One day, the Octonauts got a special mission. They had to find a lost monarch butterfly named Little Tex. Monarch butterflies are amazing because they can fly very far, up to 100 miles in a day! Little Tex got separated from his friends because he was hungry.
Monarch butterflies love to eat milkweed. When they are caterpillars, they munch on the leaves. When they grow into butterflies, they drink the sweet nectar from the flowers. The Octonauts knew that if they found some milkweed, they might find Little Tex too!
The Octonauts split up to look for Little Tex. They searched high and low. Finally, Peso spotted some milkweed and found Little Tex having a snack. Little Tex was happy to see them!
Little Tex explained that eating milkweed makes monarch butterflies taste bad to predators, like crows. This helps keep them safe. But Little Tex’s wings were hurting, so Peso used some special tools to help him feel better.
With his wings feeling good as new, Little Tex was ready to fly back to his butterfly friends. But there was a big storm coming! Monarch butterflies usually cling to trees to stay safe during storms, but there were no trees around.
The Octonauts had a great idea! They used their special ship, the Octo-Ray, to shield the butterflies from the wind. It was a tricky maneuver, but they did it! The storm passed, and everyone was safe.
Little Tex was so happy to be back with his friends. He even got to ride in the Octo-Ray, which he thought was like a big butterfly! The Octonauts were glad they could help Little Tex and his friends. It was a big adventure for everyone!
Did you know that monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles to stay warm during the winter? They are one of nature’s greatest travelers!
Butterfly Snack Hunt: Go on a nature walk with an adult and look for flowers that butterflies might like. Can you find any milkweed or other flowers? Draw a picture of the flowers you find and imagine a butterfly visiting them. What colors are the flowers? Why do you think butterflies like them?
Butterfly Wings Experiment: Create your own butterfly wings using paper and crayons. Decorate them with bright colors. Once you’re done, pretend to be a butterfly and flap your wings. How does it feel to “fly”? Talk about how butterflies use their wings to travel long distances like Little Tex.
Weather Watch: With an adult, observe the weather outside. Is it sunny, windy, or rainy? Discuss how different weather conditions might affect butterflies. What do you think butterflies do during a storm? Can you think of other animals that need to find shelter during bad weather?
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
**Octonauts, report please.**
**Captain, a monarch butterfly got separated from his swarm. We have to find him.**
**Oh, that’ll be a big job. Monarch butterflies can travel up to 100 miles in a day. Your missing monarch could be anywhere. Any idea why he might have left the swarm?**
**He said he was hungry.**
**Well, a monarch butterfly’s favorite food is milkweed. They eat the leaves as caterpillars and drink the nectar from the flowers as adult butterflies. It sounds like if you find some milkweed, you’re likely to find your lost butterfly. I suggest you split up and search.**
**Aye, aye, Captain. Octonauts, let’s move out.**
**Nothing but scrub and cactus up here. How about you, Dashi?**
**No luck over here. Peso?**
**Nothing yet. Wait! I see some milkweed. There he is! Hello, Little Tex. We’ve been looking all over for you.**
**Howdy. I was just getting a snack.**
**That looks tasty!**
**Whoa! That tastes terrible! Are you all right?**
**Yeah, but I never should’ve left the swarm without telling Lula Mae. Why did that crow spit you out?**
**Eating milkweed makes us taste bad and protects us from predators like him. Now, let’s vamoose! My wings hurt.**
**I can help, but we’ll need the right tools. Cheese grater. Magnifying glass. There. How does that feel?**
**Oh, good as new! Thanks, Peso! Now, let’s get you back to your family.**
**Whoa! Wait till I tell the others about this! It’s a much easier way to fly. We should catch up with them soon.**
**Not soon enough. I’m picking up a storm up ahead. It looks like a doozy! Looks like it’s heading straight for the butterfly swarm! Everyone, take cover!**
**Somewhere! We butterflies protect ourselves from storms by clinging on to trees, but there’s no trees around here.**
**Maybe not. But what if we used the Octo-Ray to shield them from the wind? Worth a try. But we’d better hurry, ’cause that storm’s turning into a full-blown tornado! Activating turbo mode.**
**I declare! Is that you, Little Tex? You need shelter. Follow us!**
**Don’t have to tell us twice! Hang on, everybody. This maneuver’s gonna be tricky.**
**That looks like a tree! Or close enough! Let’s go! Can the Octo-Ray make it through this?**
**It has to! The tornado is breaking up! We’re saved! Look, fellas. I got to ride in that big butterfly! Thanks for finding Little Tex, partners. And thanks for saving us from that tornado. It was quite an adventure for all of us.**
—
This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal or potentially inappropriate language.
