There is this forest, hidden, serene, green and beautiful; with exotic colorful flowers, vines, ancient banyan trees, interesting animals. Adding to all this color were a rainbow of delightful butterflies; large ones, and small ones pastel shaded beauties and interestingly patterned ones. They flitted and floated about this verdant place, adding a floating moving, ever-changing rainbow to the sights and smells that delighted the forest dwellers.
Amongst these butterflies was one golden butterfly who was best friends with a powerful eagle. The Eagle lived on a mountain peak that stuck out of the tops of the tree tops; a lonely peak, where the trees had still not struck roots. The lack of trees was somewhat made up for by the superb view, over the tree-tops. You could see almost to the ends of this huge forest from the eagle's home, see the sunrise, the sunset, and feel the fresh morning breeze at it blew in from the sea, way in the south.
The eagle had recently been blessed with a couple of chicks, and the golden butterfly wanted to go meet them. He told his friends about this wish and added that he wanted to take the chicks a present.
They wondered what they would get these chicks. "Lets get the candied insects" said one, no no lets get them flowers, said another. the debate raged on! Finally everyone decided that they should get the chicks a tree, so the chicks could see one up close and not have to wait till the got older to admire one.
One smart-alec decided that an old Oak tree in the center of the forest was perfect. "I have been doing weight-lifting and body-building", he said, "look at my fantastic muscles", he added. His friends admired these alleged muscles but frankly told him they doubted he could lift the tree all the way to the top of the mountain, where the eagle lived. "You won't get past the stream", they said, and wondered how he would be able to swim whilst holding up the tree. The muscular butterfly (his friends started calling him "Muscles" thereafter, thought a while, then enthusiastically discussed an idea he had just had. "We could all lift it together", he said and added that he felt that flying it across the stream would not be a problem. "i'll take half the load" he said, adding that the rest, together can take the care of the rest of the load.
With whoops of joy this plan was agreed to. Little celebratory drinks were passed around. Drinks of Mango essence, Hibiscus nectar and vanilla essence, and so on; all spiced with cloves, nutmeg, and chilled with the cool waters of the stream. Fortified with their enthusiasm, and lulled into happiness by the drinks and camaraderie, the friends flew up to the tree. no one had stopped to think how such small butterflies could hope to carry the huge tree!
They reached the tree and told it, come on Mr. Oak! you are to be gifted to our friend the eagle. The oak just laughed. a discussion followed and finally, frustrated by the trees lack of understanding they tried to uproot it. Obviously the tree didn't budge!. Finally once the tree had finished giggling at the rainbow butterflies he suggested they take a little sapling to the eagle's kids, who could watch it grow up with them, and could thus be friends. The sapling was enthusiastically accepted and the butterflies looked at it, smiling and decided they really must gift-wrap it! after much deliberation the decided to enlist the help of the spider and the weaver bird.
As they reached the spider's huge web he warned them, "don't get too close" and added that if they got stuck on his web he would certainly eat them. "Harrumph", the butterflies said and complained that the spider was a mean. "How can you think of eating us!" they grumbled. "Well", said the spider, "once your stuck you will not be able to escape, so I might as well eat you." Come close and see for your selves. Unfortunately one butterfly (a lovely candy apple red butterfly with a "Harley Davidson" Tattoo across one of his wings) from the fluttering mass of butterflies got too close and thus got stuck in the web. He struggled to get free, but could not. The spider licked his lips and said "Breakfast!", whilst moving towards his victim. Muscles however had different ideas! He boxed the spider, pulled his tattooed friend free, and broke off a chunk of the web. "Ouch!" cried the spider, "Why did you break my web?". Muscles explained that they needed the silk the web was made of to gift wrap the sapling for the eagle's kids. Before the confused spider could ask for an explanation they had reached the weaver bird.
The rest of the morning was spent admiring the weaver birds skill and watching while he wove the strands of the spider's web into a shimmering, transparent cloth, large enough to wrap the gift.
In the early afternoon, just before lunch, the eagle happily looked at the approaching rainbow and wondered what the shimmering silver mass between them was. he was happy when they finally landed and showed him the gift they had brought the chicks. The tree was planted next to them.
