David. KuzminskWalking doath through some woods in Geor? gia， I saw a water puddle ahead oh. I angledmy dire to go around it on the part of the path thatwasn’ t covered by water and mud. As I reached thepuddle， I was suddenly attacked！ Yet I did nothing forthe attack was so uable and from a source so to? tally ued. I was startled as well as unhurt，despite having been struck four or five times already. Ibacked up a foot and my attacker stopped attagme. Instead of attag more， he hovered in the air ongraceful but terfly wing s in front of me. Had I been hurtI wouldn’ t have found it amusing， but I was unhurt， itwas funny， and I was laughing. After all， I was beingattacked by a butterfly！ Having stopped laughing， I took a step attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in thechest with his head and body， striking me over and ain with all his might， still to no avail. For a sedtime， I retreated a step while my attacker relented inhis attack. Yet again， I tried moving forward. My at? tacker charged me again. I was rammed in the chestover and ain. I wasn’ t sure wha t to do， otherthan to re treat a third time. After all， it’ s just not ev? ery day that one is attacked by a butterfly. This time，though， I stepped back several paces to look the situa? tion over. My attacker moved back as well to land on theground. That’ s when I discovered why my attacker wascharging me only moments earlier. He had a mate andshe was dying. She was beside the puddle where ng close beside her， he opened and closed hiswings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love andce of that butterfly in his for his mate. Hehad t aken it upon himself to attack me for his mate’ ssake， even though she was clearly dying and I was se. He did so just to give her those extra few preciou**oments of life， should I have been care***s enough tostep on her. Now I knew why and what he was fightingfor. There was really only oio for me. I care? fully made my way around the puddle to the other sideof the path， though it was only inches wide aremely muddy. His attag somethingthousands of times larger and heavier than himself justfor his mate’ s safety justified it. I c ouldn’ t do any? thing other than reward him by walking on the more dif? ficult side of the puddle. He had truly earhose mo? ments to be with her， undisturbed.I left them in peace for those last few moments，ing the mud from my boots when I later reachedmy ， I’ ve always tried to remember thece of that butterfly whenever I see huge obstac***fag me. I use that butterfly’ s ce as an inspira? tion and to remind myself that good things are worthfighting for.热词空间attacker n. 攻击者relent v. 动怜悯心， 减弱steppe n. 干草原； 疏树大平原puddle n. （ 雨） 水坑， 泥潭 （本章完）