The Butterfly

Some years ago I came across one of Hans Christian Andersen’s less popular fairy tales ‘The Butterfly’, which resonated with me:

‘But it is not enough merely to exist’, said the butterfly, ‘I need freedom, sunshine and a little flower for a companion’. Then the butterfly flew against the window pane, and was seen and admired by those in the room, who caught him, and stuck him on a pin, in a box of curiosities.