In Watch You Sleep, Mrs. Wilson is reciting Whyken Blynken and Nod to Dennis The Menace to help him go to sleep. It works on Dennis just like it did when her mom recited it to her when she was very young.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
By Eugene Field

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night sailed off in a wooden shoe
Sailed on a river of crystal light, Into a sea of dew.

"Where are you going, and what do you wish?" the old moon asked of the three.
"We have come for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea;
nets of silver and gold have we!"


The old moon laughed and sang a song, as they rocked in the wooden shoe,
and the wind that sped them all night long
ruffled the waves of dew.

The little stars were the herring fish that lived in that beautiful sea
“Now cast your nets wherever you wish—never a-feared are we!”

So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken and Nod.


All night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam
then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
bringing the fishermen home

T’was all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be,
and some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed
of sailing that beautiful sea

But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken and Nod.


Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
and Nod is a little head,
and the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
is a wee one's trundle-bed.

So shut your eyes while mother sings
of wonderful sights that be,
and you shall see the beautiful things
as you rock in the misty sea,

Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken and Nod.