Butterfly

The link between butterflies and barbies is tenuous.  I received roller skating barbie when I was about seven or eight for my birthday, perhaps from a friend.  She was my only barbie.  She came with a tank top for me to wear.  The tank top had red trim and a rainbow in the center.  I have dim recollections of playing with the barbie but I remember the tank top.  It gave me hives the last time I wore it.

I had found a caterpillar and wanted to keep it as a pet.  I put it in a plastic bucket with a bunch of leaves to eat and a twig to play on.  So it wouldn't "run away" I covered the top of the bucket with the rainbow fronted tank top, this was not my first pet.  Then promptly forgot about the caterpillar and the bucket and the tank top.  I couldn't even guess at how long the caterpillar lived in that bucket but I was really and confused when I  found the bucket still covered with the shirt but no caterpillar inside.  I found my dad, and began crying about the lost caterpillar showing him the bucket.  He was the one who showed me that attached to the tank top was a chrysalis.  He then told me the unbelievable story about metamorphosis.  After the butterfly emerged my mom washed the tank top.  The next time I wore it I was so proud.  So proud and very itchy.  I took it off, my back was covered in hives.  This is when I learned about how great both rainbows and metamorphosis are.