Day 41
Today I would like to suggest for your reading pleasure, a classic: The King’s Stilts by the venerable Dr. Seuss. This tale of noble King Birtram of Binn (as well as his stilts), courageous page boy Eric, and dastardly Lord Droon is, in my opinion, Seuss’s best and enjoys a long and honored history in my family. In fact, it is the first book I ever remember being read to me. My father actually recorded a cassette tape of his rendition of the story, and that tape has been listened to countless times.
I was just perusing some Stilts excerpts at Amazon, and with each line I read, I could hear the echo of Dad’s enthusiastic narration in my mind, pulling me back to Walnut Street, Catasauqua, PA, circa the mid-1980’s. Twenty or so years later, these memories serve to enhance my enjoyment of the adventure which includes Binn’s constant battle against predatorial birds called nizzards, the borderline-treasonous theft of King Birtram’s stilts by the evil Droon, and Eric’s dire quest to retrieve them (Before It’s Too Late, of course).
Eventually, all is set right. The kingdom is saved, and when the villian is locked up, we are given an account of his prison menu in what is one of my favorite lines of the book: “Stewed nizzards for breakfast. Cold nizzards for lunch. Fried nizzards for supper. And every other Thursday, they served him nizzard hash.”
Try it. You will like it, you will see. (The book, my friends, not the hash.)
Onward.
I definitely want this sung at my funeral. If I have one, of course.
Some day when the toils of life are over/And the saints are caught away/We will gather ’round the throne of Jesus/For his coronation day.
Chorus: I want to be there when we crown him King of kings/I want to be there when the court of heaven rings/With the happy song the angel chorus sings/I want to be there when we crown him King of kings.
All the universe will be assembled/Numberless the gathering there/Angel hosts and all the ransomed army/Glorious sight beyond compare.
Only those who put their faith in Jesus/Trust the work of Calvary/Will behold that crowning day in heaven/Day of final victory.
Hallelujah! I’m going to be there.
Made for Eternity 
“Thank you for the words to that song. I will try to get hold of a copy of the book. Had never heard of it before.
I remember lots of slide presentations of the Rift Valley Academy, mostly when I was in 7th and 8th grade, when we ourselves were missionaries in Canada. It takes me back…
Anyway, thanks. I love to see your testimony being lived out in print. I haven’t much time this morning, but will try to get back to you. It is 08/21/2007, so you can see I have a lot of reading to catch up. And my life is full already… Love in Him, who is our life. Nancy
Thanks for reminding me that it was Lord Droon who stole the stilts. I still have my copy (from the 60s, on Maple St, in Selma CA). Please to remember the other main plot element: the Patrol Cats who guard the dyke trees from the nizzards. The King would select only the finest fish (with Seussian faces) for these defenders of the kingdom. We took in a stray awhile back, who every morning paused at every house on the street: naturally we dubbed him Patrol Cat.