Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Tale of Paul Bunyan and Babe (5th Anniversary Bonus)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios and is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and premium members. If you'd like to listen ad-free and access weekly bonus episodes, extra long stories and our entire back catalogue, you can try out premium free for 7 days by following the link in the episode notes. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. Bumble knows it's hard to start conversations. Hey, no, too basic. Hi there. Still no.

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Starting point is 00:01:53 one of the most listened to sleep podcasts in the world. I hope we've helped you feel reassured and cared for every time you've come to listen since we started in 2019. And I sincerely hope to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary with you when that time comes around. Posting this podcast and hearing so much positive feedback from you all has truly been the greatest honor of my life, and I still love it just as much as I did five years ago. So thank you again my friends for every listen, every like, every review and every email, the whole shebang. Now, let's keep this thing rolling with another beautiful story tonight. TK is here to read to us, and the story was wonderfully written by Frankie.

Starting point is 00:02:58 We're about to experience the tale of Paul Bunyan and his companion, Babe the Blue Ox. This story has been told and retold many times, with each telling adding more detail to this larger-than-life figure. In many ways, Paul and Babe are spirits of of the old untamed wilderness of America. So let's start by picturing that landscape. Close your eyes and begin lengthening your your breath. Before you bring any images to your mind's eye, first listen to the sound of the wind whistling. It blows across the land, cool and refreshing. cool and refreshing. Your breath is like the wind.

Starting point is 00:04:10 Each inhale and exhale calms your body, allowing it to settle and relax. Now, bring forth the image of a bright blue sky. Large puffy white clouds drift slowly across it. Feel the softness of those clouds enveloping your body, taking away any tension and leaving a body that is ready for rest. imagine a great sea of deep green trees. In places, the green is so dark, it is nearly black. And in other spots, the pine needles seem to glitter like emeralds. glitter like emeralds. You are like that forest with deep roots that sink into your comfortable blankets and pillows with the peaceful stillness of a great forest. Notice how your deep, even breaths blow the wind, move the clouds, and settle calmly on the forest. Take a few moments to hold this moving image in your mind, allowing all the other pieces of you and your day to drift away.

Starting point is 00:06:32 of you and your day to drift away. You can pick them back up tomorrow. For now, there is only you. Alter your focus now from the wider forest to a small village in a clearing. There is a log cabin in the village where a mother and father are waiting for their new child to arrive. This is where our story begins. Mother Bunyan sits at the window of her warm, cozy cottage and watches the sky. She knows today is the day. She can feel it in her bones. She told Father Bunyan as much this morning. He is pacing up and down the cabin nervously, too excited to sit down in his big, plaid comfy chair for longer than a few seconds, before leaping back up again and resuming his pacing. Mother Bunyan does her best to ignore him, and sips her tea, appearing calm to any watcher, but secretly bursting with joy on the inside.

Starting point is 00:08:39 The steaming cup of soothing chamomile tea is halfway to her lips when she first spots something in the sky. She barely notices the warm vapor caressing her cheeks as she watches the figure draw closer. It is definitely flying, but she can see far too many wings outlined against the clear blue of the village today. Though she was certain, she and Father Bunyan's eyes widen in surprise. Barely able to speak, she waves Father Bunyan over to her window.

Starting point is 00:09:59 He takes one look at the approaching delivery and runs outside, mother bunion hot on his heels. Five large white storks descend with a bundle tied between them. As the birds maneuver towards the happy couple, they squawk in greeting. Father Bunyan will swear for years after that he never saw such graceful birds as the five storks that perfectly choreographed the delivery of their son. Once the team of storks are on the ground, Father Bunyan races forward to untie the bundle. Mother Bunyan goes into the house and returns with water for the hard-working birds.

Starting point is 00:11:13 It takes no small amount of Father Bunyan's impressive strength to lift the bundle and show their new son to Mother Bunyan. Wrapped securely in the blankets is a cheerful little face that coos and smiles as soon as it sees its new parents. as soon as it sees its new parents. Father and Mother Bunyan, not at all put off by their child's large size, decide to call him Paul. They take him inside, and Father Bunyan begins immediate work,

Starting point is 00:12:08 expanding the cradle to accommodate their larger-than-average baby. The next morning, Father and Mother Bunyan awake to find a happy Paul who has doubled in size overnight. Mother Bunyan goes to her neighbors to get hand-me-down clothes from the family with a five-year-old, realizing that Paul is not going to fit in baby clothes. Paul's growth continues to astound his parents, neighbors, and the whole village.

Starting point is 00:13:14 Before a week has passed, Mother Bunyan is altering Father Bunyan's clothes to fit Paul. As the years go by and Paul grows into adulthood, the villagers begin to see the immense benefits of having a land as large as Paul around. He is a great help with field and farm work, loading or unloading carts, and setting up for the village markets. As is so often the case with large, strong men, Paul is very sweet and gentle in his nature. He especially loves animals and going for walks in the surrounding forest. When it is time for Paul to make his way in the world, he decides to join a lumber camp, putting his impressive strength to use in cutting down trees,

Starting point is 00:14:27 maintaining a healthy forest, and building log cabins for those who need homes. He enjoys being outdoors and doing a job that benefits the people around him. Because Paul is so tall, he can easily check trees from the roots to the canopy for any occupants before cutting them down with one easy swing of his axe. When Paul finds a family of squirrels, an owl's nest, or any other occupants, he simply leaves the tree alone and searches to find another.

