1 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep tight stories. This story 2 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: is about two young fireflies who feel that they should 3 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: be able to do whatever they want. They head out 4 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: during the day to see what is around them, but 5 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: being night creatures, it is not very easy for them. 6 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: The unfortunate fireflies several very large families of fireflies lived 7 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: in the marsh and were much admired by their friends 8 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: who were awake at night. Once in a while, some 9 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: young firefly who happened to awake during the day would 10 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,839 Speaker 1: go out and hover over the heads of the daylight people. 11 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: He never had any attention paid to him then, however, 12 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: or during the day. He seemed like a very commonplace 13 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: little beetle, and nobody even cared to look at him 14 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: a second time. The only remarkable thing about him was 15 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: the soft light that shone from his body, and that 16 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: could only be seen at night. The older fireflies told 17 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: the younger ones that they should get all the sleep 18 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: they could during the daytime if they were to flutter 19 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: and frisk at night. Most of them did this, but 20 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: two young fireflies, who cared more about seeing the world 21 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: than they did about minding their elders, used to run 22 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: away while the rest were dreaming. Each thought herself very important, 23 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: and was sure that if the others missed her, they 24 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't sleep a wink all day. One night, they planned 25 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: to go by daylight to the farthest corner of the marsh. 26 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: They had heard a couple of young muskrats talking about 27 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: it and thought it might be different from anything they 28 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: had seen. They went to bed when the rest did, 29 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: and pretended to fall asleep. When she was sure that 30 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: the older fireflies were dreaming, one of them reached over 31 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: with her right hind leg and touched the other just 32 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: below the edge of her left wing cover. Are you ready, 33 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: she whispered, Yes, answered the friend, who happened to be 34 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: the smaller of the two. Come on, then said the 35 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 1: larger one, picking her way along on her six tiptoes. 36 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: It was already growing light, and they could see where 37 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: they stepped. But you know, it is hard to walk 38 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: over rough places on two tiptoes, so you can imagine 39 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: what it must be like on six. There are some 40 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: pleasant things about having many legs. There are also some 41 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: hard things. It is a great responsibility. When well away 42 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: from their sleeping relative, they lifted their wing covers, spread 43 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: their wings, and flew to the farthest corner of the marsh. 44 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: They were not afraid of being punished if caught, or 45 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: they were orphans and had nobody to bring them up. 46 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: They were afraid that if the other fireflies woke up, 47 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: they would be called silly or foolish young bugs. They 48 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: thought that they were old enough to take care of 49 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: themselves and did not want any advice. Oh wouldn't they 50 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: make a fuss if they knew, exclaimed the larger firefly. 51 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: They think we need to be told every single thing, 52 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: said the smaller firefly. Guess we're old enough now to 53 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: go off by ourselves, said the larger firefly. I guess so, 54 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: answered the smaller firefly. I'm not afraid if it is light, 55 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: and I can see pretty near as well well as 56 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: I can at night. Just then, a flycatcher darted toward them, 57 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: and they had to hide. He had come so near 58 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: that they could look down his throat as he flew 59 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: along with his beak open. The fireflies were so scared 60 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: that their feelers shook. I wish that bird would mind 61 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: his own business, grumbled the larger firefly. That's just what 62 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: he was doing, said a voice beside them. As a 63 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: garter snake drew himself through the grass. Then their feelers 64 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: shook again. Or they knew that snakes did not breakfast 65 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:50,559 Speaker 1: on grass and berries. Did you ever see such luck, 66 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 1: said the smaller firefly. If it isn't birds, it is snakes. 67 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: Perfectly dreadful, answered the other I never knew the marsh 68 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: to be so full of horrible people. Besides, my eyes 69 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: are bothering me, and I can't see clearly, so are mine, 70 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: said the smaller firefly. Are you going to tell the 71 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: other fireflies all about things tonight? I don't know if 72 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,239 Speaker 1: I will, said the larger firefly. I'll make them ask 73 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: me first. Then they reached the farther corner of the 74 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: marsh and crawled around to see what they could find. 75 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: Their eyes bothered them so that they could not see 76 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: unless they were close to things, so it was useless 77 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: to fly. They peeped into the cool, dark corners under 78 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 1: the skunk cabbage leaves and lay down to rest on 79 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: a bed of soft moss. A few stalks of last 80 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: year's teasel stood stiff and brown in the corner of 81 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: the fence. The smaller firefly landed on one and let 82 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: go in such a hurry that she fell to the ground. Ouch. 83 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: She cried, It has sharp hooks all over it. While 84 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: they were lying on the moss and resting, they noticed 85 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: a strange plant growing near It had a flower of 86 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: green and dark red, which was unlike any other blossom 87 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: they had ever seen. The leaves were even stranger. Each 88 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: was stiff and hollow and grew right out of the 89 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: ground instead of coming from the stalk. I'm going to 90 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: crawl into one of them, said the larger firefly. There 91 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: is something sweet inside. I believe it will be lots 92 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: better than the skunk cabbage. She balanced herself on the 93 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: top of a fresh green leaf. I'm going into this one, 94 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: that the other firefly, as she landed on the edge 95 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: of a brown tipped leaf. It looks nice and dark inside. 