The Very Hungry Caterpillar ...

Adorable in storybooks.

Totally, completely irritating in real life.

I came out [like I do every day] to check on my garden.

I am always secretly hoping there's a huge hidden zucchini.

But first I checked on my two babies that have looked awfully promising the past week or so.

And just the fact that I could use the word "promising" to describe anything that has to do with my zucchinis is amazing.

You see, they've been through a lot.

Including a major setback when I had to unweave them out of their old fencing.

I put in some new fencing to try & protect their neighboring strawberry plants from the bunnies.

As you can see, they were less than thrilled with their new fencing.

[They are not usually doubled over like this.]

Whoopsy-daisies.

But slowly, they settled down & came back to life.

Crisis averted.

Until ... the other day when I came out to check on my 2 babies.

And I noticed one of them had an hourglass figure.

For the love of Pete. Someone was chomping at my prized zucchini.

The one I had pegged for zucchini bread.

The one that looked ... promising.

I totally caught him in the act, too.

So, like any critter who's been naughty ... I calmly removed him from the scene of the crime.

And put him in "the thinking spot", aka "time-out".

And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't secretly hoping a bird would come along and eat him.

That's how mad I was.

Between my own experiences with both caterpillars & rabbits ... I can see where the inspiration for children's storybooks come from.