As infants, when our parents tried to get us to fall asleep at naptimes, and bedtimes, we were usually serenaded with the popular Braham’s Lullaby, which has probably put more children to sleep as bad movies or Thanksgiving turkey and wine has done for adults.

It was popular because it was soft, sweet, and had a nice rocking rhythm, to sway, a small child back and forth in one’s arms. Most infant wind-up mobiles attached to cribs and/or playpens play Braham’s Lullaby to soothe and calm children, eventually lulling babies to sleep, giving parents, or sitters a few minutes to take a breath for themselves.

When Jon was born in 1988, I was a bumbling, stumbling idiot (in my mind). I had no clue as to what to do, or how to do it. When Sally and I married, I was blessed with two daughters right away, but they were past infancy, Chris (toddler stage), and Chasy (early childhood age), so I didn’t have to worry about awakening in the middle of the night, how to dip my elbow in a pan of milk, or even what were the words of Braham’s popular, bedtime, hypnotic, magic sleep potion. With Jon’s arrival into the world, I learned fast, there was no manual, that it was going to be trial and error, with hopefully no major injuries or breakdowns (mine, not Jon’s).

I’ve always been a huge fan of the wonderful, harmonic, blended voices of Mary Travers, Peter Yarrow, and Noel Paul Stookey, better known on stage as Peter, Paul, and Mary. Being a teenager in the ’60s, I loved listening to their folk revival music, from their beginning throughout the years of their concert and record careers.

In 1963, the trio introduced a new song that became a huge hit for the group. It was a song as innocent as an infant lying in a mother’s/father’s arms drifting off to sleep, with the hint of a smile on his/her face, as contented as could be. It was a song I loved singing along with when I heard it on the radio, and I decided it would be a perfect song to sing as I rocked Jon, swaying him to sleep. The title of that song was, “Puff the Magic Dragon.” It was a storytelling tale of a little boy, Jackie Paper, and his adventures with his dragon friend, Puff, both who represented innocence, and the precious fantasies of youth, and also the difficulties of time and age when innocence gradually fades and reality begins.

One rumor about the song circulated that it was written about drugs/drug abuse. I found it to be a sweet, simple musical tale about a small boy and his imaginary (or perhaps real to the boy in his early years of life) friend, with whom he would merrily play. After research, it was learned that the connection of Puff and drugs was denied by Lenny Lipton, the co-writer of the song with Peter Yarrow, saying the rumor was “sloppy research.”

(Side note…Being that Jon was born in November and Christmas was coming, during the yuletide, I replaced Puff with John Denver’s song written for his own baby boy, Zachary, titled, “A Baby Just Like You.” As I sang that to Jon, I just swapped the name “Jonathan” wherever it sang “Zachary.” It was just as effective as was, “Puff the Magic Dragon.”)

On a few occasions after our grandson Josh was born, and we watched him if Chas had to work, or had an appointment, and it was a nap time for him, I’d clear my throat and rock him, trying to get him to take that trip to La-La Land. Josh was tough though, and the rock-n-sing wasn’t cutting it. After trial and error, Josh, in a very not-so silent way, let us know that he preferred being walked also, so I walked him, while rocking and singing to him, and he found his way into Dreamland.

Sometimes, because I’d already retired, and Sally was still working from home, I’d come downstairs from my “cave,” and maybe get on the floor and play with the kids, or help with lunchtime or snack time, or just watch the kids for a minute or two if she needed another hand for something. There was a time when she watched a tiny baby (Mesa) whose mommy’s maternity leave was done. On days when I was home, I helped Sally with anything she needed, though she really didn’t need any help. She was, but wasn’t really, a Day Care Provider in her business. (Actually, she was a temporary “Mommy Double” to kids she watched, giving them the loving care their mothers would give them. I loved witnessing, in awe, that first-hand TLC that Miss Sally gave “her kids.”)

Anyway, there was a day when I helped “Miss Sally” by holding the bottle, as little Mesa let us know she was hungry, in a much bigger way that you would think this tiny little sweetheart could possibly do. After lunch (like I’m very accustomed to doing in my senior life these days,) it was Mesa’s nap time. Because I was already holding her, I cleared my throat (necessary so my raspy voice wouldn’t scare the kids) and slowly, softly crooned Peter, Paul, and Mary’s, what I had come to call it, All-time Lullaby. Eurika!!! It worked again!

So, as not as good as I should have been at the beginning of my girls’ life with me (not making excuses because the girls weren’t newborns when I came into their lives, just admitting, I messed up, way more than I’d like to admit), I guess some of my trial and error worked seemingly helping smooth out some rough edges of my parenting. I also learned to share ideas that brought success to me in times I needed help myself, so I share with anyone who may need them, the lyrics to my All-time Lullaby, “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

Puff the Magic Dragon

“Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff

And brought him strings, and sealing wax, and other fancy stuff

Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail

Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff’s gigantic tail

Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came

Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name

Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee

A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys

Painted wings and giant’s rings make way for other toys

One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more

And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain

Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane

Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave

So Puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave

Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee”

Songwriters: Leonard Lipton / Peter Yarrow

Puff, the Magic Dragon lyrics © Honalee Melodies, Silver Dawn Music

Thank you, Jackie Paper, Puff, Peter, Paul, Mary (and Lenny Lipton too!) Sweet Dreams, Kids!!