Caterpillar (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Caterpillar |
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| Alice character | |
The Caterpillar using a hookah; an illustration by John Tenniel. The illustration is noted for its ambiguous central figure, whose head can be viewed as being a human male's face with a pointed nose and protruding chin or being the head end of an actual caterpillar, with two "true" legs visible.
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| First appearance | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Blue Caterpillar |
| Aliases | Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar, Absolem |
| Species | Caterpillar |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | Wonderland |
The Caterpillar is a famous character from Lewis Carroll's 1865 book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He is also known as the Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar. This character is a wise, but sometimes grumpy, insect that Alice meets on her journey through Wonderland.
Contents
The Caterpillar in Lewis Carroll's Story
Alice first meets the Caterpillar in Chapter Four of the book. He becomes the main focus of Chapter V, titled "Advice from a Caterpillar." This unique caterpillar is exactly three inches tall. He smokes a hookah, which is a type of water pipe.
When Alice and the Caterpillar first meet, Alice doesn't really like him. He doesn't talk to her right away. When he does speak, his sentences are often short and a bit rude. He also asks Alice difficult questions.
The original drawing of the Caterpillar was made by John Tenniel. His drawing is quite clever. It looks like the caterpillar's human-like face is actually made from the head and legs of a real caterpillar. It's a bit of a visual puzzle!
The Caterpillar in Movies and TV Shows
The Caterpillar has appeared in many movies and TV shows based on Alice's adventures. He often looks different but keeps his wise and mysterious personality.
Disney's Animated Film
| Blue Caterpillar | |
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| First appearance | Alice in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll |
| Voiced by | Richard Haydn (original film) Corey Burton (House of Mouse) |
| Information | |
| Species | Caterpillar |
In the 1951 Disney animated movie, the Caterpillar is blue. He also smokes a hookah, just like in the book. He is famous for his slow, breathy phrase, "Whooo ... are ... you?". In the film, he blows smoke that forms these words.
This Caterpillar is quite direct and sometimes yells at Alice. He blows smoke in her face and doesn't offer much help. He often confuses Alice more while she is trying to understand Wonderland. In this movie, he turns into a butterfly right in front of Alice. He then flies away, still smoking his hookah, without helping Alice escape the Queen of Hearts. He also tells her to eat a mushroom but doesn't explain what it will do. This puts Alice in a tricky situation.
Tim Burton's Films
| Absalom the Caterpillar | |
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| First appearance | Alice in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton |
| Voiced by | Alan Rickman |
In Tim Burton's 2010 movie, the Caterpillar is named Absolem. He is voiced by the famous actor Alan Rickman.
Absolem appears several times in the movie.
- First, Alice sees a blue caterpillar on a young man's shoulder before she enters Wonderland.
- Later, the White Rabbit, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and others ask Absolem to confirm Alice's identity. He appears in a thick cloud of hookah smoke.
- He also appears when Alice is at the White Queen's Castle. He reminds Alice that she has been to Wonderland before. He blows smoke at her twice, and Alice asks him to stop.
- At the end of the movie, Absolem, now a butterfly, lands on Alice's shoulder as she leaves for China.
Alan Rickman returned to voice Absolem in the 2016 sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass. In this film, he is already a butterfly. He guides Alice to a special mirror portal to Underland. He tells her that important matters need her attention. This was Alan Rickman's last film role, and the movie is dedicated to his memory.
Other Appearances
- The Caterpillar also appears in an episode of the TV series Once Upon a Time. In this show, he is voiced by Roger Daltrey.
- He also shows up in the spin-off series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. In the episode "Forget Me Not," he is voiced by Iggy Pop. Here, he runs a secret meeting place for criminals. Alice asks him for help twice during her own adventures.
See also
In Spanish: Oruga azul para niños
