There were once three little butterfly brothers, one white, one red,
and one yellow. They played in the sunshine, and danced among the
flowers in the garden, and they never grew tired because they were so
happy.
[Footnote 1: From Weick and Grebner's "Eclectic German Third Reader."
Copyright, American Book Company, publishers.]
One day there came a heavy rain and it wet their wings. They flew away
home, but when they got there they found the door locked and the key
gone. So they had to stay outdoors in the rain, and they grew wetter
and wetter.
By and by they flew to the red and yellow striped tulip, and said,
"Friend Tulip, will you open your flower-cup and let us in until the
storm is over."
The tulip answered: "The red and yellow butterflies may enter because
they are like me, but the white one may not come in."
But the red and yellow butterflies said: "If our white brother may
not find shelter in your flower-cup, why, then, we will stay outside
in the rain with him."
It rained harder and harder, and the poor little butterflies grew
wetter and wetter, so they flew to the white lily and said: "Good
Lily, will you open your bud a little so we may creep in out of the
rain?"
The lily answered, "The white butterfly may come in, because he is
like me, but the red and yellow ones must stay outside in the storm."
Then the white butterfly said: "If you won't receive my red and yellow
brothers, why, then, I will stay out in the rain with them. We would
rather be wet than parted."
So the three little butterflies flew away.
But the sun, who was behind a cloud, heard it all. He knew what good
little brothers the butterflies were and how they had kept together in
spite of the wet. So the sun pushed his face through the clouds and
chased away the rain, and shone brightly on the garden.
He dried the wings of the three little butterflies, and warmed their
bodies. They ceased to sorrow, and danced among the flowers until
evening. Then they flew away home, and found the door wide open.