In a village of floating gardens, Pip the otter kept a tiny ferry tied beneath an old willow. Every evening, he carried a single amber lantern across the river.

One misty night, the lantern went dark halfway to the opposite bank. Pip stopped rowing and listened. From the reeds came a soft, answering chirp.

A firefly landed on his empty lantern. Then another arrived, until its glass chamber glowed like a pocketful of stars.

Their light revealed a young hedgehog stranded on a stepping stone. Pip brought the ferry alongside and lowered a little wooden ramp.

Together they reached the garden landing, where the village windows were waiting in darkness. Pip lifted the lantern high.

Fireflies drifted through the branches, turning the willow into a constellation. The smallest ferry had brought home enough light for everyone.