By P. Ruiz, AIT Language School
Do you like butterflies? Maybe you love their lively and bright colors, their elegance and you probably find their fragility beautiful. But… wait. They aren’t as fragile as you may think. In fact, more than being beautiful creatures, they are, in some way, very strong.
Let’s consider some facts about these little insects
HARD-WORKING
On their daily routine, apart from doing other tasks, in a normal workday they pollinate hundreds of flowers.
TRAVELLERS
For example, the Monarch butterfly, during its migration flies a total of 3.200 kilometers, and 129 kilometers a day. That’s amazing!
In spring, Monarch butterflies leave central Mexico and fly northeast for several hundred miles until they reach the end of their lifespan. That’s not the end, though, because before they die, they lay eggs, and this next generation keeps flying north again and again until four generations later, when the great and great-great grandchildren of the original Monarchs occupy their summer home, mostly throughout the northeastern United States.
RESISTANCE
Although loosing the 80% of its wings, a butterfly can continue feeding and even flying!
It’s amazing how a small creature can do such great things, isn’t it?
So… what can we learn from these wonderful creatures?
I’ll tell you what I’ve learn getting to know them. If this little creature, which’s brain is the size of a pinhead, can do these amazing things, won’t we be able to do much more? Remember that you can do whatever you are resolved to do. But remember, you must be a hard-working person, and even if you lack the strength, never give up!
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
- What have YOU learnt from butterflies?
- Which of the bullet points surprised you most? Why?
- Can you think of something you can learn from another animal?
