XX.
Minnie, however, remembering the directions in her uncle’s book, has opened the box, while Bertie holds his net tightly down on the ground. The butterfly cannot escape. Minnie has given her cousin a great long pin, with a sharp point.
The Donkey, who had run off to some distance, comes back when he sees the hunters stop. He says to himself that something extraordinary must have happened, and he is not wrong this time.
XXI.
Bertie holds the big pin close to the quivering body of the poor butterfly. He must find the exact spot in the middle of his back, so that the operation may not fail. He has told Minnie to put her hands flat down on the net, one on each side of the poor prisoner. The butterfly, thus pressed, can scarcely stir; a few convulsive struggles are the only signs of his agony and his helplessness; his head, with its large eyes, can still move a little. How dreadful his eyes look; they are full of terror.
Bertie was so proud of his victory; why does he hesitate now?