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    The Land of Nod
    The Land of Nod
    The Land of Nod
    Ebook115 pages1 hour

    The Land of Nod

    By J. Walker McSpadden and Edward L. Chase

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    About this ebook

    Oh, a funny place is the Land of Nod,
    And funny the people there;
    The dewdrops all sprout like peas in a pod,
    While blossoms the doughnut fair.
    The griddle-cake bush runs syrup for sap
    The plum-trees grow puddings so fat;
    Yes, the Land of Nod is the best on the map,
    The finest I ever was at.
    When Tinkie and Tess refuse to go to sleep on Christmas Eve, they catch the Sand Man on his evening rounds. The three of them fly away together on a moonbeam to the Land of Nod, where they encounter the Welsh Rabbit, the Educated Cow, King Snooze, and other extraordinary characters. This bedtime story classic features numerous enchanting illustrations from the original 1909 edition by Edward L. Chase.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateAug 5, 2014
    ISBN9780486494937
    The Land of Nod

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      Book preview

      The Land of Nod - J. Walker McSpadden

      morning

      The Sand Man

      H, DEAR! sighed Tinkie, rubbing his nose flat against the cold window-pane. Oh, dear!" echoed Tess. It was Christmas Eve — the very longest one in the memory of Tinkie. To be sure he could n’t count more than nine Christmases to save him, and the first three or four hadn’t really amounted to much. But the others were so well marked off by candy and nuts and oranges and toys and turkey and plum pudding — yes, and by a certain after-pain down under his waistband — that Tinkie felt on long familiar terms with Santa Claus time. It was the day before Christmas he objected to, and this one seemed unending. Yes, he felt he ought to know all about them, for he was ever so much bigger and wiser and older than his sister Tess. He actually felt sorry for her as he told her about the Christmases she had missed.

      Yes, but, Tinkie, she retorted, "you know good and well that the very first tree in this house was for both of us — so there !"

      Huh ! sniffed Tinkie, a lot of good it did you ! Mother says you were so teeny-weeny you tried to grab the candles and eat them ; and they were lit, too !

      Well, anyway, you don’t ’member much about it, either. And the tree was as much mine as yours.

      Now, please don’t think that Tinkie and Tess always quarreled like this. They did n’t. They usually got along together very well indeed — much better than some brothers and sisters a little blackbird has told me about. But to-day they were quite out of patience. The hours had been so long and lonesome. Mother had been in the library behind closed doors, where she could be heard whispering to Jane. Bridget was so busy in the kitchen that she didn’t have time even to answer questions. All was bustle and hurry down-stairs, getting ready for the visit of Santa Claus; but the children had nothing to do except keep out of the way and wait for dinner and time to go to bed.

      Nevertheless, the day dragged by somehow, as the longest days will. Father came home an hour early, bringing Uncle Edward with him; and Uncle Edward took pity on the two disconsolate youngsters, and instead of going into the library to help with the tree, he sat down with them by the fire and told such funny stories that almost before they knew it the bell had rung for dinner.

      The most curious story that he told was about the Sand Man, and the wonderful Land of Nod where he lived. Tinkie and Tess could hardly eat their dinner for asking questions about him: how he sprinkled sand in the eyes of wide-awake people and carried them away with him on a journey to the Land of Nod which lasted the whole night long; and how nobody had ever seen him because of the sand, and did n’t know where he took them or when he was coming after them — often didn’t want to go one bit but had a nice time whenever they did go along.

      Just the same, I don’t want him to take me anywhere to-night, said Tinkie. I’d be afraid he wouldn’t get me back in time to see what old Santa Claus brought me in the morning.

      Me neither, said Tess, ungrammatically.

      Perhaps it might be the best thing for you both, laughed their uncle. It might make you forget how long the day has been.

      Nevertheless the children shook their heads doubtingly. Uncle Edward knew ’most everything, but he couldn’t know how long they had been counting on Santa’s visit. Why, even a really truly journey to the wonderful Land of Nod would have to stand aside for that!

      Pretty soon after dinner the children were sent to bed. They went willingly for once, as they reasoned that the sooner to bed the sooner to sleep, and the sooner would come Christmas morning. But their reasoning proved false, for the excitement of the day had been too great to allow slumber to visit their eyelids at once. It was in vain that they tossed from side to side, seeking a cosey spot; they were still wide awake in their cots on each side of the big dormer window in the mansard roof.

      The snowstorm had ceased, and the drifting clouds parted, letting the silver rays of the moon fall through the window and throw fantastic shadows upon the floor.

      Tinkie watched the shadows with wide-open eyes, now fancying them a flock of sheep jumping a fence, and again a swift eagle darting in circles, and still again a long sea monster with waving fins. Then the shadows took on the likeness of a crooked little man with scattered, waving locks of hair and a fantastic beard.

      O-o-e-e! came in a long-drawn sigh from Tess’s cot; and Tinkie knew that she also was awake and must be seeing the moon pictures too.

      Tinkie, Tinkie, wake up! she called excitedly. I think I see the Sand Man right here on the floor!

      Humph! I’m awake, responded Tinkie. That’s just a shadow; I see it too.

      But it’s a crooked little man with a long beard, just like Uncle Edward said.

      "Don’t believe there is any Sand Man! replied Tinkie. It’s only a make-believe story, you know, about him. (Tinkie was very wise!) And even if he was here we couldn’t see him."

      Ho, ho, ho! Is that so! came an unexpected voice that made both the children jump. The voice was the queerest drawl in the world, as though speaking at all were a very great effort.

      Is that so! Ho, ho, ho! the voice repeated; and Tinkie looking around quickly was amazed to see that the shadow—as he thought— was speaking to him. But the closer he looked the more real the figure became.

      Tinkie was sure he had never seen a more curious fellow. To begin with, his head was as large as his body, while his arms and legs were so long that he had to twist them up like corkscrews to get into the room at all. But the face was the funniest of anything. It looked solemn enough, except that a quizzical gleam about the eyes seemed to make it laugh all over at the same time. So good-natured did he look, despite that solemn countenance,

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