Bramble pulled his blanket over his head when the sun sank low. Something green flickered at the entrance of his burrow. A firefly, buzzing softly in the dark.
The firefly zipped toward the forest, and Bramble peeked out from under his blanket. He followed, one paw still resting on the burrow wall.
Bramble stepped outside with his quills trembling. His tiny paws crunched on cool pine needles. The firefly hovered just ahead, darting between fern fronds.
He kept his paw on the wall, but the firefly kept coming back. Finally, he let go and stepped forward into the moonlit path.
The firefly landed on a low branch and glowed brighter. Bramble's eyes went wide — a whole clearing filled with hundreds of dancing fireflies.
One firefly lifted off and landed gently on his nose. It tickled. Bramble laughed, a little sound, and the forest seemed to hum around him.
The moon climbed high and the fireflies settled into the grass like glowing embers. Bramble walked home with his head up, his quills catching silver light.
When he reached his burrow, he didn't pull his blanket over his head. He curled up with a smile, watching the green lights glow through the entrance.
