Jannath darted beneath a cloud of fluttering butterflies. One bright-winged visitor led her toward a sunny patch of marigolds. Gold petals bobbed in the breeze as she followed. The garden seemed to whisper, “This way, this way.”
The bright-winged butterfly vanished beneath a broad leaf. Rustle, rustle. Jannath crouched beside the marigolds and peered into the green shadows. “Where do you rest?” she whispered, while the leaf trembled once and became still.
Jannath searched by watching petals, stems, and stones. Butterflies sipped from lavender, zinnias, and jasmine, flashing like bits of painted sky. Each time she crept closer, wings flapped—flick, flick! Petals spun around her, and she giggled as the visitors popped up somewhere new.
Near a drooping flower, Jannath noticed a tired butterfly wobbling through the air. She knelt slowly and held herself very still. The butterfly landed on a leaf. Jannath thought, “Perhaps it needs a quiet place before it flies again.”
Jannath gathered fallen leaves and bent green stems into a little shelter. She tucked each leaf beneath the next until a leafy roof took shape. A curious ladybug marched across the roof, pausing at the peak. Jannath watched it go, then added one last stem.
Whoosh! A gust rattled every stem in the garden. The leafy shelter flipped onto its side, and the tired butterfly skittered through the grass. Jannath reached quickly, cupping a broad leaf over it. “Stay here,” she whispered, as wind tugged at the flowers.
Jannath rebuilt the shelter beside a sturdy plant. She pressed the stems deep into the soil and layered the leaves carefully. The roof held firm this time. The tired butterfly crept inside, and the garden’s rattling sounds faded to a soft shiver.
When the wind quieted, Jannath returned. The butterfly fluttered from its leafy shelter to the flowers, brushing pollen across their golden centers. Jannath smiled as new blossoms opened nearby. She left the shelter beneath the sturdy plant, ready for the next tiny visitor.