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I believe one of the best gifts we can give children is a love of reading. Every night, for the first several years of his life, I read "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" to our son as he was falling asleep. It is now in the public domain for you to share with children. I composed a few extra lines to introduce the three fishermen to the flying potatoes. 

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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.

They looked to their left, then to their right

As they soared in the midnight skies, --

Stars in the heavens shining so bright, but also ---- a big surprise.

Along with the stars, the moon, and the sky were funny potatoes,

Not mashed or fried, but strange potatoes!

The kind that fly.

"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 the 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 folk 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.

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I am an old man and have had a great many problems in my life, but most of them never happened.

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