The Story of Cornfed

Once upon a time in late September, as the corn crop was rapidly disappearing from the farmers' markets, a little blond boy asked his mommy for some corn. "OK" his mommy replied, unable to resist her darling son's pleas for vegetables. So the kind mommy bought 5 ears of fairly funky looking corn, even though she had a baaaaad feeling about it.

That night for dinner the mommy was shucking the corn and discovered that her feeling had been right. For ever ear that she opened had a corn earworm caterpillar in it! Some ears had only been nibbled, some ears had been nearly devoured (up to 1/3 of the ear!), but in the forth ear the mommy discovered a caterpillar that was still alive!

"Wow!" cried the mommy, "Come look at this!" So the little boy rushed over and watched the green caterpillar in wonder. The mommy decided to keep the little bug so that the little boy could watch it grow and turn first into a pupa and then into a moth. So the mommy found a pint canning jar, a side effect of her new hobby, and placed the little caterpillar and the top 1/2 of the corn cob into it. Then the mommy put a knee-high over the top and attached it with a rubber band. Voila! Instant science experiment.

Days passed and the family watched the little caterpillar grow into a much bigger caterpillar. They soon decided that their little friend needed a name. The daddy suggested "Cornfed" because of the little critters preferred food. The decision was made and the name stuck. One day, the family noticed that Cornfed was spending a lot of time on the bottom of his jar. The daddy looked up on the Internet and discovered that Corn Borers, which is what Cornfed was, cocoon on the ground. Sure enough, a day or so later the pretty green catterpillar had turned into a little brown cocoon! Weeks past and the family went on with their lives, occasionally checking on their now less-than-exciting friend.

Finally, one night after the mommy and the little boy had returned from a visit to his best friend's house, the daddy, with a knowing smile, suggested that they check on their little friend. Sure enough, Cornfed had energed from his cocoon to become a pretty, fuzzy little moth!

The mommy and the little boy took the moth outside and released him from his jar. He was really new to the world and couldn't even fly yet, but he let the mommy and the little boy hold him as he fluttered and sputtered and tried out his lovely new wings. Cornfed had cute little fuzzy legs and big green eyes, just the same color as the caterpillar he had so recently been. Finally, after bidding the mommy and the little boy good bye he flew off into the night to live with the other "flutters." Happily ever after. Of course.

(Jake was asking me to make up a story last night. Of course, he misses our Cornfed and wishes he could stay with us, but he was also really good about understanding that Cornfed wanted to be with the other flutters and live his life. Hopefully this little impromptu project will begin a lifetime love of science and an understanding of, and empathy for, other creatures and their need for freedom. I have to say, though, I miss the little bugger too. )