A Fable About The Bee And The Butterfly Poem by Larisa Rzhepishevska

Once upon a time

In a warm spring day

The bee flied far away.

It has left it’s shelter

To collect the sweet nectar

From the beautiful flowers

Using God’s dower.

When the bee flied over the field

Alas, it couldn’t see the caterpillar

That crept in the grass.

The caterpillar looked at the bee,

Looked at the sky with yearning,

It also wanted to fly,

Learning the world around

And not to creep on the ground.

Burning with passion, tearfully

The caterpillar said hopefully:

“I love you the bee.

I would agree to do anything

If only I could fly with you.

Don’t tell me adieu!

I haven’t any view from the ground

I just feel to be bound.”

The caterpillar was lost in tears.

Having enough sufferings during the day time

It has fallen into a deep sleep

As there was no more strength to weep.

But when it woke up in the morning chime

It thought it was still a dream time

As it could now fly into the sky,

It turned into a butterfly.

The same morning having seen the butterfly

The bee’s heart melted with joy.

Oh, boy! It was in love at first sight,

Together they would have a wonderful flight.

Now they are flying together

In the fields, in the woods, in the gardens

And their love hardens.

The flowers give them

Their sweet nectar to drink,

There is no troubles to think.



The fable, I’ve told above,

Doesn’t need a question: What is love?

Everyone understands it in his own way.

What else can I say?



This fable was written on the motif of an old French song 'L'Abeille et Papillon' (1956)