"O sisters look, I see him now. He is floating back from cloudland. Spread wide your leaves that he may choose the one he deems most fair."
Then Wild Rose glowed with a deep blush as she proudly waved on her stem; Cowslip bent to look at herself in the rippling brook, little Houstonia merrily danced and spread out her white leaves wide; and Daisy whispered her joy and hope to Violet, who peeped out from the tall green ferns to watch the glittering form of the butterfly that shone in the summer sky.
Nearer and nearer the bright form came, and fairer and fairer grew the blossoms. Each welcomed him in her sweetest tones and each offered him honey and dew. But in vain did they beckon and smile and call. He floated past Violet, Daisy, and Rose, and went straight to the pleasant home of Clover Blossom, the flower most truly fair.
"Dear flower," he said, "when I was alone and friendless you watched over me and cared for me. And now I will try to show the thanks the poor worm could not tell.
"Sunbeam, breeze shall come to thee,
And the coolest dews that fall;
Whate'er a flower can wish is thine,
For thou art worthy all.
"And the home thou shared with the friendless worm
The butterfly's home shall be,