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A Butterfly Chase

Chapter 24: XXIII.
By P.-J. Stahl
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About This Book

Two young cousins, equipped by an uncle with a book, nets, and specimen tools, attempt to make a grand butterfly collection while their aunt prefers watching insects alive. The narrative follows their clumsy, patient chases through a daisy meadow, misadventures with torn nets, escapes and occasional captures, and the curious presence of a donkey. Interspersed with practical instructions and descriptive illustrations, the account balances hands-on details about catching and mounting butterflies with gentle reflections on childhood curiosity, the ethics of collecting, and learning to observe nature.

XXIII.

But from the balcony, where she was sitting, Minnie’s mamma had seen them fall into the ditch, and was hastening to them. The little hunters were so absorbed that they did not see her coming. But dear mamma understands it all, and she is very much pleased with her little children. When they are older she will explain to them that though it is not wrong for learned men to make painful experiments, in order to gain useful knowledge, no one else should wantonly destroy even the least of God’s creatures.

As for the Donkey, I don’t know what has become of him. I think he has given up trying to understand anything about the matter, and gone home to his stable.

Strasburgh, printed G. Silbermann.
Transcriber Notes
  • Obvious typos and punctuation errors corrected.
  • The Illustrator's last name of FRÖLICH has been left as in the original, similar spelling is found in other printed material from the same time period. The original spelling of the name in Danish appears to be FRØLICH.