Freudian Bedtime Reading

Sigmund Freud, in his “Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners”, p. 66, wrote:

In fundamental contrast with those saws which assume that sleep is disturbed by dreams, we hold the dream as the guardian of sleep. So far as children's dreams are concerned, our view should find ready acceptance. [...] Every one knows the charming story of the bad boy (Baldwin Groller’s) who awoke at night bellowing out, “I want the rhinoceros.” A really good boy, instead of bellowing, would have dreamt that he was playing with the rhinoceros. Because the dream which realizes his desire is believed during sleep, it removes the desire and makes sleep possible.

Write a poem in the style of Dr. Seuss, written from the perspective of Sigmund Freud, criticizing the bad boy for his dream.

Once upon a time, in a land far away,
There was a bad boy named Baldwin Groller, they say.
He'd bellow and shout, in the middle of night,
"I want the rhinoceros!" with all of his might.

But Sigmund Freud, the great psychologist wise,
Had a different view that he wished to surmise.
"Dreams," he said, "are the guardians of sleep,
They realize our desires, so our minds can keep."

So why, oh why, did Baldwin behave so wrong?
Bellowing out loud, all the night long?
A good boy, said Freud, would have dreamt with delight,
Playing with the rhinoceros, under the moonlight.

So let this be a lesson, for boys and for girls,
To dream of what they desire, without any pearls.
For dreams will remove your desires, so sleep will come quick,
And you'll awaken refreshed, ready for a new trick!

This was originally posted on Facebook. You can read Freud’s book here.