Kids Bedtime Stories

Where Cards Fall

Snuggle down and cosy up, for tonight you will use your creativity and imagination to solve a puzzle to make your way through this unfamiliar world.

You find yourself standing on one side of a deep and dark canal. The water looks more like mud as it glides past. You stare hard at the murky depths, but you only see the stale, brown water. It looks very cold and uninviting.

On the far side of the canal you see a doorway on an old abandoned building. Its jet-black, mirrored surface looks out of place amongst the debris of the old industrial workshops. It has a bright, white outline which is clearly visible like a neon sign. It’s endearing and inviting and you realise you must make your way there.

You look to your left. The canal stretches as far as you can see and there is no crossing point. You had hoped for a bridge, or a point where the canal narrows: a place where you could chance leaping across. But there is nothing. You look to your right, but it’s the same situation.

While you stand and ponder how you will overcome this obstacle, your left hand pulls out a brand-new pack of playing cards from your pocket. With amazing dexterity, you remove the cards from their case and begin shuffling them in an easy and relaxed way, but with such speed that the cards blur. You have a feeling that they are a part of you in this world, and they have always been there for you. They are the tools which enable you to negotiate the world you are in, and you know you can trust them implicitly.

The four suits have their own particular characteristics, their own unique strength. The Clubs are strong and muscular. They have the brute force and energy to smash through barriers and can offer protection should it be necessary.
The Diamonds, with their sharp edges, are able to slice keenly through any material. But they can also be used to light up the darkest of places as they contain a bright inner light that never dies.
The Spades are the perfect shape for manual labour. They can dig their way through any material and never tire.
And finally, the Hearts whose steadfast loyalty and courage have supported you through many trials. And whose love and compassion knows no limits.

But you know the cards will not work alone here. You cannot slice through the canal, nor dig away the water. Hitting it will do no good and as much as you appreciate the canal for what it is, love will not cross its divide. No, you must combine the power of the cards with your own creativity. You must search out and utilise the resources you have to hand. You begin to explore.

After about an hour you've gathered a considerable amount of material. You have several lengths of old pipe which you know, with a bit of work, you can bend. There is a large bundle of discarded electrical cable which contains copper wire, and you have some short pieces of wood planking. Finally, you have several rusted tin cans. Their weight suggests they might contain some paint that hasn’t dried out. You are inspired by what you have found, and a plan begins to form in your mind. Using a piece of thin wood, you begin drawing in the dirt.

Your design comes together quickly. You will have to push some of the cards to their limit, and the plan is not without risk, but you have no other choice.

You immediately set the Diamonds to work cutting short lengths of pipe. These are then hammered by the Clubs into the curved shape needed to form the belly of your design. Using the Diamonds to strip the outer plastic coating from the electrical cable, you use the copper wire to bind the lengths of pipe together. The final shape looks like a bowl, a bowl big enough to sit in. You secure a plank of wood across the top to make the seat and your boat is almost finished. You had searched long and hard for some material that would cover the frame and allow it to float, but found nothing. You knew then, that for your plan to work, you would need to call on the courage and loyalty of the Hearts.
You take them one by one and pierce each of the four corners using an old nail. Then, using short pieces of the copper wire, you bind them to the frame. They look like the scales on a fish. You are concerned that even the Hearts with all their courage and strength cannot hold up against water for long. One of the tins contains what looks like black tar. You realise that it is the stuff they use to waterproof rooves. You cannot believe your luck. Using one of the Spades as a brush, you paint your boat to give it more protection. Unfortunately, there is only enough of the tar for one thin coat.

You are finished. You stand back to admire your handiwork. It looks like the coracles the Welsh used for over 2000 years to fish their rivers. It looks very primitive and will take some skill to steer across the canal, but there is no chance to practice. You guess that it will not take long for the water to destroy the Hearts and for it to sink, taking you with it. You place it in the water and are pleasantly surprised by how stable it feels. Quickly but gently, you climb in and with a Spade in each hand and begin to paddle across the dark surface of the canal.

You are only halfway across when the water begins to seep into the boat. The paint is failing, and the Hearts are becoming sodden. They will not last long. With renewed vigour you thrust the Spades into the murky canal and drive yourself onwards. As the boat fills and water covers your feet you make one last determined effort. Standing up and launching yourself towards the bank, the boat submerges and is lost, and you just make it to the bank.

As you stand before the doorway it quietly swings inward. You step into a space that is filled with a bright white light. It seems to fill the air like mist as it swirls around you. The light is warm and quickly dries your skin, your clothes, your hair. You feel calm and relaxed. After a few minutes the light begins to fade, and you the room you’re in filled with objects which are familiar to you. You will explore them another time. In the corner of the room, you find a familiar bunk. You can’t place where it’s from, but you know you’ll be safe there.
You’re tired now and make your way to the bunk.
You’re comfortable and warm.
You close your eyes and drift off awaiting your next adventure.