The siblings made their way past the anthill's outer tunnels and emerged into the sunlight. Their antennae quivered as the warm breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and distant strawberries.
The meadow they’d always played in seemed vast and open, stretching endlessly toward the horizon. Somewhere out there was the Great Strawberry Field.
Irra and Frra scampered through the grass, their tiny feet moving quickly beneath the massive blades towering above them like trees.
Irra led the way, and Frra kept track of their route by marking a trail with tiny droplets of sap, ensuring they could find their way back.
Everything felt exhilarating—different from their usual routine. They climbed over twigs and tunneled under fallen leaves, hopping over dewdrops that glistened like jewels in the grass.
“Do you smell that?” Irra asked excitedly, pausing to sniff the air.
A sweet, fruity scent wafted toward them, stronger with each step.
“We’re close.”
But just as their excitement reached its peak, they encountered their first obstacle.
Blocking their path was a colossal creature—a caterpillar, plump and striped with green and yellow. It munched lazily on a leaf the size of a boat, its round eyes flicking toward the two ant siblings.
“Who dares to cross my leaf?” rumbled the caterpillar. Its voice was slow and syrupy, as if it had all the time in the world.
Irra stepped forward, undeterred. “We’re on a quest to find the Great Strawberry Field. Can we pass through?”
The caterpillar blinked at them, then let out a deep chuckle. “The Strawberry Field? Brave little ants, but you’ll need to solve my riddle first.”
Frra groaned. He was good at puzzles, but they always made him nervous under pressure. Still, he nodded. “Alright. What’s your riddle?”
The caterpillar’s antennae wiggled as it recited:
'I’m home to treasure, bright and sweet,
But I’m no friend to little feet.
Once I’m found, I’m hard to lose,
And I’ll stain the ground with reds and blues. What am I?'
Irra and Frra exchanged knowing smiles. “A berry!” they shouted together.
The caterpillar grinned and inched aside, allowing them to pass. “Good luck, little ones. But beware—finding the Strawberry Field is only the beginning.”
When they finally reached the Great Strawberry Field, Irra and Frra gasped. The strawberries were magnificent—plump, red, and glittering with morning dew. They were so large that one berry alone could feed their entire anthill for a week.