The Enchanted Woods
Little Lost Butterfly

Flutter the butterfly was talking with her butterfly friends: Hannah, Rose, and Rainbow. They were talking about the world outside of the Enchanted Woods. It was very interesting until . . . "I'd like to see the rest of the world," Flutter commented. Hannah laughed and said," You'd be too chicken. Besides, you'd never find your way back." "I would, too," Flutter said angrily. "The Enchanted Woods is easy to find." "Are you sure?" asked Rainbow. "The world is so big. You could get lost." "I wouldn't go far," Flutter said. "Just far enough to see what the world is like." " I've been out of the Enchanted Woods," Rose said shyly. "I once lived in Berrie Forest. When I got older, I moved here. I like it here." Rose was shy and didn't say much. Hannah was just the opposite. She liked to spread news and she loved to talk. FLutter smiled at Rose. "The Enchanted Woods is nice," she said. "I wouldn't stay away for very long. All of my friends are here." "Of course you wouldn't stay away for a long time," Hannah said. "You couldn't go away for an entire day." "I could, too," Flutter said. "I'll prove it to you. I'm going to go away from the Enchanted Woods and I'll be back here tomorrow morning. Good-bye!" Flutter flew into the air and was gone before Hannah could say anything. "I didn't want her to go," Hannah said. "I was just teasing her. I really think she could get lost. Any of us could get lost." "Maybe we should bring her back," said Rainbow. "How?" asked Hannah. "She's far away by now. You have that wing infection right now and can't fly too good. Rose is too shy to go anywhere, and I'm not abandoning my friends." "You're scared," Rainbow said haughtily. "And my wing will be fine in a couple of days." "What about Mistie?" Rose suggested. "Who's Mistie?" asked Rainbow. Hannah got excited. "Mistie is one of Flutter's friends!" she cried. "She's a blue cloud!" Rainbow read Hannah's thoughts. "She could find Flutter!" she finished for Hannah. Rose nodded. "Where would she be?" asked Rainbow. "Over at Hope's cave, I guess," Hannah said. "If she's not there, we'll check the Fountain of Luck." "We?" asked Rainbow. "As you just said, I have a wing infection. You'll go get Mistie." Hannah nodded and said," Well, I'm off." FLutter flew up in the clouds, smiling. She'd show Hannah! Flutter looked down and gasped. "The woods!" she said aloud. "It's gone!" Sure enough, the Enchanted Woods was replaced with buildings and people. Flutter alighted on a building, getting scared. She had never seen people before, and they scared her. FLutter started to cry. Hannah had been right. Flutter was a lost butterfly! Hannah flew to Hope's cave and found Hope outside. Mistie and Sugar were with her. "Hello Hannah," Hope said. "Is there any news?" Hannah nodded and said," Actually, there is. You see, Flutter and I were talking about the world outside the Enchanted Woods, and I was teasing her. I said she was too chicken to stay out of the woods for a day. So she flew away and told me that she'd be back tomorrow morning. I was just kidding, though. I think she could get lost." Hannah looked at Hope. Hope had a surprised expression on her face. "We'll be glad to help find her," Hope said. Hannah smiled triumphantly. "Good. But only Mistie can search." "Why?" asked Sugar. "We're her friends, too." "I know that," Hannah said. "But Flutter might be in the human world, so I think Mistie is inconspicuous." Hope let this sink in, and then said," All right. Mistie, will you help?" Mistie nodded and said," Of course. I'll go right away." The blue cloud floated into the air and out of sight. Flutter watched the human children play and thought," I wonder if I should start back home?" Flutter knew she should try, but she was still scared of the people. Besides, she'd never hear of it from Hannah. She would just have to stay here until tomorrow morning, then try to find her way back. That night, just as she was dozing off, something shook her. Flutter yelled in terror and stared up at a blue cloud. "Mistie!" Flutter cried in delight. "What are you doing here?" "Hannah was just teasing you," Mistie explained. "She sent me to bring you back." "Do you know the way back?" Flutter asked. Mistie nodded and said," Yes. Let's go, before it gets any darker." The two flew through the air and, to Flutter's surprise, reached the Enchanted Woods the next morning. Flutter had thought it would take days. They went to the Fountain of Luck, where Hannah, Sugar, and Hope were waiting. "Good job, Mistie!" Hope cheered. "Are you all right, Flutter?" Flutter nodded and then said, laughing," I did keep my promise, Hannah. I stayed away from the Enchanted Woods for a whole day!" Hannah laughed too, and then everybody went to bed. Hannah and Flutter slept on two flowers, Mistie went up to her home in the rainbow, Sugar went to her tree house, and Hope slept on a bed of grass in her cave.

Copyright 1997 by Chantessy