The Curly Pyjama Letters - an excerpt

A few weeks ago a friend lent me a charming little book titled The Curly Pyjama Letters written and illustrated by Michael Leunig. It is a collection of letters exchanged between lone voyager Vasco Pyjama and his friend Mr Curly of Curly Flat. The letters are full of their whimsical and humourous insights on life. Here is one of my favourites:

'Dear Vasco,
Spring has come once more to Curly Flat and the roses are starting to bloom. How contented I feel as I contemplate the roses. How complete life seems in the presence of these ancient perfumes and petals. How liberated from the desire to "better" myself and how sweetly intoxicated I am by these dear, precious moments of self-acceptance given to me, so generously, by the rose. Around me, in the morning sunshine, the bees hum and various unseen fowls warble old songs concerning the arrival of good, blue eggs. Along the shores of Lake Lacuna, over the water and from the small valleys around Curly Flat I hear the occasional pealing of the life-goes-on bells - simple declarations from the distance that life is worth living - a domestic prayer from an unknown household, rung out in thanksgiving for the morning now passing and announcing that the afternoon and its pleasures and duties are soon to begin - or perhaps a chimed observance that sadness has passed in a particular home and that relief and gratitude have begun - any of life's ordinary precious moments being honoured as they come and go by whoever is taken by the impulse to do so. How brave and reassuring are the bells of Curly Flat - bells of spontaneity; bells of acceptance; bells of joy and simply duty: life-goes-on bells! Perhaps you still hear them Vasco, ringing in your dreams; I hope so.
The sound of a bell and the perfume of a rose: these things cannot be improved - they are perfectly complete.
Warmest spring wishes
Go Well Vasco
and ding dong!
with love,
Mr Curly'


Think I'll go out and buy myself some of those life-goes-on bells! Ding dong!