The black butterfly
Photo by Travis Blessing on Unsplash
– Tell me another story.
– Okay, but it'll be the last one for tonight. You close your eyes and go to sleep after this one, deal?
– Deal.
– So here it goes, the story of the black butterfly:
Of all the things that fly
None was more intriguing than the black butterfly
Some said he came from the north, others from the south
And the only place he could rest was on a beautiful lady's mouth
So he flew from lips to lips
Afraid he might miss a kiss
The ladies knew it was in his nature to come and go
But they still let him touch and soothe their souls
– Why can he only rest on a lady's lips?
– Because it's the softest place in the world, and he's a fragile little thing, that black butterfly.
– Okay, go on.
When he was a caterpillar, one morning
An old wizard cast a spell upon him
From that day on, if he wanted to survive
He would always have to drink tears from a lady's eyes
Even though the butterfly felt quite bad
He made sure every lady he met got a little sad
Because he would always come to fear
That the lady might not shed a tear
But in the end, they all cried
Once they met the black butterfly
– I don't understand. Why does he have to drink the lady's tears to survive?
– Because it’s the most powerful thing in the world.
– Isn’t Superman the most powerful in the world?
– Don't worry, you'll understand better when you grow older.
– When I’ll be old like you?
– Oh, sooner than that, at least I hope.
His wings weren’t as big as a bird’s
So before long, he got tired
Of flying frantically from sky to sky
And like every single other butterfly
He knew he would live a pretty short life
So between his trips from lips to lips
He opened his small eyes, searching for tips
For his demise was something he couldn’t deny
And he knew he quickly had to learn how to die
– This is kind of a sad story, isn’t it?
– Every good story has something sad to it. That’s what makes its moments of happiness worth telling, over and over again.
– But sad stories make people cry.
– Yes, but they also remind them how important it is to smile once their eyes have dried.
– Well… okay, go on.
After a while he didn’t know what to think
For he had landed on so many lips, seen so much pink
He had been from station to station like a raging train
Dragging along his black wagons of pain
But one day something crazy happened
And like all crazy things, it happened for a reason
See just when he was ready to give up
His fate got twisted by Lady Luck
– Wait a minute, who’s that Lady Luck?
– Oh she’s a kind lady, though a bit shy.
– What does she look like, is she pretty?
– She’s gorgeous, but she doesn’t show herself much. That’s why it’s always a pleasure when she decides to show up.
– Have you already met her?
– Yes, yes. A couple of times. Can you keep a secret?
– Sure!
– I owe her a LOT.
– A lot of money?
– No, no, nothing like that. Listen, this will make for another story all right?
– All right, go on.
One day, the butterfly met a very special person
Her eyes shun brighter than a hundred diamonds
And of all the ladies he had met
This one was surely the prettiest
Her heart was filled with joy and kindness
And her smile could heal any illness
So the black butterfly instantly got mad
When he thought about her getting sad
But he made her cry anyway
For he wanted to live, he wanted to stay
And on that day
His troubles were all blown away
For the tears he drank clenched his thirst
As he had finally met the lady who could lift his curse
As days passed, the black butterfly turned gold
And he stayed on her lips until he got very, very old
– Is that it? What happens next?
– Oh no, what happens next is what they call a miracle.
– A miracle? What kind of miracle, Dad?
– Well, you know, the kind of miracle who asks you to tell him stories before he goes to bed.
– What, me?
– Yeah, you! You might not understand this yet, but you are the end of this story. And you’re also the beginning of another big, great story.
– What’s it called?
– Your life, my son.