Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Journey with a Jinn

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Starting point is 00:01:27 and sign up, follow the link for Get Sleepy Premium in the show notes, or you can subscribe directly with in Apple podcasts. Thanks so much for your support. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host Tom and it's a pleasure to have your company. A reef will be reading tonight's story, where we'll be rejoining a young woman named Alia and going on a magical journey through the kingdom of Waleed. It's a magical land of beautiful mountains, fertile valleys, picturesque villages, and one bustling city in the center of the kingdom. The first time we met Alia, she followed a group of thieves into a cave where she found

Starting point is 00:02:34 treasure protected by a gin. If you haven't heard the first story yet, called the Cave of Treasure. You can still listen to this one tonight and revisit the first another time. If you haven't already done so, put any physical distractions to one side. Laying in a position that allows you to breathe deeply and slowly relax your jaw, relax your shoulders, your legs, and any other areas where tension tends to hang around. Gradually slow your breathing, drawing the air in and noticing your chest and stomach expand. Gently release the air that you are breathing in is enveloping you in a sense of peace and tranquility. And with the outbreath, you let go of anything disruptive, release tension.

Starting point is 00:04:52 Bit by bit, your whole being becomes amassed in nothing but peace. There's no rush either, so just take your time gradually drifting into that sense of calm. Feel the softness of your pillow supporting your head as you let all the worries and concerns of the day fade away. Continue to relax and make your way into sleep as I hand over to a reef for tonight's story. Aliyah Baba lives in a one-room cottage in the village of Bisbis with her parents. Alia is an artist and carves beautiful objects out of wood she collects in an ancient olive grove nearby. Her parents are also artists in their own way. Her mother begs delicious loaves of bread and her father weaves intricate baskets. All three sell their wares at markets in Bispis and surrounding villages. The family is not wealthy, but they have everything they need.

Starting point is 00:07:20 They're happy in their humble cottage and their small village. Alia has a secret though, about a month ago, while searching for a good piece of olive wood to carve. She found a magical cave. Inside were piles of glittering treasure and a mighty gin. Since Alia hadn't stolen any treasure, the gin let her go and even conjured a perfect piece of olive wood for her carving. Since then, Alia has returned to the cave a few times. She's never again used the magic words to open the door, Then used the magic words to open the door, but she leaves gifts just outside for the gin. She feels the gin might be lonely, guarding the cave all the time with no one to talk

Starting point is 00:08:40 to. Once, Alia left some of her mother's delicious bread after she put it down on the ground. It disappeared with a slight woosh and a shimmer. Another time, she brought one of her father's beautifully woven baskets. Again with a woosh and a shimmer, the gift disappeared. The next time she came with a carving she had made, but found a gift that had been left for her outside the cave. It was a pair of slippers. The heavy red leather was beautifully embroidered with golden thread. The souls were also leather, thick and durable. She could wear these in the worst of weather, and her feet would be protected. But Alia could also wear them to a formal party and the envied.

Starting point is 00:10:10 She tried them on, and of course, the slippers fit perfectly. They were made by a gin after all. Alias smiled in gratitude toward the cave entrance, imagining the gin watching her from the other side of the magical door. She thanked him for the beautiful slippers and put her carving on the ground. Wush, shimmer, it disappeared, just like her other offerings. For the next couple of weeks, Alia and her parents were busy traveling to surrounding village markets. It was busy but worthwhile.

Starting point is 00:11:18 At each market stop, her mother pulled out the small clay oven from the wagon to bake fresh gloves. The comforting scent of baking bread attracted people to their tent, and bread customers almost always bought a carving or a basket too, sometimes both. The family is finally home though, having sold most of their wares. It's almost fall and the busy market season is coming to a close. Alia is glad of the slower pace in the fall and winter. It allows her time to carve more figures and restock for the upcoming summer season.

Starting point is 00:12:32 To accomplish that, Alia needs more olive wood. The next morning is bright and sunny, with only a few small clouds. She puts on her beautiful slippers and calls to her dog, Kelb. The two set off toward the ancient olive grove to collect wood. Alia also has a gift for the gin, of course. This time it's a small pot of honey that she bought from another market stall in a neighboring village. Alia and Kelp wind their way among the old trees with their twisted trunks and dusty, oval-shaped leaves. It's quiet in the grove, and it seems they, searching for bugs to eat. Others sit in the low branches, singing for a mate. As they approach the Jens cave, a LES sees that something is different, the cave is open.

Starting point is 00:14:09 Previously, someone had to say magic words to make the rock wall disappear and reveal the caves. But now, there is no barrier. Alia walks slowly to the opening and peers inside. She sees nothing but a dark tunnel and hears no noise from within. Alya is worried about the Jin, so she decides to go inside. The last time she entered, torches automatically lit up the path. This time though, there are no magical lights guiding her. But there is enough light coming through the entrance that she can make her way down the long tunnel to the main treasure room.

