Puff the Magic Dragon

[ToadRage]

Have I been interpreting this song wrong all my life? I was always under the impression that Jackie Paper stopped coming to see Puff because he grew up but someone told me recently that I was wrong and Jackie Paper died. What is your interpretation?

I thought Puff was a kite that stopped getting played with because his owner grew up.

The lyrics are from a poem, wiki says:

'The lyrics for "Puff, the Magic Dragon" are based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton, then a 19-year-old Cornell University student.[1] Lipton drew inspiration from Ogden Nash's 1936 poem "The Tale of Custard the Dragon".[3][4][5] The song tells the story of an immortal dragon named Puff and his playmate, Jackie Paper, as they embark on adventures in the fictional land of Honalee. As time passes, Jackie matures and abandons his childhood games, leaving Puff sad and alone.'

It goes on to say Peter Yarrow shared half the songwriting credit with Leonard Lipton, who then received royalties until Lipton's death in 1922. And also that the original poem concluded with Puff finding a new playmate. So that's quite nice.

Still makes me cry

So was I, but later found out that that's an urban myth.

I thought it was that other 1960s dragon, H.R. Pufnstuf, that was full of coded references to pot smoking?

The same for me.

I thought it was that other 1960s dragon, H.R. Pufnstuf, that was full of coded references to pot smoking?

In the 1960s, almost anything could be taken as a coded reference to pot smoking or drug taking, if you looked hard enough. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was supposed to be about LSD, even though John Lennon said it wasn't.

I believe

I always thought it was about smoking drugs and overdose. The internet says cannabis but I always believed it was heroin.

I take it as Jackie grew up and moved on, a bit like Narnia and Susan stopped believing itms

And the end of The House at Pooh Corner, when Christopher Robin is going away.

Has anyone read Rosemary Manning's Dragon books? I liked Green Smoke.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/27129/green-smoke-by-manning-rosemary/9780241761632

😭

I used to cry every time I read this to my son. How he used to love Winnie the Pooh! He’s 18 now, and doesn’t 😭😭😭

My dad always sang it to my sister and I, and it was sad. So I made up an extra verse about Puff finding new friends throughout the years when I sang it to my kids.

This will never fail to make me cry.

Well I have a book with the words printed on. On the last page is a picture of a little girl visiting puff and a man looking on from afar. One of my grandchildren suggested this was a grown up Jackie Paper. I think I prefer to go with this.

I did this too, when I sang it to my own children.

I have that book! I read it to my children.

Puff is like Toy Story 2 - children think it's a fun thing, parents know it's the heartbreak of them growing up and leaving you because they've outgrown you.

This is my DD7’s favourite song, she has the book too and listens to Peter, Paul and Mary songs daily. She also taught herself the song on the piano. Definitely about growing up.

For the last 60 or so years, I’ve thought that Jackie Piper dies in the song. It’s something of a relief to discover that he doesn’t die but just grows out of playing with Puff. That’s still sad but at least no-one dies here.

Dragons are part of the Realm of the Imagination to my mind (unless there are a few hiding in deep deserts or the Himalayas still), and all the best people cherish that realm and have one foot in it.

I'm re-reading At the Back of the North Wind atm and have just re-read the Earthsea trilogy. what's that quote? ""Our life is no dream, but it should and will perhaps become one."

I’ve got a lump just reading the first 3 posts on this thread….. I daren’t scroll any further 😂