Society, be it understood, exists for the
dissemination and not for the acquisition of knowledge. Our philosopher,
therefore, did not occupy himself with considering whether in that
miniature world, with its countless varieties of animal and vegetable
being, something might not be found with which he was himself unacquainted;
but, like the honey-freighted bee, rather sought an opportunity of
disburdening himself of his stores of information than of adding to them.
But who was to profit by his communicativeness? The noisy birds could not
hear themselves speak, much less him; he shrewdly distrusted his ability to
command the attention of the busy bees; and even a member of the Universal
Knowledge Society may well be at a loss for a suitable address to an
earwig. At length he determined to accost a Butterfly who, after sipping
the juice of a flower, remained perched indolently upon it, apparently
undecided whither to direct his flight.

"It seems likely to rain," he said, "have you an umbrella?"

The Butterfly looked curiously at him, but returned no answer.

"I do not ask," resumed the Philosopher, "as one who should imply that the
probability of even a complete saturation ought to appal a ratiocinative
being, endowed with wisdom and virtue. I rather designed to direct your
attention to the inquiry whether these attributes are, in fact, rightly
predicable of Butterflies."

Still no answer.

"An impression obtains among our own species," continued the Philosopher,
"that you Butterflies are deficient in foresight and providence to a
remarkable, I might almost say a culpable degree. Pardon me if I add that
this suspicion is to some extent confirmed by my finding you destitute of
protection against imbriferous inclemency under atmospheric conditions
whose contingent humidity should be obvious to a being endowed with the
most ordinary allotment of meteorological prevision."

The Butterfly still left all the talk to the Philosopher. This was just
what the latter desired.

"I greatly fear," he continued, "that the omission to which I have
reluctantly adverted is to a certain extent typically characteristic of the
entire political and social economy of the lepidopterous order. It has
even been stated, though the circumstance appears scarcely credible, that
your system of life does not include the accumulation of adequate resources
against the inevitable exigencies of winter."

"What is winter?" asked the Butterfly, and