Almost everyone knows Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale "Thumbelina" from his childhood and remembers its happy ending…

As for me, I was always interested in fate of one very nice character, whom the famous tale-teller devoted only several lines:

"A graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round her, and at last alighted on the leaf. Tiny took off her girdle and tied one end of it round the butterfly, and the other end of the ribbon she fastened to the leaf, which now glided on much faster than ever, taking little Tiny with it as she stood. Presently a large cockchafer flew by; the moment he caught sight of her, he seized her round her delicate waist with his claws, and flew with her into a tree. The green leaf floated away on the brook, and the butterfly flew with it, for he was fastened to it, and could not get away.

Oh, how frightened little Tiny felt when the cockchafer flew with her to the tree! But especially was she sorry for the beautiful white butterfly which she had fastened to the leaf, for if he could not free himself he would die of hunger."

What happened to that small kind-hearted hero? That nice butterfly turned to be unfairly forgotten. This fact inspired me on making  the figure called "Friendly butterfly". I wanted to show his happy but short flight, let us hope it was not the last one.