Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - An Apple from the Tree of Life (Premium)

Episode Date: December 15, 2020

This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support.  An Apple from the Tree of LifeTonight, Tom reads a variation on the tale of a girl who finds her way to the Tree of Life. 😴  Sound design: distant waves.  About Get Sleepy Premium: Help support the podcast, and get: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads) The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free) Premium sleep meditations, extra-long episodes and more! We'll love you forever. ❤️ Get a 7 day free trial, and join the Get Sleepy community here https://getsleepy.com/support. And thank you so, so much.  Tom, and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more. And thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. Once there was a Sultan who lived with his daughter in a grand palace in Istanbul. Standing tall against a backdrop of olive trees, with a bustling market on all sides, the white palace was the gem of the town. Its beautiful marble columns and high arches were a sight to behold. The saltana, the sultan's daughter, was a happy young woman and had everything she needed.

During the day, she'd explore the palace grounds or visit the vast library. In the evening, she would relax in the Turkish steam bath. One of the Sultana's favorite parts of living in the palace was the Grand Feast. Each night, the royal family dined on spicy lentil soup, stuffed grape leaves, grilled coughdough and mouthwatering kebabs. However, none of the food nor finery of the palace could match what the sultana found in the royal gardens. Judas trees with deep pink flowers lined the garden pathway.

Their petals scattered along the earth and ground. Grassy patches were filled with red tulips springing toward the blue sky. Bright purple, yellow, and pink flowers added to the sweet fragrance that wafted through the air. The girl spent many hot afternoons taking shade under the canopy of the wonderfully-centred trees. She passed the time watching the setting sun, glistening off the brightly coloured flowers at dusk. The garden was full of delight and splendour. Yet, there was one thing the sotana wished for that couldn't be found in any garden in Turkey. She wanted an apple from the tree of life.

The Sotana had been curious about the tree since she was a little girl. She had heard about it in stories, told as she was drifting off to sleep. But it wasn't until she was older that she began to consider what might happen if she had the good fortune of tasting the fruit from such a tree. She began her search for the apple. She visited all the gardens in the ottoman empire, yet she never found the mythical tree. The sultan could see his daughter wanted this fruit badly, and because he loved her dearly, he wished to give her everything she desired. Surely someone in the empire must know where to find the tree of life, he thought. And so, the sultan called all of the wise people in the kingdom to his palace. Sages came to Istanbul from the Aegean coast and the Black Sea.

They travelled from far and wide to share their knowledge. Yet none of them knew how to find the holy fruit. Just when the Sultan was ready to give up, a small, old man walked through the palace gates. His face was wrinkled with age, and he wore ordinary clothes. At first glance, the Sultan dismissed him. But the palace guards saw something different in the man. And they told the Sultan he might have important information to share.

He considered their words for a moment and invited the stranger to speak. The old man told the Sultan he was sure the tree of life was real. While he didn't know how to travel there himself, he knew it could be found in the mythical Garden of Eden. It is told that there are two trees in the garden, the man said, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. It is forbidden to eat an apple from the tree of knowledge he warned. But whoever eats an apple from the tree of life will live long and healthy years upon this earth. The sultan was intrigued by this tale.

Do you know who can tell me how to find this place, he asked the stranger? The man told him that those who knew the most about the Garden of Eden were the rabbis of Istanbul. Perhaps the Sultan should ask them how to find a piece of the fruit. them how to find a piece of the fruit.