Brenton and Bethany are monarch butterflies preparing for their annual migration to Mexico for the winter. While flying south with their families, Brenton and Bethany get separated and lost. They encounter dangers like a bird attack and a thunderstorm. With the help of a friendly dolphin, they continue south and finally spot Mexico in the distance, safely reaching their destination.

2. It is a blustery September day in the
Rocky Mountains of the USA and two
Monarch butterflies, Brenton and
Bethany, are preparing for their big trip
to Mexico.
Every year at this time, when the wind
begins to chill and the leaves fall
gracefully from the trees the Monarch
butterflies prepare to fly 4000km south
for the Winter.
Brenton and Bethany, who are
Monarch butterflies and best friends,
are eating nectar from milkweed
flowers to prepare for their journey.
“Brenton”, asked Bethany, “What do
you think Mexico will be like? I image it
will be warm and sunny all the time.
But…but… are you scared about the
long journey?”.

3. “Don’t be scared Bethany, our family
will help us on the journey there”,
Brenton assured her, “and when we
arrive it will be so much fun, with so
many other butterflies to play with!”
The next day Brenton, Bethany their
families all took off from their homes
and headed south. Flying higher than
ever before, a cloud of colourful wings
flapping higher and higher, until people
look like tiny ants below . “Stay with us
children”, Brenton’s mum warned, “it’s
a long way to Mexico and we don’t
want to lose you.”
Brenton turned to Bethany with a hint
of mischief in his eyes, “You’re it!”, he
suddenly cried, turning to chase
Bethany. She sped off, trying not to get
caught. Up and down, left and right
she darted through the air to get away
from Brenton.

4. Bethany looked back at Brenton and
laughed, “Can’t catch a girl hey
Brenton?” she called back playfully.
Finally Brenton caught up with her ,
“Got you!” , he cried, out of breath.
Bethany looked around and laughed,
but suddenly stopped, “Brenton”, she
said slowly, “where is everyone?”
Brenton’s eyes roamed the skies for
any sign of his family, but he could
see no one. “We’re alone” he said,
“everyone’s left us!”
“What do we do now?” moaned
Bethany, “We don’t know the way to
Mexico!”
“My grandmother told me that deep down all Monarch
butterflies know the way to Mexico”, Brenton said, “as
long as they stay over land and follow the warmth of the
Sun”.

5. They were flying off when the next instant a
shadow passed over Brenton and Bethany.
Brenton looked up “A BIRD!”, he cried
out, “FLY, NOW!”Brenton and Bethany flew as
fast as their wings could carry them, but the bird
was still catching up to them. Brenton looked
out ahead of him, “Follow me Bethany, we are
going to have to fly out over the ocean .
Hopefully the bird won’t follow us there”, he
panted.
“But what about what your Granmother
said?”, replied Bethany, “If we go out over the
ocean how will we get to Mexico?”
“We’ll figure it out”, exclaimed Brenton, “but if
we don’t lose this bird we won’t make it
anyway!”
Brenton and Bethany flew as fast as they
could, past the end of the land and out over the
vast blue ocean.
They dared not look back
until they were well out
to ocean. “Did we lose
him?”, called Brenton.

6. Bethany quickly peered over her shoulder, “We lost him!”, she called back. “But now we
have to find our way to Mexico! And we have no idea where we are!”
“Did I hear you say you were going to Mexico young lady?” A friendly voice called out
from the ocean below.
Bethany and Brenton looked down in surprise to see a dolphin looking up at them.
“Yes, I did”, called Bethany to the dolphin, “Do you know it?”
“Of course I do!” replied the dolphin, “I look the family there last year, it’s that way”, he
said pointing his right flipper, “but I wouldn’t go there if I were you, looks like rain”, he
warned as he dove off into the ocean.
“Thank you!” Bethany called out as the dolphin swam off.
“That was nice of him”, said Brenton, “This way, let’s go!”
“Wait!” called Bethany, “what about the rain?”
“It won’t rain!” laughed Brenton

7. But he was wrong.
The sky around them
became dark and the clouds
formed a grey roof over
their heads. The rain started
gently at first but soon
enough Bethany and
Brenton were caught in the
middle of a thunderstorm!
Lightning flashed and
thunder banged like a drum.
“Just keep following the
warmth!” Brenton called out
to Bethany, “you’ll know
where to fly!”

8. The rain slowly stopped until only drizzle
remained, then the clouds parted to reveal a
rainbow. “Oh my, it’s beautiful!” Bethany
said sadly “I wish my family could be here
with me to see this. But we are so lost that I
don’t think I’ll ever see them again. Your
Grandmother was wrong Brenton, we
followed the warmth, and the Dolphin, but I
don’t know where Mexico is!”
“I’m sorry Bethany,” Brenton said, “but
we’ve come so far, Mexico must be close!
And we’ve made it past the bird, over the
ocean and through the storm, we just can’t
give up now!”
“Oh Brenton, this has been a wonderful
adventure, but why don’t we just go home?”
Bethany sadly asked.
“I’ll tell you why,” said Brenton with a big
grin on his face, “Because we made it!!
Behind that rainbow I can see MEXICO!”

9. And it was just as beautiful as they had always imagined.

10. Really do fly south to Mexico for the winter. Every year, millions of Monarch
Butterflies fly from their homes in North America almost 4000km south to spend
the winter in Mexico where it is warmer. Nobody really knows exactly how they
find their way there, as the butterflies who make this journey each year have
never been before yet still make it to the same spot where their great, great,
great Grandparents spent the winter the previous year. Most Monarch
butterflies travel over the land however they have been spotted out to sea on
occasion by people who work on oil rigs on the ocean. The picture below is of
thousands of real monarch butterflies on the trees in Mexico over the winter.
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2007/june/images/monarchs-sky-
370_11892_1.jpg