It’s a BOY

One thing was for sure, those little black dots on its hind wings meant that it was a boy. But his wings were so tiny. They hadn’t fully grown. He flapped his wings and flapped his wings some more but, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t fly. He would just glide to the ground, so The Butterfly Lady would pick him back up so he could try again.

A butterfly that couldn’t fly?

What would become of him?

It would soon be time to fly south to warmer climates with the other butterflies. If he couldn’t fly, he would surely be eaten by a bird or die when the weather got cold. So, The Butterfly Lady decided to take him indoors.

She searched for information to find out how to fix a broken butterfly. She even called the experts at the Butterfly Conservatory for help. She learned that, just like people, sometimes butterflies are born different than others and, with so many things threatening their habitat, many butterflies don’t survive at all.

He was very strong and feisty. He flapped his wings a lot. Every day they would visit the garden and he would try to fly.

He seemed to get very frustrated when his little body wouldn’t take flight.

But he never gave up.

Because of his strength and determination, The Butterfly Lady decided to name him Braveheart.

Since Braveheart was going to stay for a while, he needed a safe place to live. The Butterfly Lady made him an enclosure and set it by the window inside the house.

Every day, she brought him his favourite butterfly plants from the garden. Butterflies like the nectar from flowers such as purple coneflower, asters, milkweed and goldenrod.

Soon it was fall and all the flowers were dying. So, for food, The Butterfly Lady mixed up some homemade nectar of honey and water for her little friend.

She carried Braveheart to the edge of the dish. He didn’t know what it was, so she gently helped him uncurl his looooooong tongue into the sweet water. He thought it was yummy and he drank and drank.