Starting point is 00:15:20 It grows brighter as she approaches the large space. Alia looks up and notices a small opening in the ceiling, letting in some light. What that light reveals is a vast room completely empty. The piles of golden coins, some as large as her hand, are gone. So is the mountain of glittering jewels, the oil paintings, and the marble sculptures. As Alia walks around the empty space, marveling at how different it is, Kilp explores the corners. He sniffs carefully, making sure he collects as much information as possible from each intriguing smell before moving on.

Starting point is 00:16:37 Then he comes across something tucked into a hollow of the cave wall. He tries to dig it out, but it seems stuck. Kelp winds, attracting Ali's attention. Ali walks over to see what could be so interesting. She notices a slight gleam of metal in the hollow space and reaches in. After a little bit of a struggle, she pulls out a plain brass lantern. It's similar to those her parents used to light their cottage in the evening. But the lanterns at home are bright and shiny. This one is quite dull.

Starting point is 00:17:47 This one is quite dull. Alia uses her sleeve to give the side a quick polish. Suddenly, with a soft, wushing sound, the gin appears floating in front of her. Alia falls over onto a cushion on the ground and Kalb starts barking at the apparition. The chin is just as large as Alia remembers, twice the size of an average mortal. He is wearing loose pants and a long tunic, smiles down at Alia, who stares back, her eyes and mouth wide open and wonder. Calp continues barking until the gin looks at him and, with a snap of his fingers, produces a nice meaty bone that he throws to the dog.

Starting point is 00:19:13 Kelb immediately loses interest in the gin and busys himself with a special treat. Alia is happy to see her friend, but wants to know what happened in the cave. When she is over her surprise, she asks him to explain. The Jin tells her the thieves who had been using the cave to store their stolen treasure, suspected that someone had found out about it. As the cave's guardian, it was his responsibility to guard their plunder. He told them nothing about Alia's previous visit because he didn't want to endanger her. But when the thieves left, one stayed behind to watch the cave and saw her leave the gifts. The Jin had to confess, but told them Aliyah took nothing from the cave. The thieves couldn't trust the Jin anymore. They imprisoned him in the lantern and moved all their stolen goods to another secret location somewhere in the kingdom of Waleed, leaving the Jin trapped until Aliyah released him. The gin is happy to be out of the lantern, but he is unsure what to do next.

Starting point is 00:21:10 He is free of his obligation to the thieves and can now choose for himself. Should he stay in the cave, it's been his home for many decades. Or he could do what other free jins do, play tricks on mortals. Aliyah doesn't think that's a very nice plan, and asks if there is anything he's ever dreamed of doing that doesn't involve playing tricks on humans. The Jin says he's always wanted to travel and see the whole kingdom of Waleed. Alia claps her hands with joy. She also yearns to travel. She seen only this small valley, a fraction of the vast kingdom. But she's heard stories about mountains, were snowfalls, and never melts.

Starting point is 00:22:33 Rich pastureland with fields of wheat and barley, and acres of orange trees. And then there's the capital city of Zamorad, where King Sahir rules from his mighty stone castle. The Jin is intrigued by Alia's description of the kingdom, and asks if she would like to come on the journey with him. Alas, she says, she can't because her parents will worry if she doesn't come home soon. The gin grins and snaps his fingers. A large carpet appears on the ground, but then a Lea notices it isn't really on the ground. It's floating about a foot above the cave floor. The Jin says the magic carpet will fly them faster than she can imagine to the far corners of Wa'alid.

Starting point is 00:23:59 And he adds, it's a much more comfortable way to travel than on horseback. They can see the whole country in a day. Alia doesn't have to think about the Jins offer for very long. She longs to see more of her country, and this is a wonderful opportunity. She nods in agreement and steps onto the carpet before sitting cross-legged on the back half. She calls to Kelp and he jumps up and curls into a ball on her lap. The gin floats over and takes up a position in the front half, since he'll be navigating. He tells the carpet to take them to a mountain village.

Starting point is 00:25:12 With that simple instruction, the carpet floats through the tunnel to the cave opening, and then quickly gains altitude. The traveling trio is soon above the tree tops, moving quickly and quietly toward the mountain range that Alia has always dreamed of visiting. At first, Alia is a little nervous. She's never been airborne before. After a short while though, she gets used to it and is able to enjoy the unique view. Soon, they're soaring past the grove of ancient olive trees.

