Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

This is pure bedtime: soft rhythm, moonlight imagery, and a gentle landing into sleep. It naturally slows breathing and invites a calm, dreamy mood.

Story Synopsis

On a soft, quiet night, three little travelers—Wynken, Blynken, and Nod—set sail in a wooden shoe. The shoe rocks like a tiny boat as it floats through a river of crystal light. Above them, the old moon watches kindly and asks where they are going. The travelers answer with simple wishes: to fish for star-sparkles, to wander in the sky, to follow the glittering paths that only dreams can see. The poem paints the night as a safe ocean made of dew and starlight. Nets become daydreams, stars become bright little fish, and the world feels gentle and wide. In the end, the story turns softly: Wynken and Blynken are sleepy eyes, and Nod is a head that finally dips. The voyage becomes what bedtime always is—drifting into rest.

Story Excerpt

One soft night, when everything was quiet and cozy, three little travelers went sailing. Their names were Wynken, and Blynken, and Nod. They sailed off in a wooden shoe — just like a little boat. It rocked gently as it floated on a river of crystal light. The river carried them up, up, up, into a sea of dew that sparkled like tiny diamonds. Above them hung the old moon, round and kind, watching the wooden shoe glide along. “ Where are you going, ” the old moon asked, “ and what do you wish? ” Wynken and Blynken and Nod looked up, bright and calm. “ We have come to fish, ” they said, “ for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea. Nets of silver and gold have we! ” The old moon chuckled in a friendly way. Then the old moon laughed and sang a song, a slow, singy song that sounded like a lullaby. The wooden shoe rocked and rocked, and the song seemed to keep it steady. All around them, the wind hurried along, but it did not feel scary. It felt like a swift, cool breeze…

In One Glance