In a vibrant garden full of flowers during a joyful summer day, there lived a small butterfly named Billy. Billy was not an ordinary butterfly; he was a little fellow with the most unique wings anyone had ever seen. Each of his wings boasted a different color—red on one side and blue on the other. All the other butterflies in the flower garden had wings that were simply shades of yellow or brown. Billy often felt sad because he looked so different, making him worry he might not belong anywhere.
“Why can’t I be like the others?” Billy sighed one day while resting on a tall flower. “If only my wings were pretty and plain, I would be so happy!”
But just then, a kind, old bee was passing by and overheard him.
“Dear Billy, who told you that you are not pretty?” the bee asked.
“Why, look at my wings!” Billy replied, fluttering them sadly. “I am the only one in the whole garden who has such blue and red wings.”
“But blue and red are beautiful colors,” said the bee. “Many lovely flowers wear them, and don’t you see? You are unique. Did you ever think that your bright wings might perhaps lead you to some fine adventures? Just wait and see!”
But this only made Billy sadder. “Blue and red will never help me,” he exclaimed. “I wish I looked just like all the others. Then I wouldn’t be afraid to go out into the world.”
The bee, wanting to cheer him up, said, “Come now, be off into the world, Billy. You will soon find that it is made on purpose for you! And I wish you every happiness.”
As the old bee buzzed away, Billy thought it was no use trying to make him feel more cheerful. So he wiped away his tears and started fluttering his way down the garden path, slowly and sadly. Just as he turned around the corner, he saw a little flower standing all alone, and its blooms were drooping down on either side.
“What is wrong, dear little flower?” Billy asked gently.
“Oh, I am so lonely and so tired, so tired! If only my sister blooms would come and grow beside me again,” the flower sighed. “But all those lovely flowers have been cut. I am as lonely as can be! What is to be done?”
“I can help you!” cried Billy, his eyes sparkling with a sudden determination. “I will fly quickly and fetch you a plant, if only you will promise to grow beside it!”
So away flew Billy through the garden, over the hedge, and into the meadow. Here the sweet fragrant flowers of summer swayed gently in the breeze, and among them the little flower-in-waiting found just what he wanted. Before long, he returned with a little plant, all fresh and green, and two delightful blooms on its top.
“There, dear flower! Now you shall have some company!” Billy exclaimed joyfully. “Aren’t they pretty? And did you see how dear little green leaves, kissed by the morning dew, look beside your drooping foliage?”
“Oh, thank you, thank you! You have quite taken away my loneliness!” said the little flower with shining eyes.
“You are very welcome. The summer day is still before me, so I think I will now set out for that fine wide world! Good day to you!” cried Billy. Always trying to cheer something, he fluttered away and soon arrived at a pleasant-looking hill.
For the first time, he now realized how happy he was to have his wings of different colors and shiny spots. He looked around him on every side, and then thought how dearly he would like to show them in the air. So up he flew into the blue sky, and away, away he went! How lovely everything appeared from above! In the distance he saw an amusing picture of a great crowd of butterflies in a field of blooming flowers. But he saw something else, too, which made him terrible frightened, so frightened that he hardly knew how to reach them.
“Dear, dear! That will never do!” he said to himself. “There is not a moment to lose!” And faster than ever he flew to the motley crowd.
The butterflies were all agitated, flapping their wings angrily and murmuring together.
“What is the matter with you all?” Billy asked.
“Oh! see how horridly he is treated,” said the butterfly next to him, whose wings were of a lovely gold color. “He is just going to lose his life because of that unlucky thorn there! Who knows, but it may take ours too? We all bathed our wings in the dew-drops on the flowers, and that little thorn must have caught one.”
“Oh! this is terrible!” said a little black and white butterfly. “Why did we not see it before; and how came that dog there to bark in this unlucky way?”
Billy began to think. “If I were only of a different color!” he thought. But no, there would be no use in that, for what would it matter then if it were his own doom he was suffering?
“Listen to me! I will go and fasten something to it there!” he at last said, saying it right out and not waiting to think. “With so thin a body, I can easily accomplish it!”
“It would be taking a leap in the dark,” said the golden butterfly, “not knowing but that the end may be death to yourself!”
“Never mind!” answered Billy.
So saying, without waiting to ask a single question, he fluttered down toward the dog’s bushy tail on which the thorn had become caught. But just at that very moment the dog slapped his tail across his face, which made him jump up angrily, and away ran the dog down another path where there was nothing but a steep brick wall.
No sooner had the tail been freed from the thorn than Billy flew up from the ground shouting joyfully, “I have saved you! You will now scatter happiness all over the garden!” And with his wings fluttering brightly in the air, he flew down to his beloved flower bed.
“Well, my brave little Billy,” called out the old bee, “didn’t I tell you that your wings would lead you to a fine adventure?”
“Yes, and I am so thankful for the lesson, dear bee,” Billy replied joyfully, kissing a tear of happiness from one of the flowers. “And, oh! now I have learned to be not ashamed of my blue and red wings!”