“I wonder if it has a musical box or a whistle in its throat. Would you not like to open it to find out?” said Kitty’s new play-fellow, shaking the golden bells in her cap.
“Yes—no—I don’t know,” panted Kitty, who was so much out of breath she had not a notion what she was saying, or if she was standing on her head or her heels.
Again the beautiful butterfly she had seen twinkled past on its wings like flowers.
“Catch it!” cried the little girl, seizing Kitty’s hand once more, and, willy-nilly, away she was speeding again. Run—run—through the alleys and glades of the deep forest; run—run—across a park-like clearance, and still the butterfly fluttered before. Like a will-o’-the-wisp it went, up and down, now here, now there, always before them. Settling down a moment—then off again just as they neared it. To the right—to the left—Kitty was beginning to feel angry at the dance that butterfly was leading them. The oftener it escaped the more determined she grew to catch it. She was so eager that she did not hear the warning sigh of her guardian child, “It is so happy; it is so happy. Don’t hurt it!” She heard only the shrill cry of the naughty sprite standing on her left shoulder and shrieking, “At it now! Up with it! Now’s your time! Now you’ve got it! Tally ho! tally ho!”
“Tinkle, tinkle,” went her playmate’s golden bells, quicker, quicker rushed these four racing little feet. At last the naughty sprite whispered, “Hush! Down upon it?”
They stopped running; they drew in their breath; they crept on tiptoe, softly—softly. Yes, there on a gray stone stretched the butterfly—a lovely flamy thing; all blue and pink and delicate golden markings. Softly it balanced itself, backward and forward, giving an occasional shake and quiver to its wings.
Kitty’s spirit was roused; she was in a manner angry with that winged creature that had escaped her so long. Now, with one blow of her little hand the swift tiny thing might lie there still forever.
The naughty sprite whispered, “Down upon it!”
Up flashed Kitty’s hand.
“I was so merry, merry,” whispered a voice in her ear.