Johnnie Jones and the Butterfly


"Be careful! Don't step on that caterpillar," said Mother.

"Why not?" asked Johnnie Jones. "It's such an ugly caterpillar."

"It can't help being ugly," Mother answered, "and besides some day it
will be a beautiful butterfly."

"Really?" Johnnie Jones asked, much surprised. Then Mother told him a
story about a caterpillar and a butterfly.

Once upon a time, a little caterpillar was crawling slowly up a tree.
"Oh! dear," he said to himself, "I wish I had wings like the birds, and
could fly away to the top of a tree, instead of having to crawl slowly
about."

A beautiful butterfly was resting a moment near by and heard what the
little caterpillar said, "How would you like to be a beautiful butterfly
such as I am," she asked him, "and go flying about all day, sipping
honey from the flowers?"

"I should like it very much indeed," he answered, "but you see I am only
an ugly little caterpillar who can do nothing but crawl, and I have to
be very careful to avoid being stepped upon."

"I'll tell you a lovely secret,"
Whispered the butterfly.