One blank card featuring a reproduction of the painting “The Lepidopterist” by Kathleen Powers.
Packaged in a plastic sleeve with matching envelope.
The Lepidopterist
~ a fable by Kathleen Powers ~
His Mama lovingly describes him as a gentle soul who cares for all creatures big and small. With a wink, she jokingly tells friends and acquaintances, “I’m not sure exactly where he came from, because he doesn’t act like any skunk I’ve ever known”.
His interest in the field of Lepidoptera began when he was just a kid. Instead of eating insects, he admired and cared for them. He would leave his bedroom window open so butterflies could visit him during the day and moths
could flutter in and out at night. He decorated his room with branches and sticks so his delicate friends would have a quiet place to rest and the caterpillars a safe place to molt. They would show their appreciation by resting on his
shoulder – telling him all about their day.
Over time he learned to care for the ones who were sick and injured. Using books he checked out from the local library, he taught himself how to perform microsurgeries to repair broken and damaged wings. He used small tools and tiny dots of glue to splice the wings back into flying condition. With some practice, he became quite adept at this – despite having long and cumbersome digging nails that were always getting in the way.
While they recuperated, he fed his friends flower nectar and tended to their every need. When they grew strong enough, they would flutter out of his window – newly restored and healthy. His greatest reward was when they flew back to rest on his shoulder and visit for a while – enjoy a long sip of nectar while telling him all about their day.
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