Starting point is 00:15:28 The first winter Paul spends working with the camp is one like no other. It would be known in years to come as the winter of the blue snow, the men of the logging camp huddle together to keep warm and always keep their fire going. It is so cold that the snow turns blue. Men's words freeze soon as they leave their mouths, and they are forced to gulp their coffee down as soon as it is brewed, so it won't freeze in their cups. Despite the cold, Paul enjoys walking through the snow-covered forest. He marvels at the delicate icicles

Starting point is 00:16:42 hanging from the trees like spun glass. He enjoys the way the sun glitters off the snow like a fairyland. He always brings some extra food to give to any creatures he passes on his walks. During one walk he notices a other creatures of the forest. Paul digs through the deep, blue-colored snow and pulls out a baby ox, nearly the exact same color as the snow. The little ox looks at Paul with at home with the cold weather. Paul takes him back to the brightest, greenest spring anyone has seen in 100 years, so Babe grows huge and strong. Paul is taller than the tallest trees, and yet,

Starting point is 00:18:45 Babe easily comes up to above his waist. However, Babe needs to drink huge amounts of water, as Paul discovers quite quickly when he watches Babe nearly drink a river dry. Paul decides to create a place for Babe to drink that will never run out. He sets to work, digging a huge water hole in the ground. He digs for a week straight, making the hole big enough for several large rivers and streams to feed into it. into it.

Starting point is 00:19:47 Paul becomes so engrossed in his work that he loses track of how far and long he has been digging. When he finally finishes, he has created a string of five huge lakes, each one nearly as large as the sea. We now know them as the Great Lakes of North America. The lumber camp where Paul lives and works contains nine other men. The other lumberjacks are called the seven axemen and are renowned all over for their

Starting point is 00:20:39 professionalism. They are all over six feet tall, and are considered to have very large statues when compared to anyone except Paul and Babe. All seven of the lumberjacks are called Elmer, which becomes confusing when Paul calls for some assistance. They all come running at once. But that usually just means the job gets done faster. The blacksmith of the camp is no small man either. Oh, the blacksmith is so strong and skilled that he is the only person in the whole country that can shoe babe. He also created the giant cast-iron griddle for sourdough

Starting point is 00:21:51 Sam. Sam is the camp cook and he makes nearly everything he can out of sourdough. His specialty is sourdough griddle cakes, which are a favorite meal among the other residents of the camp. Sometimes they have them with fresh maple syrup that Paul pours directly out of a maple tree. Other times they have them with honey and fresh berries from the forest. The men of the lumber camp live and work happily together, camp live and work happily together, particularly after the addition of Paul and Babe. Eventually they start selling enough logs for lumber that they need someone to help with their accounts. That is when they hire Johnny Inkslinger. He keeps track of all the costs, expenses, and income of the camp and becomes known as the fastest pen in the North.

Starting point is 00:23:27 Paul and his best friend, Babe, spend another happy year with the lumber camp, sleeping under the eaves of the forest at night, and helping out during the day. Babe is just as helpful as Paul, for he can carry immense loads easily, and is a very sweet, playful animal to have around. By the end of the following winter, Paul begins to feel a deep urge to travel. He was born at the edge of this pine forest and wonders what other lovely lands are to be found outside its borders. He and Mabe pack up their few belongings and venture west.

Starting point is 00:24:40 Being young and not quite knowing their own strength, the two friends stomp, jump, and stride across the state of Minnesota. Paul, with his huge, homemade boots, and Babe, with his four hooves move quickly, taking no notice of their footsteps, but enjoying the vast, unbroken countryside instead. It is only when they cross the border into South Dakota that they notice what they've done. Their footprints have created over 10,000 lakes across the entire state. Far from being upset by the new water features, the animal and human residents of the state rejoice at the valuable and beneficial addition to their homes. Babe and Paul, however, promise to be more careful with their footfalls in the future.

Starting point is 00:26:12 Paul and Babe travel through South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona, always heading southwest. In Northern Arizona, they come across a huge red desert. Wanting to move through it quickly so he can find some water for babe, quickly, so he can find some water for babe, fall hurries along, slightly less carefully than he normally would have done. Unknowns to him, his axe becomes loose in his pack and drags on the ground behind him. The huge, sharp axe blade carves through the earth as easily as it would through butter.

Starting point is 00:27:22 The red sand and rock give way to a huge canyon, at the bottom of which flows strong, cool water from the rocky mountains. Babe is the one who finally notices Paul's mistake. He stops walking and loathes meaningfully at his companion. Paul pauses in his strides and looks back. He quickly replaces his axe and marvels at the new landscape. The layers of red rock are now revealed to the world, each different color of strata representing a different age of the planet.

