GOOD-NIGHT STORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 31, 7 February 1927, Page 19

GOOD-NIGHT STORIES.

DORIS HAS A CHAT WITH MOTHER BUTTERFLY. (Told by BLANCHE SILVER tor rETEIi t'A.Nj When Doris spied the dear little bluegreen, velvety, black butterfly sitting on the low spice-bush, she gave a cry of delight. "Oh. you beautiful thing'. One way I look at you, your gown is a velvetyblack: and another way. tlie light i ..catches it and turns it into a bluish. | greyi.-ii-green. What kind of a moth or butterfly are you?" "I'm Mrs. Green-clouded Swallowtail. if you please." replied the butterfly. "I'm mighty glad you admire my ir<,-.\ii. Do you like the yellow dots along the cll'.' of my gown':" "They look like jewels ir'ii-teninLT in • "h-dr dark background." replied I>• ■ ri-. I "Oh. I think you are stunning. Mr-. | i ireen-clouded Swallowtail. Why .!■ •! 1"t I you fly a:noii«j the lovelv flowers >\>>v in our garden?" "I'll fly over there when I aret through here." lauulied Mrs. Green-clouded Swallowtail. "You see. tiiis i- my !u;-v sea-on. and I must get my t'amilv ready -o the flower- in your garden will have a large army of butterflies to help them thi- -ummer. Let me introduce you to my children." and she pointed her l"v >!y long feelers toward a crowd of \ adeoloured caterpillars. "Mv children. Mi-s I)ori-." "WhatT T!;ose ugly-lookinff caterpillars \,,ur babie-!" e\<daimed the-a-toni-hed Doris. "My. you .re -o beautiful vour-elf!"

"Vet. when I was their aue I looked just like them," laughed Mrs. Green- j • louded Swallowtail. "Mamma always said an ugly b:t 1 • y 1 makes a beautiful lady." said Doris. "Si ; I gue>s that's the way it is with your ' family. What are they doing to tho»c ! leave??'' "Matin<: them, of course," laughed the j happy butterfly mother. '"That's one j tiling you little girls can't do—eat your j beds after you are through with tiiein." I

Doris thought of the two snowy sheets I on her own little bed, then she laughed J merrily. ■•Goodness, no. Of ccurse we can't j oat our bedclothes.'' she mused. j "Yes. just as soon as they finish eat- | ing the leaves.'' continued the Butterfly j Mother, "they'll crawl to another leaf. | Then they'll spin a much stronger web : around the larger leaf and use that for, | their house. From this covered loaf they'll go out to feed on other leaves. Here are my older children." «'■■! she! shewed iWi- seme full-as 11 • ..iter- ; pillars basking in the sunlight. i They Lad queer looking faces; tiieir , .'ii.its were dark green, darker above' than below, with six rows of bTue "lots a!"!vj the body, like pro at big buttons. I "Well, children, you are almost ready to leave the leaves and spin your last nest, aren't you laughed Mother Butterfly. < >i.e i,y one the full-grown caterpillars crawled oti the leaves tc a branch, and there Doris watclud them spin their !a-t era 11 • ■ nest*. She wa« sorry when her mamma called her in to lunch. f,»r when -he returned to tiie -pice tree airain the f:.m.i!y of caterpillar* and their lovelv mother. Mr-. i.r«on - lauded S-.va11,, .vtail had di-appeared.