# The Butterfly That Stamped explained — Just So Stories

> Chapter companion for Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.

## What happens

Suleiman-bin-Daoud, the wise king who understands all languages, is troubled by his 999 quarrelsome wives. While seeking peace in his garden, he overhears a tiny butterfly boasting to his wife that he can make the entire palace vanish with a stamp. Amused, Suleiman-bin-Daoud plays along, and with the help of Balkis, orchestrates a lesson that humbles both the butterfly's wife and his own queens, teaching the value of humility and quiet obedience.

## Themes in this chapter

### Pride and Humility

Suleiman-bin-Daoud's humility contrasts with the butterfly's boast and the queens' pride; both are humbled by the end.

### Communication and Misunderstanding

The butterfly's lie to his wife and the queens' misinterpretation of the palace's disappearance highlight misunderstandings.

### Order and Chaos

The chaos of the queens' quarrels and the butterfly's magical threat are resolved into order through wisdom and cleverness.

## Character check-ins

### Suleiman-bin-Daoud

The wise king who understands all creatures and uses a butterfly's boast to teach his wives a lesson.

### Balkis

The most beautiful and wise queen who helps Suleiman-bin-Daoud by orchestrating the lesson for the queens.

### The Butterfly

A small but clever butterfly who boasts to his wife that he can destroy the palace with a stamp.

### Best Beloved

The child to whom the story is addressed.

## Key lines

> Suleiman-bin-Daoud was wise. He understood what the beasts said, what the birds said, what the fishes said, and what the insects said.

Suleiman-bin-Daoud possessed the ability to comprehend the languages of all animals, birds, fish, and insects.

_Establishes the king's legendary wisdom and his connection to all living things._

> He married ever so many wives. He married nine hundred and ninety-nine wives, besides the Most Beautiful Balkis; and they all lived in a great golden palace in the middle of a lovely garden with fountains.

In addition to his beloved queen Balkis, Suleiman-bin-Daoud had 999 other wives, all residing in a splendid golden palace set in a beautiful garden.

_Sets up the domestic conflict that drives the story._

> I wonder at your presumption in talking like this to me. Don’t you know that if I stamped with my foot all Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s Palace and this garden here would immediately vanish in a clap of thunder.

The butterfly boasts to his wife that a single stamp of his foot could instantly make the entire palace and garden disappear with a thunderclap.

_The butterfly's outrageous lie that sets the plot in motion._

> Then all the Queens except Balkis... fell flat on their faces, for they said, 'If these things are done when a Butterfly is displeased with his wife, what shall be done to us who have vexed our King...?'

The queens, except Balkis, prostrated themselves in fear, realizing that if a butterfly's displeasure could cause such magic, their own quarreling might bring far worse consequences.

_The queens' realization and the lesson in humility._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/just_so_stories_se/chapters/the-butterfly-that-stamped
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/just_so_stories_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/just_so_stories_se/chapters