Opal Veronica
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One afternoon, Opal Veronica was sitting at her spinning wheel contemplating the steady flow of yarn as it wrapped around the bobbin. The weather had been hot, and the day seemed long, and her work was far from finished. Opal Veronica felt very tired. Suddenly her attention was drawn to a butterfly which floated past her window. It was so beautiful, and it appeared to be so very peaceful. Then, as thoughts do, hers wandered as she said out loud: "What would it be like to really BE a butterfly, to float like a soft breeze up into the sky?" Her thoughts shifted again and she remembered Dessie Rosalia telling her the story of how the Pippsywoggins came into being. According to the legend, there was a time when there were no Pippsywoggins, but there were butterflies. These butterflies lived a graceful life, though a very short one. Some, knowing this, sang a dreamsong about living a long and active life. On one of those rare days when a whole meadow was full of butterflies who were singing this dreamsong, something magical happened. At the exact moment when each butterfly sang in perfect harmony with the next, the first Pippsywoggin was dreamt into existence.
As Opal
thought of this legend, her foot at the treadle grew still and the
spinning wheel stopped turning. In Opal's mind grew a plan for a
glorious celebration. It would be called "The Festival of
Butterflies," and the first one would be held one year from today.
As Opal went back to her spinning, she did so with a smile. In her mind she was designing the costume that she would make for the Butterfly Festival. It would have wings and a long flowing dress. And when she wore it to the celebration she would run and dance and almost fly as she whirled among the flowers. The rest of the afternoon went quickly, for Opal had something to plan, something to look forward to doing, and something to celebrate. Life was good.
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As
told by Maureen
©
1997, 2006 by Maureen Carlson