Text Leveling System

I Wish I Were A Butterfly

RDQ:	418	Max Word/Sent	26	Total Words	1235		Diff Words	334
Lex	610	Ave Word/.Sent	9	Hi Freq occurs	859	69.6%	Hi freq	153	45.8%
AR	2.5	Long Sentences	3.6	Low Freq occurs	27	2.2%	Low freq	19	5.7%

For most of the crickets in Swampswallow Pond 
sunrise was a happy time. 
They came out of their tunnel-dark homes and celebrated the light of day with a fiddler's song. 
But the littlest cricket was sad. 
"I want to stay here" he said. 
"In the dark?" she asked. "What will you do in the dark? You must come outside to make music." 
"Then I won't make music" said the littlest cricket defiantly. "I don't have anything to sing about anyway." 
"You don't want to come outside. You don't want to make music. The next thing you know" his mother scolded "you won't want to be a cricket." 
The littlest cricket sighed. Had his mother guessed his secret? "I wish I was a butterfly" he said softly. But his mother didn't hear. "Outside with you this minute" she said.]]
The littlest cricket knew better than to argue. Out into the bright daylight he went. 
But he did not make any music. 
The sound of the other crickets fiddling was more than he could bear. Are they so happy being crickets? He asked out loud. Perhaps they don't know what I do.]]
And what is it that you know? Asked a passing glowworm.
The littlest cricket said I know that I am ugly. All crickets are ugly.
Who told you such a thing? The glowworm asked.
The frog who lives at the edge of the pond. He told me that I am the ugliest creature he ever saw.]]
Well, said the glowworm inspecting the littlest cricket with care, you are not the handsomest thing in the world, but you are far from the ugliest. Look at me, I'm no beauty myself.
But you will change into a lightning bug, the littlest cricket said, while I will always be a cricket. An ugly, ugly cricket. I wish I were a butterfly.
There's no use wishing for what can't be, said the glowworm, going on his way. Being a cricket seems fine enough to me.
That's easy for him to say, said the littlest cricket. He will be a lightning bug one day. And the frog who lives at the edge of the pond will never find him ugly.]]
What do you care what the frog who lives at the edge of the pond has to say? A ladybug asked from atop a Daisy. If he told me I was ugly, I wouldn't care one bit.
But who would ever say you are ugly? Asked the littlest cricket. Everyone can see how lovely you are. I am the color of a lump of dirt, but you you are the color of laughter, if such a thing could be.
This amused the ladybug. Perhaps you are right, she said. But then you must learn to be content with what you are and not mind what a silly old frog tells you.
That is easy for you to say, said the littlest cricket as the ladybug flew away. Oh, I wish I were a butterfly.]]
 He jumped onto a Lily pad and drifted across the pond. I'll talk to the old one, he thought. She'll help me.
But seeing his reflection in the water, the littlest cricket started to cry. Why am I so ugly? He asked his mirrored self. Why can't I be?
A dragonfly like me?]]
The cricket looked up to see a dragonfly darting about overhead. I couldn't help but you're your moaning and groaning, said the dragonfly. It isn't right to be envious of others, you know. It's true that I am a magnificent creature, but so are you in your own way, I am sure.
Hmph, said the littlest cricket. You fly around with your whispery wings and your body all covered with jewels and tell me that I am magnificent? Please, Mister dragonfly, go away. You don't understand. You can't understand. I wish I were a butterfly.
Well, you're not a butterfly and never shall be, the dragonfly said firmly. And wishing is a waste of time.
The littlest cricket blinked, and the dragonfly was gone. It's easy to be happy, he thought, when you are a glistening dragonfly. It's easy to be happy if you are anything but an ugly cricket like me.]]
In the middle of her web on the other side of swampswallow pond, the old one was waiting. I am good at waiting, she had told the cricket once. That is a spiders life spinning and waiting, waiting and spinning.
Today, when the old one saw the littlest cricket hop off the Lily pad, she could see how sad he was. It's a lovely day, the old one called out. And lovely days are too short to wear long faces. What's wrong, my friend?
I am ugly, said the littlest cricket.]]
Whoever told you that? Asked the spider.
The frog who lives at the edge of the pond. I am the ugliest thing that ever lived. Oh, how I wish I were a butterfly.
The old one began to laugh. Butterflies are pretty enough to look at, she said, But they are no more special than you.
Not special? Cried the littlest cricket. They are the most Beautiful Creatures in swampswallow pond and maybe in all the world. I wish I were as special as that.
The old one said nothing but continued to laugh. I thought you would understand, the cricket said. You don't envy the butterfly because you're so beautiful yourself.]]
The spiders stopped laughing at once. You think that I am beautiful? She asked.
The cricket nodded. But I've been told that I'm the ugliest creature in swampswallow pond, maybe in all the world.
The cricket looked surprised. Did the frog who lives at the edge of the pond tell you that?
Not only the frog, said the old one. Why, if I were to believe what everyone says about me, I would think myself quite, quite ugly. But I don't believe everyone, you see. And I certainly don't believe the grumpy old frog who lives at the edge of the pond. I believe you because you are my friend. You think I'm beautiful, and so I am.
You are beautiful, the littlest cricket said. But I am as ugly as can be. I still wish I were a butterfly.]]
The old one asked the littlest cricket to follow her to the water's edge.
Look, she said. What do you see?
A beautiful you and an ugly me, replied the cricket. What do you see?
Two beautiful friends.
The cricket gazed at himself for a long time. Am I really beautiful? He asked at last. To me you are, the old one said. More beautiful than any butterfly I've ever seen. 
The littlest cricket looked back at his reflection and, to his surprise, his ugliness began to fade away.]]
Suddenly, a gust of wind rippled the water.
Look, said the cricket, turning around. Your web the wind has blown away your web.
Ah, well, the spider said, then I must begin again. Weight and spin, spend and wait it's a spider's life. But it would make the time pass more quickly if I had some music to work to.
As the old one began to spin a new web, the littlest cricket began to fiddle.]]
And the butterfly, flying past, heard the sound and said, what beautiful music that creature makes. I wish I were a cricket.]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Little support

Dialog: Two speakers

Vocabulary: Few decoding/definition issues

Language: Few descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Blend of written/oral

Features

Character traits

Character development

Twist ending

Topic

Butterflies

Spiders

Attitudes

Crickets

Appearances

Self Esteem

*Feelings, Behaviors

Low Frequency Words

amused	content	defiantly	envious	gazed
glistening	groaning	handsomest	inspecting	jewels
laughter	magnificent	mirrored	reflection	rippled
swampswallow	ugliest	ugliness	whispery