Once upon a time in a blooming garden, a young caterpillar named Bella was munching on a bright green leaf. It was the most beautiful spring day; butterflies fluttered all around, and the fragrance of blossoms filled the air. Bella often looked up at the butterflies soaring overhead, admiring their vibrant colors and appealing glides. “Oh, how I’d love to be a butterfly one day!”, sighed Bella dreamily.
One sunny morning, as she nibbled on her breakfast, she felt a strange sensation. A soft glow enveloped her, and she screamed, “Help! Help! I’m glowing terribly!” In a few heartbeats, Bella had changed – magically woven into a beautiful cocoon of fine, silky threads, laced with golden sunlight. “Oh dear, oh dear! What’s happening to me?” she murmured, frightened. She couldn’t see herself, but her heart told her something marvellous was taking place.
Days went by, and still, Bella was wrapped up in the brilliant glow. It felt warm and pleasant, but she was racked with curiosity about what would shine through when her metamorphosis was complete. “Whatever it is, I hope it won’t make me lose my appetite!” thought she.
At last, with a great stretching and yawning, she felt the silky threads yield, and peeping out, remarked, “Oh, it is delightful! Oh, it is beautiful! I am a butterfly!” It was really true! She let the sunshine pour over her cheeks; she spread her pretty wings and flew from her soft cradle. “Oh, how delightful it is to be a butterfly! You dear purple flowers, wait until I come to kiss you!” exclaimed she. Off she flew, where the large purple blossoms swung in the soft wind, and kissed the centre of each blossom over and over. That was Bella’s breakfast.
“Oh yes,” thought Bella, “it is delightful to be a butterfly!”
Then the little lady-bird came and greeted Bella. “Is this really you,” said she, “or a sweet dream? I don’t believe it. I could hardly have thought it possible. You, Bella, the ugly fat caterpillar, a butterfly! You a butterfly! Well, I suppose anything may happen in these crazy days.”
“Did you think I should remain a caterpillar? One must grow and improve,” replied Bella, and set off in high spirits to visit her friends in the garden.
First, she met Samuel the Snail, and said, “Good-morning, Belle. I hear, if all be true, to-day was crowned a butterfly.”
“Yes, the news is true. They pronounced it at court yesterday. I shall get three gold pieces.”
“But now, my dear Princess,” said Samuel, smiling, “jump down! We had a wedding last week, and as we didn’t wish to drink tea at the Grand Duchess’s, we had to walk. And on that occasion, we travelled further than ever before: when we arrived home, but one of ten was still lost.”
Bella saw a number of little beige pieces in the snail’s shell, and said, “No, thank you! That would not do at all with me. Until now, I have always dined in your shell.”
“But, my dear princess,” replied Samuel apologetically, “you know, those were the remains of my ancestors, nobility from old times; and they must rest well. Be seated, and I will bring you a glass.”
Bella stared at the pieces in the shell. “It is disgusting. I regret my visit,” said Bella.
Next, she was on the doorstep of the ant-hill, where Aunt Doma lived, “Good-day, my dear Bella; is that really you?”
“Yes! I am a butterfly! Am I not pretty?”
“I suppose you think so.”
“I am come, as usual, to visit you,” said Bella.
“Now, just go up to visit the Queen; she is in that great room where the workers pass the butter and cheese. If they have nothing else to give you, they can at least give you plenty of milk inside that.”
Bella wished to see the Queen, and knew nothing better than flying over her majesty’s head, calling, from pure courtesy, “Good-day, dear Madam,” in the thickest of flies.
From her, Bella flew to Samantha. “Good-morning, dear Miss. You go out a great deal; I see you everywhere; but you lived till now undetected in my shell there. Did you know, you were in our house? In my sleeping beautiful bedroom?”
“Oh, how very charming to have you! It is true, Papa has lived there; and since then, six times the rain has come, but still, could not carry away daddy by any means.”
Next, Bella touched earth under the rose-bush, resting her wings after her exhausting flight.
At this moment, nearly all the garden-ladies came out, all the caterpillars. They touched her: “Is that you, really you? How beautiful!”
“Yes! Isn’t it? I’m a butterfly. Is it not delightful?”
And at this, all the butterflies which actively attended Bella while she was a caterpillar came out of the rose-bush, and jeering, “Are you Princess Bella, who only two weeks ago was a caterpillar?”
Everybody else, increasing amazed, and showed how it smelt in their eyes, as much as they suspected, “That cannot be.”
In the evening there would be announcements: still, they guessed first.
“Then, all the daffodils and sunflowers, +whole kingdom, will not come on pilgrimage to see Bella?”
“Oh! that must be delightful,” said Robert the Snail, as he crept along the dew-whisper lilies.
“How proud Princess Bella must be.”
“But how beautiful it must be at court,” imagined Aunt Doma, the ant.