Short Story
The Butterfly Attack

 

Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a water puddle ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn’t covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked! I did nothing as the attack was unpredictable and from a source so totally unexpected.

I was startled as well as unhurt, despite having been struck four or five times. I took a step back and my attacker stopped attacking me. Instead, he hovered in the air on graceful butterfly wings in front of me. Had I been hurt I wouldn’t have found it amusing, but I was unhurt, it was funny and I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!

Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed towards me again. He rammed me in the chest with his head and body, striking me over and over again with all its might to no avail.

For a second time, I retreat a step backwards and my attacker relented in its attack. I tried moving forward again. My attacker charged at me again. I was rammed in the chest over and over again. I wasn’t sure what to do, other than to retreat a third time. After all, it’s not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. This time, I stepped back several paces to examine the situation.

My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That’s when I discovered why my attacker was charging at me only moments earlier. He had a mate and she was dying. She was beside the puddle where he landed. Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it upon himself to attack me for his mate’s sake, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life just in case I was careless enough to step on her.

Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was really only one option left for me. I carefully made my way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate’s safety justified it. I couldn’t do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed. I left them in peace for those last few moments.

Since then, I’ve always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I encounter huge obstacles. I use that butterfly’s courage as an inspiration and to remind myself that good things are worth fighting for.

 

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