Notes

Bullfrogs are virtually the only creature that does not sleep. There are enough animals that sleep with one half of their body at a time (like dolphins). As well as animals that sleep very lightly or very little (usually prey animals that remain vigilant). But not sleeping actually doesn’t occur.

Research into this is still developing. Because what is sleep? Even between humans, there are large differences in sleep patterns. Maybe the bullfrog has a very different system that, to them, is “sleeping”.

In general, sleep is defined as: a recurring state of reduced response to external stimuli, combined with complex but predictable changes in their body

In other words, you react less to your outside world, while your inner world changes significantly. But this is not “strange”, not an “abnormality”, but a predictable recurring state.

I lived right next to a very busy street for years. During the day I was often bothered by the noise of trucks, but when I slept I heard nothing of it. On the other hand, you need sleep to store things in your long-term memory, something you simply can’t do while staying awake.

About the Sand King

The Sand King is, of course, based on the tale of the Sandman, named Klaas Vaak in Dutch.

This name originally came from Vaec, which is an antiquated Dutch word for sleep. You used to be able to say “I have vaak” and then stop your sentence, which meant “I am sleepy”. If you do that now, in the Netherlands, people would think you’re having a stroke.

So the sand king is named Claes, and used to be called Vaec.

This legend probably comes from the (sand) grains you have to rub out of your eyes when you just woke up. In other versions, he glues your eyes shut with milk, but that doesn’t seem like a nice experience to me.

Few know that the story sometimes continues with the Sand King’s brother who is “Death”. My version is fairly consistent with that legend—the two stories he tells and such—but I combined the brother and the Sand King into one.

Many original “fairy tales” are either very strange or very cruel, so I always try to provide a bit more context and interpretation for the Saga of Life.

About Cosmo and this island

Initially. I wanted to focus more on the many traps on the island, constantly solving mysteries and avoiding dangers while searching for that treasure.

But … that made the story incredibly similar to the previous one, where they practically do the same thing in an Egyptian temple. Additionally, my idea about the “treasure” changed into something else, as the story was rewritten and reconsidered.

So yes, traps and dangers still exist, but it focuses more on what happened back then and the path that Cosmo took. And the theme of “sleep” and the Sand King’s work.

By the way, the rule that “birds cannot fly on this island” is completely true. The birds that cut off Cosmo on his secret route did that not because they could fly. They could do that for another reason …

A later (very important) story will zoom in on this and explain exactly what happened. (There are many planned stories about the demise of the godchildren.)

Other

All frogs in the Saga of Life end in -og. The more g’s, the younger they are. (This of course comes from the word frog. Even in Dutch, I decided to do so, as it’s a well-known word even among children.)

It seems sensible to start applying the same rules in our world. If your name is Maria as an adult, you really should be called Mariaaaaaaaa as a baby ;) MUCH clearer. (With the obvious consequence that, on your hundredth birthday, you’re called “M”.)

I use a trick to put the reader on the right track regarding the “secret bird weapon”. The Sand King keeps mentioning a different egg than what Olombos thinks it is, or what his boars think it is. Hopefully, this plants the seed that they could both be right. That it’s not one egg, but a whole cave.

Porto Volo is loosely based on Columbus’ Second Voyage. It mostly visited smaller islands, including Puerto Rico, which means “rich port/harbor”. So Porto Volo is something like “bird harbor”. This journey was seen by his employers as a failed expedition. After all, before this he had discovered an entire continent and now only a few small islands where the locals spit him out.

Similarly, the Sigriplant is my take on the Sugar Beet. (Also a story for another time.)

This story was difficult to write. Normally the idea of day/night and sleep is a good way to divide chapters (and provide a frame of reference). But the bullfrogs don’t sleep! For them there’s practically no difference, so that way of keeping time—which is so natural for humans—doesn’t apply.