Friday, January 17, 2014

Bedtime Stories

I may be a legal adult, but I love a good time bedtime story. Yet sometimes, reading a story for myself just won't cut it. There are some nights where all I want is for someone to sit on the end of my bed and read me a chapter or two of The Silver Chair, because I'm a hipster and even if everyone else hates it, it is probably my favorite Narnia book. Yet this never happens. Why? Because my sister is a BUM and doesn't love me, that's why! She says she has to "get some sleep" because she has "school tomorrow". Can't a girl get a bedtime story over here? There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes!

- The Fourth Doctor
May I also add that Tom Baker not only played the fourth Doctor, but Puddleglum, my favorite character from Narnia. My favorite character who also happens to be in The Silver Chair and gives the greatest speech of all time. I mean, I'm not condoning the BBC version of Narnia (it's wretched and will give you nightmares), but the epic is strong with this one.


Anyways, bedtime stories are important. A brief conversation with Emily has confirmed this. Reading to your children at night is priceless. It has developmental benefits, sure, but there is something so utterly magical about being read to as a child. It sets off a creative spark that is kindled throughout childhood and shows its greatest fruits in adulthood. Better yet is when someone weaves together a one-of-a-kind, one-night-only story made out of thin air!

Irony of ironies, it was my turn to tell my sister a bedtime story last night. The poor gal just got braces, and they have hardly been kind to her. Last night, her upper lip was all swollen and she was positively miserable. My dad and I shuffled her off to bed, and while we were laying in the dark, I asked in a small voice, "Do you want a bedtime story?" She gave the affirmative, and thus I began. Once upon, in a land far away, there was a prince...

It was brilliant, if I do say so myself. ("Oh, the cleverness of me!") I threw together this whole story about a selfish prince who was always scowling and had been lured into this tower by a dragon and now had his foot in his own chocolate birthday cake, and I was just getting to the big reveal about how the dragon was actually a cursed princess when my sister fell asleep. I was on the brink of completing the greatest bedtime story ever told, which was full of fantastic one-liners, and she fell asleep. I guess that was the point, but COME ON. I deserved an award for that one, or at least a bit of praise at the end. Tsk, tsk. Sisters. So ungrateful!

Now, I am going to go spoil myself with a few passages of Peter Pan. That unique combination of delightfully happy and unfathomably sad stuff ought to make my day a little more interesting, don't you think?

Ha! The stars are such spazzes!

Side note: Do you realize how many corny quotes from Peter Pan there are in Google Images? Most of them aren't even actually from the book. Clearly, no one realizes how truly depressing, dark, and twisted this novel is. *sigh* No one appreciates literature, not really... (False: Plenty of people do, it's just that sometimes people's sentimental preconceived notions of Peter Pan sadden me.) Operation Spread the Word About Words needs to start NOW.

Image credits: top

5 comments:

  1. I SO WISH I could have heard that story. <3 <3 Kudos for bedtime stories!

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  2. I loved the Silver Chair too! But I will admit, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy are tied for favorites.

    I must watch me some Classic Who

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    1. I need to watch some Classic Who too. This post makes me look like I've watched more than 2 hours of it, but that's a lie. *blush*

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  3. This post was brilliant. First off, I had the HARDEST time picking which Narnia book inched past the others as my favourite. But I not so long back realized it is The Silver Chair. So I am glad someone else loves it as dearly as I do.

    The Beavers in the first BBC Narnia, definitely nightmare worthy. The Silver Chair was good when compared to the other three movies, but....DID YOU HEAR?!?!?! They are making a NEW Silver Chair movie! For reals! No horrible, taunting rumors just to hurt us!

    THE FORTH DOCTOR WAS PUDDLEGLUM?!?!?!?!?! I love them both far beyond words. I didn't know 4 though when I watched the movie, now I must rewatch it, nightmares and all.

    Dark, twisted, wonderful Peter Pan. More people need to read that book.

    I will come be your sister for a bit and take turns telling bedtime stories. You should write the prince one down, that sounds amazing.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind compliment! :)

      Oh gosh, the Beavers. They make the owls in The Silver Chair look normal! YES, I heard about The Silver Chair!!! I have mixed emotions, honestly. The LWW is one of my all time favorite movies, but VDT had me shouting at the screen in a crowded theater. I am anxious to see if TSC is an improvement!

      I might just write the prince one someday. I had the beginnings of the story written down eons ago, and as I was telling my sister the story, *poof* it all came together!

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