The Monarch Who Thought He Was King

The Monarch Who Thought He Was King Once there was a butterfly who fluttered by a gate. The gate was closed, that’s when he said, “O shucks, now I’ll be late!” He danced and pranced and shouted and did not hesitate, “I demand,” he said with power, “please, open up this gate!” To his surprise before his eyes the gate did open wide. “A lovely thing; I am the king! I’m surely qualified. I had no choice so with my voice the command I simplified: ‘Just open up this gate! I need to get inside.’” He told to all who’d hear him: “I am the King,” he said. While some bowed down and listened; some would not turn their head. They huffed and puffed and scoffed away, “We’re sure that you misread. To open up a gate is easy; like falling out of bed!” His shoulders drooped, his forehead sagged; his eyes filled up with tears, “You cannot make me less a king with your scoffing and your sneers. I am the king,” he fluffed with pride, “the ruler of my peers.” Then off he flew without a thought of all their laughs and jeers. He fluttered to a purple bush; the hue fit for a king. And there he sat to contemplate and other kingly things. “I’ll show them all; the small and tall, and all the scoffs they bring. A proclamation for my nation: we’ll hold a royal fling.” From low and high, from far and near they gathered close to see the monarch make his grand command and show his identity. A thousand monarch butterflies watched with frivolity with five or six ambassadors from the queendom of the bees. And there he came with pomp and pride the self-made king to share he was a monarch butterfly and worthy of their care. He preened his wings and listened for the sound of his fanfare, but all he heard was rustling wind which threw him in the air. He crashed and tumbled to the floor; they could not believe their eyes. The kingdom they had counted on was built on fibs and lies. The king was crumpled to the ground ashamed in his demise. He let the rain fall down on him from clouds in the gray skies. And then he woke up from his nap and turned inside his bed. He saw the flowers of his home of purple, blue, and red. Right then and there he promised and to himself he said, “I’ll be the best of butterflies, than to be king instead.”