This beautiful butterfly has many possible suitors. She asks each of them how would they sing to their children. The only one that appeases her is the mouse's lullaby so she agrees to marry him. One day during their honeymoon, she asks the mouse to go fetch some water. He is only a mouse and the bucket is bigger than him so he falls into the water and gets engulfed by a fish! Will he survive?
I love how this book shows how to never settle, a theme that most adults can relate to. ( )

The butterfly is so beautiful she has many suitors ask for her hand in marriage (the cricket, the green tree frog, and the mouse). She picks the mouse because his lullaby is so beautiful she knows their babies would love it and fall asleep. One day after he moves into her tree she sends her new husband to the pond for a bucket of water. The bucket becomes too full and he falls in and a catfish swallows him. When the butterfly’s friend the dove tells her of the tragedy she dresses in black and goes to the pond and cries.
The dove decides to “coo, coo” mournfully in order to be a good friend. The tree then asks why she is sadly “coo, cooing” after she explains he says he too is a good friend of butterfly’s and he drops his leaves in the pond. The pond becomes curious and asks why the tree is dropping his leaves, when the tree explains the pond says he too is a friend of the butterfly and dries up. The queen comes to fill her water jars and asks the pond why he’s dried up. After listening to the pond she smashes her jars because she is also a good friend to the butterfly. Finally the King comes and inquires why his wife is smashing the jars and when she explains he takes his clothes off and runs around the pond in his underwear because he too is a friend of butterfly.
The sight of the King running in his underwear makes everyone laugh even though they are sad. It is so funny the catfish laughs too and the mouse tumbles out of his mouth. Everyone stops their mournful displays and the butterfly and her husband go home. The story ends with the mouse singing to his lovely buttermice before bed.

As a folktale from Spain, this version of the butterfly marries the mouse. I very much enjoyed this little book as well as the bright pictures. It shows how strong love can be, and that it conquers all. ( )

I was more intrigued by the story of this folktale. In this version the mouse comes back after everyone gives up something dear to them to support their friend the butterfly. I am now curious to read one where the mouse does not come back. I wonder how his love handles the loss. I guess I'll have to look up another version. I thought this ending seemed unrealistic for a folktale. ( )

This is a spanish folktale about a beautiful butterfly. All of the animals come up to her and ask her to get married and she asks them to sing. No one sings as beautifully as the little mouse so she marries him. He ends up falling into the river and eaten by a fish. The little butterfly is so sad she begins to cry. There is a spiral of things that happen and and the end the mouse is alive. ( )