The Tale of Betsy Butterfly

MP3 Audio CD. The Tale of Betsy Butterfly

I

BEAUTY AND THE BLOSSOMS


EVERY one of the field people in Pleasant Valley, and the forest folk as
well, was different from his neighbors. For instance, there was Jasper
Jay. He was the noisiest chap for miles around. And there was Peter
Mink. Without doubt he was the rudest and most rascally fellow in the
whole district. Then there was Freddie Firefly, who was the brightest
youngster on the farm--at least after dark, when his light flashed
across the meadow.

So it went. One person was wiser than any of his neighbors; another was
stupider; and somebody else was always hungrier. But there was one who
was the loveliest. Not only was she beautiful to look upon. She was
graceful in flight as well. When one saw her flittering among the
flowers it was hard to say which was the daintier--the blossoms or
Betsy Butterfly.

For that was her name. Whoever gave it to her might have chosen a
prettier one. Betsy herself always said that she would have preferred
Violet. In the first place, it was the name of a flower. And in the
second, her red-and-brown mottled wings had violet tips.

However, a person as charming as Betsy Butterfly did not need worry
about her name. Had she been named after a dozen flowers she could
have been no more attractive.

People often said that everybody was happier and better just for having
Betsy Butterfly in the neighborhood. And some claimed that even the
weather couldn't help being fine when Betsy went abroad.