Throwback: The Firefly Queen
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Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is a throwback episode. Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around.

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Do you want to spend another summer stuck at home? Hey, Jim. How's your back? Uh, you know. I hear ya. Leave the small talk behind because Disney and Pixar invite you on an out-of-this-world adventure. Engaging hyperspeed. This is up! On June 20th. Welcome to the community. Prepare to be conquered! I just got here! Follow me. What is this place? These are the lava tunnels. I am not a... Disney and Pixar's Elio in theaters June 20th. Tickets available now. Rated PG. Parental guidance suggested.

Thanks! Enjoy the episode! The Firefly Queen It was a warm summer evening, awash in the cozy blanket heat of the sun. In the meadow, the tall grass swayed in the wind, dancing to nature's silent song. It smelled sharp and sweet and warm, like some wild pie fresh from the oven.

As the sun started to flirt with the horizon, the bugs emerged from the grass like a cheeping, chirping, cricking, and crawling cloud. Beetles buzzed and mosquitoes whined and moths moved soundless as the rising moon. There was a beauty to it.

Not just in their rising, spiraling dance, but in their bizarre bodies. There were blue shells that glinted rainbow, fuzzy wings that looked like open eyes, and spots brighter than any flower. Lighting the rest, more beautiful than them all, was the Firefly Queen. She was a firefly, of course. One

one of rare brightness and beauty. As day gave way to night, she'd lay back in her throne made from a blushing peony. Her rear would glow with fiery light, bathing all around her in its neon shimmer. That glow was more than beautiful, though. It was said to be lit with a very specific purpose. It was a fire kindled to attract her true love.

Unfortunately, not only had she so far failed to find her true love, she'd succeeded in attracting just about everyone else. Every night, no sooner would she settle into her peony and begin to glow than a crowd of bugs would gather. Whizzing and wheezing and whimpering, they'd swarm around the queen and, well, bug her. The mosquito would whine, Look at your sheep! Marry me!

my queen. Good evening, m'lady, the moth would croon. Mayhaps a gentleman like me could have your hand in marriage. I am a nice guy. What's up, lady, the beetle would shout. You're lighting up my life over here.

And that was just the beginning. On and on it came, from bugs of every sort. It drove her absolutely crazy, and on this particular summer evening, the queen decided she was done with it. I gotta glow like no one's ever seen. They see me far away, they know that's the Firefly Queen.

I know they'd all like to think they have a shot But I'd like to tell them all to buzz off All these bugs fly in from out of town Think I'll drop what I'm doing just to show 'em off I don't recall sending out an invo- It's not my fault I shine so

But this fire's here to find my one true love. I still know that when push comes to shove, I don't need a king who's gonna dim my light. Oh, no, that bugs me. And if I choose a king, I'm gonna choose the one I know that loves me. The rest can go and buzz, buzz off. Buzz off, buzz off, buzz off, buzz off. Maybe there's someone out there as bright as me.

Someone else whose fire burns at the same degree Well I wish that someone would drop on by Instead of all these other lame, dimly lit flies Off, off, off, off, off, off

Now for a quick ad break. We'll be back with the rest of the story after this. If you'd like Stories Podcast and other favorite kid podcasts ad-free, subscribe to Wondery Plus Kids on Apple Podcasts. Do you want to spend another summer stuck at home? Hey, Jim. How's your back? Uh, you know. I hear ya. Leave the small talk behind because Disney and Pixar invite you on an out-of-this-world adventure. Engaging hyperspeed. This is awesome!

On June 20th. Welcome to the community. Prepare to be conquered. But I just got here. Follow me. What is this place? These are the lava tunnels. I am not moving. Disney and Pixar's Elio. In theaters June 20th. Tickets available now. Rated PG. Parental guidance suggested. Thanks. And now back to the story.

That was it, the answer to her annoying suitor problem. She'd ask them to bring a fire that matched her own. For many of the bugs, it would be an impossible task. But the ones who were wise would know that. And the ones who weren't wise, well, she didn't want to marry them anyway.

She wasn't sure she wanted to marry anyone just yet, but she certainly didn't want to settle for anyone less than perfect. So when the mosquito came buzzing up to her and called in his whiny voice, she was ready for him. My queen, he said, you are so sweet. Marry me.

Well, the Firefly Queen said in her stately way, my true love should have a fire to match my own. So I'm sorry. I don't think you're right. Please let me get a fire for my queen. Careful, cautioned the queen. I don't think you're my true love. You could hurt yourself. No, you'll see.

