The Butterfly Garden Margaret Mahy

When Joan was on her own she had a secret game she liked to play. She had found a little place under the hedge where moss and leaves made a tiny green cave. It was too small for Joan to climb into, but it was just the right size for playing fairy gardens. Joan would go round and round the garden looking for something to make her green cave pretty. She would find thistledown, forget-me-nots and fallen petals from the flowers in Mother's garden. When she gathered enough Joan would go back to her tiny cave and decorate it with all the pretty things she had found. "It's a fairy garden," she told her mother. "Come and see. It's a place for someone little to dance in. It looks really lovely now." The fairy gardens were always different, and for a while they did look pretty. In the spring Joan was allowed to pick a few violets. In the autumn there were crab apples and yellow poplar leaves. In the winter there were holly berries, although they were prickly to gather. However, the flowers faded and the berries withered and went wrinkly. Then Joan would have to make the garden all over again. It was part of the fun of it. There was always one thing that worried Joan, however. Did anyone use her pretty garden? Did fairy people truly come to dance there? Perhaps a family of frogs might come and sing or mice have a midnight picnic. Joan did not really care who came into her garden as long as it was somebody small who would like to be there. One morning Joan came running inside very excited. "Mummy, Mummy!" she called. "Someone has been in my garden. They've hung up a little lamp and then forgotten to take it down again." Mother and Joan went out to peer into the little green cave. Hanging from the leafy roof was something that did look like a little green lantern with specks of gold in it. "Dear me!" said. Mother. "It's a chrysalis." "Chrysalis" was a new word for Joan. She liked it because it was such a rich, unusual word. She said it twice, to enjoy the sound of it.

"Chrysalis . . . chrysalis .. what's a chrysalis, Mummy?"

"Why," said Mummy, "it's a " Then she stopped and laughed. "You must wait and see. You may have to wait for a while but you will find out." For a few days Joan went to look at the chrysalis every morning, but it was not very interesting. It just hung there, always in the same place not changing at all. Sometimes Joan made a new little garden under it, being careful not to touch it. Sometimes she forgot it. Then, one day, at last she did find something different. The chrysalis was changing colour. It was getting darker. "Mummy, is it getting ripe?" asked Joan, thinking of blackberries. Mummy laughed. "It's getting ready to change. You must watch it very carefully now." "Change what to?" asked Joan, but her mother just smiled. The chrysalis turned black. Somewhere in it Joan could see a splash of red. She was really puzzled. What was the chrysalis up to? She found out one warm, sunny day. Joan looked into her garden and the chrysalis was gone, no, not quite gone, but quite changed. It had split open and was nothing but a little empty shape hanging from the leaves. Clinging to it with six long black legs was a new butterfly with red and black wings, looking as if he had just been painted. Slowly he opened and shut his wings, so Joan was able to see the wonderful bright pattern inside them. Mother came to look too. "You see," she said, "it's a butterfly. The caterpillar must have crawled in from next door where Mrs Bates has the sort of plants caterpillars like to eat. This caterpillar must have thought your garden a nice safe place. He hung himself up here and changed into a chrysalis. All the time the chrysalis hung here he was inside, turning into a butterfly. Now he has broken out of the chrysalis and is ready to fly off and enjoy the summer. His wings will soon be strong enough." As Mother spoke the butterfly fluttered rather unsteadily out of the little green cave and on to the hedge. He sat there for a moment, and then set off towards the flower beds. "Well, I'm glad someone has used my garden," Joan said. "Every garden ought to have someone to live in it. Do you think that butterfly liked coming out and seeing my garden around him?" "A special butterfly-sized garden!" said Mummy. "I'm sure he did. Wouldn't you like it, if you were a butterfly?"

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In my school there are many teachers. Each one teaches us different subjects. Although all of them are fairly good, there is one teacher whom I love and admire the most. Her name is Ms. Lily. She is the most pleasing personality that I have ever come across. She is an ideal teacher. She has all those qualities which a good teacher is expected to have. Ms. Lily is a science teacher. She loves the subject that she teaches and has an in-depth knowledge of it too. She teaches science almost as though it were a hobby class. She does

not adopt the old methods of teaching. In fact we even forget at times that she is teaching us from our text books. Science comes alive in Ms. Lily's class. When she teaches, no one talks about anything but the topic that she discusses. She has the ability to draw out attention to the subject and also to sustain it. She conducts various experiments in the class and demonstrates them thus making it much easier for us to understand what she teaches. She does not merely read from the book but gives us a concrete picture of everything, so that we see them before us. Although her subject is science, Ms. Lily has a good knowledge of other subjects also. She is well versed with all the current affairs of the world and she often links what we are studying to something that may have been taught somewhere else in the world. She encourages us to ask questions so that we may be able to understand the subject well. She never loses patience with those students who take long to grasp the subject. Ms. Lily gives personal attention to all the students. If, by chance, any student tries to play the fool in her class, she is firm and does not allow that to happen. She is a great combination of kindness and strictness. She encourages the students to ask each other and her anything with regard to the subject so that a healthy discussion generates new ideas and increases our curiosity about the subject. She is very popular, but she is not conceited. She is courteous to her colleagues and the principal of the school. I have never seen her frown or lose her temper. She remains calm even when there is a crisis of any kind. She makes me love going to school. I always look forward to my science period. She is an ideal teacher and provides the students with a good role model. I love her the most and hope to be like her one day.

Introduction: Our class is taught by five teachers. They are all good and able. They love us. But My Favorite teacher is Mr. Ram Chander. He is our English teacher. He is also in charge of our class.

Description of His Personality and Dress: Mr. Ram Chander is a tall strong young man. He has a well built body. He has a grand personality. His appearance is pleasing. He is always very neat and clean in his dress and person. He comes so clean-shaven to the school that sometimes we think he has no bread. His voice is very pleasing. He generally wears a long coast, narrow white pyajama and turban. We seldom see him wear a suit. His Ability: He is the most able teacher I have com across. He has a brilliant career. He got scholarship in his school and his college days. He is gem among teachers. He is an M.A., B.T. His Method of Teaching: His method of teaching is very good. He has mastery over many subjects. He makes the lessons very interesting. He is not satisfied unless every student in his class understands the lesson. He has a kind word for each in the class. He encourages the boys to talk in English. He works very hard himself. He knows to take work from boys also. That is why he is showing good results in his subject for the last ten years. His habits: He posses good habits. He has a a kindly face. We never saw any frowns on his forehead. He has a very ken eye. He is very humorous. He tries to keep us in good spirits. He uses no cane to tech his lesson. We obey him; and he loves us. He is hard working. He likes to see us industrious. Discipline in the class: He maintains a strict discipline in the class. He never uses a rod. He loves his pupils very much. He wishes them well from his heart. He is never partial to any one. He has a great sympathy for the poor boys. If a boys takes liberty with him he turns him out of the class. He does not allow him to return until he has offered a sincere apology. His interest in games: He is a fine sportsman. He takes part in school games. He is a good cricket. He has a tall appearance. His presence on the school playground is source of a joy for us. His popularity in the school: He is the most popular teacher in the school. Al the teachers respect him. He is right hand of principal. He takes part in the activities of the school. He is a good speaker. Every year he prepares boys for literary contests.

Conclusion: For those and many other reasons he is conspired the best teacher. His high character has made him very popular among the boys of our school.