"Oh!" cried the fish, "how beautiful! how beautiful! Come let us play together—let us play."
The butterfly rested on a thistle bloom and stirred her pale wings thoughtfully. "Play?" she said.
"Yes, let us play. How beautiful thou art!"
"And thou!" said the butterfly; "all the shine of the sun and sea gleams in thy armor. Let us play together."
"Come then," said the butterfly; "come up into the fresh morning air and the sunlight, where everything smiles this sweet May day."
"There?" cried the fish; "I would die there; I would die! There is no life for me in your sunshine world. But come with me into this glittering stream; here swimming against the swift current is strong life. Come, let us play here."
But the butterfly trembled. "There?" she cried; "if I touched one single little wave I should be swept out and away forever. There is no life for me in the glittering stream."
They looked across at each other.
"But see," said the butterfly, "I will come as near as I dare to your water world;" and she spread her beautiful wings and floated down to the edge of the water. The fish with a great stroke swam toward her. But they could only touch the same bit of earth, and the waves always bore him back.