Starting point is 00:28:32 Babe, slightly less interested in geology than Paul, drinks long from the flowing river. Little does Paul know, as he chivvies babe along, that this area will become known as the Grand Canyon. It will attract other admirers of natural beauty from all over the world. The giant man and his big blue ox alter their course slightly north. By the time they reach the Pacific Ocean, they are near that spot that will one day be the location of the city of San Francisco. Paul and Dave take to the area immediately. Perhaps it is because the giant redwood trees are nearly the same height as they are. Having never seen the ocean before, the two friends sit for a long time, watching the way the sun reflects off the waves, listening to the sound of the surf, lapping the beach, and taking big, deep breaths of the fresh sea air.

Starting point is 00:30:26 They stay all day and into the evening. Paul builds a cooking fire while so large that they have had to move down to the beach, so Paul has enough room for the flame. The sun begins to set, mirroring the colors of his campfire in the fierce oranges and yellows in the sky. For all of Paul's life, he has seen the sun set over the land and wondered where the sun goes when the night falls. Now that he is at the ocean,

Starting point is 00:31:31 he is certain that the sun dips below the water and is extinguished only to be reignited in the East every day. Paul makes a mental promise to himself to travel East and find out where the sun becomes light once more at the beginning of the day. As the sky darkens, the stars become visible. Paul loves the stars. He notices the way the firelight ripples on the dark water, creating another sky of stars on the ocean. He notes that if it were not for the firelight, he would have only the sound of the waves

Starting point is 00:32:41 to tell him the water is still there. The next morning, Paul starts his fire again to make breakfast. He makes a couple of griddle cakes, though they aren't quite as good as the one sourdough Sam used to make, Paul begins packing up his camp and calling Babe. He considers the large fire for a moment and decides to put it out using water from the ocean. Paul fills his huge saucepan with water and carefully picks out any fish or sea life that end up inside. Once he is satisfied that his water is empty, he brings it to the fire and pours it steadily

Starting point is 00:33:51 on the coals. At once, a huge cloud of steam rises into the air. So much steam comes out that it spreads out across the entire area. It creates a thick fog, heavy with moisture. There is no way for Paul to know that by creating the San Francisco fog, he has helped make sure the entire area of the coastline gets plenty of water each year. Unable to see, Paul calls to Babe until they find one another in the fog. They follow the coastline north, Paul always keeping one hand on Babe so as not to lose him in the fog. From San Francisco Bay all the way up to Oregon, the moisture in the fog sticks to Babe's blue sides and Paul's thick beard. Every once in a while, the pair have to shake themselves, sending large droplets to the ground, watering the forest around them.

Starting point is 00:35:52 In the same way that the tiny water drops stick to Paul and Babe, they also stick to the great redwood trees. The pearly fog flows through the trees, giving them even more thirst-quenching water. Fall and day break through the fog and head inland slightly, near the Columbia River. Again, Paul and Babe make camp for the night. In the morning, Paul is very aware that he does not want to make the same mistake he did down south. Instead of pouring water on his great campfire, he decides to smother it with large stones.

Starting point is 00:37:00 For most of the morning, Paul and Bave searched the surrounding area for stones. Paul piles them up into a great heap, making sure that his fire cannot escape. Once he has made a mountain of rocks, Paul is satisfied and leads Babe yet further north. The rocks are still standing today, covering the hot fire inside. Locals know it as Mount Hood. Babe and Paul travel up and down the country for many years in this manner. They see every part of North America,

Starting point is 00:38:04 always striving to find the perfect place to settle down. Finally, they find themselves back in South Dakota. They are walking by a pasture when, off in the distance, the two friends notice a yellow cow. Babe pulls Paul along, determined to meet this cow. As they get closer, Paul realizes that the cow is not as far away as they thought, and that she is nearly as tall as the blue ox.

Starting point is 00:39:17 One look at Babe's smitten face is all Paul needs. He buys Bessie the yellow cow from the farmer immediately. Paul spends the rest of his days in a great valley in South Dakota. He builds a huge farmhouse in the middle of the valley. in a great valley in South Dakota. He builds a huge barn for Bessie and Dave, and an equally large house for himself. They spend innumerable years together, watching the seasons pass. Paul often reflects on the many natural wonders of the land and his travels. The Red Desert in Arizona is as beautiful as the wind blowing across the great plains. Paul and Dave left many marks on the land as they passed, so that we may not forget them.

Starting point is 00:41:09 No one knows for sure where Paul, Dave, and Bessie went, though many claim they went north, looking for a wide tundra for Bessie and Babe to raise green calves. Their barn and the house eventually became covered with dirt and vegetation, leaving the black hills of South Dakota behind. Perhaps when you see the beauty of North America, you will think of Paul and, and their deep love for everything around them. You You You You The The You You You The You You You You You You You You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You You The You You You you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Tale of Paul Bunyan and Babe (5th Anniversary Bonus)

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