The Wonders of Night

Hey all, this is an excerpt from The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. The book itself is silly and surprisingly thick. It's a good summer read. Now I know why I do so enjoy sleeping. And I most definitely disagree with the comments about naps.

"'That's just the trouble,' Nightingale put in. 'The thing is, darkness has such a bad reputation. People always associate it with unpleasant things, but it's simply another - albeit darker - form of luminosity. We need it quite as much as we need light. Without darkness everything would wither and die. There would be no sleep, no relaxation, no energy, no growth. Night gives us the strength to withstand the rigours of the day. Haven't you ever wondered why we feel so refreshed and full of energy after a good night's sleep? . . . It's because of the darkness we've taken on board. A nap during the day is no good at all - you tend to feel more lethargic than ever, am I right? Darkness is pure energy. Your reserves become depleted during the day. You burn them up, grow weary, and have to sleep some more. In the dark you accumulate fresh strength, and so on. . . I'm convinced that a person who only lives at night need never die.'"