Don't underestimate the Court Jester

The kid has been having some trouble going to sleep. Since turning three, he has developed fears at night, seemingly of rectangles and circles (no, not kidding, and I don't get it either).

Last night, I decided to try to read him to sleep. Normally, this would have the opposite effect since he loves books and most of them are chock full of pictures and words he wants to "follow along with" (meaning I have to point to the words as I read them). But the husband has a series of books from his childhood that are full of stories, but very few pictures. I made the kid a deal - he stays (mostly) still on the bed and I will read, carefully noting that this is a *listening* story, not an interactive one.

The first story in the volume I picked up was Many Moons by James Thurber. The kid was asleep 2 pages in, but I read the entire thing anyway.

Now, about the Court Jester. The idea of the story is that the Princess Lenore is ill and she thinks she will get better if she has the moon. The King calls in all his wisest advisers, but each one tells him the task is impossible. The Court Jester comes in to cheer him up, hears the tale, and fixes the problem. I'll leave out the details, this little story really is worth reading (for all ages) and I don't want to spoil it.

Here's the thing. The wisest men in the land, who had obtained countless things for the King from every corner of the earth, could not (or would not?) get the moon for the Princess. The Court Jester did. Just because someone tells you something can't be done, doesn't mean it can't. Not everything has to be hard, get out of your wise-man brain and put a little Jester into your thoughts - you might be surprised.