NARRATOR:
It was a quiet afternoon,
and everyone was busy.

Quack was napping...

and Chirp was practicing
her flying.

So Peep was all alone.

( Peep sighs )

( wind whistling )

PEEP:
Hi, clouds!

NARRATOR:
Peep thought he might try
and make some new friends.

PEEP:
Hi, rock.

Hi, yellow flower.

Hi, spider web.

Hi, walking... stick?

A walking stick?

Look at that!

Hello, there.

PEEP:
A walking, talking stick?

I have to tell Quack!

Don't go
anywhere, okay?

I'll be right back.

Okay.

( Quack snoring )

PEEP:
Quack, wake up!

Wake up, wake up, wake up!

Huh? What?

Hmm. Huh? Hello?

Who? What? What's...

Where... what's going on?

Hello?

PEEP:
You have to come see this!

I found a walking,
talking stick!

Oh, a stick, huh?

Oh, does it quack?

I don't know.

Does it swim?

PEEP:
I don't know.

( Quack yawning )

QUACK:
Sorry, not interested.

PEEP:
But, Quack, you have
to be interested!

It's amazing!

You've never seen
anything like it!

NARRATOR:
Peep can be very persuasive.

PEEP:
You have to, you have to!

NARRATOR:
So Quack finally roused himself
and went to see the stick.

( Quack grumbling, quacking )

( noisy munching and crunching )

PEEP:
Hi, stick.

This is my friend Quack.

CATERPILLAR:
Hi.

Welcome back.

QUACK:
You're right, Peep.

It does talk-- hmm!

Hey, stick,
say something funny.

I got up from my nap
just to hear you.

Okay, go.

( chewing, swallows noisily )

Here's something funny.

I'm not a stick--
I'm a caterpillar.

QUACK:
Now he tells us.

PEEP:
A caterpillar!

What's that?

QUACK:
Obviously, a caterpillar is

a stick that can walk, talk

and, uh, eat.

PEEP:
You're right!

And boy, is he good at it.

NARRATOR:
Peep and Quack
thoroughly enjoyed

watching the caterpillar eat...

and eat...

and eat.

QUACK:
Well... this has been
a huge thrill,

but I've uh...
I've got to go, yeah.

Um, bye.

PEEP:
Bye, Quack!

( Quack panting as he runs )

QUACK:
Aah!

Oof!

( Quack grumbling )

( with mouth full ):
He seems like a nice guy.

PEEP:
Yes, he's a very nice guy.

So, is this pretty much
what you do?

Eat?

( chewing noisily )

Yep.

Pretty much.

NARRATOR:
Peep decided to keep
his new friend company.

It's nice
being somebody's company,

even if nobody says very much.

Thanks.

CHIRP:
There you are, Peep.

Want to see me almost fly?

PEEP:
In a minute, okay?

I'm watching a caterpillar,
and it's really exciting!

CHIRP:
Really?

( caterpillar chewing noisily )

CHIRP:
Uh...

Mmm...

( sighs )

Um, Peep?

I'm sorry, but I have to go.

But call me when
those milkweed seeds fly.

They do, you know-- they fly!

( caterpillar chewing )

Really?

When?!

PEEP:
Milkweed seeds fly?

( swallows noisily )

Yep... eventually... so I hear.

NARRATOR:
It was a warm day.

Peep was excited, but he was
also a little... sleepy.

( yawns )

( snoring softly )

( snoring, whistling softly )

( Peep snoring )

( stirring, yawning )

NARRATOR:
A long time later,
in the late afternoon,

Peep awoke and heard... nothing.

PEEP:
I don't hear any more chomping.

Hey, Caterpillar!

How come you stopped eat...

Caterpillar?

Where are you?

Caterpillar!

Caterpillar...!

Caterpillar...!

CHIRP:
There-- a berry.

We thought your caterpillar

might like to try a new food.

PEEP:
It's too late.

He's gone.

QUACK:
Hey, look.

What's this weird
green thing?

CHIRP:
Maybe the caterpillar
is in there.

Caterpillar?

Are you in there?

PEEP:
Oh, well.

I guess he had
to go somewhere.

NARRATOR:
Time passed--
several weeks, in fact--

and the weird green thing
became a weird brown thing.

Then, one day
late in the summer,

Peep and Chirp came back.

PEEP:
One, two, three,

four, five,
six, seven...

Tell me when
I should come

and find you,
Chirp!

( Chirp giggling )

PEEP:
But stay quiet, okay?

( rattling )

( Chirp shouts )

( Chirp gasps )

PEEP:
You weren't quiet.

CHIRP:
Peep, look!

The weird green thing
is a weird brown thing--

and it moved!

PEEP:
It's not moving.

( rattling )

( both shouting )

BOTH:
Hmm?

( scraping, rustling )

( gasps )

CHIRP:
Look-- it's a butterfly.

PEEP:
A beautiful butterfly!

Hi, Peep.

I've missed you.

( Peep gasps )

PEEP:
How did you know my name?

It's me, the caterpillar.

Remember?

But where is he?

Where's the caterpillar?

BUTTERFLY:
You're looking at him!

It's me!

I was a caterpillar,
and now I'm a butterfly.

( Peep and Chirp giggle )

( both laughing )

PEEP:
A butterfly!

I'm friends with
a butterfly!

( Peep laughing )

( Peep gasps )

BUTTERFLY:
Good-bye, Peep.

PEEP:
Hmm?

Good-bye?

Whoa...!

Oh!

Where are you going?

BUTTERFLY:
To a place called "south."

CHIRP:
South?

That's where birds go!

Then I'll see you there!

Bye, Peep!

NARRATOR:
Things change
when enough time passes.

Caterpillars fly, leaves fly,

and yes,
even milkweed seeds fly.

And so will Chirp someday...

( wind blowing softly )

but we'll save that
for another story.