Her vanity was not unfounded but that did not make it excusable. She was a marvellous creation - a tiny flying jewel.. When she spread her delicate wings in the sunlight, her multiple colours became wonderfully iridescent. There was sea blue, teal green, golden yellow, and a tinge of ruby red. The edges of her wings were trimmed in blue black further enhancing the other colours."Don't you think that I am the most beautiful butterfly in the garden," Flossy asked a rather drab moth just passing her by.
"You certainly are, Miss," the moth replied, "but your bright colours make you an easy target for hungry birds so you had better keep alert. That robin family nesting in the plum tree has three hungry babies."
"Pooh on them," Flossy replied, "I'm not afraid of any old robin. Besides, they know that I would taste terrible."
Flossy fluttered off but the moth's remark started her thinking. Even if she didn't get eaten by another creature, she would die one day soon and her beauty would be lost. She did not want that to happen.
She fluttered over to a bed of blooming day lilies. Hovering over one of the flowers was her friend Cecil, a dragon fly. He was almost as beautiful as she was and his gossamer wings made a curious buzzing sound as he hovered.
"Cecil, you have got to help me. A horrible ugly moth reminded me that our lives are short but I want my beauty to last forever. Is there anything I can do to make it last?"
"Ah, yes," Cecil replied knowingly, "creatures like us don't want our beauty lost to the world. We are always looking for ways to preserve it. It just so happens that I might be able to help you. Go to the little cabin not far from here where an elderly wizard, Louis, lives. Some people are afraid of him but he is perfectly harmless."
"You mean he works magic?" Flossy trembled with excitement. "Goody! I will have him put a spell on me and I will live forever."
"We---ll," Cecil replied hesitantly, "he works magic but not that kind of magic. He gets inspiration for his art work from creatures like you and me."
"Thank you, Cecil, you are a real friend."
With that Flossy fluttered off to see the wizard. She was never seen again but the next time you look at a Tiffany Lamp look closely. You might see Flossy immortalised in glass.
This story was an assignment from my Writers Circle. We were to write about frog, butterfly or rabbit so this post is a little different from my usual real life stories.
