Good evening! I am the Sandman. Quite possibly you have al ready heard about me or have even seen me on television on the central German television network. I’m still an important fellow and I do some very serious work. 

Every night I visit all the little children, when they’re supposed to go to bed. When mother tells a “goodnight story” or sings a little lullaby, I blow a tiny bit of the finest sand in their eyes. Then the children soon become sleepy — and later on, so do the grown-ups. 

My model in Greek mythology was HYPOS, the god of sleep. He was a young man with wings on his head and a horn of plenty, all splendidly entwined in wonderfully scented flowers. I am not exactly a beauty, but every now and again I enjoy a puff on my pipe and watch the smokerings wafting upwards through the air. 

But enough of this story — I must hurry to the next house. Good Night!