Tweeters:

Can you bear a non-bird tale?

Last September I found a gorgeous, fat, caterpillar in the yard, brought
it in to admire and identify. It had these retractable HORNS that
amazed me (they just slew me, as my grandmother would say). I
discovered it was a swallowtail, but couldn't id to species. I found
out what those caterpillars eat, and put some serviceberry twigs and
leaves in a jar at the urging of my five-year-old daughter.

That night, the caterpillar got very dead looking and I wanted to throw
it out. "No, Mama, it is going to make a cocoon!," my wide-eyed kid
told me. I dreaded seeing her disappointment the next morning when it
turned up dead --- but guess who was shocked! It DID form a cocoon
overnight.

Aforementioned kid took the cocoon to school to join several others the
teacher had purchased as caterpillars. Those painted ladies did emerge,
but the swallowtail crysalis stayed lonely and desiccated-looking. I
urged the teacher to throw it out. She refused to.

GUESS WHAT? A yellow swallowtail emerged today!

Metamorphosis is miracle, and I had little faith. But only a little is
required, I guess.

Kristi Streiffert
Coulee Dam, WA