This is the story I have right now. I started thinking about it last semester and am still working on it.
In a flourishing rain forest was the village of the little people that with the color of their emotions. And in this village was the respected doctor Pit Pat who was known for summoning the rains with his famous rain dance.
One day when Pit Pat was performing his rain dance, his little son Bong interrupted his fathers rain dance by playing his coconuts. Instantly all the little people started to go nuts, putting their hands over their ears, and vibrating in fear.
You see the sound of drumming was forbidden in this village because only the God of drums was allowed to make the sound of the drums.
Embarrassed and scared for his son Pit Pat takes Bong's coconuts away from him and sends him away. Immediately the little boys light starts to die out and his father can see he's sad. He feels bad for his son because he knows that he wants to play the drums but he can't because it is the forbidden sound.
So Pit Pat decides that he will teach Bong to be a famous rain doctor like him. Later on that day Pit Pat takes a little rain wand and gives it to his son. Bong lights up thinking that the wand was a stick to beat his coconuts and starts drumming away. Pit and then hands it back to him. But Bong is persistent to use the wand to play his coconuts. Now angry Pit pat pat snatches the wand out of the little boys hands and sends him to his room. This time Pit Pat notices that his son is extremely depressed and because his can see that his light has now died out completely.
However now there is a dilemma that Pit Pat needs to face, his one of the other little people came running into his tent telling him to summon the rain because a part of the village has caught fire. He does his little dance but nothing happens. Bong noticing all the commotion that is going on realizes what is happening and runs to help his father. He starts playing his coconuts while his father dances. Pit Pat urges his son to stop playing around in this urgent situation but Bong urges him to let him play while he dances because he can help bring the rain.
Together they dance and play the coconuts and the rain falls. The fire gets put out and the villagers realize that the drumming of the coconuts helped save their lives. Pit Pat was proud of his son, he told him he could play his coconuts for as long as he wanted. In honor of Bong, the villagers placed his very first coconuts next to the drums of the drum God so no one would ever questions him drumming the coconuts again.
I'm sure this story will change as I do my research and gain inspiration from other stories and seeing what elements of those work and don't work. I had pitched this story in a class last semester and really good responses especially because it deals so much with the elements of light and sound. As these are elements that kids will definitely respond to (i.e. having a catchy soundtrack when the drums are being sounded and the finale scene with the father and on dancing and drumming away) I intend to incorporate them in the story no matter how it changes.
Another idea I have been playing around with is since these little people are from a different world, It would be interesting to give them an environment where they can walk upside down even. I am still figuring this part however.
As far as giving them a light from within, a warm glow from the heart, I will have to research lighting methods to give that effect.
