THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY BROTHERS Taliesin_2 Thu Dec 24 23:26:51 1998 THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY*br*BROTHERS*p*(FROM THE GERMAN)[2]*p*[2] From Deutsches Drittes Lesebuch, by W. H. Weick and C.*br*Grebner. Copyright, 1886, by Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co. American*br*Book Company, publishers.*p**br*There were once three little butterfly brothers,*br*one white, one red, and one yellow. They played*br*in the sunshine, and danced among the flowers*br*in the garden, and they never grew tired because*br*they were so happy.*p*One day there came a heavy rain, and it wet*br*their wings. They flew away home, but when*br*they got there they found the door locked and the*br*key gone. So they had to stay out of doors in the*br*rain, and they grew wetter and wetter.*p*By and by they flew to the red and yellow*br*striped tulip, and said: ``Friend Tulip, will you*br*open your flower-cup and let us in till the storm*br*is over?''*p*The tulip answered: ``The red and yellow*br*butterflies may enter, because they are like me, but*br*the white one may not come in.''*p*But the red and yellow butterflies said: ``If our*br*white brother may not find shelter in your flowercup,*br*why, then, we'll stay outside in the rain with*br*him.''*p*It rained harder and harder, and the poor little*br*butterflies grew wetter and wetter, so they flew*br*to the white lily and said: ``Good Lily, will you*br*open your bud a little so we may creep in out of*br*the rain?''*p*The lily answered: ``The white butterfly may*br*come in, because he is like me, but the red and*br*yellow ones must stay outside in the storm.''*p*Then the little white butterfly said: ``If you*br*won't receive my red and yellow brothers, why,*br*then, I'll stay out in the rain with them. We*br*would rather be wet than be parted.''*p*So the three little butterfiies flew away.*p*But the sun, who was behind a cloud, heard it*br*all, and he knew what good little brothers the*br*butterflies were, and how they had held together*br*in spite of the wet. So he pushed his face through*br*the clouds, and chased away the rain, and shone*br*brightly on the garden.*p*He dried the wings of the three little*br*butterflies, and warmed their bodies. They ceased to*br*sorrow, and danced among the flowers till evening,*br*then they flew away home, and found the*br*door wide open.