Tha maist impor’int lingo in tha wurld
is tha lingo uv tha smile
Wance upoon ah time, whin bu’erflies hud jist bin creatit, it wuz discovert thit thur wuz nae langer ony body left fur tha last o‘ tha wee fluttery beasties! Nur ony wings, nur antennis nothin‘ whitsaeivir tae mak ‘im look like ‘is bruthers ‘n sisters whae resemble pure dead brilliant flooers whin thae flutter thru tha air.
Tha poor wee mite wuz simply invisible, so ‘e wuz!
It tha beginnin‘ ‘e wasnae aware o‘ this ‘n like tha uthers ‘e allowed ‘issel tae be carried by tha win‘. He londit on aw tha flooers tae mak ‘em, so ‘e thought, even mair beautifil by ‘is viry presins.
Wan Day, finally, tha truth dawned on ‘im: naebody looked at ‘im. Tha uther bu’erflies aften bumped intae ‘im in spite o‘ aw ‘is effurts tae lon only on unoccupaitit flooers. Cuz – an uv cairse ‘e couldnae know this – tha uthers jist didnae see ‘im.
An then ‘e understood thit ‘e wuz invisible. Us a maiter o‘ fact, ‘e should uv noticed this befair cuz naturally ‘e couldnae see hissel either. However, that wouldnae hae bothered ‘im. He thaight that it wuz enough if ‘is beauty wur evident tae tha uthers. He didnae have tae see hissel.
But noo it saddened ‘im tae realise thit naebody cuid see ‘im ‘n so ‘e flew strait up tae tha Creator uv aw life ‘n startit moanin‘ ‘is heid aff.
Tha Creator looked thoughtful-like at tha invisible bu’erfly fur a lang time ‘n finally said: „Aye, ah ken whit ye mean. But tha work is done. Thirs nuthin, absolutely nuthin left that ah could gie ye ony langer. An by tha way wee beastie, if ye hud a body ‘n wings ‘n antennas ‘n aw that then ye’d huv tae die ‘n aw, jist like aw tha uther livin things. Wid ye like that?
„Aye,“ answert tha invisible bu’erfly. „ If ah could bring joy tae uthers like that, throughout a lang life, then ah would like tae die at tha end.“
Tha Creator wuz fair flummoxed, so ‘e wuz! Nae doot, it wuz tha first time that he’d heard like that. He thaight aboot it fur a lang time, a viry lang ‘n said finally: „Awright wee beastie, ah shall fulfil yer wish. From noo on ye will be visible, however ye willnae die. Therefur ah willnae gie ye yer ane body.
Awa tae tha mankind ‘n be its smile.”
Dieter J Baumgart
translated by Christine Glasgow
Scotland