Once upon a time, in a lush forest, there lived many different creatures. Some were predators, who hunted for food, and others were prey, who tried to avoid being hunted.

One day, a young offspring was born into a family of prey animals. His parents were proud of him, but also very worried, as there were many predators in the forest who would love to make a meal of their new baby. They taught him all about blending coloration, which was a way of hiding by blending into the background. By being the same color as the trees and leaves around him, the young offspring would be less likely to be seen by predators.

But one day, while playing with some friends, the young offspring saw a beautiful butterfly with disruptive coloration. The butterfly's bright, bold colors were anything but blending, and yet, it seemed to have no trouble avoiding predators. Intrigued, the young offspring asked the butterfly about its secret.

The butterfly explained that it used warning coloration to let predators know that it was poisonous and not a good choice for a meal. The butterfly also told the young offspring about flash coloration, which was a quick, bright burst of color used to startle predators and give the butterfly a chance to escape.

Finally, the butterfly showed the young offspring its eyespot, a large, eye-like marking on its wings that looked like a predator's eye. This was used to confuse predators and make them think they were being watched, giving the butterfly even more time to escape.

The young offspring was amazed by all of these different ways of staying safe and avoiding predators. He decided to try them out himself, and before long, he was using his blending coloration to hide, his disruptive coloration to warn predators, his flash coloration to startle them, and his own big, bold eyespot to confuse them.

Thanks to these tricks, the young offspring was never caught by a predator. He grew up strong and wise, passing on all he had learned to his own offspring, who would also keep themselves safe and avoid becoming prey.

And so, the cycle of life in the forest continued, with prey and predators living side by side, each using their own tricks and skills to survive and thrive.

Reflections

1. Why were the young offspring's parents worried about him?
2. What did the young offspring learn from the butterfly about staying safe from predators?
3. Can you name the five types of coloration the young offspring learned about?
4. How did the butterfly use its eyespot to protect itself from predators?
5. How did the young offspring use what he learned to avoid being hunted?
6. Why was the young offspring's story important for future generations?
7. What can we learn from this story about survival and adaptation in nature?