Our Butterfly Cocoon?

A few weeks ago, Grandpa Mark found what he thought was a butterfly cocoon in the front yard. The kids were so excited. We decided to put it into a jar and wait for the cocoon to hatch. About a week later, we were able to see the product. But, it wasn't a butterfly. Baby praying mantises hatched out of the cocoon. We were shocked! It was very cool. We didn't know what to do with the little bugs. The kids wanted to keep them. Ummm....no way. We released them soon after our discovery.