Lily walked into her big backyard.

The grass was green and soft under her feet.

The sun was shining bright today.

Lily loved to look at the pretty flowers.

She saw a flash of bright color.

Something orange was floating in the air.

It was a monarch butterfly!

Lily felt very happy to see it.

The butterfly had big, pretty wings.

The wings had black spots and thin black lines.

Lily stopped moving right away.

She stood as still as a stone statue.

The monarch landed on a bright orange flower.

This flower is called a zinnia.

Lily watched the butterfly drink from the flower.

It used a long, thin tube to sip sweet nectar.

The butterfly flapped its wings slowly.

Up and down, up and down they went.

Lily could see the white spots on the edges.

The butterfly looked like a little piece of art.

The garden was very quiet and peaceful.

Lily could hear the bees humming nearby.

The monarch stayed on the flower for a long time.

It seemed to like the warm sun on its back.

Lily wanted to reach out and touch it.

But she knew she must be gentle and kind.

She just watched the beautiful insect rest.

It was the brightest thing in the whole garden.

Suddenly, a small brown bird chirped nearby.

The monarch took flight into the air once more.

It danced through the breeze like a fallen leaf.

It went over the wooden fence and far away.

Lily smiled up at the big blue sky.

She hoped the butterfly had a safe and happy trip.

She ran back inside the house to tell her mom.

"I found a monarch in the garden!" Lily shouted with joy.

Her mom gave her a big, warm hug.

They looked out the window together at the flowers.