Story: The Spectacular Transformation
“Ready to embark on a new adventure today?” Pip, the curious deer mouse, asks Mia. Mia is Pip’s closest friend in the Watercolor Woods.
“Absolutely!” Mia, the blue jay, chirps.
Pip scurries along the tree branches, “Shall we head down to the creek?”
Mia smirks, “Let’s dance and twirl along the trail to the creek.”
Mia twirls three times and leaps, “Can you do this?”
“Of course, I can,” Pip chortles and twirls behind Mia.
“Good morning, Oliver.” Pip waves and calls out, seeing him on the banks of Canvas Creek.
“Good morning, Oliver.” Mia greets as she flies past Oliver in a loopty-loop.
Oliver croaks, “Well, good morning friends! What brings you to my humble abode?”
“Exploring,” Pip squeaks in excitement.
Oliver chuckles, “You have come to the right place. I saw the cutest, little, yellow egg in the meadow.”
Pip’s ears perk up, “An egg?”
Gulf Fritillary
Butterfly Egg
Mia comes in for a landing close to Pip, eager to hear more. “Can you show us?”
“Not today,” Oliver replies. “Find Moonbeam in Palette Place Meadow. She will show you the egg.”
Pip and Mia glance at each other and grin. “Let’s go!”
On the trail to the meadow, Pip and Mia speculate what the egg may look like.
“Moonbeam!” They holler, seeing her playing among the spring blossoms in the meadow.
Moonbeam, the striped skunk, peeks out from the wildflowers, and lets out one of her bubbly giggles, “Hello Pip. Hello Mia. Are you here to see the egg?” She asks knowing Oliver might send them exploring.
“Yes!” They answered.
Gulf Fritillary
Caterpillar
“Follow me.” Moonbeam motions and waddles to the edge of the meadow, near a beautiful vine with purple flowers.
Turning over a leaf, “Here it is,” Moonbeam motions.
“Awwwww! It is so small!” Pip observes.
“And, it seems stuck to the leaf,” Mia notices.
“Yes, it is. Good observation skills.” They hear in a stranger’s voice. “Hi! I am Jasper, the opossum. Would you like to know more?”
“Yes, please” all three reply.
“This is a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly egg. The egg is gently laid on the leaf, and soon a caterpillar will emerge.” Jasper shares.
“Wow,” Pip, Mia, and Moonbeam exclaim, listening intently.
“In time, the caterpillar will reach full size and attach itself to the vine, a stick, a leaf or something. Then, it will shed its skin, and harden into a chrysalis.” Jasper continues to share.
“After a few weeks as a chrysalis, an amazing metamorphosis takes place, a spectacular transformation.”
Moonbeam’s eyes widen in wonder and she gasps, “What is that?”
Chrysalis of the
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
“I do not want to ruin the surprise. Come back every day, and you will find out.” Jasper teases.
Moonbeam, Pip, and Mia meet Jasper every day at the edge of the meadow.
On day three, they hear, “Hello,” in a shaky, small voice.
“It’s the tiny caterpillar on the leaf! Awwwwww!” Pip watches.
“Chomp, chomp, chomp.” They each say, mocking the little caterpillar eating its way through the leaf.
Jasper tells them, “Continue visiting each day. The spectacular transformation is yet to come.”
They do return each day, eagerly watching the caterpillar grow, and grow, and grow.
“How much more can the caterpillar eat?” They wondered aloud.
“It’s going to burst!” Moonbeam rolled in laughter.
A few weeks go by of daily visits.
“Look!” Mia yells to the others, eyes wide. “The caterpillar is stuck. It’s stuck upside down.”
Jasper nods, “It will stay upside down and become a chrysalis.”
“The spectacular transformation?” Pip questions.
“No. Not yet. Keep visiting every day.” Jasper grins.
They glance at each other with a look of both, excitement and curiosity. Over the next few weeks, they notice the chrysalis harden into a shell and darken in color, wondering if today will be the day.
“Oh, look,” Pip yells.
Jasper greets them with a smile from ear to ear. “The chrysalis is shaking. Watch as the spectacular transformation takes place.”
Holding their breath in anticipation, they circle the chrysalis. With a shimmy, out plops a beautiful sight.
“Oh!” Mia squawks.
They all gasp, and Pip says, “Look at its stomach pumping.”
The wings begin to fill out in a beautiful orange on the inside, and brown with white on the outside.” Jasper describes. “Wait a few minutes more.”
Soon, they all gasp in awe again. “Ahhhh!”
They watch as the beautiful butterfly flaps her wings and takes flight. The day fills with playing, laughing, and watching as the new butterfly flies from flower to flower in the meadow. Another adventure behind them in the Watercolor Woods.