96 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: We must tell them about this at the party tonight, 97 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: even if they don't ask us. Then they repeated together 98 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: the little verse that some of the pond people use 99 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: when they want to start together. Tussock, mud, water and log, muskrat, snake, 100 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: turtle and frog. Here we go into the bog. When 101 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: they said bog, each dropped quickly into her own leaf. 102 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: For a minute, nobody made a sound. Then there was 103 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: a strange, sputtering, choking voice in the fresh green leaf, 104 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: and exactly the same in the brown tipped one. After that, 105 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: a weak little voice in the green leaf said a busherr, 106 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: I fell into water. Another weak voice from the brown 107 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: tipped one replied, sheersha, so did I. On the inside 108 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 1: of each leaf were many stiff hairs, all pointing downward. 109 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: When the fireflies dropped in, they had brushed easily past 110 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: these hairs, and thought it rather pleasant. Now that they 111 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: were sputtering and choking inside and wanting to get out, 112 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: These same hair stuck into their eyes and pushed against 113 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: their legs and made them exceedingly uncomfortable. The water, too, 114 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: had stood for some time in the leaves and did 115 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 1: not smell good. Perhaps it would be just as well 116 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: not to tell all the things which those two fireflies said, 117 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: or they were tired and out of patience. After a 118 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: while they gave up trying to get out until they 119 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: should be rested. It was after sunset when they tried 120 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: the last time, and the light that shone from their 121 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: bellies brightened the little green rooms where they were. They 122 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,199 Speaker 1: rested and went at it carefully, instead of the angry, 123 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: jerky way which they had tried before. Slowly, one foot 124 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: at a time, they managed to climb out of the 125 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: doorway at the top. As they came out, they heard 126 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: the squeaky voice of a young mouse say, oh, where 127 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: did those bright things come from? They also heard his 128 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: mother answer, those are only a couple of silly flierflies 129 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: who have been in the leaves of the pitcher plant 130 00:10:53,040 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: all day. After they had eaten some thing, they flew 131 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: toward home. They knew that they would be late for 132 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: the party, and they expected to surprise and delight everybody 133 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: when they reached there. On the way, they spoke of this. 134 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 1: I'm dreadfully tired, said one. But I suppose we shall 135 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: have to dance in the air with the rest of 136 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: them or they will make a fuss. Yes, said the other. 137 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: It spoils everything if we are not there, and we'll 138 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: have to tell them where we've been and what we've 139 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: done and whom we have seen, when we would rather 140 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: go to sleep and make up what we lost during 141 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: the daytime. As they came near the middle of the marsh, 142 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,839 Speaker 1: they were surprised to see the mild summer air twinkling 143 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: with hundreds of tiny lights. As their friends and relatives 144 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: flew to and fro in the dusk well, said the 145 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 1: larger firefly. I think they might have waited for us, hm, 146 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: said the smaller firefly. If they can't be more polite 147 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: than that, I won't play after we've had such a 148 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: dreadfully hard time too, said the larger firefly. Almost got 149 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: eaten by a flycatcher and scared by a garter snake 150 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: and shut up all day in a pitcher plant. I 151 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: won't move a wing to help on their old party. 152 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: So two very tired and angry young fireflies sat on 153 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: a last year's cattail and sulked. People didn't notice them 154 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: because they were sitting and their bright bellies didn't show. 155 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 1: After a long time, an elderly firefly came to rest 156 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: on the cattail and found them. Good evening, He said, 157 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: have you danced until you are tired? They looked at 158 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 1: each other, but before either could speak, one of their 159 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: young friends landed beside them and said the same thing. 160 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: Then the smaller firefly answered, we have been away, she said, 161 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: and we are not dancing tonight going away? Did you say? 162 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: Asked the elderly firefly, who was rather deaf, I hope 163 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: you will have a delightful time. Then he bowed and 164 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: flew off. Don't stay long, added their young friend, We 165 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: shall be so lonely without you. After he also was gone, 166 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: the two runaways looked into each other's eyes. We were 167 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 1: not even missed, they cried. We had a bad time, 168 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: and nobody makes any fuss. They were dancing without us, 169 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 1: poor little fireflies. They were much wiser after that, or 170 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: they had learned that two young fireflies were not so 171 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: wonderful important after all, and that if they choose to 172 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: do things which it was never meant young fireflies should do, 173 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: they would be likely to have a very disagreeable time, 174 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: but that other fireflies would go on eating and dancing 175 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: and living their own lives. To be happy, they must 176 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: keep the firefly ways. And that's the end of our story. 177 00:14:35,120 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: Good night, sleep tight none ha