The Seventh Mission - #27:Surprise

"words, words, words"

- Hamlet

For this week's mission, I got to infiltrate a library.

I also needed to come up with my favorite book, so I had to think back and remember what my absolute favorite book was. Thankfully my parents instilled in all of me and my siblings a fondness for reading. We had such a library growing up.

One of the biggest reasons our library was so large was the Book It program. We would spend hours at the bookstore finding our treasures, the next adventure we would set our young eyes upon. I always loved the smell of a bookstore!

The Book It program happened to begin in my second grade year, with one of my most influential teachers, Mrs. Whittier of Maple Wood Elementary. More than just my teacher, she was also a family friend. She had such a love of teaching and helped inspire a love of creativity and bolstered my parents' desire to make us all fervent readers.

That same year, we were introduced to several authors that I would admire throughout my life. So when I thought about this mission, I thought back to that year and what books I was really getting into.

My first thought was Marvel Books graphic novelization of The Return of the Jedi. I read that thing so many times front to back, inside out, until it literally fell apart in my hands.

...I never replaced that book...

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a copy of that book in the Fairfax County Library System, so I started thinking of other books.  I included more recent titles that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed:

• Name of the Wind (of the Kingkiller Chronicles) by Patrick Rothfuss
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
• The First Heretic (of the Horus Heresy Series) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

But then I was reminded oddly enough during a session with my D&D group about a poem.

Just a quick aside, my character's hands slipped into a magic fount and lost all but his thumb and middle finger on his right hand and ended up with a dagger for a left hand.

So I was reminded of a poem by one of those authors I was introduced to during that influential year.

Captain Hook by Shel Silverstein:

Captain Hook must remember Not to scratch his toes.
Captain Hook must watch out
And never pick his nose.
Captain Hook must be gentle
When he shakes your hand.
Captain Hook must be careful
Openin' sardine cans
And playing tag and pouring tea
And turnin' pages of his book.
Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't--
But mostly Captain Hook!

I decided that the book with this poem in it, Where the Sidewalk Ends would be my target. As I was sitting in the Mary Riley Styles Public Library thumbing through the 40th anniversary of his collection, I ran across another poem that I have often found myself repeating.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too
Went for a ride in a flying shoe.
"Hooray!"
"What fun!"
"It's time we flew!"
Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crewAnd Tickle served coffee and mulligan stewAs higherAnd higherAnd higher they flew,Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,

Over the sun and beyond the blue."Hold on!""Stay in!""I hope we do!"Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle too
Never returned to the world they knew,
And nobody
Knows what's
Happened to
Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

For those who haven't experienced Shel Silverstein, I highly recommend.  His poems have stuck with me for a long LONG time: Sick, Sister for Sale, It's Dark in Here, Invitation, Hug-o-War, and so many more.

Until next week Travellers!