The next morning, bright and early, he flew away to visit the flowers.
First he stopped to see the Daisies by the roadside. They were all
dancing in the wind, and their bright faces looked as cheerful as anyone
could wish. They were glad to see Mr. Butterfly, and wished him to stay
all day with them. He said; "You are very kind, but I really couldn't
think of doing it. You must excuse my saying it, but I am surprised to
think you will grow here. It is very dusty and dry, and then there is no
shade. I am sure I could have chosen a better place."
The Daisies smiled and nodded to each other, saying, "This is the kind
of place we were made for, that's all."
Mr. Butterfly shook his head very doubtfully, and then bade them a
polite "Good-morning," and flew away to call on the Cardinals.
The Cardinals are a very stately family, as everybody knows. They hold
their heads very high, and never make deep bows, even to the wind, but
for all that they are a very pleasant family to meet. They gave Mr.
Butterfly a dainty lunch of honey, and seemed much pleased when he told
them how beautiful the river looked in the sunlight.
"It is a delightful place to grow," said they.
"Ye-es," said Mr. Butterfly, "it is very pretty, still I do not think it
can be healthful. I really cannot understand why you flowers choose such
strange homes. Now, there are the Daisies, where I just called. They are
in a dusty, dry place, where there is no shade at all. I spoke to them
about it, and they acted quite uppish."
"But the Daisies always do choose such places," said the Cardinals.
"And your family," said Mr. Butterfly, "have lived so long in wet places
that it is a wonder you are alive. Your color is good, but to stand with
one's roots in water all the time! It is shocking."
"Cardinals and Butterflies live differently," said the flowers.
"Good-morning."
Mr. Butterfly left the river and flew over to the woods. He was very
much out of patience. He was so angry that his feelers quivered, and now
you know how angry he must have been. He knew that the Violets were a
very agreeable family, who never put on airs, so he went at once to
them.
He had barely said "Good-morning" to them when he began to explain what
had displeased him.
"To think," he said, "what notions some flowers have! Now, you have a
pleasant home here in the edge of the woods. I have been telling the
Daisies and the Cardinals that they should grow in such a place, but
they wouldn't listen to me. The Daisies were quite uppish about it, and
the Cardinals were very stiff."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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