Butterflies

O NCE there were three butterflies, a white, red, and yellow, playing in the sunshine. Soon the rain fell and wet them and they hastened to fly home, but the door was shut and the key was nowhere to be found, so they went to the tulip, all gaily striped in red and yellow, and said:

"Tulip open your flower a little, and will you kindly let me slip in, out of the rain?"

The tulip said, "I will open to the red and yellow ones, because they are like me, but I won't let the white one in."

Then the red and yellow butterflies said, "If you won't take in our little brother we won't come in either, thank you." Now it rained harder and harder, and they flew away to the lily.

"Dear lily, will you please let us in?"

The lily answered, "I'll let the white one in, because he is like me, but I won't let in the other two."

Then the white butterfly said, "If my two brothers can't come in I will not come in either, thank you."

So they all flew away together. Now the sun behind the clouds had heard how the butterflies were true to each other, and shone out again bright and clear, and very soon dried the wings of the three butterflies. They danced once more over the flowers and played until it was night, and then went home; the door was wide open, the last sunbeam had opened it for them, in they flew and all went to bed.