Purple Haze

Harold and the Purple Crayon has long been one of my favorite children's books. It's got simple line drawings and great text full of clever double entendre such as "Harold made his bed," and "he drew up the covers."
But tonight, maybe thanks to an extra glass of wine before story time, the whole Harold and the Purple Crayon-thing seemed like a bad acid trip. Not that I've ever been on an acid trip, bad or otherwise. Harold and his shaky hand drawing that ocean that almost swallows him up. Harold climbing the mountain which has no other side and then falling into nothingness. Can't you just hear Cheech and Chong in the background going, "Far Out Man!"
If that were the case though, Harold and the Purple Crayon would have to be a stoner book. And it could be that too - Harold draws himself a substantial snack, and his two friends are a "very hungry moose" and a "deserving porcupine."
Even the purple crayon seems psychedelic. It would be a whole different story if he'd of had a blue crayon.
I wonder if Harold and the Purple Crayon was written in the same year that Curious George sniffed ether after his ill-fated window-washing job.

song: Purple Haze • artist: Jimmy Hendrix