And then this plain little Butterfly, because she was so plain and had no beauty to speak about, began to think about handsome Mr. Peacock. "I wonder if he is vain?" she said out loud. 

 "Vain! Of course he is. There is no one in the world so vain as he," said a Bee, who was sipping honey near by. 

 Miss Butterfly did not ask any questions, and Mr. Bee was too busy to say more. But when he flew away Miss Butterfly began to think, and the more she thought the stronger became her intention to fly over to the Peacock and speak to him. 

 Over she went, alighting on a flower near him. 

 "Mr. Peacock," she said, "I wonder you never have wished to see yourself, you are so handsome." 

 "I have," replied Mr. Peacock; "often I have gazed into the pond and beheld my handsome self." 

 "Oh, that is not at all what I mean," said Miss Butterfly.  "Suppose you were to see the very pattern of your beautiful tail flying all about you. Then you could look at your beauty as it really is." 

 "I do not see at all what you mean," said Mr. Peacock, who was not very quick at thinking. 

 "I mean if you would give me two tips from your beautiful tail I could have a handsomer gown than any other butterfly in the world," said the little flatterer, "and besides that, you would no longer hear the yellow-and-black and those brown-and-black butterflies say that they were the handsomest creatures in the garden. I should outshine them all." 

 Mr. Peacock stood up and strutted about, and all the time little Miss Butterfly flew close to him and flattered him. 

 "Oh, how jealous they would be if I had a dress like your beautiful tail, for there are no colors in the world so gorgeous, and they would call me the Peacock Butterfly! Think of that! You would have the most beautiful butterfly in the world named for you, Mr. Peacock!" 

 Mr. Peacock could not resist this flattery. He told her she could choose the two tips she best liked and have some one to pull them out. 

 It did not take Miss Butterfly a minute to fly to the tree near by where Mr. Woodpecker was at work and ask his help, for she knew he did not bother butterflies. His work was to find small insects. 

 

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