Walking down a path, I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path (25)______ wasn’t covered by water or mud. As I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack. It was so unexpected. I was surprised as well as unhurt though I (26)______(strike) four or five times. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped (27)______(attack) me. I found it amusing. And I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!

Having stopped laughing, I stepped back (28)______(look) the situation over. My attacker moved back to land on the ground. That’s when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments (29)______(early). He had a mate and she was dying. 

Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, (30)______ ______ I was careless enough to step on her. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate’s safety seemed admirable. I couldn’t do anything other than (31)______(reward) him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed.