THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WELL

Chapter 10 – page 3

There were butterflies of every size, color and shape; it would be too much to even try to describe all of them. Some had designs, stars, diamonds and curley-kews; others were pale and plain, or iridescent, shimmering with light. They rode on the horses’ ears, between their ears, along the reins, in their manes, on the baskets, on G & J, in their hair, on the horses butts and tails ~ any place they could land and stay put. It was a butterfly calvacade. (That’s like a parade)

The butterflies even rode on da Muff. Of course she snapped at them and tried to eat them in the air. They alighted on her head & ears and she tried to scratch them off. The butterflies just came right back. They were lined up and down her back like a blue-green, squiggly, fluttering spine. Butterflies even rode on the tip of her tail, which she chased round and round.

Well now, this was definitely a cheery sign. What else had Red Salsa said? G tried to remember. J said there was something about being bendicido … "ahhh" remembered G, "bendecido … it means blessed in Spanish. She said something about being blessed coming and going, over, under & through … something like that," said Granma. "Good! Well so now the prophecy is being fulfilled and we will be blessed going through the Peppermints," said G, beaming at Julio.

"If I had a jar, I could take some back with us," said J. That’s how little boys think, you know. Frogs and lizards, bugs and spiders, butterflies. "I bet you could make up a song, Julio …. A song about all these adventures or something. Maybe when we get back." said G. "Yeah, when we get back . . ." he said with his voice trailing off as if he wondered if they would ever get back at all.

They were coming into a canopy of trees (that’s like a tunnel) overhead, a bed of green moss and ferns underfoot, among what looked like a charred forest ~ charred by a forest fire. (that means the trees were all black and burnt-like) Some huge stumps were left by some kind of monstrous cutting machine. "Don’t think a beaver could chop these trees down," said Granma. Some smaller, burnt-looking black trees laid on the ground. They were 20 or so feet long and about a foot around.