"I'll do it!"

One boy climbed out, plugged the freezer in, and climbed back.

The Freezer began to hum. Ralph watched, fascinated, as the three children sitting in it began to yawn and settle back. In a matter of seconds they were all asleep, their skin a pale colour and delicate ice crystals in their hair.

"Mum! Look what happened !"

Ralph's mother glanced at the sleeping children and gave a start. She switched the vacuum off and came over.

"Are you kids having me on?" she demanded.

It was obvious they weren't. Mum shook them, gently.

"Hey, wake up!" she said, "What's got into you?"

No response.

Mum lifted one of the sleeping children out and began to get woried.

"Its not like them to go to sleep this early in the morning!" she said, "I don't understand?"

And just then Suzy woke up.

"Hi Mum," she said, "What arc you doing?"

Mum cuddled her daughter, then put her down again and looked at the other two children. She hauled a second one out and he woke up.

"Its the Freezer!" Ralph said, "It’s putting them to sleep!"

"Amazing!" said Mum, "It really works!"

After that, there was nothing more important than the Sleepytime Freezer. Ralph's mother read the manual until she had looked at every page, then she rang the Sleepytime Freezer Company and ordered another five of them. They came the same day, in a delivery truck. Mum and all her children, and the dog, crowded round the door as the men carried the boxes up the path.

"There you are," said one of me men, holding out a docket. Mum signed it and thanked them for being so quick, and they said it was all part of the service and left just as quickly.