The Firefly Afraid of the Dark

In a great forest lived a little firefly unlike any other. Every evening, while the other fireflies glowed proudly and brightly, this one kept its light hidden away, because deep down, it was terribly afraid of the dark.

As night settled over the forest, the other insects went about their nighttime business cheerfully. But the little firefly curled up tightly on a leaf, keeping its light completely off, afraid of the very darkness surrounding it.

Amid the deep darkness, a soft crying sound came from a faraway bush. A little mouse had wandered off and gotten lost in the pitch-black forest, unable to see even an inch in front of its own paws.

The firefly heard the crying. It hesitated for a moment, its little heart pounding with fear, but then it decided to push past its own fear and glowed brightly for the very first time to light the way for the lost mouse.

The firefly's light guided the little mouse safely home. The firefly realized its light could help others, and its fear disappeared right along with the darkness. From then on, it glowed bravely every single night, until the whole forest sparkled with its light.

Facing our fears to help someone else helps us discover the courage that was hiding inside us all along.