Top o' the World: A Once Upon a Time Tale

In Short

This whimsical fantasy follows nine-year-old Maida, who joins a rugged Arctic explorer on a flying machine to reach the North Pole. There, she encounters Santa Claus, a clockwork man, and an ice maiden in the glittering city of Arcturia. Along the way, she discovers the strange, rigid logic of fairyland and the perilous nature of the Wishing Post. While the narrative is rooted in early twentieth-century whimsy, it remains a poignant meditation on the transition from childhood curiosity to the detached skepticism of the adult world.

The Story

Maida, a spirited nine-year-old living in New York, spends her time listening to the tales of an Arctic explorer known as the Man with the Growly Voice. Fascinated by his descriptions of the North Pole, she convinces him to take her along on his next expedition. They depart in a flying machine, but their journey is fraught with accidents—they collide with a comet, lose a wing, and eventually crash-land in the icy, magical domain of Arcturia.

Once they arrive at the Top of the World, the party enters a surreal landscape where the inhabitants operate under peculiar rules. They meet a variety of companions: the Candy Kid, who is made of sweets; a melancholy Jack-in-the-Box who suffers from a slipping mainspring; and an ice maiden named Stalacta, who longs for a warmth she cannot endure. Maida also encounters Santa Claus, who manages a bustling toy shop, and a bear named Fido who serves as their guide. The group faces various threats, including the icy, authoritarian rule of Queen Aurora Borealis—a vain, elderly woman who hides her true appearance behind a deceptive, luminous light.

As they navigate this strange world, the tension between the magical logic of their surroundings and the mundane world of reality grows. Maida eventually finds her way to the fabled Wishing Post, which grants a single desire. Urged by her companions, she makes a wish to be grown up. The transformation is immediate and jarring. She retains her memories, but her personality shifts; she becomes haughty, cold, and dismissive of the friends she once cherished. She suddenly views Santa Claus as a mere "figment of the imagination" and finds herself unable to connect with the very people who once guided her.

Realizing that her adult form has stripped her of her joy and wonder, Maida experiences a deep, internal conflict. She finds herself trapped in a persona she dislikes, unable to reclaim her former self. Finally, when the New Year arrives and another wish is granted, she seizes the chance to rectify her mistake. She wishes for everything to return to the way it was and to be home again. The story concludes with Maida safely back in New York, where she remains convinced of the truth of her journey, asserting that the magical world she visited was real, despite the skepticism of others.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Maida listens to the captivating stories of the Man with the Growly Voice and secures a place on his airship. They steer the vessel through the clouds until a mid-air accident with a comet sends them spiraling down to the frozen North.

Across the ice The group traverses a snowy wasteland on the back of a bear named Fido and arrives at the gates of the Arctic Circle. They learn to ignore the boundaries of the world, walking through the wall as if it were an imaginary line.

The City of Arcturia Upon entering the icy city, the travelers encounter a strange society of ice maidens and a vain, aging Queen who demands constant praise. They navigate the dangers of the Queen’s court and the risk of being discovered as outsiders.

The transformation Maida reaches the Wishing Post and impulsively wishes to be grown up, instantly gaining height and a haughty, adult temperament. This new, cold perspective makes her regret the loss of her childhood warmth and her ability to believe in her friends.

A return to innocence During the New Year celebration, Maida uses a final wish to undo her transformation and return home. She finds herself back in her own life, comforted by the knowledge that her adventure was not merely a dream.

The People

Maida is a curious, blue-eyed nine-year-old who craves wonder and adventure. Her journey transforms her from a wide-eyed child into an aloof, judgmental adult, a shift that leaves her deeply unhappy until she manages to reverse the effect.

The Man with the Growly Voice is a seasoned Arctic explorer whose habit of eating snowballs and icicles reflects his lifelong immersion in the cold. He provides the means for the journey and acts as a protector, though he is often baffled by the logic of the North.

The Candy Kid and Jack-in-the-Box serve as Maida’s primary companions. The former is defined by his sweet composition and simple appetites, while the latter struggles with his mechanical nature and a heart—or "mainspring"—that frequently runs down, requiring winding.

Queen Aurora Borealis is the story’s antagonist, representing vanity and deception. She is an elderly, unattractive woman who uses a magical crown to project a false image of beauty to her subjects, reacting with violent rage when her true appearance is revealed by a mirror.

Santa Claus appears as a central, benevolent figure who runs a toy shop. He represents the genuine, albeit misunderstood, heart of the magical world, and he is deeply hurt when the grown-up Maida dismisses him as an "amusing old myth."

In Its Own Voice

"If you doubt my story ask Maida herself. She is a dear little girl, just nine, with curly brown hair and deep blue eyes, and she lives in a big house with papa and mama and Aunt Mary."

The narrator establishes the reality of the protagonist by inviting the reader to find her in her neighborhood.

"I wish everything was just as it used to be and I was at home."

Maida utters these words at the Wishing Post, signaling her final rejection of an adult life that made her feel cold and isolated.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the inherent loss of enchantment that accompanies the maturation process. The story argues that growing up is not simply a biological advancement but an emotional stripping away of one’s capacity for wonder. By having Maida physically and temperamentally transformed into a "grown-up" who views Santa Claus as a figment of the imagination, the text highlights how society demands a shift toward cynicism. The "Wishing Post" serves as a metaphor for the choices we make about our own identity, suggesting that the most difficult task for any person is to retain the child’s heart while navigating the cold, logical requirements of the adult world.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy turn-of-the-century children’s literature, such as the works of L. Frank Baum, will find a similar spirit of surreal, episodic adventure here. The prose is earnest and warm, capturing a specific period of fantasy writing where the barrier between the mundane world and the magical is thin and easily crossed.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the narrative’s period attitudes. The dialogue occasionally features the stylized, sometimes clunky dialect of the early 1900s, and the gender roles are firmly rooted in the era’s expectations; Maida’s "grown-up" behavior is described in terms of social propriety and the need for a "chaperone," which may feel restrictive or outdated today. Additionally, the plot moves at a rapid, whimsical pace that prioritizes imagination over internal consistency. Despite these quirks, the book remains a charming relic of a time when the North Pole was a place of endless mystery. It is a brief, evocative read that asks a universal question: what parts of ourselves do we inadvertently discard when we decide to grow up? Those who appreciate the bittersweet realization that innocence is a treasure worth protecting will likely find the conclusion particularly moving.