How does a caterpillar become a butterfly?

Have you ever seen a fuzzy caterpillar creeping along a leaf? It moves slowly, munching as it goes. Maybe one has even tickled your finger.

And have you seen a butterfly flutter past on bright wings? That butterfly was a caterpillar once too. So how does a caterpillar become a butterfly?

First, the caterpillar eats and eats. It chews leaf after leaf, all day long. The food helps it grow big and strong for the change ahead.

When the caterpillar is big enough, it stops eating. It finds a safe twig and hangs from it upside down. Holding on tight keeps it still for its big change.

Next, the caterpillar wriggles out of its old skin. Underneath is a smooth, hard case called a chrysalis. A chrysalis is a snug little shell that keeps the caterpillar safe while it changes.

Now the chrysalis hangs very still on the twig. From the outside, you cannot see anything move. What do you think is happening inside the chrysalis?

Inside, the caterpillar is changing its whole body! Its old body turns soft, almost like soup. From that soft body, new wings and new legs begin to grow.

When the new body is ready, the butterfly pushes the chrysalis open. Out it climbs! Its wings are wet and crumpled, like a folded paper napkin.

The butterfly holds on to the twig and waits. It pushes liquid from its body into its wings. That puffs them out big and flat, and then they can dry.

Soon its wings are dry and strong. The butterfly flaps them and lifts off the twig. Away it flies into the sunshine!

A caterpillar eats until it is big, then grows wings inside its chrysalis. Then out it climbs as a butterfly.

The empty chrysalis stays behind on the twig. The new butterfly flutters off on bright wings, far above the leaf where it once crept.