A sleepy infant explores a fantastical dreamland, encounters escalating dangers, and is safely returned home by Sandman's magic.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Arrival in Dreamland
A sleepy infant leaves the home cradle and enters Lullaby Land of Nowhere. Surreal nursery objects establish the dreamlike setting, including pacifier trees and a marching parade.
Key Events
The Home Cradle — A sleepy infant rests in a cradle before being transported into the dreamland.
Location: Home
Transport to Dreamland — The infant is mysteriously transported from the cradle to Lullaby Land of Nowhere.
Location: Home to Lullaby Land
Lullaby Land — The infant arrives in a fantastical dreamland filled with unusual nursery imagery.
Location: Lullaby Land of Nowhere
Pacifier Trees — Pacifiers grow on trees, establishing the dreamland's surreal rules.
Location: Lullaby Land of Nowhere
Nursery Parade — Diapers, bottles, and potty chairs march together in a strange parade.
Location: Lullaby Land of Nowhere
Gingham Dog Awakens — The infant's stuffed gingham dog comes to life in the dreamland.
Location: Lullaby Land of Nowhere
The Living Companion
The infant's stuffed gingham dog comes to life in the dreamland. Their wandering leads toward the Forbidden Garden, where the atmosphere becomes increasingly dangerous.
Key Events
Gingham Dog Awakens — The infant's stuffed gingham dog comes to life in the dreamland.
Location: Lullaby Land of Nowhere
Forbidden Garden Entrance — The infant wanders into a garden containing dangerous household and workshop objects.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Dangerous Objects Revealed — The garden contains sharp objects that the infant is warned not to touch.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Hazardous Tools — Connecting wires and multiple cutting tools extend the garden's hazards.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Opening Implements — More forbidden objects include opening implements and fountain pens.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Watches Smashed — The infant callously smashes watches with hammers inside the dangerous garden.
Location: Forbidden Garden
The Garden of Hazards
The Forbidden Garden contains sharp tools, wires, implements, and other objects the infant must not touch. After smashing watches, the infant plays with giant matches and faces their pursuit.
Key Events
Watches Smashed — The infant callously smashes watches with hammers inside the dangerous garden.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Giant Matches Ignited — The infant plays with giant matches, creating a new and immediate danger.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Matches Give Chase — The burning matches chase the infant through the garden.
Location: Forbidden Garden
Escape Toward the Pond — The infant and the living stuffed dog flee toward a pond to escape the flames.
Location: Pond
Soap Raft — The infant and the dog use a huge bar of soap as a raft.
Location: Pond
Smoke Takes Shape — Smoke from the burning matches forms three frightening pursuers.
Location: Pond
Escape and Safe Return
The infant and the dog escape across a pond on a huge soap bar while smoke pursuers give chase. Sandman finds the hiding infant and uses magic to return the infant to the home cradle.
Key Events
Smoke Takes Shape — Smoke from the burning matches forms three frightening pursuers.
Location: Pond
Smoke Pursuit — The smoke pursuers chase the infant and the dog across the pond.
Location: Pond and shoreline
Pursuers Vanish — The smoke pursuers disappear after the chase across the pond.
Location: Pond and shoreline
Sandman Finds the Infant — Sandman, dressed as a wizard, spots the infant hiding in the dreamland. Characters: SandmanLocation: Lullaby Land
Return to the Cradle — Sandman uses magic to send the infant safely back to sleep in the home cradle. Characters: SandmanLocation: Home
Story Breakdown
Cradle Departure — The story begins with a sleepy infant and an impossible transition from home into dreamland.
Sleepy Beginning — The infant is resting in a cradle at home.
Dreamland Transport — The infant is transported from the cradle to Lullaby Land of Nowhere.
Surreal Nursery World — Lullaby Land presents familiar nursery objects as living or fantastical elements.
Pacifier Trees — Pacifiers grow on trees in the dreamland.
Marching Objects — Diapers, bottles, and potty chairs march in a parade.
Living Gingham Dog — The infant's stuffed gingham dog becomes a living companion during the exploration.
Toy Awakening — The stuffed gingham dog comes to life.
Shared Escape — The infant and the dog flee together from the burning matches.
Forbidden Garden — The garden introduces dangerous objects and forbidden play.
Sharp Objects — Scissors, tacks, screws, nails, and shears fill the garden.
Dangerous Implements — Wires, knives, forks, corkscrews, bottle openers, and pens are also present.
Fire and Pursuit — The infant's destructive play creates a chase involving giant matches and smoke figures.
Giant Matches — The infant plays with giant matches after smashing watches with hammers.
Smoke Pursuers — Smoke from the matches forms three pursuers that chase across the pond.
Magical Homecoming — Sandman intervenes and ends the dream adventure by restoring the infant's safety.
Sandman Appears — Sandman, dressed as a wizard, spots the infant hiding.
Cradle Restoration — Sandman uses magic to send the infant back to sleep in the home cradle.
A baby is transported to Lullaby Land, where pacifiers grow on trees, diapers, bottles, and potty chairs march on parade, and the gingham dog comes to life. He wanders into the "keep out" cave, full of things like scissors, knives, and fountain pens that are not for baby and begins smashing watches with hammers and playing with giant matches. The matches chase after him; baby escapes by riding a bar of soap across a pond, but the smoke from the matches turns into boogey-men. The benevolent sandman, dressed as a wizard, spots baby hiding and works his magic, bringing us back to the real nursery.
