Little Light floated about, shining her light as brightly as she could.
“Oh Daddy,” she said, floating up and down excitedly. “I’m bigger this year. I’m bigger. I just know it.”
Daddy Light smiled down at Little Light. “Yes, Little Light,” he said. “You are definitely bigger this year.”
Little Light beamed. “Then I can shine all on my own this year,” she declared. “Can’t I?” she added, a bit uncertainly. “I can shine all on my own on the Special Day, Like Big Sister and Big Brother?”
She loved the Special Day. Every light came out on the Special Day to shine their brightest and best.
“We shall see,” Daddy Light told her.
Little Light flew off to find her friend, Little Yellow Light.
“I am so excited,” she cried when she found Little Yellow Light. “The Special Day is almost here. Daddy said I might be able to shine all on my own. Do you want to practice shining together?”
Little Yellow Light only glanced at Little Light and said, “No, I do not have time to practice shining. I am on my way to get more light. It is the season, you know.”
She did not even say good-bye, but quickly floated away.
Little Light sadly watched her go.
A flash of light flew by.
Little Light jumped, startled. Brother Light did not stop as he speed away.
“Where are you going?” she called after him.
“To get more light, of course.” Sister Light slowed down to answer as she flew by Little Light. “It is the season, you know.”
“But why the hurry?” Little Light wanted to know.
“Well, because,” Sister Light replied, “the Blinking Lights said it is the season to get more light, so more light we must get.” And off she flew.
Little Light was puzzled.
Later, Little Light asked her mother, “Mother, why is my friend Yellow Light, and Brother and Sister Light in such a rush to get more light?”
“Hmmmm?” Mother Light replied. She watched the Blinking Lights, blinking off then on, off then on, over and over.
As they blinked, the Blinking Lights told everyone to hurry and get more light. “It is the season,” they said. “So don’t delay. Hurry and get more light.”
“Mother,” Little Light tried again.
“What?” Mother Light said. “Oh, Little Light. I can’t talk right now. I must go and get more light.”
Little Light sighed.
“Whatever is the matter?” Mother Light gave Little Light a worried look. “Are you not feeling well?”
“Oh, I am fine. But…” Little Light started to answer.
Mother Light brightened. “Wonderful. Then come with me to get more light.” She quickly floated off. Little Light hurried to catch up.
The crowds of lights jostled Little Light about as she followed Mother Light. The other lights rushed here and there, scooping up more light like it would all soon be gone.
“Why is everyone in such a hurry to get more light,” Little Light asked loudly, to be heard above the noise.
A bright green light paused for a moment and looked at Little Light.
“Did you not hear the Blinking Lights?” the green light said. “It is the season to get more light.” The green light shook her head and quickly hurried away.
Above the buzz of lights hurrying about, Little Light heard the Blinking Lights announcing where the best deals on light could be found. They urged everyone to hurry and show up early for these great deals before they were gone.
“But isn’t light available all the time?” Little Light persisted. “Why the rush to get it now?”
Another light, a red light, flickered angrily at Little Light’s remark.
“Well,” the red light said indignantly. “Of course we have to get light now, it is the season you know.”
The other nearby lights flickered in agreement.
“The Blinking Lights tell us it is time to get light,” a blue light said.
“The Blinking Lights must surely know the right time to get lights,” added another light.
“Shush, now, Little Light,” Mother Light said. She glimmered in embarrassment and hurried Little Light along.
Little Light felt troubled by this.
Little Light followed Mother Light from place to place, wondering when Mother Light would be content with the amount of light she carried.
Little Light noticed that some lights carried much more light than other lights. And some lights seemed to hurry around but carried little or no light at all.
Not too far away, a little red light cried and flashed her dim little light. “I want more light,” she said. “I want more light.”
“It’s not fair,” a dim green light carrying very little light declared. “Why should those lights have the privilege of getting more light?” She flashed her green light enviously toward some very pretty purple lights floating about with their overflowing piles of light.
A dim yellow light grumbled and flickered in agreement.
“Mother,” Little Light said, “Why do some lights carry much more light than others? And why do some lights carry little or no light at all?”
Mother Light glanced up from looking through a stack of light to see what Little Light was talking about.
“It takes energy, Little Light, to get light,” she replied. “And some lights have more energy than others. Those with more energy can get more light. Those with less energy can only get a little light.” She floated away, satisfied with her answer.
“Or not get any light at all,” Little Light said sadly, as she watched one dim little light follow quietly behind his dimly lit mother, who carried no light at all.
Mother Light finally floated over to a counter to pay for her light.
The pale green light behind the counter flickered wearily as she took Mother Light’s energy and handed her the light all prettily and neatly bundled up.
“Thank you,” Mother Light said politely as she took her light. “Have a wonderful season.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” the light said, sighing as she looked past Mother Light at the long line of jostling, grumbling, pushing lights, waiting to pay for their loads of new lights.
On the way home, Little Light saw a strange sight.
