Advice from the Caterpillar

(Ayla's POV)

*As I walked through the grass, I heard singing in the distance*

*? singing*

A-E-I-O-U

A-E-I-O-U

*I poked my head through the grass & my heart skipped a beat. I saw Shadow the Hedgehog, wearing a blue & gold outfit with no feet (look up "In Wonderland" by "skydancer123" on "DeviantArt"), sitting on a mushroom & smoking a hookah*

*Shadow singing*

A-E-I-O-U

*I got closer to the mushroom & leaned on it as I listened to him sing*

U-O-I-E-A

U-I-E-A

A-E-I-O-U

*He was about to take another puff from his hookah, but stopped when he noticed me*

Caterpillar (Shadow): Who are you?

Ayla: Well . . . To be honest, I'm not really sure anymore. I've changed so many times today, you see.

Caterpillar (Shadow): I do not see. Explain yourself.

Ayla: I don't think I really can explain myself. Because I'm not really myself, you know.

Caterpillar (Shadow): I do not know.

Ayla: Well, I can really put it any clearer than that because it's not clear to me.

Caterpillar (Shadow): You? Who are you?

Ayla: Well, don't you think you should tell me - *some of his smoke hit me in the face, making me cough* - who you are first?

Caterpillar (Shadow): Why?

*I sat down on a smaller mushroom*

Ayla:*sigh* Today has been so confusing.

Caterpillar (Shadow): It is not.

Ayla: Well, it is to me?

Caterpillar (Shadow): Why?

Ayla: I can't remember thing as I used to. And -

Caterpillar (Shadow): Recite.

Ayla: Huh? *I stood up* Oh. Okay. *just then, a poem I have never hear before appeared in my head* How doth the little busy bee improve each . . .

Caterpillar (Shadow): Stop! That is not spoken correcitally. It goes: How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail. And pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin. How neatly spreads his claws, and welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws.

Ayla: Hmm. I've never heard it that way before. *in her mind* Come to think of it, I've never heard either of those before either.

Caterpillar (Shadow): I know. I have improved it.

Ayla: Well . . . *more smoke fell on my face, making me cough* If you ask me . . .

Caterpillar (Shadow): You? Who are you? *he blew more smoke in my face, making me cough. then I sneezed & fell off the mushroom I was standing on. having had enough, I stomped away from him* You, there. Girl. Wait! Come back! *I turned to him. he was pretty far away* I have something important to say!

Ayla: What does he want now? *I made my way back to him* Well?

Caterpillar (Shadow): Keep your temper.

Ayla: Is that all?

Caterpillar (Shadow): No. Exactically what is your problem?

Ayla: Well, it's just this. I want to be taller.

Caterpillar (Shadow): Why?

Ayla: Well, it's kind of annoying being 3 inches high all the time.

*Suddenly, he got really angry. Turning completely red all over & stood up straight*

Caterpillar (Shadow): I am exactically three inches high, and it is a very good height indeed!

*He started puffing from his hookah like crazy, completely covering himself in smoke*

Ayla: Well, I'm not used to it! And you don't need to shout! *my own shout cleared the smoke & I saw he was gone* Huh? Where'd he go?

Butterfly (Shadow):*off-screen* Why the way, I have a few more helpful hints. *I looked up & saw that he was now a butterfly**on-screen* One side will make you grow taller.

Ayla: One side of what?

Butterfly (Shadow): And the other will make you grow shorter.

Ayla: The other side of what?

*Suddenly, he flew close to my face, looking red all over again!

Caterpillar (Shadow): The mushroom, of course!

*Then he flew away. I picked a piece from each side of the mushroom*

Ayla: One side will make me grow . . . But which is which? Oh, well. I don't care anymore. *I took a bite of the one in my right hand* I sick of only being 3 inches hi - aye - aye - aye - aye - aye - aye!

*Suddenly, I grew until I was ten feet tall. A female bird that looked like Vanilla, Cream's Mother, was on my head, in her nest. I stopped growing when my head was above the trees. The bird on my head looked down past my head*

Mama Bird (Vanilla): A serpent! Help! Serpent! Serpent!

Ayla: Hey! Calm down!

Mama Bird (Vanilla): Off with you! Shoo! Shoo! Go away! Serpent! Serpeeeent!

Ayla: I'm not a serpent!

Mama Bird (Vanilla): Indeed! And just what are you?

Ayla: I'm a hedgehog!

Mama Bird (Vanilla): Hedgehog? Hedgehog!?

*She laughed at me*

Ayla: Well, I am!

Mama Bird (Vanilla): And I suppose you don't eat eggs, either!

Ayla: Well . . . Just for breakfast.

Mama Bird (Vanilla): I knew it! I knew it! Serpent! Serpeeeeeeeeeent!

Ayla: Oh, for crying out loud! Wait. *I looked at the piece in my left hand* And the other side will . . .

*Vanilla started to gather up her eggs*

Mama Bird (Vanilla): The very idea. Spent all my time laying eggs for serpents like her.

*I took a bite of the piece & shrunk back to 3 inches high. Vanilla caught all ten of her eggs & glared down at me*

Ayla: Sheesh. I wonder if I'll ever get the hang of this. *I licked the piece of mushroom in my right hand & grew back to my original size* That's better. Hmm. Better save these for later.

*I put the pieces of mushroom in my apron pockets & continued on my way*