A tale of great courage among small creatures.

There was a beautiful butterfly who lived in a prairie with his family, friends, and neighbors. He loved the sun, nectar, and a butterfly girl. He dreamed of her and would spend hours flying close to her in the flowers. One day he decided to ask her to marry him. She said she would under one condition, he had to catch her. 

She flew away and he chased her. Over the prairie, into the forest and then into the deep forest. Butterflies are not supposed to go into the deep forest, and as the twilight came, he stopped and called for her to come to him. But she kept going and he was unable to catch her. He lost her as the sun finally set and the shadows filled the forest. 

The butterfly soon found himself in the very dark forest all alone. He continued looking hoping to find her, but soon realized that he was very lost. A brown mouse went scurrying along a tree branch and the butterfly flew up to him

“Did you see a butterfly come this way?” he asked the mouse.

“Oh no,” said the mouse. “Butterflies don’t come this way, it’s dangerous in here. In fact, you’re the first butterfly I’ve ever seen this deep in the dark forest. You should be careful that you don’t cross into the swamp.”

“I was following a young butterfly girl. I think she’s somewhere around here.”

Suddenly, there was a great crash from above. The mouse cried out and tried to run, but a large owl grabbed him with its mighty talons. The owl screeched and flew into the night carrying the little brown mouse. The butterfly flew as hard as he could to escape as the mouse’s cries for help faded into the night.

The butterfly was desperate to escape and find his way back to the prairie. As he struggled on, he caught a glimpse of light. 

“Its her!” he cried and flew faster. 

Dodging trees and slipping through the leaves, he saw that she was coming toward him. He called out to her. Something seems odd about the way she was moving. He dove toward the ground to meet her. 

It was only his reflection in a pool of water. He was in the swamp! No butterfly is ever to go into the swamp. Quickly, he rushed off, flying randomly in a panic. It got darker and darker and the butterfly began to feel afraid. He felt that he would be trapped in the swamp forever. As he was flying, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the bright, full moon peeking through the forest canopy. And then he ran straight into a thick, sticky spider web!

The butterfly struggled to break free, but only became more entrapped. Then he felt the web shake. A large orb-weaver spider appeared before him.

“A butterfly! I catch so very few of your kind." said the Spider. "Your noble kin know better than to travel so deep into the dark forest and they almost never come into the swamp."

“Please, mighty spider,” pleaded the butterfly, “I’ve only come in search of my wife to be. Let me go and I will leave at once.”

“Oh I’m afraid that you must stay, little butterfly. I see so very few of your kind here. You see, you’re a rare delicacy this far away from the prairie. You should feel privileged to know that I will enjoy you so very much. I, the spider, am great among the small creatures of Earth. You butterflies must stay away, but if you do come close you must not be afraid, but be in awe at my mastery over life. Dear butterfly, close your eyes and forget. You will begin a new life through me.”

But the butterfly did not listen. He began to struggle wildly. Still he only became more stuck to the web. He looked up to the moon and began to cry. The spider came closer and leaned over him. Its huge fangs worked slowly in his terrible mouth. Just before the spider covered his view of the moon, the butterfly saw her! His lovely butterfly girl. She was high above him and the forest, looking down at him from the sky.

 

 

He yelled to her and the spider looked up.

“Ah! I see your beauty. I will permit you to gaze upon her as I poison you, for I am powerful and merciful. Be in awe of me and my greatness.”

The spider began to wrap silk around the butterfly. First over his wings, it worked the threads slowly, and then over his body. As he struggled fruitlessly, the butterfly noticed a buzzing noise coming from somewhere far behind him. The spider stopped and listened nervously. The sound grew louder and then the butterfly could feel a breeze shaking the web.

“Oh no!” cried the spider. “That stupid dragonfly is back!” 

 

A huge, green dragonfly crashed into the web. It jerked as it did so, tearing a large hole through the sticky threads. As the web collapsed, the spider let go and flew off into the air spinning a strand of silk behind it.

The butterfly struggled with all his might. Finally, he broke free and flew straight up to the top of the forest. Once he was above the canopy of the trees, he found his beautiful butterfly girl waiting for him. 

Together they flew back to the gentle prairie and found their friends, family, and neighbors. The butterfly girl kept her word and they were soon married. They lived happily among the flowers and never journeyed into the deep forest again.

THE END