Friday, September 25, 2009

The Emperor Moth story


"The emperor moth is the most majestic species among all the moths. It has wide wings spanning out majestically when it flies. Before it can become a full grown moth, it has to be a pupa in a cocoon. Now, the interesting fact about the moth’s cocoon is that the neck of the cocoon is very narrow.

In order that it become a moth, the pupa of the moth must squeeze its way out of the narrow neck.

One day a man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. He sat and watched the moth struggling to force the body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck.

Then the man being kind decided to help the moth. So he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He expected that the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. A few days later, it died.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight. Once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the emperor moth of health.

The only way out - is through. --Robert Frost

2 comments:

Grace said...

Strong programming of mine, especially early on, related to the Monarch butterfly and the transformation process from cocoon. It also led to a dangerous message to "return home" since they are known to migrate each year.

Over the years I have come to marvel at the butterfly and delight in placing plants and flowers that attract them because this is home now...not a dangerous place. Thanks for reminding me of the progress I've made struggling out of that tight suffocating place.

Unknown said...

Hi Grace. This story held special meaning for me as I learned to make that shift from dependence on others, like what I was raised in and what was modeled for me, to being able to trust and believe that it was through the struggle of going through the growth process and the related pain, that I would find my strength.

Now butterflies have special meaning to me too:) Thank you for sharing your story:)