Wynken, Blynken, and Nod (Nursery Rhyme)

Summary

The tale revolves around the enchanting bedtime journey of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, who embark on a magical voyage in a wooden shoe across a luminescent, dream-like sea. The three travelers are metaphorically described as two eyes and a nodding head, representing the process of drifting off to sleep. Accompanied by the moon's playful guidance, they set out to catch herring fish, symbolized by sparkling stars, using their exquisite silver and gold nets. As the story draws to a close, it reveals that their sky-bound vessel is nothing more than a child's trundle bed. The whimsical adventure emphasizes the innocence of childhood imagination and the soothing transition into slumber, wrapping up with the comforting image of a mother serenading her child to sleep with visions of this enchanting escapade.

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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 afraid 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.