Catching ButterfliesBy Trevor J Ralph

"Who wants to go and catch Butterflies?" asked Mum."Blutterflies?" asked Phoebe."Butterflies, silly" said Emily, as she jumped around in excitement."How do you catch them Mummy?" Phoebe asked."Well, there are a few things that we are going to need and the first one is some friends to share all the fun with...who shall we ask to come along for the day?""Sam and William!" they both shouted at the same time. "What else are we going to need Mum?" asked Emily. Mum said they should write a list. This is how it looked:

Catching Butterflies

What you will need -

1. Some friends to share the fun

2. A lovely sunny day in the Summer

3. Some nets

4. Some jam jars (with holes in the lids)

5. Fast shoes

6. Big smiles

7. A picnic

Mum made a big picnic and packed it ready to carry to the meadow. Emily and Phoebe checked the list and agreed they had everything they needed.

So, with their fastest shoes on, nets in hand and big smiles on their faces, they went to meet Sam and William.

"Hello Sam!" yelped Emily as she ran towards him."Hello William!" Phoebe smiled as she caught up with Emily, who had run ahead when she saw them. "Hello!" said Sam."Hurrumph" said William, looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets."What's wrong with William?" asked Phoebe, looking up at his Mum."He doesn't want to catch butterflies today, he wants to catch fish" replied Sam, laughing."Oh" said Phoebe and gave William a hug to make him feel better.

When they all arrived at the meadow they found a nice spot to put the picnic blanket and all their things."Look!" shouted Phoebe, "a Flutterby!"

Emily and Sam burst out laughing and ran off with their nets. Phoebe picked up her net and chased after them. William picked up his net and walked off in the opposite direction.

Mum and her friend sat down on the picnic blanket, poured some coffee and watched as the children ran up and down chasing after butterflies and laughing all the time.

Emily caught a Butterfly!William found a worm.Phoebe jumped up high.William sat in some mud.Sam caught a Butterfly!William sniffed a snail.Phoebe nearly caught a Butterfly!William laughed at a slug.

Emily placed her Butterfly in her jam jar, Sam let his go and Phoebe just kept chasing more butterflies with her net. William had found something new...

Soon it was time to eat and they all sat down to a lovely picnic of pasta, sandwiches, fruit and cakes - all washed down with orange squash.

After lunch it was almost time to go, when Phoebe shouted from the meadow "Quick! Quick! I have caught a Fatterby!"Everybody laughed and rushed to see what the Butterfly looked like, except for William, who quickly picked up his net and his jam jar and ran in the other direction...His Mum wondered where he was going and made sure she could see him all the time.

When it was time to go, Emily and Phoebe let their butterflies go and waved at them as they flew off into the meadow."Where's William?” asked Sam."He is just coming" said his Mum, who had been watching him all this time.

William was walking towards them holding his jam jar in front of him with a big smile on his face. "What have you got in that jam jar, William?" asked his Mum.

"I'm not sure" he replied, still walking towards everyone. "I think it's a fish.""A fish?!" everyone said together in astonishment.

As William got closer, Phoebe could see a round black thing with a tail, swimming about in the jam jar. William arrived and held up the jam jar for everyone to see what he had caught.

His Mum laughed and gave him a big smile."That is a tadpole" she said."Isn't that like a baby frog?" asked Emily."Yes, that's right" said her Mum." One day it will turn into a frog, but for now it does look very much like a fish."

Sam started laughing, which made Emily laugh, which made Phoebe laugh and then everyone started laughing. "Why...are...we...all...laughing?" asked Phoebe between giggles."Because William DID catch a fish!" said Sam."Nearly a fish!" said William and everyone started laughing all over again.

The End