go rest high, on that mountain...

Early last week, Elizabeth found three caterpillars. She named them Mrs. Sammy, Mr. Sammy, and baby Sammy.

She kept them in a cardboard box lid, lined with leaves and sticks. She also put some of her dollhouse furniture in there, in case Mr. Sammy felt like laying on the couch and watching tv, or Mrs. Sammy wanted to sit down to a meal of painted on pancakes and eggs. Even with these lush surroundings, Mr. Sammy and Baby Sammy moved out while she was sleeping that first night. But Mrs. Sammy hung around for almost all week. Until Wednesday.

We got home from school / work about 5:30, and she did the same thing she has done all week - went to check on Mrs. Sammy. It isn't long before I hear a screaming, sobbing, keening wail coming from her room."MRS. SAMMY IS DEAD!!! SHE IS DEAD!!! NOW SHE WILL NEVER BE A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY BECAUSE SHE DIED!!"

This went on for several minutes, until I talked her into lying on the couch with a wet washcloth to calm down. After she was settled, I went to start dinner in the kitchen.

It wasn't long before I heard her go outside, and come in and go out and come in, but I really didn't pay much attention. We live way off the road, and she is allowed to play in the yard within sight of the windows.She comes inside, all calm and sad and says, "Can you come outside in a minute?" and I said "Honey, I am right in the middle of cooking dinner, can you wait a bit?" and she sighs and says, "Yes, I just need you to pray with me."

ok, so maybe that can't wait.

I go outside, and she has buried Mrs. Sammy in the front yard, with dirt from my flower beds. There is a nice little gravemound... she took a styrofoam cup and cut it in half and made a tombstone. I can't remember exactly what it said but it was something like, "Mrs. Sammy. She was a good friend to me. I didn't want her to die." and she has drawn a broken heart at the bottom. THEN she took two sticks and made a cross and put in the ground at the end of the grave. And we prayed for her to become a butterfly in heaven.