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Page 100
slug'gish, _slow; stupid_.
in spect'ing, _looking at with attention_.
com posed', _made up_.
se'ries, _a number of things in order_.
stub'bed, _short and thick_.
dis turbed', _interfered with_.
* * * * *
THE CATERPILLAR AND BUTTERFLY.
Last summer, when the trees were covered with green leaves, and when the
little stream was sparkling and dancing in the sun, there appeared in
the garden, a large caterpillar of many colors, and about as pretty as a
caterpillar could be.
All day long it was nibbling the green leaves, and leaf after leaf
disappeared before it with wonderful rapidity. It seemed to live only
for eating.
As autumn came on, it quite lost its appetite; so much so, that even the
tenderest and most juicy leaves could not tempt it to eat any more. It
grew dull and stiff, and lost all interest in life.
Feeling that some change was about to happen, it crawled into a little
hole in the old garden wall. It wrapped itself up in a cobweb, and fell
into a long sleep, during which it became changed from a caterpillar
into a dried-up, dead-looking grub or chrysalis.
It remained in this state through all the long winter, till the snow and
frost had gone, and the cold March winds were over.
In April the trees burst forth with their bright green leaves, and the
grass looked fresh under the power of the warm rains.
In May the many-tinted flowers appeared, filling the air with their
sweetness, and brightening the fields and gardens with their gay colors.
At this time another great change came over the old grub. It showed
signs of life again; but it was now no longer a caterpillar--it was
something else.
It wriggled and turned in its narrow little home, and seemed anxious to
get out and look at the sunshine and flowers. It bumped its head up and
down until it succeeded in pushing off a little door.
When the door was off, and the bright sunlight shone in, this little
occupant of the chrysalis took a look at itself.
It saw that during its long winter's nap, it had acquired a pair of
beautiful wings, and its legs had grown longer and stronger than they
were before.
Crawling out of the chrysalis, and taking a position on a branch of the
tree, it discovered that instead of a caterpillar, it was now a
beautiful butterfly.
It was a kind that is called the swallow-tail butterfly, because each of
its wings tapered to a point, something like the tail of a swallow. We
will call the butterfly, Miss Swallow-tail, and now let us see what her
next move was.
Her wings were damp and heavy, and she stood shivering and trembling;
for although she had six legs, they were weak, having never before borne
such a weight.
But fresh air brings strength; so she soon felt like trying to walk. At
first her movements were sluggish, but she finally reached a sunny spot
where she dried and warmed herself, giving her wings a little shake now
and then, until they opened grandly above her back.
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