One night by the anislag tree the fireflies began their nightly ritual. For as long as any of them could remember they would light up the sky with dances that rivaled the most beautiful of constellations. And who else would lead them but their king?
The regent of the fireflies would dance with his subjects creating a breathtaking display of luminescence.
As the King prepared for the dance he noticed that one of the fireflies was not lighted. “Young firefly,” he said, “Why do you not light up with your brethren?”
“My lord, I do not understand why we do this, won’t showing our light attract predators? I was warned by the crickets that frogs, spiders and birds would make us a tasty snack if we show ourselves.”
“Why should we hide when our light is the most beautiful part of the night? We must bring light to the dark places. Each of us has a spirit that cannot be denied. You feel it too don’t you?”
“Feel what my lord?”
“The need to light the sky. It is in the heart of all fireflies. Predators will see us, that much is true, they will look at our lights and seek to snuff them out, but that is a small price to pay to have our souls sing out in the darkness.”
The young firefly still couldn’t understand what his King was trying to say, he was much too afraid of dying. He could not take his King’s words to heart and dimmed his light.
That night the fireflies danced but small flecks of shadow could be seen from a distance. It seemed that the young firefly’s fear was contagious. Whispers could be heard from all around that fireflies would rather have the safety of darkness than the risk of the light.
The King of the fireflies called a meeting of his subjects to discuss the situation.
“All we are saying is that we should be careful in the night,” said the young firefly “We do not want to be a spider’s next meal.”
“Why do you do this, young firefly?” the King asked.
“I am scared my lord, I do not want my light to be taken forever.”
“But is that not what you are doing to yourself?”
“We can still light up, but only in safe places. That should be our new rule!” The young firefly said with confidence.
“Firefly, we must shine into the darkness, for that is what we were made for. Why must you look for signs to light up when we, ourselves, are the stars that must align?”
“I still don’t understand, my lord.”
And it was then that the King of the fireflies knew what he had to do.
He lit up, brighter that the moon and hovered outside the anislag tree. The young firefly cried out “My lord! They will see you, please do not light yourself up!”
It was no use of course, the King’s light touched the horizon and all around bats, spiders, even night birds flew towards the dazzling glow.
The young firefly couldn’t believe what happened next. All around the other fireflies danced with their King forming a hurricane of phosphorescence. The predators stood, enthralled by the spectacle and one by one joined in the dance.
The birds and bats flapped their wings, the frogs moved to the rhythm and the spiders twirled as the fireflies brought light to the darkness.
And deep within his soul, the young firefly finally understood.
If you send out your spark you will become a part of something greater.
He did not wait for a reply.
He shined.
And his soul cried out to the shadows, “I will not let you take this from me!”
The forest would forever remember the story of the young firefly who was afraid of his own light and all those that called the forest home, even the predators would think back to the galaxy of lights in front of the anislag tree, knowing in that moment that they had a fire inside themselves that they would not deny.
For now and forever.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by The King of the Fireflies description in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
The King of the Fireflies Illustration by Edrian Paolo T. Baydo
Color by Alexa Garde
Website: Lexa.us