All on a sudden Bertie brings down the net, and then throws himself on his hands and knees, to make sure of his success. He must have caught the butterfly....
No! there is no butterfly—nothing at all in the net but a bit of clover. Bertie seems rather unhappy about it; but I know who is happy enough—the beautiful butterfly that has had such a fortunate escape. How he soars away! However, Bertie calls out to his cousin that it was not a real peacock after all, which is some comfort.
The Donkey, seeing Bertie on all-fours, wonders whether he is mocking him, and making fun of him.
IX.
Butterflies are very silly. I think the peacock cannot have noticed Minnie, for he flies very imprudently close to her. Minnie will manage much better than Bertie; yes, indeed, she is not going to let such a beautiful butterfly get away, for he is very beautiful though he may not be a peacock.
Pat! she has got him, and very tight too, so that he cannot possibly get away under the rim.
