Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Beauty and the Beast: Part 1

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters feed Get Sleepy Premium for our free listening weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Hello and welcome to get sleepy. When we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host Thomas. Thanks so much for tuning in. Tonight we'll begin a dreamy three-part retelling of the classic tale, Beauty and the Beast. It's a perfectly old terminal story to lead you into a good night's sleep. And you'll be able to hear parts 2 and 3 on Wednesday and Thursday this week, all on the public feed. For our premium supporters, we'll also be releasing a special stitched version of Beauty

Starting point is 00:01:11 and the Beast, which is over 2 hours long, on Thursday. On that note, with the season of giving coming up, I just want to remind you that you can gift Get Sleepy Premium to your friends and loved ones, or perhaps you'd like to add it to your own wish list. When you go to GetSleepy.com slash support, you'll see the option to gift a subscription at the top of the page. I hope the gift of sleep is something we can spread far and wide. And as part of our supporters drive over the next month, we've got tons of extras and festive treats coming up on the premium feed, and I know you're going to love.

Starting point is 00:01:58 It warms my heart immeasurably to see people sending the gift of good sleep to others. And of course there's always the option of treating yourself to a subscription too. Just follow the link in the show notes or go to GetSleepy.com slash support to find out more. Thanks sleepyheads, you are the best. Now then, before we get to part one of our week-long fairy tale adventure, let's just take a moment to settle in and let go of any unease lingering in the body or mind. Make sure you're comfortable and as you ease into stillness, just allow your breathing to draw out a little longer, particularly on the exhale. Focus your attention as much as you can on your breathing. Let the slow, steady rhythm of the air flow become a mindful and soothing experience.

Starting point is 00:03:27 When I speak to you here, prior to each story, I try to say the things that I know I would want to hear if I were falling asleep to this show. I've found the process of getting to sleep in particular, rather difficult throughout much of my life. I still have bad patches nowadays, but I've gradually learned to remain calm and not let it stress me out on those difficult nights. Yes, it can make the next day a fair bit more challenging, but getting worked up about it only brings more wakefulness. So remember, while you listen along tonight, You can use your breath to help pacify any stress, tension or worry.

Starting point is 00:04:30 It's a simple yet effective way to calm the nervous system and guide you into a beautiful night's sleep. And that's especially true when you combine those deep breaths with a dreamy bedtime story like this one. It's a tale as old as time. as old as time. So, without further ado, let's drift into the fairy tale world of beauty and the beast. There was once a merchant named Laurent, who staked his entire fortune on a fleet of ships, but lost them all at sea. Being a widower, he didn't have to take this news home to a wife. However, he had six children who had grown used to a life of relative privilege.

Starting point is 00:06:08 When the debts were called in and rumour spread that the family was penniless, most of them took the news hard. As days turned into weeks and the ships didn't appear in the port. The merchant had to begin selling their fine furniture, their carriage, and even his daughter's jewelry and expensive dresses. They had to give up their richly appointed house and move to a cottage on the outskirts of town. L'Ont was frequently away visiting business acquaintances and trying to find partners who might invest and help him rebuild his business. While he travelled, his children, who were three boys and three girls, were left to keep the house on their own. Although they were practically adults, the three boys

Starting point is 00:07:20 and the two oldest girls were largely useless when it came to practical skills. They had become quite accustomed to a life of study and idol luxury. The youngest daughter whose name was Camille was the most willing to take on the necessary household chores, now that they were without servants. Perhaps it was her more impressionable age, or perhaps it was that she had a sweeter, more steadfast temperament. Whatever the combination of factors, Camille did the best she could to learn the basics of running a household. Indeed, she was the only member of the family who was truly liked by the people in the village.

Starting point is 00:08:25 Lorons brewed did not have many friends. To make their situation worse, the five oldest children also made no effort to adjust to their new lives. They did nothing to prove themselves capable or to endure themselves to the neighbors who might have helped them. Camille, however, sought advice from the villagers about unfamiliar skills such as baking, sewing, gardening, and keeping chickens. Their weariness turned to a genuine affection when they grew to appreciate her willingness to learn and to work hard. In this way, over time, she became the glue that held Laurence household together.

Starting point is 00:09:33 While the five older siblings struggled to accept their fate, unable to change, Camille ensured that they had a tidy home and that there was food on the table. One day, when the family had been living this way for nearly two years, the Ornont received word that one of his lost ships had appeared in the port, its cargo largely intact. The family rejoiced that this miraculous news, the older five siblings declaring that their lives among the villages were finally at an end. Camille took pleasure in their happiness, but the news did not seem as important to her as it did to the others. She had come to love their small cottage, with its tidy garden and comforting aroma of baking bread.

Starting point is 00:10:48 Although it would be a relief to see the rest of her family content, she was unsure as to whether she wanted to return to their former lives of idleness. illness. She had become a person who liked being useful. In order to reclaim his property, Naurant had to travel to the port by horseback, and it would be a journey of a couple of days. Once there, he could arrange for the proper dispersal of his reclaimed wealth and hire a comfortable coach to bring him home. In anticipation of their improved fortunes, he asked each of his children what gift they would like to have from the city. The older siblings demanded finery. They asked for silk shoes with sparkling buckles, hats

Starting point is 00:11:59 with elaborate trimmings, velvet capes, furs, and jewels. Only Camille was silent, seeming to think very hard about what her request would be. When her father turned to her and told her to speak up, she hesitated briefly. In truth, father, I have always dreamed of seeing a rose, she said. They do not grow in this part of the country, and they are so exotic and expensive. If you could bring me a single rose in any color, that would be lovely. He chuckled at the strange whims of his youngest, but he readily agreed. Privately, he thought he would also bring her a necklace or some sort of bobble to go with the flower. The weather was fine on the morning of his departure. Camille took care to pack his saddlebag with provisions

Starting point is 00:13:29 for his journey, and she wished him farewell with a somewhat tearful smile. The others were more cavalier. They were used to their father's travels. They cared only for the gifts they could now expect upon his return. As he rode away, down the sun-dappled forest path, Camel alone waited in front of the cottage until he disappeared. She had a strange feeling of misgiving, but she didn't want to speak up. After all, their fortunes had obviously taken a turn for the better. While Lawrence children waited at the cottage, he steadily made his way to the port city, filled with anticipation of reclaiming his wealth and status.

