Making Changes

A tiny yellow-green egg sits on
a leaf in a wild cherry tree.
A brown and white caterpillar
hatches. It is hungry. It eats
the eggshell, then munches
the leaves of the cherry tree.
The caterpillar is growing. It
turns green, and big yellow
eye spots appear. This is to
scare away hungry birds.
The caterpillar keeps eating.
It will outgrow its skin many
times. It rests in a curled leaf
that has been lined with silk.
The caterpillar is grown and has
stopped eating. It sheds its skin
once more to form a chrysalis
(KRISS-uh-lis), or covering.
The chrysalis guards the pupa
(PYOO-puh) inside. Cells are
forming legs, wings, eyes, and
other parts of a butterfly.
After about three weeks, the
chrysalis slowly opens and
out comes a black and yellow
Tiger Swallowtail butterfly!
Soon, when its wings unfold
and dry, the butterfly will find
flower nectar to sip with its
long, straw-like tongue.

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