John Gay | England
Butterfly and Snail
A proud butterfly looks down on a snail, only to be reminded of its humble beginnings as a caterpillar.
Once upon a time, a butterfly was born one morning and sat on a rose. It looked down at a small rosebud nearby. The butterfly’s wings were bright and colorful, with shades of blue, black, and gold. It stretched its wings wide and drank the fresh morning dew, feeling very proud.
As it admired its beauty, a snail appeared, slowly crawling across the garden, leaving a shiny trail behind. The butterfly looked at the gardener and said, “Why do you take care of the garden so carefully, watering and trimming the plants, if creatures like this snail are allowed to crawl around and ruin it?”
The snail heard the butterfly and replied calmly, “You seem to forget where you came from. Not long ago, you were a crawling caterpillar, just like me. Now you have colorful wings, but that doesn’t change how you started. I have always been a snail, and I am happy to be myself. And don’t forget—your children will start as caterpillars too.”
The butterfly stayed quiet, realizing the snail was right.
