THE CATERPILLAR'S PROPHECY 207 



prison stripes, but a marvelous casket which 

 might have been made for the body of a queen, 

 hung silently before them. 



It was on the nineteenth of June, just when 

 nature was at her best, that the caterpillar en- 

 tered her silent tomb, and the Naturalist and 

 his sons kept close watch during the days that 

 followed to see what would come next. Fin- 

 ally, ten days later, the green of the casket was 

 seen to change to a rich brown, and they knew 

 that mother nature was preparing another of 

 her great surprises. A few hours later the 

 casket was split from a movement from within, 

 and a strange creature came forth. It was not 

 the caterpillar which they had seen enter the 

 strange habitation, that they had seen spun 

 from sunlight, ten days before. It was a far 

 more beautiful creature and as different in its 

 habit, physical construction, and appearance 

 as night is from day. Man may watch silently 

 beside the casket of the silent occupant, and 

 note the wonderful change in the creature that 

 comes forth, but how the change is wrought is 

 not for him to know. 



At first the little stranger presented a very 

 novel appearance. She had wings, but they 

 were all folded over her back. She walked 



