Once upon a time, in the African savannah, there lived a herd of wildebeest who roamed freely and happily. One day, as they were grazing on the lush grass, they noticed that a swarm of locusts had descended upon the land, eating all the vegetation in their path. The wildebeest were worried they would have no food to eat and began to panic.

Just then, a majestic monarch butterfly flew by and said, "Don't worry, my friends! I have an idea!" The butterfly flew to a nearby pond and scooped up some mud with her legs. She then flew back to the wildebeest and smeared the mud all over the locusts.

The locusts were so heavy from the mud that they could no longer fly and instead fell to the ground, unable to eat any more vegetation. The wildebeest were so grateful to the monarch butterfly for saving their food that they held a celebration in her honor. From that day on, the wildebeest and the monarch butterfly became the best of friends, always ready to help each other whenever they needed it.

Reflections

• Why were the wildebeests worried when the locusts came?
• How did the monarch butterfly help the wildebeests?
• What did the wildebeests do to thank the monarch butterfly?
• How do you think the wildebeests felt after the celebration in honor of the monarch butterfly?
• Do you think the wildebeests and the monarch butterfly will always be friends? Why or why not?