Flicker was a very happy firefly. In fact, he was *the* happiest firefly in Sunny Meadow! His light shone brighter and twinkled faster than any other. He loved feeling happy, and he kept his happiness all to himself. He thought if he shared it, he might have less for himself. Every night, he’d zoom around, flashing his brilliant light, but he wouldn’t stop to play with the other fireflies.
Old Man Tiber, a wise glow-worm who lived under a mushroom, noticed Flicker’s solitary twinkling. He called out, “Flicker, why do you shine so brightly all alone? Happiness is even more beautiful when it’s shared!” Flicker just zipped past, thinking, *My happiness is perfect just the way it is.*
One evening, a little firefly named Luna was trying to light up, but her glow was very dim. She’d been practicing all week, but she just couldn’t get it right. She sat on a dandelion, looking sad. Flicker flew by and saw her. He almost kept going, wanting to preserve his own bright glow, but something made him pause.
He remembered Old Man Tiber’s words. Hesitantly, Flicker flew closer to Luna. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his light shining almost too brightly beside her faint glimmer. Luna explained her trouble, her voice barely a whisper. Flicker thought for a moment. He’d never helped another firefly before.
Then, he did something surprising. He slowed his blinking and focused his light *towards* Luna. He didn’t dim his own glow completely, but he directed some of its energy towards her. Slowly, Luna’s light began to grow! It flickered, then steadied, becoming a lovely, soft glow.
Luna gasped. “It’s working! I can shine brighter! Thank you, Flicker!” She began to dance with joy, her light twirling and sparkling. And as Luna’s happiness grew, something amazing happened to Flicker. His own light seemed to grow *even brighter*!
He realized Old Man Tiber was right! Sharing his happiness hadn’t made him less happy; it had made him *more* happy. He joined Luna in her dance, their lights swirling together in a beautiful display. Other fireflies noticed and joined in too, creating a dazzling spectacle of twinkling lights.
Old Man Tiber smiled from under his mushroom. “See, Flicker?” he said. “Happiness shared is happiness doubled.” Flicker understood now. He spent the rest of the evening helping other fireflies practice their glows, sharing his light and his joy with everyone in Sunny Meadow.
From that night on, Flicker wasn’t just the brightest firefly; he was the *kindest* firefly too. He learned that true happiness isn’t about having the most, but about giving the most. And as he drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the warm glow of his friends, Flicker knew this was the happiest he’d ever been.