The Dream Factory

Continuing the Little girl series...


The Dream Factory

One day she got lost. She was on her way back from the forest, where she had spent time sulking. Her brother had teased her mercilessly and laughed at her when she cried. The forest always calmed her down and she sat there for hours together.

She was hopping around, looking at trees and flowers. So deep was she in thought, that she hadn’t realized where she was going. This happened to her often enough, but she never learnt! This time, she was really lost and all alone.

“Lets see where this path goes”, she thought, when she saw a silvery road. The minute she put a foot on it, she knew there was something different. The trees looked purple and the sky was yellow! There were pink birds flying. Behind a blue cloud was a green sun, with black eyes and even a nose! She was amazed and giggled at the sun and it winked back at her! “Its weird, but I feel”, she thought “that I’ve been here before”.

           
She walked on the silvery road and reached a big house with a small door. She opened it and stepped inside, to see the most amazing sight! Lots of little people, with pointed hats and even more pointed noses, seemed to be busy at work. They were all singing a song and working to the rhythm. They were working at a big white machine which let out orange smoke!! She walked around in a daze and bumped into one little person’s long pointed nose! “Hey, look where you are going, you almost broke my nose”, he said.

           
The little girl was scared and big tears welled up in her big eyes. The little person felt sorry that he had screamed at her and asked her in a gentle voice, “Who are you, my child, and what are you doing here?” The little girl was sobbing quietly and he spoke again, “ Don’t cry, dear girl, tell me your name”. By then, however, more pointed noses with little people attached to them, gathered around her. Their noses got tangled with each other and they poked each other! She laughed at this, the little girl, and wiped her tears and told them her name. No one heard her though, in all the confusion, so we still don’t know!

          
One little person with a big pointed hat and the biggest pointed nose came to her with a lollypop and she took it gladly and looked at him and said, “why do you have such a big nose?”. He smiled gently and said, “Because I am the chief dream maker”.

“What is that?”, she asked.

“Well. Where do you think you are, my child? This is the Dream Factory!”

The little girl looked confused. The little person, with the biggest nose, smiled at her and told her to come along. “I will show you around”, he said and took her hand in his.

            
“People have a lot of wishes”, he said “They want different things. Some people want money, lots of it, and some want big houses. Some people just desire good food and some only think of clothes! I know a girl who only wishes for shoes! We smell their desires (“oh! That’s what the big noses are for!” exclaimed the little girl)”, said the chief, nodding his head, “and we make dreams for them. So that, at least in their sleep, they might have what they want. They wake up with good thoughts and live another day in hope”

           

“Why would anyone want those things? After all they are just things!” wondered the girl aloud.

“Not everyone is like you, dear girl, not everyone wants only a colorful world”

The girl was amazed the chief knew, and was embarrassed. “Don’t be shy, my child, I smelt your wish myself. When you had passed by one day, on your way to the forest. I created your dream myself. Its was new and wonderful. But, don’t think others’ dreams are bad. Dreams are never good or bad. They are just dreams.”

The little girl nodded wisely and then exclaimed, “Oh, that’s why I thought I knew that road! I had dreamt of it!!” All the little people laughed with her and showed her the dreams they made. She had a mischievous thought then.

“Can you tell me what my brother wishes for?”

“No, dear girl, because his wishes are his own. You would be pleasantly surprised if you knew, but I can’t tell you. I can, however, tell you what his dream will be tonight!!”

The girl was ecstatic then she saw her brother’s dream. She smiled at it (No, we cant tell you what it was!!). She hopped and skipped all the way home, for they showed her the way back.

The brother came running to her and asked her where she had been. She smiled at him and kept quiet. He started teasing her then again, hoping to make her mad at him! But nothing bothered her anymore! When they were going to bed, her brother was still teasing her and she told him she knew what he dreamt of, she knew everything! She told him what he would dream of that night and went to sleep, smiling. When she woke up the next morning, she saw her brother sitting on his bed, looking utterly confused! She laughed at him and ran away before he could ask anything!!