Yesterday I tidied my sock drawer. This happens so infrequently that it could be a quinquennial or even decennial event. I was searching for a belt and thought I could have put it with my socks – I know it’s a sock drawer so belts shouldn’t be in it – but neither should hand-warmers, swimming costumes, cosmetic bags of varying sizes, a baby’s pillow case, my old Girl Guide badges, and other bits and pieces. My belt was not there. I finally found it on my shoe shelf.
All this did result in me having a big sort-out and a tidy, half-empty drawer and reminded me of one of my favourite children’s books, Storytime in the Land of Nowhere by Mary Kendal Lee. I went into what is now the grandchildren’s room and found it (I have never been able to part with any of my books). It is in poor condition but the pictures are vibrant, and I smiled as I read again of John and Sheila and their adventures in The Land of Nowhere.
One story tells of The Untidy Little Man who tripped over his untied shoelace, fell into a pile of hay and had a disastrous bout of sneezing that lasted for three days. The only cure were Pink Pills but his house was in such a mess that he couldn’t find them. The Untidy Little Man learned his lesson and thereafter kept his house and himself perfectly tidy. I am wondering if I am The Untidy Little Woman …
So many children’s stories had a moral – think of Katy in What Katy Did. She did one naughty thing and ended up bed-ridden for years. Only when she had learned to be good was she able to walk again. I remember thinking it was a bit of a harsh lesson, but I still enjoyed reading about Katy and her family.
When I pick up the books in the grandchildren’s room I feel so happy that I’m surprised it’s taken me so long to write a children’s story of my own. Pulling words out of my imagination can sometimes be nearly as painful as pulling teeth, but writing about Cris and Minty was almost a pleasure. I am now thinking of what should happen in volume 2 …
