“Pip! Over here!” Mia, the blue jay, calls out from the big cypress tree.

Pip, the deer mouse, looks down from her hollow in the tree, “Mia?”

“I found something in the old oak tree!” Mia hops closer to Pip. “Come see!”

“What is it?” Pip asks.

Mia answers, “It’s a… Well… I don’t know what it is. It’s big, and it’s in the old oak tree.

“Let’s go!” Pip darts past Mia towards the oak in the Watercolor Woods.

“Here it is,” Mia points into a hollow of the tree. “Look inside.”

Pip scurries up the tree trunk and peers into the hollow, “What is it?”

“I’m not sure,” Mia shakes her head.

“It’s the cocoon of the Polyphemus moth,” a voice behind them utters.

“Oh! Hello, Ember,” Pip turns to see Ember, the owl, standing behind them.

“Look,” Mia points. “The cocoon is shaking!”

Ember urges them, “Sit down for a bit and watch. Hear the cracking sound? That means the moth is emerging from the cocoon.”

Soon it opens, and Pip whispers, “Wow! It’s a huge moth! The wings are wet and crumpled!”

“The moth will sit in the sun to dry and stretch the wings for a while,” Ember whispers.

Pip shares, “It’s beautiful! The wings are brown and look at the eyes on them.”

Mia nods, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Pip looks confused, “Ember. Isn’t Polyphemus the giant in the old stories you tell us?”

Ember smiles, “Yes, it is. The moth is named after the giant because of the big eye spots on its wings. The eye spots are a way to scare off predators.”

Mia fluffs her wings, “That’s clever, but why have I not seen one before?”

Ember answers, “Polyphemus moths are nocturnal. We usually only see them at night.”

“Oh!” Pip jumps back, “The moth is slowly flapping its wings!”

Mia steps closer, “It’s flying!”

“Do you see it?” Pip calls to Mia and runs in the direction the moth flies.

“Wait! Pip!” Mia flies after her. “The moth has disappeared in the trees.”

Ember waves goodbye, “Enjoy your explorations today!”

“Let’s look for it, Mia,” Pip waves goodbye to Ember.

“We can look for a while,” Mia responds. “There’s Earl the squirrel.”

“Hello, Earl,” They both greet him.

“Hello, Pip. Hello, Mia. Are you out exploring today?” Earl asks.

Pip tells their friend about the Polymethus moth, “Did you know it has eyes on its wings!”

“And, it was huge!” Mia adds, spreading her wings to show the moth’s size.

Rosemary, the rabbit joins them. Then, Juniper, the chipmunk, joins them too. “What did you find?” They ask.

“A magnificent moth!” Pip tells them, and shares the morning’s adventure.

“We were the first to see it,” Mia smiles.

On the walk home from their day of exploration, Pip wonders, “Mia? Do you think we will see the moth again?”

Mia tilts her head, “I don’t know. Maybe someday.”

As they walk, Pip and Mia keep their eyes on the trees, watching for the moth. Maybe they will see the Polyphemus moth, or maybe, they will find something new.