Without even looking, Steve could tell Rogue was starting to fall asleep, and fighting it; slowly sliding down against his shoulder and chest, before jerking slightly, only to repeat the process a couple minutes later. He understood the sentiment, the harrowing memory of terror too near, being afraid to fall asleep only to go through the whole traumatic experience again.
When he finished the story, and Velveteen Rabbit was a real rabbit but had lost the love of the Boy in sacrifice, he gently closed the book. There was no way on earth he was going to disturb Rogue, just to get up and find another story, and he didn't think he had anything else soothing to read anyway. But, there was one other option...
Taking a slow breath, Steve began reciting a story he'd learned from his mother. It was a simple nursery story, easy to memorize because of its repetition, and soothing for the same reason. "There once was an old woman, sweeping her cottage, when she came across a sixpence. 'What,' she wondered, 'shall I do with this sixpence? I know, I shall go to market and buy a little piggy.' As she was coming home, she came across a stile, but piggy wouldn't jump over it, no matter how she coaxed. So the old woman went off, and met a dog. 'Dog, dog, bite pig,' she said, 'for pig won't jump over the stile, and I shan't get home tonight.' But the dog would not.
"So she walked a little further, and came across a stick. She said 'stick, stick, beat dog; dog won't bite pig, pig won't jump over the stile, and I shan't get home tonight!' But the stick would not." Having grown up with the story, and many others like it, in a harsh world so different from the current one, Steve was surprised at how violent the story was as he continued, running through the progressively longer list of characters the old woman met; the fire that wouldn't burn Stick, Water that wouldn't quench Fire, etc.
Finally, he began to reach the crescendo of the story. "But the cat said, 'if you will go over to yonder cow and get me a saucer of milk, I will do this thing you ask.' The old woman gladly went to the cow, but the cow said, 'if you will go to yonder haystack, and fetch me a handful of hay, I will give you some milk.' The old woman fetched the hay for the cow, who allowed her to take a saucer of milk, which the old woman gave to the cat. The cat daintily drank the milk, serenely washed its paws and face... and then:"
He had to take a deep breath here, because while he was trying to keep the story soothing for Rogue, he just could not resist rushing through the entire list of animals, giving it the proper sense of urgency and completion. "The cat began to kill the rat, Rat began to gnaw the rope, Rope began to hang the butcher, Butcher began to kill the ox, Ox began to drink the water, Water began to quench the fire, Fire began to burn the stick, Stick began to beat the dog, Dog began to bite the pig--
"And the pig, in such a fright, jumped over the stile, and she did get home that night."
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When he finished the story, and Velveteen Rabbit was a real rabbit but had lost the love of the Boy in sacrifice, he gently closed the book. There was no way on earth he was going to disturb Rogue, just to get up and find another story, and he didn't think he had anything else soothing to read anyway. But, there was one other option...
Taking a slow breath, Steve began reciting a story he'd learned from his mother. It was a simple nursery story, easy to memorize because of its repetition, and soothing for the same reason. "There once was an old woman, sweeping her cottage, when she came across a sixpence. 'What,' she wondered, 'shall I do with this sixpence? I know, I shall go to market and buy a little piggy.' As she was coming home, she came across a stile, but piggy wouldn't jump over it, no matter how she coaxed. So the old woman went off, and met a dog. 'Dog, dog, bite pig,' she said, 'for pig won't jump over the stile, and I shan't get home tonight.' But the dog would not.
"So she walked a little further, and came across a stick. She said 'stick, stick, beat dog; dog won't bite pig, pig won't jump over the stile, and I shan't get home tonight!' But the stick would not." Having grown up with the story, and many others like it, in a harsh world so different from the current one, Steve was surprised at how violent the story was as he continued, running through the progressively longer list of characters the old woman met; the fire that wouldn't burn Stick, Water that wouldn't quench Fire, etc.
Finally, he began to reach the crescendo of the story. "But the cat said, 'if you will go over to yonder cow and get me a saucer of milk, I will do this thing you ask.' The old woman gladly went to the cow, but the cow said, 'if you will go to yonder haystack, and fetch me a handful of hay, I will give you some milk.' The old woman fetched the hay for the cow, who allowed her to take a saucer of milk, which the old woman gave to the cat. The cat daintily drank the milk, serenely washed its paws and face... and then:"
He had to take a deep breath here, because while he was trying to keep the story soothing for Rogue, he just could not resist rushing through the entire list of animals, giving it the proper sense of urgency and completion. "The cat began to kill the rat, Rat began to gnaw the rope, Rope began to hang the butcher, Butcher began to kill the ox, Ox began to drink the water, Water began to quench the fire, Fire began to burn the stick, Stick began to beat the dog, Dog began to bite the pig--
"And the pig, in such a fright, jumped over the stile, and she did get home that night."