The caterpillar was a crude, simple little thing, crawling along slowly, occasionally munching on greenery. It grew imperceptibly to the point where its legs would carry it along only slightly faster than before. It took the longest time for it to find an ideal place to change.

It built its cocoon just as slowly, carefully weaving the silken threads around itself. So meticulous was the caterpillar that its shell hardened very quickly. It was in a safe and warm stasis, not changing at all for the longest time.

And then, suddenly, Life caught up to it. Faster than ever before did its wings begin to grow. In the course of a few hours it became a butterfly and broke free of its cocoon, completely intact. Its wings carried the same colors that it had as a caterpillar but was also adorned with deeper and richer hues.

Now its wings are drying. Soon it will be able to fly, and it will be a magnificent work of art.