The Butterfly and the Hornet
Once upon a time, colorful flowers bloomed at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed. In this magical garden lived a proud butterfly whose wings shimmered like silver. The beautiful butterfly took great pleasure in flying high all day and watching her own grace. At the other end of the garden stood a hard-working wasp with a sharp sting and yellow stripes. The butterfly found the wasp's constant work unnecessary and always looked down on him. One noon, when the sun was at its highest, the butterfly glided down on her fancy wings and landed beside the wasp. “Why do you work without a break and tire yourself out like this?” she asked, smiling mockingly.
“Look at me, everyone admires me because of my noble past and my enchanting beauty,” she added. The wasp answered in a calm voice while carrying the nectar he had gathered to his nest. “Empty boasting will not fill your belly, and besides, that thing you call beauty passes like the wind,” he said. The butterfly grew angry at these words, flapped her wings furiously and went on belittling the wasp. “My past is noble too, for ever since my caterpillar days I have had a beauty worthy of palaces,” she said. The wasp shook his head and replied, “What matters is not what you once were, but what you give to nature today.” Just at that moment, a violent storm broke out suddenly and overturned all the peace in the garden.
The harsh wind easily tossed the butterfly's delicate, showy wings and flung her into a bush. Left without strength, the butterfly began to cry out for help as she struggled in the middle of the storm. The hard-working wasp, thanks to his strong wings and sturdy body, managed to take shelter in a safe hollow. When the rain stopped, the bright colors the butterfly had boasted of had faded and her delicate wings were badly battered. The wasp came out of his nest, looked at the butterfly and showed that empty boasting is of no use in a moment of disaster. True worth lies not in the glitter of outward looks, but in the power of labor and humility. A tree is known by its fruit, and a person by their work.