Magic Land of Counterpane: More wargaming poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson

Thanks to arthur1815 and Ross Mac, I have now 'discovered' Robert Louis Stevenson's poem about a young child playing in bed whilst ill.

When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay,
To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets
All up and down among the sheets;
Or brought my trees and houses out,
And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still
That sits upon the pillow-hill,
And sees before him, dale and plain,
The pleasant land of counterpane.

It reminded me of a time back in the late 1950s when I was recovering from having my appendix removed. I was confined to bed after coming out of hospital, and spent most of my time reading my collection of EAGLE comics and various historical novels by G A Henty.

On one day, however, I was allowed to play with my collection of toy soldiers. These were a rather eclectic mix of old (mostly broken) lead Britain's, some more modern plastic figures from the Britain's range (mainly British Infantry armed with EM-2 rifles I seem to remember), some Herald Miniatures Swoppet Cowboys, and plastic toy soldiers that were sold in Woolworths (including some British Guardsmen that were moulded in red plastic). My Britain's 25-Pounder Field Guns served as artillery for both 'sides', firing lengths of matchstick at my figures (until my mother stopped me!). There were no rules, but I suspect that my modern British Infantry probably won the battles I fought because they were my favourites figures.

The battles on my counterpane did a lot to take my mind off the real pain that I was in from my operation.