Starting point is 00:26:18 They fly over the village of Bismis and a lia can see her family's tiny cottage, which looks much smaller from way up in the valley. What would have taken days on a horseback goes by in a flash. As the valley becomes the foothills of Waleed's mountain range, the carpet starts ascending to match the terrain. The ground below becomes rocky, but a lia can see the narrow road that's been carved out for travelers on foot, or or back. The carpet continues to climb and the air grows colder. Alia doesn't have winter clothing with her and shivers in the chill. The gin notices and with a snap of his fingers, Alia is suddenly wearing a soft, thick

Starting point is 00:27:50 woolen coat and hat. She feels instantly cozy, and thanks the gin for his help. Soon Alia can see patches of snow on the rocks below. A head is a village, and as they fly closer, she can see it's even smaller than Bispis. The homes are made from mud bricks insulated on the outside with grass and straw bales that have been stacked along the walls and on top of the houses. The balale serve another purpose too, a Leia realizes as they get closer. She spots a group of goats and sheep in pins next to the homes, grazing on that innovative insulation. Each home has a tiny stove pipe poking out of the roof with a steady stream of smoke from wood stoves keeping people warm in their houses. It seems everyone is inside for their midday meal because the gin is able to land the carpet

Starting point is 00:29:33 just outside the village boundaries without attracting attention. He snaps his fingers and the carpet disappears. At the same time, the Jin transforms himself so that he won't frighten mortals. Instead of the towering, floating Jin, he is now a middle-aged man with kind eyes who walks on the ground. The gin still wears loose trousers and a tunic, though, synched at the waist with his wide, golden belt. They haven't come to the mountains to see a village filled with other people. Alia wants to experience the natural from the village, following a path

Starting point is 00:30:51 that leads further uphill. They skirt large rocks with short, scrubby plants growing from the cracks, and make footprints in patches of snow remaining from the previous winter. There are other prints here too, made by people, goats and sheep, and some Aliyah doesn't recognize. The Jin knows what the other prince are, though. He says those belong to a lion. Aliyah knows the Jin will protect her, and she's never seen a lion before. So she suggests they tried to find it.

Starting point is 00:31:55 They keep their eyes on the ground and walk slowly, following the tracks left by the large cat. When the tracks disappear, Kelb takes the lead, letting his sensitive nose keep them on the right path. They continue climbing up and eventually get to a tall tree. Kelb sniffs around the base and then looks up and barks. In among the branches is a beautiful lion. The tawny fur is smooth and thick. The tips of the lion's tail and tuffed ears are several shades darker than the rest of its coat and its eyes are a gleaming gold.

Starting point is 00:33:08 The lion is obviously shy and wants nothing to do with the visitors. A Lead del's kelp to be quiet, and after taking another look at the beautiful creature, the three quietly head back the way they came. As they walk, Aliyah breathes in the clean, crisp mountain air. They take a short side path that they'd missed while looking for the lion, and it leads them to a magical site. The narrow path opens up to a pool of crystal clear water ringed by rocks. Feeding the pool is a waterfall cascading over a rocky ledge I above. Missed created by the waterfall hitting the pool, sparkles in the sunshine like multicolored, precious gems. If it wasn't so chilly, Alia would have waited into the inviting pool. Instead, she admires its beauty while staying warm and dry. The group wanders back to the main path and climbs to the beautiful views from the mountain top.

Starting point is 00:35:09 From one angle, she can see even valley tiny at a distance, but recognizable. And off in another direction is the rich farm country where most of the kingdom's food grows. That's the next stop on the magic carpet tour. The trio gets back to the spot where they first landed and the gin snaps his fingers. snaps his fingers. The carpet reappears and the gin changes back to his usual appearance. They climb onto the floating carpet and the gin tells it to take them to the farmlands. The carpet descends the mountain at a dreamy speed. The landscape changes almost every minute, along with the temperature.

Starting point is 00:36:51 Alia soon has to take off her wool coat and hat, because they are no longer in the cold mountain air. The trees around them soon give way to fields filled with crops ready for harvest. They pass above a large, prosperous looking village, and then land near an orange grove. Again, the chin snaps his fingers to hide the carpet and disguise himself. Alia looks with pleasure at the stand of trees to her left. It isn't her beloved forest of olive trees, but it's inviting and shady. Across a narrow dirt road to her right is a cornfield. Alia has never seen corn growing before, so she's intrigued by how tall the stocks are,

Starting point is 00:38:03 and how closely they grow together. She walks over and squeezes through to get a closer look while the gin waits by the road. She stops after a few feet when she hears a strange voice greet her. A Lea looks around and doesn't see anybody. The only living creature she can spot other than Kelp is a crow perched on a bent corn stock. It's looking at her with bright black eyes, and then it, she's just flown down a mountain on a carpet with a gin. So a talking crow isn't as amazing today as it would have been yesterday.

