Why People Collect Butterflies

[Esther Cornelius]

This is why people collect butterflies:

In ancient times, before the great forests were cut, giant butterflies
flew over the land, and they collected people. These people were kept
inside the faceted chrystal webs of the butterflies eyes. 

Suspended in dreamtime cocoons where time stands still, the butterflies
studied the people, trying to learn why people were so obtuse in their
perception of the world, and how people could even survive with such
limitations and arrogance. 

Well, eventually they collected a chieftain with whom they could
communicate. ( we call him Joe, though his real name is lost to time).
Chief Joe pleaded for the people, "Let us return to our world and we
will always honor you as equals. We'll build shrines to the Chrystal and
Web world". 

The butterflies were amazed to percieve such emotion and coherency, and
the great council of The Lords of the Air voted to release the people,
and that chief Joe would represent Butterflies in the world of people,
and the people would be taught the secret of butterfly kinship. 

So the people were released and they rained down out of the butterflies
eyes and fell back to earth. Chief Joe stood up as the dream was fading
he said "Don't forget, we have to remember butterfly names and build
butterfly shrines of glass and web, and we will gain uh... total
knowledge!!"

Well, the people didn't know who Joe was, but they all had strange
memories, and they felt compelled to realate with butterflies somehow
with certain names and nets and glass boxes, forever seeking some kind
of knowledge, but not remembering why, and Joe eventually got a job
sackng groceries at Holiday Market. 

Bill