# Gosenica

"Gosenica" ("The Caterpillar") is a Slovenian children's song about a caterpillar the singer keeps in a little pot — only to find it gone and, in its place, a beautiful butterfly flying past the window.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Slovenian children's song; author unknown |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/gosenica/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Gosenica je lezla počasi na drevo,
pomigala na dolgo, pomigala kratko.

### Verse 2 (sl)

Primigala je k meni, v lonček sem jo dal,
nikar mi ne pobegni, požugal sem dejal.

### Verse 3 (sl)

Ko v lonček sem pogledal, je notri ni bilo,
pred oknom pa je letal metuljček prelepo.

### English translation (en)

A caterpillar crawled slowly up the tree,
it wiggled a long wiggle, it wiggled a short one.

It wiggled its way over to me, I put it in a little pot,
"don't you run away from me," I said, wagging my finger.

When I looked into the pot, it wasn't inside any more,
but past the window there flew a butterfly, so lovely.

## Common questions

**What is "Gosenica" about?**

A caterpillar's secret transformation. A caterpillar crawls slowly up a tree, wiggling long and short; the child coaxes it over and puts it in a little pot, wagging a finger and warning it not to run away. But when the child looks inside, the caterpillar is gone — and a beautiful butterfly is flying past the window. Without saying so directly, the song shows a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

**What does "Gosenica" teach?**

The idea of metamorphosis, gently and by surprise. Rather than explaining that caterpillars turn into butterflies, it lets the child discover it through the little story — the empty pot and the butterfly at the window.

**Who wrote "Gosenica"?**

It is a Slovenian children's song passed down without a single recorded author; no reliable attribution could be found, so it is treated here as traditional.