Back in the days when I was just a caterpillar, I wrote a romantic novel with a tragic ending.

When I finally grew wings, I flew my novel off to every publishing company on my host plant – and all of them rejected it.  Discouraged, I retreated to the coziness of my warm cocoon, swearing to never leave again.

It felt as if many months had gone by.  I hungered.  Eventually my body dehydrated.  With limp wings dangling by my side; I left the comfort of my swaddling cocoon for a drink of morning dew.  I headed for the local pond, but on my way I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a mud puddle, and thought about how pitifully I had faded – I was losing my colors!

When I finally arrived at the pond, I sucked up all the nectar from a water lily that was floating by.  That’s when I noticed a sexy little worm with her nose stuck in a book.  Sitting on a dead log, which was on the other side of the pond, she seemed utterly enthralled as she flipped through the pages.  Weak and ailing, I walked all six of my feet over there – merely to get a better look.  As I got closer, I could see the title of the book and my name under it.  My heart was racing; I was just about to hop over a twig so I could get to her as quickly as possible, but she (and the book) disappeared by slithering under a rock.  Rejected again, I thought to myself.

Was I dreaming – hallucinating?  Perhaps it was an optical illusion brought on by my fatigued state.  I may never find out for certain.  But, the sight that my eyes beheld gave me the energy to fly across the entire pond in search of that lovely bookworm. While I flew I could see a mirror image of my hind wings in the pond water; they were a vibrant shade of buttercup-yellow, fringed with periwinkle blue.  And I thought, so that’s where my colors have been hiding!