The Firefly and the Lost Bird

In a forest deep in the mountains, by a quiet lake, there lived a firefly named Arnie. Arnie was a bit dramatic for a firefly, always worried about whether his light was bright enough or big enough. This was very unusual for fireflies.

His mom would always remind him, “Arnie, you’re enough.” But Arnie would sigh and say, “But I’m not as bright as the sun, or the moon, or even a star.”

And, of course, he wasn’t. Arnie wasn’t the sun or the moon or any of the millions of stars. He was just a firefly.

One evening, feeling especially gloomy, Arnie flew farther into the dark part of the forest. There, he heard crying.

At first, it was a soft, distant sound, but soon it grew louder. Following the sound, Arnie spotted a little bird sitting on a tree branch, crying, “Mommy… Mommy…”

The little bird was Janey.

“Why are you crying?” Arnie asked.

“I can’t find my nest,” Janey sniffled. “I flew away to have a drink, and now I don’t know where I am.”

Arnie felt a pang of sadness. He wanted to cry too about his light, but instead, he asked, “Why can’t you find your nest?”

Janey wiped her eyes and said, “Because it’s too dark, and I can’t see.”

Then, Arnie had an idea. “Why don’t we fly together? Maybe I can be your little light. I’m not very bright, but maybe I can help.”

Janey’s eyes lit up, and she wiped away her tears. “Okay!” she chirped.

So, together they flew slowly through the forest. They took turns here and there, maybe even circling a tall narra tree. But with Arnie’s light—small as it was—they finally found Janey’s nest, and her mother was waiting there, relieved.

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” her mother said. “If it weren’t for you, little firefly, my Janey might not have made it home.”

As Arnie flew back to his family, he thought to himself: He might not be as bright as the sun or moon or stars, but his light was bright enough to help someone in need. And maybe, that was enough.