ed
to eat or drink, once they have won their highest form, their life of
wings and joy. But they have not got much farther than giving names to
the things we have long loved and seen as children, dividing the winged
wonders into two big families called Butterflies and Moths.

Do you know the difference between a Butterfly and a Moth?

Taken together they make a large group that are called Scale-wings,
because they alone among insects, have scales or tiny feathers like dust
on the wings. Butterflies are Scale-wings that fly by day, and have
club-shaped feelers; they mostly fold one wing against the other when
they alight, and in the chrysalis, or bundle-baby stage, they are naked
and look like an African ear-drop.

Moths are Scale-wings that fly by night, and have switch or
feather-shaped feelers; they keep their wings spread open when they
alight, and in the bundle-baby stage, they are wrapped in a cocoon.
There are some that do not keep to these rules, but they are rare, and
the shape of the feelers will tell whether it is a Moth or a Butterfly.

All of these Scale-wings are hatched from eggs, and come first, as a
worm, grub, or caterpillar; next as a chrysalis pupa or bundle-baby;
last as the winged creature. That is, first a Beast and last a Beauty.
Each of them must at one time be the ugly one, before the great change
comes. But I must tell you a truth that the Fairy Books left out, and
which maybe you have guessed--Princess Beauty too was at one time forced
to live and look like a Beast, till she had fought her own fight, had
worked out her own high destiny, and won her way to wings.

TALE 13

The Mourning-cloak Butterfly, or the Camberwell Beauty

There was once a lady who dwelt in Camberwell. She was so good to see
that people called her "The Camberwell Beauty." She dressed so
magnificently that her robe was covered with gold, and spangled with
precious stones of most amazing colours. Especially proud was she, of
the row of big blue diamonds that formed the border; and she loved to go
forth into the world to see and be seen; although she knew that the
country was full of robbers who would be sure to steal her jewels if
they could. Then she made a clever plan, she kept on the beautiful
things that she loved to dress in, but over all she hung a black velvet
mourning cloak which nobody could possibly want to steal. Then she went
up and down the roads as much as she pleased.

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