Max Lucado - Hermie, a Common Caterpillar

HERMIE A COMMON CATERPILLAR MAX LUCADO Illustrated by
Daniel Howarth Text 2002, 2011 by Max Lucado. Illustrations 2011 by Max Lucado. Karen Hill, Executive Editor for Max Lucado. Illustrated by Daniel Howarth. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Tommy Nelson. Tommy Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Tommy Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com. ISBN 978-1-4003-1747-9 The Library of Congress has cataloged the earlier edition as follows: Lucado, Max.
Hermie: a common caterpillar / Max Lucado.
p. cm.
A just like Jesus story.
Summary: Best friends Hermie and Wormie are sad each time they see that other creatures are special when they, themselves, are so ordinary, but they trust that they are special in Gods eyes and that He is not finished with them yet.
ISBN 1-4003-0117-3
[1.

CaterpillarsFiction. 2. Self-esteemFiction. 3. Christian lifeFiction. 4.

FriendshipFiction. 5. MetamorphosisFiction.] I. Title
PZ7.L9684 He 2002
[Fic]dc21
2002026439 Printed in China 11 12 13 14 15 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1 Mfr: R.R. Donnelley / Shenzhen, China / June 2011 / PPO# 121540 Wow! said Hermie the caterpillar as he looked at the tree above him. A beautiful butterfly was resting on a small branch.

His brightly colored wings were covered with dazzling white spots. Hermie gasped and whispered to himself, Hes about to fly. And with a lift of his wings, the butterfly was in the air, circling softly in the summer sky. Oh, how I would love to fly like that, Hermie wished. He watched until the butterfly was a speck in the sky. Now, as a rule, caterpillars are not very exciting. Now, as a rule, caterpillars are not very exciting.

But Hermie was even more ordinary than most. Some caterpillars have spots. Not Hermie. Some caterpillars have stripes. Not Hermie. He had nothing but smooth green skin, some freckles, and a bunch of feet.

Hermie was a common caterpillar. He ate common leaves... squirmed through common grass... did common stuff. Hermie was a common caterpillar. Hermie did one thing, however, that was not common.

He talked to God. He talked to God about all sorts of things. And God talked to Hermie. Of course, he didnt really hear God speak out loud. God spoke in Hermies heart. Late at night when the other caterpillars were asleep, Hermie would crawl out of his bed and stare up at the sky.

Then he would talk to God. God, why did You make me so common? Other caterpillars have stripes. Some have spots. I even saw one with spots and stripes. But me? I dont have anything. Hermie. And Im just Wormie, said a nearby voice. And Im just Wormie, said a nearby voice.

Hermie turned and saw a caterpillar that looked very much like him. No spots. No stripes. Another common caterpillar with freckleshis friend Wormie. Once Hermie had told the other caterpillars that he talked to Godand they had laughed. But not Wormie.

He understood. Thats how they had become friends. Wormie talked to God too. When Hermie and Wormie felt common, God would say, Dont worry. I love you both just the way you are, but Im not finished with you yet. for a while. for a while.

But then something else would happen, and they would feel common again. Like the day they met an ant named Antonio. Antonio was smaller than either of them, but on his shoulder was a big pinecone. They were amazed at the strength of the ant. My! Wormie said. How do you carry such a big load? Its how God made me.

He made me strong, Antonio answered. And off marched the tiny ant with the big load. That night Hermie and Wormie asked God, Why cant we be strong like the ant? We could never do what he could. Why did You make us so common? Gods answer was the same as always: Dont worry, Hermie and Wormie. Im not finished with you yet. One afternoon, the sky opened up, and the rain soaked the ground. One afternoon, the sky opened up, and the rain soaked the ground.

The two friends hurried as fast as they could to find a dry place. Suddenly, they heard a low, scratchy voice. Looks like you are in a hurry. Hermie and Wormie stopped. They looked all around but saw no one. Did you hear something? Hermie asked.

I did, Wormie replied. Thats when Hermie saw a snail peeking out of his shell. Greetings, said the snail. Looks like you are trying to get out of the rain. We sure are, Hermie answered. Were getting soaked.

You need a house like I have, said the snail. Thats your house? Wormie asked. It sure is. Watch. And with that... the snail pulled his head into his shell. the snail pulled his head into his shell.

See its nice and dry in here. I take my house with me everywhere I go, his voice echoed. The two friends were sad. They wondered why God had not given them a cozy house like the snails.