A Reluctant Firefly

There was a wee little firefly who was stranded in the bushes, all alone and with no one to help him get home. He was a young firefly. And surely, by this time, his family was looking for him intently. This firefly's name was Stanislaus. He had only been hatched days ago in fact. Stanislaus was not confident enough yet to let his wee fireflies tookis shine. And so, a wise owl might say firefly Stanislaus was in fact, only a fly at this point. His kindly and elderly parents had been trying to teach him, helping build his confidence, so that he could glow. No matter what he tried, he seemed unable to glow like all the others. He seemed destined to a life of darkness and dullness for all eternity. So, here Stanislaus found himself in this forest, all alone, eager to find his way back to his family. It was getting dark fast and he had nowhere to sleep. He flew and flew and flew. All across the forest. From it's one side to the other. Finally, he plumped down, tired and sad, into the crevice of a little pebble and the ground. His wings sunk on his each side and he began to whimper. "If only I had a light!" He cried. After some minutes, a nosy snail crept across the soil and around the pebble. He smiled from one side of his little snails face to the other. When Stanislaus opened his eyes, he gave a start. "Oh my! I didn't see you there snail! Is there something I can do for you?" 

Snail lifted his antennae and examined Stanislaus carefully. He said, "well, well, what have we here? Seems a lunch has been delivered to me. But. . . But, wait a minute! Aren't you a firefly?"

"Yessir, I am," said Stanislaus.

"Then, where on earth is your glow?" Snail replied. "No, no, no. This will just not do. I'm not about to make a lunch out of a broken firefly. What would people think?! Oh my!"

Stanislaus was silent. 

Snail said, "Come on then, where is your glow? You can do it! Squeeze your cheeks together some!"

Stanislaus moaned, "It's just not that simple! I. . . I don't have the confidence!"

Snail shook his head and sauntered away slowly, muttering as he went.

Moments later, a massive carpenter ant sped across the ground and stopped right on front of Stanislaus. Ant twisted his whiskers and twinkled his eyes a little. Suddenly, he licked his chops  and opened his mouth wide. 

Ant stood a back. "Hey! Aren't you a firefly?"

"Yessir, I am." Stanislaus replied.

"Where then," asked ant, "is your glow?"

Stanislaus replied, "I don't have the confidence!" 

Carpenter ant bellowed a great and mighty laugh from his long and thin belly and said, "Come on then! You can do it! Pinch and make it shine!" Ant turned and said under his breath, "I don't want to make a lunch from a broken firefly!"

Stanislaus began to plead, "sir! If you can help me. I am lost and with no one to guide me home."

"Sorry kid!" Ant said, "maybe if you had a light, you could find your way home. I wonder where that light might come from?" Ant walked off in a huff. 

Moments later, a light shined around Stanislaus. It was not a natural light. He looked up and there, in front of him, descended a most beautiful creature. It seemed like an angel firefly. Most fireflies, you know, shine and glow only from their rumps. This firefly shined and glowed from her whole body. She was truly divine. There, she descended and stood right in front of him. Her wings barely moved while she flew. She simply stared at him. "Who. . . Who are you?" Stanislaus got the courage to ask. 

"I am an angel of Jehovah," she said in a voice that sounded like choral music. "I have come to give you confidence."

Stanislaus asked, "how are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to share with you, I'm going to show you just how much Jehovah loves you." 

At that moment, waves of light and love like a current flowed through Stanislaus. The angel firefly whispered, "you can do it! Shine! Shine your light! Glow for Jehovah!!" Stanislaus squeezed his eyes tight and suddenly, there was a flicker within his rumpus!

"There you go!" She said, "you're doing it!" 

Until the entire area around them was alit and illuminated. 

"Now," she said, "go and find your family!"

"I'm scared," Stanislaus said.

"Don't be. Jehovah walks before you, guiding your steps."

Stanislaus began to move tremulously and then after some steps, found his bearing and realized just where he was. He sped home. There, at the front door to his family's nest, when the door opened, mother and father and brothers and sisters fireflies rejoiced and wept. They embraced. There, all around this area, the night was lit up like daylight. Fireflies glow is heightened by emotion, didn't you know?