The Magic Bed

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We would much better eat him," grumbled the tigress, but her husband growled so in reply that she bounded off into the deep jungle. At these words all Dehra's fear left her, and when the Prince said, "Let us go and find Nala," she let him take her hand and lead her into the palace, where every one said, "She is exactly like our young Rajah's wife!" After a while the Ant-King crawled up to the Prince's ear as he lay there dreaming, and said, "We are much obliged for the cakes and have eaten them up. What can we do for you in return?" So the little princesses went a long way into the jungle, where they found all the fruit they wished to eat, and were happier than they had been for a long time, watching the green parrots flash in and out between the trees and the monkeys chattering as they swung from bough to bough.

Like most John Burningham books, this eye-catching and imaginative story has extensive cross-curricular links. It can be used in Literacy, Mathematics, Geography, Art and Design and Drama. By creating their own versions of the story children can be introduced to imaginative writing as well as aspects of Mathematics. When identifying where they would go on their magical beds, children can be encouraged to talk about the distance they would need to travel to get to there and how long they think it might take them. This is also an excellent way to introduce children to concepts of Geography for example, maps, environments and habitats. As part of their story they could include a map to make sure they do not get lost on their adventures. In their writing they can discuss and describe the environments and habitats they might visit having used research skills to gather information. John Burningham is an award-winning illustrator and author whose books and style are an iconic part of many people’s childhood. The Magic Bed is a wonderful introduction to his books and explores the power of the imagination and the magic of childhood. Children can use the book to discuss their own imagined scenarios and develop the language of dreams. Links and themes: Naturally the king preferred his handsome son and wished to make him his heir. "My people will never obey a dwarf with only one eye," he said. Then a beautiful palanquin was brought and Nala was carefully placed in it and carried away from the Rakshas' palace. On they went through the jungle, and the frightened Princess could only pull aside the curtains and look out upon the Prince riding ahead on his white horse, while the monkeys swung from the boughs and the parrots darted in and out among the branches as they had done on the day when she and her sister had run away from their cruel stepmother. This is a three-week Writing Root for The Magic Bed by John Burningham. The children read some stories where fantasy worlds are represented, for example imaginary lands, space, animal homes. The main events for a class story are recorded based on children's suggestions and used to tell the story orally. The teacher will model using a plan from previous week to write a story based on the structure of The Magic Bed use a zig-zag book for children to write into and have one enlarged for children to write into so that each section/new setting is clear. The class plan a story where they are the main character now, not Georgie and that this is their fantastical adventure. This Writing Root would best be begun with a discussion about dreams and beds and where a link to imaginary settings through other texts where characters travel to imaginary worlds. John Burningham’s other texts are good for this –‘Oi get Off my Train’ is another text with a similar premise. Synopsis of Text:

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Then she went out of the palace, past the tank where the red lotus flowers lay on the clear water, saying to herself, "Some one has stolen her."

Underneath the tree the dogs and cats and all the other animals belonging to him were listening to the music, and the boughs were covered with birds who were listening too. Presently the music grew so merry that Rikal Gouree held up his skirts and began to dance. All the courtiers looked at Hazar, expecting him to deny that the King could talk too much, or to say that it was a pleasure to listen to anything the King had to say, but Hazar did nothing of the kind. He quietly said, as he looked the King straight in the face, "Happy is the kingdom where the king knows his own faults!" The Ant-Rajah was right," said the Prince. "Her beauty turns darkness into light, and night into day. I should never be weary of the Princess Lalun." Spelling Seeds have been designed to complement Writing Roots by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum and a suggestion of how to extend the investigation into home learning. There was also a turtle who was even fonder of talking than the King, and he lived in a pond in the King's garden.Tell me who is this friend," said the messenger. "The Queen said we were to lose no time." And the girl replied, "It is a seven-headed cobra whom I have known ever since I was a little child." Children will also enjoy Burningham’s illustrations as they are all in colour with great attention to detail from start to finish. The name of the Princess’s father was Afzal, and he was the king or Rajah of that country. So many princes had sought his daughter in marriage that he was tired of saying “No” to them. Then he tried the plan of giving them impossible tasks to do and so getting rid of them in that way, but still they kept coming, and at last Rajah Afzal concluded to keep foreigners out of his kingdom altogether. So he issued an edict that no one was to give a night’s lodging to a stranger.