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Shaboo Tales: The Flourishing Firefly
Moffi, a recently matured firefly, learns that everything, even herself, possesses flourishing beauty.
Moffi emerged from pupation with a different perspective. As a glowworm all she did was eat and rest, but as an adult firefly, she found herself questioning her place in the world. Physically larger and more obtrusive, she was often swatted at by nearby humans. She felt ugly and unwelcome, even among other insects which, in her humble opinion, where equally aesthetically disadvantaged.
She instinctively knew that as an adult firefly she was supposed to find a mate but she worried that her looks would hinder the process. That afternoon she spotted other fireflies in the grove but she fretfully remained unnoticed.
It was Spring and the activity in the area was at its peak. Elegant dragonflies energetically darted about looking for partners and colorful butterflies flirtatiously flitted within social clusters. Moffi enjoyed the energy of the season but her giddy giggling stopped when she spotted her reflection in the small pond beneath her. She saw that her long awkward torso hung heavily in the air like a large piece of luggage and that halves of her brown hard shell stuck out from her shoulders like cruel flaps. Her translucent wings furiously flapped at her sides while her hind legs clumsily groped the air. Nothing on her looked elegant and pretty, like the features the butterflies and dragonflies possessed. All of her parts appeared as if they were pieced together purely for function, not beauty.
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Moffi inelegantly lowered herself down onto a water reed, which playfully bowed and bounced beneath her weight. She looked upon the pond’s surface and soberly examined her reflection. She noticed her antennae were thick and dark, like two long frowning eyebrows and that her black shiny eyes were disproportionately huge against her small brown head. Dusk settled over the grove overshadowing her reflected features, for which Moffi was grateful.
She sighed and looked out upon the expansive grove. The butterflies and dragonflies retreated for the night and cricket song serenaded the oncoming darkness. She looked up at the deepening night sky and admired the beauty of the twinkling stars—it appeared to Moffi that everything, but Moffi, had a beautiful feature to flourish.
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“I wish I was like a star,” Moffi woefully yearned.
The night came down upon the grove and Moffi solemnly retreated into its camouflaging darkness with much relief and despair.
Boof!
The space around Moffi radiated with golden light. Stunned, she looked down upon the dark pond and saw her reflected eyes twinkling with an illumination that came from within her abdomen! Just then blinking fireflies arose from the dark grass like flying embers. They winked at her with romantic interest and in the distance she saw torch-carrying humans pointing in her direction with smiling faces.
Elated, Moffi took flight. Everywhere she zigged and everywhere she zagged, she pushed the darkness away with her light. She looked back up towards the once-envied stars then down at her own glowing self and uncontrollably giggled.
Admiringly Yours,
Shaboo
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