Tears of a Butterfly
Author: Angelina Zhang
Class: Intermediate Writing II, XJS Coaching School
Writing style: Narrative
Teacher: Mr Howe
Once, a caterpillar named Matt loved another caterpillar called daisy. They lived in a very old oak tree. From birth they were the best of friends, always there for each other, standing up for one another. It was if they were brother and sister, although siblings don’t get along that well.
Time went by, and time changes people and species. Daisy and Matt spun themselves into separate cocoons and slept, their bodies changing. The warm springtime came and daisy and Matt climbed sleepily out of their cocoons. Daisy had become a beautiful dainty butterfly and Matt a small brown moth. Now, many male butterflies chased after Daisy asking for her hand in marriage. Giggling, she would always fly off and hide in her house until the boys went away. Matt had no chances because he would be pushed around by bigger, stronger butterflies and so getting close to Daisy was very difficult. He hid away until night time when everyone went home, and then would deliver little pots of pollen to her door.
One day, a boy with a butterfly net came to the big oak tree in search of butterflies. His eyes fell upon Daisy and soon he was racing after her. All the other butterflies fled for their lives, but only brave little Matt was courageous enough to chase the boy clinging to his hair and following him home after he had caught daisy in his net.
When he arrived home, the boy put Daisy into a cardboard box, stuck transparent paper across the front and lit a candle so that he could look at her. Matt flew away and clung onto the curtain, watching the boys’ every move. The boy left the room shutting the door. Both insects breathed a sigh of relief.
As Matt flew towards Daisy he banged his head on the transparent paper.
“Oww…” said Matt shaking his furry head to clear the stars floating above it. He tried chewing a hole in the box to let Daisy out, but that didn’t work. Next, he tried diving rapidly towards the soft cardboard, but not even a dent appeared. Finally, he tried to push the box over, but that failed as well.
Suddenly they heard footsteps coming their way.
“Hey Mum, I found a rare butterfly today!”
“Okay Tom, I’ll help you pin the body to steady it in your display box.”
Panicking, Matt did not know what to do. Looking around the room, his eyes fell on the lit candle.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he thought shaking his head, but however he tried to clear his mind, his thoughts floated back to the candle. The footsteps got closer and he didn’t know what to do. He flew over to the candle and set his wings ablaze. Flying painfully over to the box, he set it alight, so eventually it would burn freeing Daisy.
“I love you Daisy, and I always have!”
His wings eventually burned and turned to ashes. His lifeless body dropped onto the table. Daisy quickly fled the burning box and swooping down kissed the lifeless body on the table. Daisy gathered up the remains of Matt’s body and flew out the window as the boy and his mother entered the room. She flew to a nearby branch and bowed he head to hide her tears.
Finally, she flew home to the very old oak tree and buried Matt’s body under some bark while shedding many tears for the small, insignificant moth that lacked beauty, but had loved her very much.
The many tears of the beautiful butterfly are still crystallized on the grave of a loved one. She never forgot the last meaningful words, “I love you Daisy, and I always have!” He still lives within her heart, although he has already left this place.
Teacher’s comments:
This is a very imaginative narrative that does more than recounting; it creates an experience the reader shares with its characters; therefore it contains description and atmosphere as well as fact.