Ralph was walking with papa in the fields, when he saw a red and black
butterfly. It was on a thistle.
[Illustration: {A BUTTERFLY.}]
"I will catch him," said Ralph. So he walked slowly up to the thistle
and put out his hand to catch the butterfly. But the butterfly spread
his wings and flew up in the air. In a moment he came back and lighted
on the thistle again.
Ralph wanted to try to catch him again, but papa said, "The butterfly
is eating his dinner."
"Does he eat the thistle?" asked Ralph.
"He eats the honey in the thistle," said papa. "We will sit down and I
will show you the honey. Each thistle head has a great many tiny
flowers. See, like these!" and papa pulled some of them out. Then he
took one of the blossoms between his thumb and finger. He pressed the
slender tube till Ralph saw a wee drop of honey at the end. Then Ralph
wanted to do the same. So he pressed one after the other of the purple
tubes and found a drop of honey in each.
"Does the butterfly squeeze them that way?" asked Ralph.
"No; he has no thumb and finger," said papa.
"How can he get the honey, then?" Ralph asked.
"He finds it with his long sucker, which reaches to the bottom of
these slender tubes."
"I wish he would eat this honey, papa, now I have got it all ready for
him," said Ralph. "I'll ask him."
So he walked slowly towards the butterfly, holding out the little
purple blossoms.
"Here's some honey all squeezed," he said softly; "don't you want it,
Butterfly?"
But the butterfly opened and shut his pretty spotted wings and then
flew away.
[Illustration: RALPH.]
Ralph looked sorry. "Never mind," said papa, "he isn't used to having
little boys wait upon him. He likes to get his dinner himself."
[Illustration: {TWO BUTTERFLIES.}]
Bright the sun! gay the flowers!
Gently falls the rain!
O the jolly, the blithesome hours,
Summer is come again!
Eggs in my nest, snails to eat,
A whole round world for my home,
I sing, I sing, so sweet, so sweet!
Summer again is come!
[Illustration: A LITTLE BIRD SAT ON A TWIG.]