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Show DADDY'S tm EVEHIMG FAIRYTALE Mary Graham Bonner BUTTERFLIES "Of course we weren't born giant swallowtails, that is we weren't butterflies," but-terflies," one of them was saying, "but it shows how fine butterflies are. "They're never satisfied until they are as nearly perfect as they can be. That is when they are butterflies, of course. "We aren't satisfied at being caterpillars cater-pillars and at crawling along the trees, we want to fly and sip honey from the flowers, to enjoy the sunshine sun-shine and to be admired. j "We like to be part of the beautl- j ful, beautiful summer time." ) "How beautifully you speak," said I Miss Giant Swallowtail admiringly. "Thank you, thank you," said Mr. Giant Swallowtail, as he shook his wings a little. "And it's fine to be called by such a large sounding name as 'Giant.' "Giants, you know, are larger than i people. In olden days people used to think they were dreadful, but I hear now they say they are very Jolly aud i merry. I "Then to have another fine name like Swallowtail 1 A Swallowtail is a certain kind of coat which big men wear when they're going to fine dinners din-ners and big receptions. "It's the very best coat a fine gentleman gen-tleman can wear when he dresses for some fine occasion. "But I must tell you the changes we make in order to become butterflies. "You've been one such a short time you haven't stopped to think about "We're Handsome. them, but you'll remember them all one by one. "Now, of course, we're handsome black and yellow butterflies and the more we fly about the more we are admired. '"We come from tiny eggs," said Mr. Giant Swallowtail, "and are left on orange leaves or other fruit leaves. "We were left on other fruit leaves, but where the orange grows our cousins are often called 'orange puppies' pup-pies' and 'orange dogs,' because when they're caterpillars they feed upon the orange leaves. "They like the best and aim for the best always. "From the time we're eggs It takes a week before we become caterpillars, then we find our skins are too small for us you see we've very ambitious and are always growing and improving ourselves and so we molt and feed until we're full grown, which is about a month after we're eggs. "Next we change into the chrysalis state and look like the bark of trees in color. "And then we're glorious butterflies after that ready to fly, to fly and be admired ! "And we have a protection of our own. We have yellow scent holes, or scent organs, which we can poke out above our heads. It's most disagreeable disagree-able and creatures hurry away from us. "In that way we're like animals which some people call Mr. and Mrs. Skunk and family. "Though that's strange for a caterpillar cater-pillar or butterfly it's a protection and therefore most valuable." "I'll remember all you tell me," said Hiss Giant Swallowtail. "Yes, it Is true, we are interesting, and I know what you mean by there being a lot of us, for I've seen so many, niany butterflies just like myself." "But the best part about us is," continued Mr. Giant Swallowtail, who wanted to have the last word, "that we have ambitions and keep on improving im-proving ourselves from low-down 'rawling clays to high-up flying ones !" |