When I was very small, my mom used to take great delight in telling me the story of the Master of All Masters. I found it online and it brought back many memories.
If you’ve an interest, and if you don’t know the story, you can read it here:
http://www.authorama.com/english-fairy-tales-45.html
Just be sure you don’t get your squibs and crackers too close to the hot cockalorum, or you’ll need lots of pondalorum. 
–James
…isn’t it a terrible thing, growing up. (Not that I really have , but I digress). As a child, I would have read that story and simply been delighted by its out-and-out silliness.
As an adult, though, instead of just enjoying it, I notice at once that the old gentleman points first to his bed, and then to his pantaloons, which just doesn’t seem quite the thing. And the names…hot cockalorum? Oh, dear. Instead of fun, it’s vaguely disturbing. Many fairy tales are like that, of course; so many of them (Little Red Riding Hood, e.g.) don’t bear close scrutiny. Peter Pan had the right idea…
or listen to seamus ennis tell it as Don Niperi Septo
Yup, I believe it is on the recording Seamus Ennis, 40 Years of Irish Piping.
Cause growing up is awfuller
Than all the awful things that ever were…
I love that version.
Sorry, but children don’t invite silliness at all. It is adults who introduce silliness to children, and it is adults who cherish silliness most of all. Children are trying desparately to figure out their world and to become adults so that they may gain personal power to do as they choose; the power they perceive parents deny them. Children may come up with charmingly wrong answers from time to time, but this is serendipity. It is an adult who appreciates the silliness, not the child.
djm
The Reverend hath passed his judgement.
As someone who spends 7 hours a day with 7, 8, and 9 year olds, I can unabashedly say that children are, in fact, inherently silly. Sure, some of the silliness arises from my own interpretation of what is said, but most of their silliness is purposeful and intended. Just because they are young does not mean they are stupid. That tends to be a fault of more adults, in my humble opinion.
Mark
So where do you get “stupid” from?
djm
djm,
you’re right, I was putting words in your mouth. my bad, as they say. rough morning. it’s not the kids, it’s the parents that get to me. some days there is just not enough coffee in the world. what can i say, sorry.
Mark
No problem. And I agree with you that kids in the 7-10 age range have caught on to adults feeding them crap, as well as the notion of silliness for the sake of fun, and are starting to make their own gambits into that territory. But we as adults introduce them to this stuff when they are 3-5, when they are still forming language skills and struggling to understand what is going on. Silliness is not something kids invent. It is introduced to them by adults. I don’t mean to imply that kids can’t take it up once they have caught on to the concept. My point was simply (and this is only my opinion from my own observations) is that kids don’t invent silliness - it is an adult invention.
djm
I remember that story too. I don’t know what book I had it from for sure, but I think it was from an old school reader of my moms.