.

"Being on time is very important," replied Mother.

Reluctantly, Gloria stretch herself slowly toward the earth until she was just above the little bush. She saw a strange creature sitting right on top of Dottie's little bed. Just the looks of it scared her so bad that she cried out, "Oh, no! You wicked thing!" and rushed back home as fast as she could go.

"What happened?" asked Mother when she saw the frightened look on Gloria¹s face.

"Oh, Mother!" cried Gloria. "Something awful has happened, and it is all my fault. I was careless this morning and did not go at my usual time to see about Dottie. It did not seem important to be there early because every day has been the same for so long. When I got there, a large creature was there in my place hovering over Dottie. It had torn a hole in her little bed, dragged her out and eaten her up! It would have eaten me, too, if I had not run away!"

Mother was silent for a moment. Finally she said to Gloria, "Did you ask the creature what had happened to Dottie?"

"Oh, no!" cried Gloria. "I did not need to ask! I could see clearly what had happened! I am angry at the creature for eating up Dottie, and I am angry at myself for not being there to protect her! Maybe that is why she asked me to come every day. Oh, poor Dottie!"

"First of all," said Mother. "I think you should go back and give the creature a chance to explain what happened. It is unwise to judge others by what you think they did."

Gloria hesitated only a moment, then care fully stretched herself back to the earth. She did not want to get too close to the creature.

"Who are you?" demanded Gloria. "And why did you eat up my friend, Dottie?"

"I am a butterfly," replied the creature. "As for eating up your friend, Dottie; oh no! Never would I eat up a friend." With that the butterfly moved a little closer. "Is that you, Gloria?" she asked.

"How did you know my name was Gloria? Oh! You did eat up Dottie, and now you have her mind and her voice!" wailed Gloria.

"No, no," said the butterfly. "I am Dottie. Come a little closer and see for yourself."

"Oh, Dottie, are you really there?" shouted Gloria. "I could not see you because there is a large creature on top of your bed, and I was sure it had eaten you!"

"Don't be silly," Dottie chuckled. "There is no creature on top of me. These are my new wings. They are not quite dry. I needed you this morning to dry them for me, but you were not here. A gentle breeze came along and helped me a little."

"Oh Dottie, I am sorry that I was not here when you needed me," said Gloria as she moved a little closer to her strange looking friend. "I will have them dried in no time at all." Slowly and gently, the little sunbeam moved over the delicate new wings.

"They are beginning to feel much lighter," said Dottie as she lifted her brightly colored wings and stretched them as far as they would reach.

"Oh, how beautiful you are!" said Gloria. "Your wings are as soft as velvet. What are you going to do with them?"

"As soon as you finish drying them, I am going to fly," said Dottie.

"Well, that sounds like more fun than eating green leaves all day," said Gloria.

Suddenly, Gloria remembered how much she had wanted to leave Dottie and find her teacher. She also remembered what her mother had said about every creature of the earth having a lesson to teach.

Dottie saw the solemn look on Gloria's face. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I was just thinking of something my mother told me before I came to the earth," Gloria said softly. "She told me that every creature of the earth could teach me a lesson. After I met you, I went back and told her that she was mistaken. She just smiled and told me to be patient. My mother is very wise. She knew that you had a lesson to teach me."

With that, Dottie gently moved her right wing. Then she moved her left wing. "Well, they feel dry," she said. Then she lifted herself from the branch and gently waved her wings in the soft breeze. Over the hills and through the meadows, flew the graceful butterfly with the little sunbeam dancing upon her wings. They laughed and frolicked until the sun began to set in the western sky. The meadow became quiet and still.

"It is time for me to go home now," said Gloria.

"Thank you for all the long days you stayed and kept me warm while I slept," said Dottie. "I could never have become a butterfly if you had left me alone and cold."

"I am glad I listened to my mother," said Gloria. "You are a good teacher."

"And you are a good friend," said Dottie. "Will you come again tomorrow? I will need a teacher too. Maybe we can find a teacher who will teach both of us a lesson."

"You can be sure that I will be the first sunbeam to leave the sun tomorrow," called Gloria as she beamed herself away.

Just as Gloria was almost home, she saw a very tiny sunbeam bouncing around the sun, singing a song. "Oh, how tiny you are," whispered Gloria. "You must be the tiniest sunbeam in the universe."

Gloria looked at herself. She was so much bigger and brighter than the tiny sunbeam. She could not remember ever seeing a tinier sunbeam.

Then Gloria looked at her mother with a little twinkle in her eye. "Was I ever that small?" she asked.

THE END

Mildred L. Music - © September 19, 1990