The tree and the chicks grew up as friends and spent many wonderful years in that beautiful place. Whenever the chicks saw the tree they thought of the Rainbow Butterflies, and were happy that they were their friends.
Amongst these butterflies was one golden butterfly who was best friends with a powerful eagle. The Eagle lived on a mountain peak that stuck out of the tops of the tree tops; a lonely peak, where the trees had still not struck roots. The lack of trees was somewhat made up for by the superb view, over the tree-tops. You could see almost to the ends of this huge forest from the eagle's home, see the sunrise, the sunset, and feel the fresh morning breeze at it blew in from the sea, way in the south.
The eagle had recently been blessed with a couple of chicks, and the golden butterfly wanted to go meet them. He told his friends about this wish and added that he wanted to take the chicks a present.
They wondered what they would get these chicks. "Lets get the candied insects" said one, no no lets get them flowers, said another. the debate raged on! Finally everyone decided that they should get the chicks a tree, so the chicks could see one up close and not have to wait till the got older to admire one.
One smart-alec decided that an old Oak tree in the center of the forest was perfect. "I have been doing weight-lifting and body-building", he said, "look at my fantastic muscles", he added. His friends admired these alleged muscles but frankly told him they doubted he could lift the tree all the way to the top of the mountain, where the eagle lived. "You won't get past the stream", they said, and wondered how he would be able to swim whilst holding up the tree. The muscular butterfly (his friends started calling him "Muscles" thereafter, thought a while, then enthusiastically discussed an idea he had just had. "We could all lift it together", he said and added that he felt that flying it across the stream would not be a problem. "i'll take half the load" he said, adding that the rest, together can take the care of the rest of the load.
With whoops of joy this plan was agreed to. Little celebratory drinks were passed around. Drinks of Mango essence, Hibiscus nectar and vanilla essence, and so on; all spiced with cloves, nutmeg, and chilled with the cool waters of the stream. Fortified with their enthusiasm, and lulled into happiness by the drinks and camaraderie, the friends flew up to the tree. no one had stopped to think how such small butterflies could hope to carry the huge tree!
They reached the tree and told it, come on Mr. Oak! you are to be gifted to our friend the eagle. The oak just laughed. a discussion followed and finally, frustrated by the trees lack of understanding they tried to uproot it. Obviously the tree didn't budge!. Finally once the tree had finished giggling at the rainbow butterflies he suggested they take a little sapling to the eagle's kids, who could watch it grow up with them, and could thus be friends. The sapling was enthusiastically accepted and the butterflies looked at it, smiling and decided they really must gift-wrap it! after much deliberation the decided to enlist the help of the spider and the weaver bird.
As they reached the spider's huge web he warned them, "don't get too close" and added that if they got stuck on his web he would certainly eat them. "Harrumph", the butterflies said and complained that the spider was a mean. "How can you think of eating us!" they grumbled. "Well", said the spider, "once your stuck you will not be able to escape, so I might as well eat you." Come close and see for your selves. Unfortunately one butterfly (a lovely candy apple red butterfly with a "Harley Davidson" Tattoo across one of his wings) from the fluttering mass of butterflies got too close and thus got stuck in the web. He struggled to get free, but could not. The spider licked his lips and said "Breakfast!", whilst moving towards his victim. Muscles however had different ideas! He boxed the spider, pulled his tattooed friend free, and broke off a chunk of the web. "Ouch!" cried the spider, "Why did you break my web?". Muscles explained that they needed the silk the web was made of to gift wrap the sapling for the eagle's kids. Before the confused spider could ask for an explanation they had reached the weaver bird.
The rest of the morning was spent admiring the weaver birds skill and watching while he wove the strands of the spider's web into a shimmering, transparent cloth, large enough to wrap the gift.
In the early afternoon, just before lunch, the eagle happily looked at the approaching rainbow and wondered what the shimmering silver mass between them was. he was happy when they finally landed and showed him the gift they had brought the chicks. The tree was planted next to them.
The tree and the chicks grew up as friends and spent many wonderful years in that beautiful place. Whenever the chicks saw the tree they thought of the Rainbow Butterflies, and were happy that they were their friends.
I loved this when I read it on Facebook and I love it even more now that I've read it again! This is a wonderful story/parable/fable. What a marvelous thing this is to do for your son.
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