There lived a Frog enamoured of his own beauty. He extolled his beautiful form, strong legs, large eyes, and gleaming green skin to all who would listen.
One day he came upon an ugly, brown cylindrical Thing lying on the bank of his pond. "What on earth are you?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.
The Thing replied softly, "I am a Chrysalis, a cocoon." The Frog sniffed. "I feel sorry for you, you ugly thing," and he swam away.
Not long after, the Frog was again discussing Beauty (himself as prime example, of course) with a captive audience of a Stag, a Ram, and an Ass who were feeding by the pond.
All at once, something unusual flew in and lit upon the Stag's antlers. The Ram spotted it. "Wow!" he exlaimed. "Aren't you a pretty Thing!"
"What? Where? Who? How?" shouted the Frog (because the Ram was not looking in his direction). The other animals were looking in awe at the amazing creature fluttering her wings atop the antlers (though it made the Stag a bit cross-eyed to look at her).
We hear the phrase "Beauty is only skin deep," but that goes for Ugliness, too.
It is hard to look past the distractions of external appearance and find the spirit of a person.
Yet, if we do not, we may miss an experience of a kindred soul, or, worse, be beguiled by attractiveness masking emptiness, even wickedness.
Beauty is Lovingkindness,
and a happy, generous, and loyal Nature.
Find it if you can. Be it if you will.
"Why," explained the Ass (who happened to be a rather smart ass!) "That is a Butterfly. She has just emerged from the 'ugly Thing' you told us about," and the Ass snickered.
The Ram looked at the Frog over his spectacles and said, "Sir Frog, look well at our lovely Butterfly. You are so bloated with your own image, you failed to see Beauty within something you did not understand... and so claimed it ugly!"
