What was the Nightmare that Kezia Had? (The Little Girl)

One night while her parents are out, Kezia is left in the care of the cook. She wakes up in the middle of the night, screaming from a terrifying nightmare.

In her nightmare: Kezia dreamed of a butcher (a large, terrifying man) who was chasing her. The butcher had a huge, knife (in some versions described as a savage, monstrous figure) — the nightmare represents her deep, subconscious fear of large, authoritarian male figures, whom she unconsciously associates with her intimidating father.

When Kezia wakes up screaming in terror, her father comes to her room. This moment is the emotional climax of the story.

Instead of scolding her (as she feared), her father gently picks her up, carries her to his own warm bed, and lies down beside her to comfort her.

He wraps his arm around her and says kindly, 'Go to sleep, little girl.'

Lying in her father's warm, safe presence after the terror of the nightmare, Kezia suddenly realizes something profound: his heart is not a 'hard paper-stuffing' as she thought — it is big, warm, and protective.

The nightmare is the story's pivot. Before the nightmare, Kezia sees her father only as a terrifying, distant, cold authority figure. After experiencing his tenderness during her fear, she understands that:

• Her father's strictness comes from being tired and overworked, not cruelty
• Behind the stern exterior is a warm, loving heart
• Fathers and children need to find ways to understand each other