'There they are, there they are!' cried the child, in a tone of victory mingled with terror.

Except for this tone, I should have thought she referred to the butterflies, for I could see nothing else.

But at that moment an enormous butterfly, whose wings had great eyes of blue surrounded by confused cloudy heaps of more dingy colouring, just like a break in the clouds on a stormy day towards evening, settled near us.

The child instantly began murmuring: 'Butterfly, butterfly, give me your wings'; when, the moment after, she fell to the ground, and began crying as if hurt.

I drew my sword and heaved a great blow in the direction in which the child had fallen.