THE PRINCESS BUTTERFLY
It was a stormy day when Princess Aurora flew away from her home, her castle where she lived with her butterfly Mom and Dad.
The North winds roared. They stormed and tossed. They caught Aurora in a tempestuous downdraft and threw her against a tree, branches outspread, tempest tossed and she was wildly spun down plunging into the long grasses below. |
Nearby walking at this time, was a very lonely man, a gentle giant. He saw Aurora falter and fall and rushed to rescue her after her accident. The tender giant watched over the unconscious little butterfly for many hours. He sought to comfort her, to protect her. When Aurora finally stirred, he moved her to a beautiful crystal butterfly home.
He put the sweetest nectar, the finest honey into a crystal bowl for Aurora to eat. He felt so much less lonely now that he had her in his lonely dark castle, He decorated her home with pink, fragrant cherry blossoms, with blue tinged delicate Forget-Me-Not. The days passed slowly and that sweet soul, the gentle giant grew to love his little captive....she woke in him such feelings of love and caring. He sang to her. He told Aurora stories of his lonely life. But sadly, all was not well. Aurora missed the joys of seeing her Mom and Dad. She missed the home she had once had with them...a castle filled with light and laughter. Day by day she was getting weaker and weaker...she was languishing for home, for her family, and despite all his efforts , it became obvious to the sweet giant that he had to set his beloved little Princess free to go to her family once more...if not, he knew in his heart he would lose her to death. His last hours with Aurora, the giant secretly cried out of his returning loneliness. He didn't want Aurora to see how sad he was in setting her free. He smiled when he looked at her and opened the cage. He gently picked Aurora up, held her high into the still airs above and waved his goodbye. She slowly circled on her wings high above him and then disappeared high high into the sheltering skies. The gentle giant pushed back his tears and smiled. He had done the right thing. He had made the greatest sacrifice. He had set his sad Princess free to go to her family. and feelings of a deepest love overwhelmed him. He thought longingly of his little Princess one last time and love again caught him unawares overcoming him with its great sadness, with its great strength, with its great and overwhelming beauty.. GORBET July, 2020. |
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ETHAN GORBET
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