How Professor Oddy Oggs and Amelia met….
Deep in a patchwork village in the English countryside, beneath floorboards and teacups and the occasional forgotten biscuit tin, lived a rather brainy little Ogg named Prof Oddy Oggs. Unlike the rest of his Oggish clan—who preferred napping in socks or playing marbles with beetles—Oddy had a passion for butterflies. Big ones, tiny ones, spotty ones, and sparkly ones. He even had a hat made from a folded butterfly field guide and carried a thimble-sized net wherever he went.
One sunny spring day, Oddy was sneaking about a flower stall at a village fair, admiring the flutter of wings in the breeze, when he overheard a conversation between a human named Amelia and the stall keeper. Amelia, it turned out, worked at something called the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, a magical-sounding place where butterflies danced like living confetti. Oddy’s ears perked up (as did his eyebrows, which were quite expressive).
Now, most humans can’t see Oggs, but Amelia had unusually keen eyes—and a fondness for strange things. When she noticed Oddy trying to lasso a Butterfly with a dandelion stalk, she simply smiled and whispered, “You’d love Kuranda.” And that was it. The invitation was sealed with a wink and a jam tart.
Never one to shy away from adventure (especially tropical ones), Oddy packed his collection of magnifying lenses, his biggest suitcase, and a few reluctant cousin-Oggs for company, and hitched a ride in Amelia’s suitcase. After a long and slightly bumpy journey, Prof Oddy Oggs arrived in the lush, green wonderland of the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.
Since then, Oddy’s been fluttering happily among the butterflies, researching their secrets and scribbling notes in books made from gum leaves. Sometimes he helps the human staff with delicate butterfly duties, and sometimes—well, sometimes he ties their shoelaces together just for a laugh.
So, if you’re wandering through the sanctuary and feel a tug at your sock or hear the tiniest giggle in the ferns, don’t be alarmed. It’s just Oddy Oggs, the Butterfly Ogg, hard at work on his next great discovery… or possibly stealing your lunch.
This short story was written by Amelia, staff member at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.