Starting point is 00:39:21 She smiles at the crow and says hello back. Aliyah asks the crow how it's able to talk and it tells her it isn't sure. It listened to the farmers tending the fields and eventually started talking. The crow says the farmers didn't pay much attention though. Alia is the first person who's ever talked back. The crow says it lives in the orange grove and comes across the path to the shady stand of trees. Alia and Kelb follow more slowly on foot and are joined by the gin. When they catch up with the crow, it's perched on a low branch near the middle of the grove. It's quiet among the trees, with filtered light and a soft breeze. The branches hang heavy with ripe fruit, all a deep orange color that contrasts beautifully

Starting point is 00:41:11 with the lush green leaves. As Alia admires the scenery, a young farmer appears pushing a wooden wheelbarrow, half filled with ripe oranges. The farmer greets Alia and the disguised visitors and have been admiring the beautiful orange grove. The farmer is pleased and says they're welcome to explore and pick a few oranges for their travels. Alia doesn't want to be greedy, so she takes only a couple of oranges and thanks the farmer for his generosity.

Starting point is 00:42:21 She peels them as the group strolls lazily through the trees, enjoying the quiet and eating juicy orange segments one by one. The crow keeps them company, flying from branch to branch, and sharing harmless gossip. Eventually, it's time to leave for the capital city. The gin snaps its fingers to bring back the carpet and the trio climbs on. Clams on. They wave farewell to the crow and the gin directs the carpet towards Zamorad. The carpet quickly gains altitude and the fertile farmland turns into a patchwork quilt below them. They soon leave that rural landscape behind.

Starting point is 00:43:33 As more homes and towns indicate, they are on the outskirts of Zamorad already. The gin asks the carpet to stop in a small group of trees, not too far from the gates to the capital city, but far enough away to not attract attention. He snaps his fingers to hide the carpet and disguises himself again, and the three travelers walk to the city gates. It's market day in Xamarad, and the streets are filled with makeshift stalls or simple wagons, offering everything from fruit to accommodate all the market stalls. Smooth cobblestones pave the windows, providing splashes of color

Starting point is 00:45:13 against the gray of the stone. is busy and interesting. Alia has seen plenty of markets in her life. She wants to see the castle. The group makes their way through the market space and heads uphill to the home of kings are here. The castle is also made from stone, but it's a special stone from a quarry far to the south. The granite there has a beautiful green hue, making the castle stand out even more from the rest of the city. As they approach the castle, an old man walking in front of them trips on a loose cobblestone and stumbles. Alia runs over to help him up and offers her armist support for however long he needs

Starting point is 00:46:38 it. The man smiles at her generous nature and says it isn't necessary since his home is right in front of them. He points to the castle where some guards have emerged and are running toward the group. The guards are very concerned about the old man who turns out to be King Saeher. The king tells Alia that he likes to go for secret walks every afternoon among his subjects. The daily outing allows him to hear about people's concerns directly. The king invites Alia and her friends in for tea, and the group eagerly accepts. Flanked by guards, they walk through the grand front entrance into a large reception hall. It's the biggest room Alia has ever seen, with chairs lining the walls, and woven carpets on the green stone floor,

Starting point is 00:48:10 and a single large throne, also made of green stone, sitting a few steps above the rest of the chairs. But the group doesn't stop there. King Sehear turns to his right and leads them through a nondescript door, down a short hallway and into a much smaller room. This space is cozy with soft chairs all at the same height, hangings on the walls and a brass tray with tea and cakes. The king dismisses the guards and tells the servants they can go to. Then he serves tea to his guests like any good host would do. Together, they talk about books, art, and travel.

Starting point is 00:49:27 They don't reveal how they've traveled to the capital city, and let the king believe they've been on horseback for months. The king is impressed with their adventures, and intrigued by Alia's fond description of her valley with its ancient olive trees. The valley is so far from Zamarat, the King has never been able to visit. Soon, a guard interrupts them to remind the King of an important meeting. It's late in the day, and Alia wants to get back home to her beloved valley anyway. They bid farewell to the kind king and follow a guard back on side.

Starting point is 00:50:38 The trio walks to the main gates of the city through the market, which is winding down for the evening. Vendors pack up their goods as shoppers head home or to a nearby inn for their evening meal. Alia, Kelb and the Jin make their way back to the small stand of trees, and the Jin snaps his fingers to directs the carpet back to the valley, but at a slower pace this time. A liet yawns wide as the carpet floats leisurely above Zamarat. She lies back pulling kelp close. Alia closes her eyes and lets the smooth movement of the carpet lull her toward sleep. She takes a deep breath and replays some of the day's adventures

Starting point is 00:52:13 in her mind. It's been a wonderful experience and she will cherish the memories forever, kelp size, and snuggles up closer quietly drift off to sleep. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:53:42 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. ... I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room.

Starting point is 00:54:32 I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. I'm going to go back to the next room. ... ... ... I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same.

Starting point is 00:55:52 I'm going to do a little bit of the same. I'm going to do a little bit of the same. ... ... you I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:57:39 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. you ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Journey with a Jinn

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