The Dream Pillow

Summary

The story describes a child's experience with dreams during nighttime, where familiar objects and toys in the bedroom like a pirate puppet, a mango tree, and a teddy bear seem to come alive and change. The child responds by calling for parents or seeking comfort in their bed. A conversation with the mother helps demystify dreams by explaining that they are like stories that occur when we sleep, merging elements of our day in a seemingly real yet unreal narrative. The idea of dreams as bedtime stories is further enhanced by suggesting that one can store pleasant stories inside a pillow by writing them down, creating a sense of control and assurance over the bedtime experience. This narrative serves to explore the imaginative and sometimes confusing world of dreams, providing reassurance and a sense of adventure.

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When the stars are out and the moon swings in the sky, and the light in my room is low, things are different.

The pirate puppet waves his sword.
The mango tree bends its branches.
Even my teddy becomes a different sort of bear.

I keep very still in my cave of blankets, or I call, “Maaamaaa! Daaaddyyy!” or I jump into their bed.

I tell Mama about Pirate and Tree and Bear.

“You had a really bad dream.”

“What’s a dream?”

“When we sleep we think about our day, but everything gets mixed up. It feels real, but it’s not real.”

“It is real!”

“You know when we read a story together, it’s made up, but we laugh, or get scared or excited? A dream is the same.”

“You mean a dream is a story?”

“Yes! But it happens at night. You put your head on the pillow, you fall asleep, and then the story happens.”

“So a dream is a story you find in your pillow?”

“Yes!”

“Can I put the stories in my pillow?”

“You can.”

“How?”

“Let’s write down all your best stories, fold up the paper and tuck it inside the pillow.”

When the stars are out and the moon swings in the sky, and the light in my room is low, things are different.


Credits

Originally published by Book Dash under a Creative Commons Licensed BY 4.0. This book can be read for free on https://bookdash.org/books/the-dream-pillow and was created by: Lutfia Kamish-Ebrahim (Illustrator), Nadene Kriel (Designer), Nadia Davids (Writer), Diane Awerbuck (Editor)

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