''Midnight and Jeremiah'' () is a 1943 children's book written by

Sterling North Thomas Sterling North (November 4, 1906 – December 21, 1974) was an American writer. He is best known for the children's novel '' Rascal'', a bestseller in 1963. Biography Early life and family North's maternal grandparents, James Herve ...

and illustrated by

Kurt Wiese Kurt Wiese (April 22, 1887 – May 27, 1974) was a German-born book illustrator, who wrote and illustrated 20 children's books and illustrated another 300 for other authors. Background Kurt Wiese was born on April 22, 1887, in Minden, Germ ...

. It concerns a boy named Jeremiah who adopts a black baby lamb and as the story progresses they share a strong bond. ''Midnight and Jeremiah'' was the basis for the 1948 film '' So Dear to My Heart'', whose title was used for a revised edition, published in 1948, of the original book.

Plot

Set in early 1900s

Pike County, Indiana Pike County is a county in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,845. The county seat is Petersburg. It contains the geographic point representing median center of US popu ...

, the story starts with a boy named Jeremiah and his granny Kincaid who go into their barn where the sheep have given birth. One of the lambs is black and is rejected by its mother so Jeremiah takes him in and names him Midnight. As Midnight grows he becomes more troublesome around the house and in town. As the story progresses Midnight and Jeremiah journey side by side and bond with each other. Meanwhile, Granny Kincaid and Uncle Hiram are finding hard times getting money so Jeremiah has the idea of entering Midnight into the Pike County Fair. Jeremiah and Uncle Hiram get Midnight ready for the fair by trimming him then when they go there the judges assume that Midnight is a pure breed sheep. Granny Kincaid explains to the judges that Midnight is just a mixed breed but the judges say that it doesn't matter whether or not the sheep is pure breed so Midnight wins first place in the Pike County Fair. After the event Uncle Hiram organises a big parade of nearly fifty neighbours to celebrate back home but it scares Midnight who runs off into the distance much to the shock of Jeremiah. Jeremiah searches everywhere but cannot find Midnight and becomes depressed as Winter comes. Granny Kincaid tries to make Jeremiah feel better by taking his mind off Midnight but it doesn't help. On Christmas Eve Jeremiah goes off in the night to get luck on finding Midnight by going to the Baby Jesus model set. He goes off into the night to keep searching and then, at the end of the book, Jeremiah finally finds Midnight near the church asleep beyond the cradle and they both are reunited.

Characters

* Jeremiah The main protagonist of the story. * Midnight The black mixed breed lamb who is taken in by Jeremiah. * Granny Kincaid Jeremiah's grandma who in the beginning dislikes the idea of keeping Midnight. * Uncle Hiram Jeremiah's uncle who is a steady ally.

Revised version

Subsequent to the 1948 filming of ''Midnight and Jeremiah'' as ''So Dear to My Heart'', a revised edition of North's book was published under the film's title and with the lamb now named Danny in honor of celebrity harness horse

Dan Patch Dan Patch (April 29, 1896 – July 11, 1916) was a noted American Standardbred pacer. At a time when harness racing was one of the largest sports in the nation, Dan Patch was a major celebrity. He was undefeated in open competition, and was so ...

: film-maker

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

, who regarded Dan Patch as an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

of Americana as nostalgia, had insisted his film ''So Dear to My Heart'' open with Jeremiah encountering Dan Patch when a train transporting the horse makes a local stopover. North opened the revision of his original story with the Dan Patch episode and also incorporated other amendments from the Disney film, such as the lamb's running away occurring earlier and the episode of the county fair - where the lamb wins a special ribbon while being passed for first place - occurring almost at the story's end.

Plot

Characters

Revised version

See also