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Speaker 1: Yeah, Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,

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where you suggest the animal for us to write a

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story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand

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new animal story here just for you. There are now

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over one hundred extra stories on the Animal Tales premium service.

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Find out how to listen to them by visiting Animaltales

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dot uk and remember, for a tiny fee, they're all

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advert free. Esther is from Manchester in the UK and

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she would like a story with a dragonfly and a firefly.

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You can learn more about these creatures in the Animal

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Facts after the story. Now, settle back, relax, and a

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pond life cacophony. Night had fallen over Beechwood Pond. The

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ducks had settled in their nests, the tadpoles were snoozing

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beneath a sunken log, and a lone dragonfly named Esther

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was choosing a reed to rest upon. Esther had lived

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in the pond her whole life, from nymph to adult.

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She loved how the sunlight made the water sparkle and

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marveled at the flowers that colored the pond's banks. Esther

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had become good friends with many of the creatures, including

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the ducks, the heron, and even a couple of kingfishers.

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The pond was in her mind perfect well almost. Esther

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landed on her reed, settled, then closed her eyes. But

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instead of enjoying a good night's sleep, Esther's rest was

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in interrupted by a bright, flashing light. Oh not again,

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grumbled Esther. Wearily. She looked up to confront the culprit.

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Despite the darkness, the source of the light was easy

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to see. Knox. Esther cried, you're doing it again. Will

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you please turn that light off? It disturbs everyone's sleep.

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I've told you before, argued the little firefly. I can't

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turn it off. It's my butt, it's what it does. Well,

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your flashing butt is keeping me awake again, Esther complained,

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can't you go and glow somewhere else? I have as

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much right to be here as you do. A rumped Knox.

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If you have a problem, then I suggest it's you

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who should move. Grumbling, Esther tied a blade of grass

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over her eyes as a blindfold, all the time wondering

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why Knox had to be so difficult. Knox also loved

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the pond. He liked how peaceful it was and how

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the stars reflected in the water. It meant that there

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were twice as many. His friends were the bats, frogs,

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and owls that visited throughout the night. Then, when the

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first rays of sunshine peeked over the horizon, Knox would

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huddle amongst the leaves of a large fern, where he

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felt safe and hidden. It was the perfect life, except

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for one little thing. After a busy night, Knox was

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just burying his head and closing his eyes when he

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was disturbed by a very loud, buzzing sound. Oh not again,

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he grumbled, as he climbed from the fern to have

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a word with the offender. The source of the noise

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was easy to locate, Ester, Knox cried, you're doing it again.

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Your wings are too loud for us nocturnal creatures. Trying

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to rest. The dragonfly came to an abrupt stop above him,

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her wings beating furiously to keep her steady. I've told

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you before, argued the dragonfly. My wings allowed because they're special.

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They're what keep me in the air. Well, your special

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wings are stopping me from sleeping, Knox complained, can't you

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buzz about somewhere else? Muttering, Knocks buried deep down into

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the fern, holding clumps of moss over his ears. He

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didn't understand why Esther had to be so frustrating. This,

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it turned out, was life at the pond. The dragonflies

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constant buzzing grated on the firefly, and the firefly shiny

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behind irritated the dragonfly, But neither one of them wanted

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to leave the pond, and neither one was willing to stop. Then,

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one day, while the sun was setting the nighttime animals

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began to stir, Esther was just thinking about taking herself

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off to bed when a bright light started flickering amongst

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the evening shadows. Your light knocks, Esther cried as she

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flew over. You're doing it again, Well, so are you.

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The firefly responded, You're creating a dreadful buzz. This pond

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would be so much better without your glowing bottom waking

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us up, Esther stated, And I think it would be

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better without your noisy wings. Knox replied, I've had enough,

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snap to the dragonfly, this has gone on long enough,

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boomed the firefly. It was looking as if this was

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going to be their worst argument yet, but before either

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of them could say another word, they were interrupted by

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a loud croaking. Who it was by far the loudest,

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most teeth clattering sound either of them had ever heard.

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What was that, shrieked Esther in surprise. Ohoh, came the

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noise again. It was so loud that it had stopped

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every animal across the pond. Is that a frog? Asked Esther.

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I know the frogs, said Knox, but that doesn't sound

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like one to me. Who it wasn't hard to find

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the source of the ear shattering noise. Sat on a

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rock in the middle of the pond was an enormous toad.

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He was lumpy and warty and brown, with a large,

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downturned mouth. The two black eyes on the top of

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his head blinked slightly out of sink with each other. Ohoh.

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Esther watched as the surrounding animals began to move away,

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hands held over their ears. This can't be good, she said.

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Our toads are daytime or nighttime animal, worried Knox. Ohoh.

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Esther could see pond skaters and newts scrambling to get away.

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He's scaring everyone off, Esther said, the pond's going to

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end up deserted. I'm going to have to talk to

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him then, I'd better come with you, said Knox. Esther

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was used to animals hearing her coming, but the toad

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didn't appear to take any notice of her. Excuse me,

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she called out politely, excuse me up here. The toad

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lifted his head slowly and said what you're being awfully loud?

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Esther pointed out, please, could you keep it down a bit?

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Many of us go to bed around now. No, answered

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the toad, but spluttered Esther, the other animals I don't care,

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snorted the toad, cutting her off. Toads croak. I like

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to croak, so I'll croak whenever I want to. Do

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you mind me asking if that's during the day, wondered Knox.

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You see some of us sleep when the sun is up.

