Week 2: Meet the Desley Children!
Weekly Reading: Chapters 2-4
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THIS WEEK’S READING opens with great anticipation as the sun rises through the parlour windows, casting fresh light on Dame Desley as she busily prepares breakfast for their guest. All four of the Desley children are stopped in their tracks as they watch their mother fill a special teapot for Mr. Learning—not with hot water, but ink!
Mr. Learning immediately captures the children’s attention as he cheerfully consumes his hearty, brain-boosting meal. Tall and thin, with a grave expression, bushy eyebrows, and spectacles perched on his nose, he presents a striking figure. Is this the man to whom the children will follow for the next several months?
Before departing, Dame Desley gives her children several key instructions: listen carefully to Mr. Learning, work cheerfully, and beware the company of Pride.
As Dick, Matty, Lubin, and Nelly are whisked away, they are delighted to discover that each has received a house of their own. Upon peeking inside, however, they find that the cottages are completely bare. It is up to each child to furnish their home, and Mr. Learning graciously provides the means. Each is given a magical purse filled with the most curious kind of money: silver hours and copper minutes.
It is now the children’s task to spend their “Time money” wisely, transforming their empty cottages into cozy, cheerful homes. The choices before them are many: will they cross the trickling Waters of Bother to visit Mr. Arithmetic and Mr. Geometry, or consult Mrs. Sewing for the perfect garden greenery?
This section of the story highlights a powerful theme: the wise use of time. Just as the Desley children are entrusted with hours and minutes, we are reminded that time is one of God’s most precious treasures. In the same way that Mr. Learning gave each child a cottage, the Lord places each of us exactly where we are—entrusted with our own “purse of Time”—so that we may make the most of every moment.
The journey, however, will not be without its challenges. Pride quietly creeps into Dick’s eager heart, Laziness tugs at Lubin, Matty struggles with impatience, and Nelly’s gentle spirit longs to do what is right. Can you relate to any of these children?
Some days it is easy to be like Dick, struggling with pride and wanting to prove yourself. Other days, you want to be like Lubin and take the easy way out. Oh, there are plenty of Matty moments, when impatience bubbles over. Yet, like Nelly, there is the inner conviction to do what is right, even when it is hard.
Whatever the case may be, these characters remind us that the journey isn’t about being perfect—an impossible task—but about learning, growing, and choosing what’s right even when it’s uncomfortable!
As you journey through the Land of Learning, may you remember this important truth: you do not journey alone. Jesus tells his children:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” (John 14:16).
All we have to do is ask. As John 14:13-14 says,
“Whatever you ask in [Jesus’] name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Strength and perseverance come from the Lord, who equips us to press forward. The lesson begins with humility, the first step toward wisdom and growth.
Look ahead: Mr. Alphabet is waiting at the door, ready to collect a toll before entry into the fine shop of Mr. Reading. Are you ready?
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Bible memory verse for week two:
“Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
