On the edge of a city was a tall mountain, and besides it a great meadow where wildflowers grew. On the mountain slope, obscured from the city by a forested ridge, was a cave where two butterflies had slept.
Dawn breaks. The cave fills with light and the morning dance of the butterflies cast a playful shadow on the wall.
Out in the meadow, the sun has lifted the morning dew; it hangs in the air above the grass; fresh oxygen and pollen amidst the mix; the insects fill up with sticky nectar and become jolly; a tropical crescendo fills the air.
The butterflies saw all of this and sought their favourite flowers; which by their deduction shined like silver amongst sand; and traced delightful vectors on the zephyrs in between, until they were quite sated.
"Where shall we rest when the sun goes down, dear delightful sister of mine? "
"Silly sister, the sun is still high, and why worry about night until night is upon us, come, the day is young, and we will flutter over the stream; flutter under the fronds and watch the patterns."
"But sister, I am afraid that when the sun lowers later, we will be on the meadow still, and quite lost, and if in the deep night the air gains a chill, the dampness will collect on our wings and might damage them"
"Little one, whom knows my position at all times by the faintest turbelence I emit; such is your love for me, must we discuss this now with lips wet from nectar and the air still a delightful viscosity for flight?"
So they sailed down to the stream; gurgled a scale such that latent surface tension induced an opposing synchronous pulse; and the sun glistened on nodes.
And after they had played, they rested on the sand bank.
"Do you remember sister, a cave we visited long ago?"
"Why yes sister, and you were scared to enter at first I recall, but you liked the warmth of the wood burning"
"It has been so long, I wonder if the mountain has not disappeared, we should go check at once, while the sun is bright and shining, we shall be able to make out the shadow against the cliff "
"Stop, sister, for though it may feel cool here on this shady bank, the meadow is dry and if you try to cross it now you will surely die of thirst"
"But sister, where shall we sleep? If a heavy rain comes, sure, we can shelter under a leaf, but the hills could be flooded and the river might swell and replace the volume of air we occupy, and we will be submerged !"
"My dear one, wait here now and rest your wings, the wind is freshening to the south-east, and as the sun reaches its last quarter we will cross the meadow on a mighty gust; you will not weary by laborious flight my sister, but to stay on course requires a quick wit and a firm hand"
"But I'm quite frightened of a mighty gust!"
The wind quickened the water and waves rushed down the sandy bank. The butterflies tested its strength by angling slightly off the parallel.
"When you see a ghost upon the water; the gust is coming; be ready."
It came and it took them; an eagle soared overhead, a eucalypt swayed with the rustle of a thousand leaves; and the koala held it's ear in close to the trunk.
