Facing a New Day
Story by Dennis M. Falk
"Mister Sandman" lyrics by P. Ballard
"Blue Moon" lyrics by R.Rodgers/L.Hart
Story issued under a Creative Commons license BY-SA-NC
19 April 2011

Sandy O'Brien, a young squirrel of about 12, entered her room that night- The next morning was her first day at a new school, as she had graduated to junior high.

She was crying, scared that she might not get along with new furs, and might not make new friends- much less boyfriends. Are they cute? Will they like her? She was just a squirrel, nothing special--

She was terrified.

As she got ready for bed, she put on her jammies, still crying, still worried....

She turned off the light, still with a tear-stained face that didn't go well with her soft, red fur, and tried to doze off, although restlessly so.

Four female mice, as tiny as mice could be, climbed up to her night stand, squeaking gently and sniffing the air, noticing the young girl squirrel crying in her sleep.

Quietly, the four mice looked at each other, and with warm, soft voices that seem too big for their tiny bodies, but not so loud as to wake the young squirrel, began to sing:

bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
bum, bum, bum, bum, bum

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
(bum, bum, bum, bum)
Make him the cutest that I've ever seen
(bum, bum, bum, bum)
Give him two lips like roses and clover
(bum, bum, bum, bum)
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over

Sandman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

bum, bum, bum, bum

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Make him the cutest that I've ever seen
Give him the word that I'm not a rover
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over

Sandman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

bum, bum, bum, bum

Mr. Sandman bring us a dream
Give him a pair of eyes with a come-hither gleam
Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci
And lots of wavy hair like Liberace

Mr Sandman, someone to hold
(Someone to hold)
Would be so peachy before we're too old
So please turn on your magic beam
Mr Sandman, bring us, please, please, please
Mr Sandman, bring us a dream

bum, bum, bum, bum

After finishing, they sniffed about, and looked over at the girl-- She was asleep, gently snoring.

One mouse jumped from the nightstand, climbed the pillow, sniffed a bit, and gave the squirrel a kiss on the forehead, softly speaking to her, "Sleep well, little one, as you have a big day tomorrow. It'll be alright, hon." With that, she and the other three skittered back to a hole in the wall that was their home.

The four pairs of little black beady eyes and matching twitchy pairs of whiskers peered out of the mouse hole, sniffed a bit, then went back inside, where all four were quiet for a few moments.

Then one started to softly sing- The same one who kissed the squirrel goodnight--

Once upon a time before I took up smiling
I hated the moonlight
Shadows of the night that poets find beguiling
Seemed flat as the noonlight
With no one to stay up for I went to sleep at ten
Life was a bitter cup for the saddest of all men

The other three chimed in--

Blue moon
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon
You know just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for

And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold

Blue moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold

Blue moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold

Blue moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
Now I have a girl of my own

"Do you think she'll be alright?", one mouse said.

"Yes. She is young and scared, and not used to a whole new experience. She'll be alright. And who knows? She may just find that cute boy right off!", said the one who kissed the squirrel. "Come now, it's our bedtime, too."

Fin.