Fairytale
The magical transformation
Once upon a time there was a caterpillar who lived in a paradisiacal garden full of flowers. Day after day she explored new plants, ate from the juicy leaves and enjoyed her simple but happy life. One morning she wanted to wash her face in a fresh dewdrop. Then she discovered a completely unique flower in its reflecting surface. Astonished, she turned around. There, under the old, gnarled apple tree, a new bud had opened overnight.
The caterpillar was magically attracted by the flower’s bright colours and beguiling fragrance. “Oh, how beautiful you are,” whispered the caterpillar full of admiration. And she decided to stay.
Every morning the beautiful flower opened its blossoms and nourished bees and butterflies. Its beauty filled the caterpillar’s heart. Summer passed and one day the flower had lost all its petals. The caterpillar was deeply frightened. Then she heard a gentle voice from the apple tree above her: “Everything is change, dear caterpillar. New seeds are ripening here on the blossom floor.” The caterpillar looked up and saw a little fairy. “Don’t be afraid,” said the fairy. “I am the fairy from the old apple tree and you can rest easy: A magical transformation is in store for you too. Find a safe place for it.”
The caterpillar did as it was told: it crawled into a small cavity in the bark of the apple tree and pupated. All she heard while a magical transformation took place inside her was a soft melody deep inside her. Or was it the apple tree’s guardian spirit humming soothingly? Weeks passed. Then the great day arrived. The transformation of the caterpillar was complete. Carefully, the butterfly squeezed itself out of the cocoon, unfolded its wings and was amazed: the upper pair of wings was adorned with delicate floral patterns, the lower pair with elaborate designs and in the middle of its delicate body was a heart. What could this mean?
“Oh, how beautiful you are,” whispered a delicate voice coming up from the ground. It was the little tree fairy sitting there and looking up at him. The butterfly rejoiced. Its wings had now unfolded to their full size and were almost dry. In a moment he would let them carry him through the air for the first time. But the symbols gave him no peace. Maybe the fairy knew what they were all about? He took heart and asked: “Tell me, fairy: all these flowers, patterns and the heart – what does it mean?”
The fairy sat down next to him on a protruding bark. “Each blossom on your wings tells a story of the beauty of nature and its inherent magic. The patterns are a symbol of design, they reflect the creativity and elegance that lies in the power of creation. And the heart there in the middle is something very special: a symbol of love as it only exists in the family. These are the messages you carry out into the world.”
Enthusiastically, the butterfly fluttered off. It danced gracefully among the flowers to honour the beauty of nature. Whoever saw him was fascinated by his elegance and felt deeply connected to nature. His artistic wings inspired people to create every work of art, piece of furniture and building as a tribute to human creativity and sense of aesthetics. They realised that design was not just a façade, but touched the soul. And the butterfly followed its heart, flew to the families and delighted them with its presence. “I want to remind you to cherish the precious moments with your loved ones, to share adventures together and to be there for each other in difficult times.” The families felt the meaning of these words in their hearts and they promised to hold on to them.
And so the butterfly lives on to this day as an ambassador for nature, family and design. Its flight is a soft whisper in the wind that touches people and fills their hearts with love and inspiration. If you look closely, you can discover it in the meadows, paddocks and gardens at the ULRICHSHOF. Then open your heart and let the magic of the butterfly enter your life.