The mosquito said and buzzed off right away to search. He was feeling lucky because he remembered seeing fire not two nights before. It had been in a human home on the tip of a melting white pillar. He'd seen it when he was having a little snack and it seemed like they had dozens. He flew out as fast as he could and soon arrived at the human house.

Inside, he could see not one, but many white pillars, all with dancing tongues of flame. They were candles, even if the mosquito didn't know it, and they weren't the sharing type. The little bug cried, plunging ahead. He flew right into the nearest candle flame, singeing his wings and spinning out of control.

He cried as he crashed to the ground. When he recovered, he realized the queen had given him an impossible task and also warned him that he probably wasn't her true love. She probably just wanted to be left alone. He buzzed away, singed but wiser. Back on her peony throne, the firefly queen was already being hounded again.

"'Good evening, m'lady,' called the moth. "'Wouldst thou perchance grant me, a nice guy, thine hand in marriage?' "'I'm sorry,' replied the queen. "'My true love will have a fire to match my own. I'm afraid you don't seem to have the glow about you.' "'M'lady,' he despaired, "'give me a chance. I will fetch a fire worthy of thou, thou'st, thine beauty.'

The queen sighed, her own light flickering in annoyance. I don't think that's a good idea. The moth dropped to his knees, pleading hands clasped before him. Oh, your majesty, please, just give me a chance. I'm a nice guy. Oh, I guess.

Huzzah, huzzah, you won't regret this, he said. And then he was off, bobbing along on his fuzzy wings. He flapped for half the night, but finally spotted a lantern hanging from the side of a wagon. The sides were frosted glass and a flame flickered within. Aha, fire for m'lady, he said, fluttering furiously. For the queen!

He slapped into the side of the lantern, his wings sticking to the glass for a moment and then peeling away. My queen, he said groggily as he crashed to the ground. When he recovered, he realized the queen had given him an impossible task and also a warning and probably just wanted to be left alone. He buzzed away, sore but wiser. Back on her peony throne, the queen was dealing with yet another pushy suitor.

Come on, beautiful, uh, the beetle hollered. Let's you and me get married, uh? I want to take you home to meet my ma. I don't think so, said the queen. My true love will have a fire to match my own. Please, just let me look for someone like that. You want a fire? I'll get you some flames, babe.

The queen started to argue, but the beetle was already gone, buzzing away on his bumbly wings. He wove eagerly through the night and soon found a group of hunters among the trees. They were sitting in a circle, holding sticks of meat. The sticks were hanging, roasting over a crackling fire.

Aha, here we go, King Beetle, coming at ya, he said, diving into the flames. For a second, he began to glow bright and cheered to himself. He had it, he had a glow. Suddenly, he had a terrible realization. He wasn't glowing, it was just that his wings were on fire. King Beetle! he cried, tumbling out of the fire and into the dirt.

When he recovered, he realized the queen had given him an impossible task and probably just wanted to be left alone. He buzzed away, wingless but wiser. Back on her peony throne, a new suitor pushed his way through the rest. "'Firefly Queen,' he said gently, "'I've heard stories of your beautiful glow. They are good stories, but a glow such as yours could never be captured with words.'

That's kind of you to say, she said. And then she took a look at this suitor. This new bug was beautiful. Those beady black eyes, those fuzzy red spots, they were lovely and familiar. Oh, wow, the queen thought. I think it's another firefly.

You seem nice enough, she said cautiously, but my true love will have a fire to match my own. Others have tried to go in search of one, but it doesn't seem to work out well, so I don't think I should tell you to go do that. Well, I don't need to search, he said. In my own meadow, I am called the Firefly Prince, and I have brought my fire with me, and I also bring it everywhere I go.

He turned and his back began to glow. Brighter and brighter it swelled until it burned as bright as the queen's. The peony throne was a shine, blazing like a beacon in the night. Finally, she had found a fire to match her own. Though the queen knew she had many questions to ask and a lot to learn about this firefly prince, she also knew this. Her search was over. He was the one.

And she was right. In time, the Firefly Queen and the Firefly Prince, now known as the Firefly King, fell in love and were married. Their two fires became one raging light, and they lived happily and brightly ever after.

That didn't stop the other suitors from trying, though. That's why, to this very day, you'll see bugs at night, flying desperately towards any light, hoping to find their flame and win the love of the Firefly Queen. The End Today's story, The Firefly Queen, was an adaptation of a Japanese folktale written for you by Daniel Hines and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon, with a song by me, inspired by Lizzo.

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