The Neverending Story Teller

The Neverending Story Teller knows the best way to make two little people feel less scared in their new home is to turn them into superheroes just before they dream.

So, speaking gently, he weaves a nightly tale about a barn fire and two hero brothers who live in neighboring towns and reunite to save the day. First they guide all the scared baby animals out of the burning barn. Then they need to house all those chickens, goats and cows so they build a barn made of string cheese and, when it starts to melt in the hot summer sun, all kinds of townspeople show up with ideas for a rebuild and crackers to help clean up the mess. Classmates share their Lego to build a second, sturdier barn and magic elephants fly by just in time to help install higher beams and a rooftop air conditioner.

Every night the story continues. Relatives and friends appear as various characters and, always at the center, two little boys run the show so the last thing they know before they fall asleep is that they are safe and warm and the coolest cats in town.

I’ve known the Neverending Story Teller a long, long time. I know, for instance, that he used to be more Goofus than Gallant when he was a little boy and that he grew up in a house full of siblings and love.

I know, too, that the  Neverending Story Teller comes by his craft honestly. The son of a children’s story author, he learned early the power of words and how glorious an imagination can be.

I enjoy hearing his stories (and the time they give me to write my own). I am also especially grateful to have been a part of them for nearly 40 years.

And, today, we all would like to wish the Neverending Story Teller a very Happy Birthday.