15/09/2026
*The Butterfly's Court*
In the middle of the Great Garden, behind the rose bushes and the old fountain, there was a kingdom, not of humans, but of bugs.
And it had one very strict rule, written by Queen Beatrice the Bee herself: "No one shall be prettier than the Queen."
One breezy morning, a young butterfly named Bella got her grown-up wings for the first time. They were orange and blue and glittered like stained glass. She was so excited that she didn't watch where she was flying; she fluttered right over the Royal Garden during the Spring Festival.
Three little caterpillars on a branch saw her and gasped.
"WOW!"
Every head turned. Even the royal trumpeters stopped playing to look at Bella. Queen Beatrice, in her purple robe and golden crown, stood up. She did not like being upstaged.
"Bring her to court!" she buzzed.
Poor Bella; she'd never been to court. She fluttered down, nervous.
"I was just flying home!" she said softly. "I didn't know I was over the palace."
The Queen didn't listen. So they called the wisest bug in the garden: Judge Beetle.
Judge Beetle was green, wore a curly white wig and a black robe, and carried a gavel that was twice the size of his head. He'd been a judge for a hundred molts. He'd seen everything: stolen nectar, trespassing ants, loud crickets after hours.
He banged his gavel.
BANG!
"Order! Tell us your story!" he said to Bella.
Bella took a deep breath. She stood on the witness branch.
"I just wanted to share beauty," she said. "When I was a caterpillar, I dreamed of having wings that could make someone smile. Today, for the first time, I saw the little ones smile. I didn't mean to break a law. I just... shone."
