The Mantis Parable

Summary

A caterpillar is trapped in a bug-collector's jar and struggles desperately to escape. A praying mantis appears and the caterpillar begs for help, but the mantis refuses to help and mocks the caterpillar. In the next moment, the mantis is caught and finds itself in the jar. When the mantis is regretting his attitude towards the caterpillar and despairing, the caterpillar, transformed into a butterfly, appears and rescues the mantis from the jar.

My opinion 

I felt that the relationship between the caterpillar and the praying mantis in this film showed the lesson that "No good deed goes unrewarded." The praying mantis saw the caterpillar in trouble and gave up and abandoned it without making any particular effort to help it. I thought that the caterpillar's despair at that time must have been immeasurable, but despite that, after turning into a butterfly, the caterpillar came to help the praying mantis, who was in a similar situation. I was able to see the virtue of forgiveness in the caterpillar's decision, and at the same time, it seemed to me that this decision was made with consideration of the impact it would have on the mantis's future existence. I believe that the caterpillar's wise and kind decision to not create a cycle of mutual abandonment brought about a change inside the praying mantis, and that the caterpillar would be able to see itself as a possible target for the mantis' good deeds in the future.