Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe—
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea—
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish—
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam—
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea—
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
Notes
1. The 1910 edition (The Poems of Eugene Field, Complete Edition (Toronto: McClelland and Goodchild, 1910): 234-35 ; ROBA PS 1665 A2 1910) adds
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i love this book
From guest alisha (contact)
I love this story. It is like my favorite story. Thanks for writing it. Ishi -
Mt favorite poem of any...I can read it every day, more than a dozen times, and never get tired of it.
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Reminicent
This is my all time favorite poem. When I was little my great grandmother used to read this poem to me, and when I read it now I can almost hear her voice reading it to me. I hope to one day share this poem with my children and keep this tradition alive. -
I love this poem. I have it in a little golden book and I read it to my daughter often. I wondered who wrote it for the book did not disclose that information (which it should). Lovely to see it here today on the main page.
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This was one of my very favorite rhymes when I was young. Over and over I would ask my Granny to repeat the story, and she always would. I guess it was her love of books that made me fall in love with words
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I like these fairy-tale hybrid sort of poems...they are imaginative and refreshing to read. If adults can read this easily, they have not utterly lost the faculty of imagination.
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always a favorite of mine, and my child's
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Months ago, when Nando Tater opened a contest, asking for an original Children's Poem, this was one of the great classics that I read and enjoyed to get myself into the swing -- I created "The Eager Pine" not soon after. I won the contest, too.
So I am thankful, in part, to the land of Nod, for the inspiration that it so readily gave.
~ Jimmy -
this poem was a childhood favourite of mine, along with the road to eldorado, jaberwocky, and the pobble who had no toes, best gift given to me by my parents was an insatiable love of the written word, a good vocabulary and the faber book of childrens verse, which I still have now and still read from on a regular basis,
great to have these classics in the featured list
Victoria xxXxx
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I am also remembering at least those three goofy names. Hey! It was sweet reading this (when I really can't sleep, as usual)! Rock on, Eugene Field!
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I've always heard the three names spoken, but never really got it until now. May just be because I am bit of a loon, the world may never know. Though I must say I don't care for the poem's style very much, I enjoy the subject matter and the somewhat whimsical air it has.
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Wynken Blynken and Nod goodness
I think i heard something about those three once, I wish I could remember though.. I should ask when I get the chance to.
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Had to smile while wishing I was still back off in the land of Nod.
I think now I know where that term came from.
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