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I croak whenever I feel like it, said the toad,

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whether that's the middle of the day or the middle

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of the night. I will croak as loudly as I like. Now,

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go away, but tried Knox, But the toad wasn't listening.

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I said, go away, The toad repeated, I like it

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here and I aim to stay, so stop bugging me,

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cause I've got a way of dealing with pests. Esther

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gulped and erh, what is that exactly? I eat em?

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Said the toad, and his long, sticky tongue shot out

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of his enormous mouth towards Esther. Fortunately, she was both

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fast and nimble, allowing her to dodge out of the

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way and drag the firefly with her. The pair of

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them took shelter in reeds as the toad continued his noise.

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What do we do, Knox asked, his voice full of worry.

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That rude amphibian is ruining the pond. We'll have to

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get in to leave. Esther reasoned, although I'm not sure

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how it looks like everyone's leaving, fretted Knox. They can't

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stand it. That's not fair, said Esther. Let's gather them up.

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Maybe together we can work out what to do. The

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toad remained on his rock throughout the night, illuminated by

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a large round moon. He was feeling very pleased with

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himself and his new home. This pond, he decided, was

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perfect for him. Yes, this would do quite nicely. Ooh,

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he boomed contentedly. But in reply, from out of the

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darkness came a different sound. It sounded like frogs ribbiting.

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They weren't even half as loud as he was, but

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altogether they were causing quite a stir. Well, the toad

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wasn't having that. He puffed out his chest and croaked,

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just to show them who was boss. Frustratingly, this didn't

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shut the frogs up. In fact, if anything, things got

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a little noisier. The frogs, it seemed, had been joined

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by the buzzing of the pond's insects. Right, I'll show

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you lot, said the sour faced toad. He gave another

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thundering Ohoh, that should do it, except it didn't. Now

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there were ducks quacking too angrily. The toad did another

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roaring whoh. In return, splashing fish were added to the

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ribbiting frogs, buzzing insects, and quacking ducks. Will you lot

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be quiet, the toad shouted. This lock was spoiling his fun.

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He'd have to try again, as loud as possible, Oh,

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he blasted. Now there were owls hooting too, and bats chirruping,

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and foxes barking. What was going on? For a moment,

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the toad was speechless. Don't you like the sounds of

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the pond, asked esther as she zipped past. You the

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toad spat it was you that put them up to this. Well,

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I warned you what I'd do to annoying bugs. His long,

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sticky tongue shot towards her, but Esther was ready. She

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looped up and over his head, forcing the large toad

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to shuffle around. Just you try that again, he sneered

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at the dragonfly, so Esther flew closer. Got you, grinned

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the toad nastily, preparing to let fly with his tongue.

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This time, he was certain he'd catch her. But as

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he opened his mouth, something bright and dazzling filled his vision.

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The glowing bottom of a firefly. Take that, Knox said,

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shining his light brighter than he'd ever shone it before.

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The toad desperately tried to cover his eyes, his vision

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filled with spots. Ah, you rotten firefly, the toad bellowed,

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I can't see worse Still, the racket being made by

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the pond's animals had become a deafening wall of noise,

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disorientating him. Flailing wildly, the toad lost his footing on

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the rock and fell forward into the water. And now

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a new sound filled the air, that of laughter. The

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pond animals were laughing at him, spluttering and splashing. The

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toad found it all too much here, said Esther. I'll

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lead you to the pond's edge. Meekly, the toad allowed

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her to help. Once there, the toad didn't look so

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sure of himself as he crawled out on to land,

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rubbing his ears and eyes. I'm going to find myself

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another pond, he complained. This one's too much for me,

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and off he crawled into the darkness. Has he gone,

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asked Knox. I think so, said Esther. In the end,

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the pond can't have been what he was looking for.

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I think he can't have been looking properly, said the firefly,

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because this pond is perfect. That's what I was thinking,

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agreed Esther. You know he was being rather selfish, wasn't,

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he pointed out Knox. He was, nodded Esther, and I

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guess that's not the best way to behave when you're

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sharing a space with other animals. About that, said Knox,

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I want to apologize if my glow causes you bother

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during the night, I'll try to be more careful in future.

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It should be me that apologizes, said Esther. You're a firefly,

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of course you need to glow, but I could be

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more careful where I fly. I understand they're not everyone

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likes the sound of my wings. They're not that bad,

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admitted Knox. I think that maybe you and I just

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need to be a little more tolerant, agreed, said Esther.

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It's a good idea to try to think of others.

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Then I'll tell you what said Knox. You settle down

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here to sleep, and I'll do my best to avoid

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this spot to night, and I'll put on my sleep mask.

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Esther added as she plucked a blade of grass. We

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can show every one that the pond is for every one,

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Which was how the dragon fly and the firefly finally

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found peace. Some might say that they'd even found a friend,

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and of all, Esther finally got a good night's sleep.

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Animal fact, dragonflies have been around since the Jurassic period,

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with related species going back even further in time. They

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are amazing predators, capable of astonishing acrobatic feats and speed.

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Their enormous eyes give them all round vision, with most

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of their brain turned over to processing what they see,

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allowing them to navigate through a high speed world. Fireflies

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aren't flies at all, but beetles. Sometimes called lightning bugs

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or glowworms. Their light is created via bioluminescence in their abdomens.

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They use flashes and steady glows to attract a mate.

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Thank you for your suggestions, Esther. We hope that you

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all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're listening in the world,

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make sure you join us next time for another great

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animal tale. Good Bye,