A crowd of dim lights gathered around a couple of bright white lights. The white lights offered the dim lights some of their energy. Some of the dim lights blinked gratefully as they accepted the energy from the white lights. Some of the dim lights blinked with embarrassment, but took the energy offered to them. Some of the dim lights, however, blinked angrily, suspiciously looking at the energy offered to them and comparing it to the energy offered to other dim lights.
“Mother,” Little Light said. “What are the white lights doing?”
Mother shrugged. “They are sharing their energy with those who do not have any.”
“That is wonderful,” Little Light declared. “So they can get more light too.”
“Hummf.” A bright blue light floated by, looking disapprovingly at the white lights. “How silly to give away energy to help the dim lights.”
Little Light was puzzled. “But why?” she asked the bright blue light.
“Hummf.” The bright blue light said again. “The dims lights should shine brighter if they want energy to get more light.”
“Huh?” Little Light said.
But the bright blue light seemed quite pleased in his logic and floated away in a huff.
The bright white lights smiled and continued to share their energy with the dim lights.
The next day, Little Light drifted about happily. She loved the fact that the season also brought days off from Light School.
As she floated on her way, hoping Little Yellow Light would be done worrying about getting more light, she saw something that made her stop and look more closely.
She saw the many lights still floating about, hurrying here and there. But as they did, the lights kept a distance from a small band of lights, ten weakly shining lights. The ten lights floated away from the other lights, all on their own.
Little Light counted nine violet lights and one orange light. She floated closer.
The lights shone, not dimly, like the dim lights with little energy, but weakly, feebly, blinking oddly as if there was something wrong with them.
As she drew near, they pulled back away from her little bright light.
“Whatever is wrong?” she asked.
“Do not come any closer,” one of the violet lights said.
Little Light paused. “Why do you shine so oddly?”
The weak, feeble lights blinked unhappily.
“Our lights are not working properly,” another light said. “Do not come any closer or your light might stop working properly as well.”
“Oh,” Little Light replied. “Whatever will you do?
She brightened suddenly, with an idea. “If you get more light, will that help? Maybe the white lights will give you some of their energy to get more light.”
“No,” one odd light said. “Even if we had the energy to get more light, it would not help. We might have more light, but we would still shine feebly and still blink oddly.”
“We are not able to be helped,” another odd light said.
Little Light flickered in frustration.
The nearby lights began blinking and buzzing in excitement.
Little Light looked around. What were they excited about? She flew closer to find out. The lights crowded together and Little Light tried to squeeze between a couple of large lights. She knew it was impolite, but she wanted to see. The lights shoved and pushed about so much that Little Light finally gave up.
She floated back away from the crowd. She watched and waited. Behind her, the weak, feeble lights floated by themselves.
She heard “oooos and aaaahhs” from the other lights. She tried hopping up and down to see. But could not. Little Light sighed.
Then Little Light saw him. He was a beautiful Great Gold Light and he slowly approached the crowd. She stared in wonder.
The Great Gold Light shone brightly. Brighter than any light Little Light had ever seen. He was different than all other lights. Brighter. Bolder. Warmer. Welcoming.
Little Light watched as the Great Gold Light floated by the crowds. But the crowds did not notice. They continued to clamor about whatever had their attention. The weak, feeble lights, however, noticed him. They watched him as he passed by.
“Can you help them?” Little Light called to him. She was not sure why, but she was sure the Great Gold Light could help. She twinkled with delight when he stopped and looked at her. He looked to the ten weak, feeble lights huddled together away from the crowds.
The Great Gold Light approached the ten lights. Their lights glowed with uncertainty and a little hope.
“Can you help us?” one of the lights asked.
The Great Gold Light smiled and then shone brighter and brighter, his light growing and shining all over the lights until they began to glow brightly, nine bright violet lights and one bright orange light.
The once weak and feeble lights cried out with joy and flew away, shining brightly as they went.
“How wonderful,” Little Light laughed. She beamed at the beautiful Great Gold Light. He still glowed brightly. “How did you do it?” she asked.
Not too far away, the Blinking Lights continued to blink their message “Get more light, get more light. Use your energy and get more light.”
“That’s what I do,” the Great Gold Light said. “I bring light into the world.”
“Oh, you must have a lot of energy to have so much light to give,” Little Light said.
All around, the other lights continued to use their energy to get more light, hurrying here and there, trying to find the right light, the best light, unaware of the wonderful thing that just happened.
“I do not need energy,” the Great Gold Light answered. Little Light looked at him curiously. He smiled. “I share my light,” he said.
Nearby, the crowd continued to gather, buzzing and bustling, but paying no attention to the Great Gold Light who shared his light.
Little Light wondered what he would do next. Would he shine brightly and get the attention of the lights rushing about in search of more light? Would he shine brightly and overwhelm the silly Blinking Lights?
Little Light noticed the orange light, now shining brightly, approaching the Great Gold Light again.
As he flew up, he said “Thank you. Thank you, sir, for making me to shine so brightly.”
The Great Gold Light shone warmly and said, “Go and shine, your light will always glow brightly.”
At that, Little Light giggled with delight.
But Blinking Lights continued with their message, and the other lights continued to rush about.
tablets of human hearts 