"In the Land of Wonderful Dreams" dated May 17, 1912:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (MAY 17, 2021):
I'm actually quite surprised that it's taken us all this time before finally seeing the integration of traditional nursery rhymes and fairy tales into the dreamscape, but here we are! - 1/21
The fictional author, Mother Goose, seems to be the authority here in this little suburb of Slumberland (another geographic area of the dreamscape?). The walled city is riddled with buildings seemingly owned by characters we know and love. - 2/21
In panel 1 we can see buildings named "Jack & Jill" and "Little Jack Horner" (among others). My guess would be that those are the homes of the characters from the nursery rhymes! - 3/21
It, of course, makes total sense that these rhymes would "live" in the unconscious mind of a child; they belong in Slumberland as much as some of the more surreal characters and places we've seen. - 4/21
Based on the final panel, it seems likely that Nemo heard "Old King Cole" (the nursery rhyme or the folk song) hence why his dream is so focused on OKC. - 5/21
In fact, the majority of the strip follows the nursery rhyme pretty darn close. If you need a refresher on the lyrics, see here: - 6/21
Not only does OKC call for his pie and his bowl in panel 2, but his three fiddlers are also present throughout the strip! Neat. - 7/21
OKC lives up to his name throughout the strip too. He is pretty darned happy. Even when Flip takes his crown, he doesn't get angry… though he does teach Flip a lesson nonetheless. - 8/21
Flip, on the other hand, is overcome with emotion again (as usual) and blames the fiddler with the largest fiddle (double bass?). - 9/21
I found it symbolically funny that Flip goes after the fiddler with the biggest fiddle… as if he's choosing the biggest person to puff his chest against… Oh, Flip and his ego. - 10/21
Of course, smashing the fiddle over the fiddler head really only gets Flip dumped into OKC's coalbin (the pun is a little on the nose here, but it's for kids… and I LOVE it). - 11/21
Again, OKC doesn't seem angry, but he reacts and doesn’t let Flip get away with his insolence either. - 12/21
This is the second time over the course of a month or two that Flip has ended up covered in a black substance… Still not totally sure how to read it (in this case, it could be as simple as it was required for the pun). - 13/21
I haven't really mentioned Mother Goose much because she doesn't stick around all that long in the strip; I'm not yet sure what to make of her. - 14/21
It *seems* as though she is the matron/queen of this particular nursery rhyme city (based in large part of her cultural status as their fictional author), but she acts more as a guide here in the strip. - 15/21
While I haven't spent a ton of time with these strips, I have read a few of the nursery rhyme focused strips. I don't remember Mother Goose playing a prominent role in them however. - 16/21
More than the narrative, I'm interested to see if we get any more world building throughout these strips. Clearly, OKC knows of the Princess (he greets her as royalty in panel 3)… - 17/21
What is Morpheus' role in the nursery rhyme town? It is a suburb within his domain? A separate kingdom within the dreamscape all together? - 18/21
Another theory, is that the "Land of Wonderful Dreams" is actually a different locale of the dreamscape from "Slumberland" entirely… possibly a fictional difference reflecting the material difference (the move from the NY Herald to NY American). - 19/21 [INSERT IMAGE]
Admittedly, that theory makes a little *less* sense given that we've been to Morpheus' palace during this run of strips (meaning we've been to Slumberland), but I suppose it's possible. - 20/21
This is my reading of "In the Land of Wonderful Dreams" #337. What's yours? - 21/21