Starting point is 00:14:42 It was true of course that he had still suffered heavy losses. However, with the cargo in this ship, he could see it a new business, perhaps building up to a new fleet of ships. His head was filled with dreams of the spices, silks and other goods he might import in the future. It was devastating to him, therefore, to arrive and find his dreams dashed. It was true his ship had reappeared with most of its cargo unharmed. However, word had spread quickly of his good fortune and his many creditors had taken swift action. By the time Loraunter come to claim his property, it had already been distributed to pay his many debts. In vain, he contacted one merchant after another, asking for an extension on his considerable bills.

Starting point is 00:16:10 But it was no use. At the end of the day, he was a man without debts, but he was empty-handed. There was no money left for him to invest, and there was certainly no money to spend on the gifts he had promised to his family. He was so disheartened he didn't even want to stay in the city overnight. Without properly provisioning himself, considering the weather, or sending any correspondence ahead of him, Laurent mounted his tired horse again and roared out of town, heading back down the provincial road that had brought him to the port that morning. Laurent was a few hours outside of the city when darkness fell and a storm descended. Lightening and thunder crashed all around him, and the

Starting point is 00:17:33 wind gusted mercilessly, blowing limbs off the trees. Lawrence horse became frightened and bolted away from the main road, taking him into an unfamiliar forest. Realising too late that he had been foolish to undertake this nighttime journey, Lawrence night-time journey. Launt began searching in the gusting wind for any sort of shelter, such as a cave. How long his horse wandered through the howling gale, he did not know. Finally, his saw a tall stone wall arise before him. He urged the horse onward, hoping he had reached a house where he might shelter. Arriving at the forbidding wall of rock, he saw that it was not a house. It was the wall around an estate.

Starting point is 00:18:53 A tall and imposing iron gate stood ever so slightly open. Having no time for good manners, Lawrence dismounted and pushed the heavy swinging gate wide enough to pull his horse through. Together, they slowly headed up a paved walkway that receded ahead of them into the swirling darkness. With leaves flying all around and rain pelting him from all sides, Naurant could barely see the massive structure that emerged ahead of him in the wicked gloom. It was a munchen to be sure. Although his visibility was limited, he could see it had a grand approach and many large

Starting point is 00:20:00 rooms with tall windows. It was a very intimidating place for a person to arrive uninvited, but he had no choice. He feared he could not survive the night without a roof youth over his head. Tying his horse up safely in a sheltered alcove, he walked to the massive front door and lifted the iron door knocker. He let it fall, hearing the sound echo through the gloom, as if in response to the thunder. When there was no answer, he took a deep breath and pushed the door inward with all his weight. It gave, and he found himself almost falling onto the floor of a grand entryway. Laurent lay on the cold flagstones for a moment, regaining his breath in the ey stillness. He could still hear the rain lashing the front steps through the crack in the tall door and thought to himself how glad he was that he'd found shelter for his horse.

Starting point is 00:21:37 Rising in the semi-darkness, he peered about him. He was in a grand reception area, with a carved staircase ascending on either side. Suits of armour stood sentinel here and there. Ahead of him there was a set of richly carved double doors. The silence inside the house was profound. He could have heard a pin drop, but there was a light glowing around the cracks of the doors in front of him. After a few half-hearted efforts to call out to the occupants, he took another deep breath and walked toward the scanned the room. A fire was roaring in the cavernous hearth.

Starting point is 00:22:59 In front of it a table was set for one, with a few simple dishes, a carafe and a large drinking glass spread across it. His gaze took in the other aspects of the comfortable room. He saw upholstered chairs and tables carelessly stacked with books. Still, there was no sign of the owner. Laurent awkwardly sat down on one of the arm chairs and waited for a few moments. and waited for a few moments. Soon, he could not take his eyes from the simple dinner laid upon the table. The loaf of bread and the aroma of the roasted meat tormented him and his stomach growled loudly. As minutes passed and nobody appeared, he soon gave in to his hunger and seated himself at the table. First taking just the slice of bread, and then slowly eating the entire meal, he passed an hour in contented silence.

Starting point is 00:24:33 Perhaps, he thought, the owner was away from home and sheltering from the storm elsewhere. Taking a deep drink of the delicious liquid in the glass, he hungrily polished off the rest of the dinner. Yes, he told himself, the owner was away and he would be able to explain himself in the morning. Upon finishing all the food, Laurent leaned happily back in his chair and drank the rest of the contents of the carafe. the carafe. The fire danced before his eyes, crackling and popping with a comforting warmth. Draining the last drop from his large cup, he pulled the letter about his recovered cargo ship from his pocket. Just a short time ago, he had been so full of hope. Now those dreams were gone again. He dropped the letter on the table and pushed it away. Without even realizing it, Laurent fell into a deep sleep. He slumbered through the night without dreaming. When he awoke in the morning, it took him a moment to remember where he was. The fire had long ago burned down, and the plates and glasses it used the night before

Starting point is 00:26:37 were still on the table. It appeared that his host had not yet returned home. Feeling she-pish that he'd entered a stranger's home without invitation, his embarrassment got the better of him. Rather than wait for the return of the owner, Laurent resolved to slip out of the house as quietly as possible and be quickly on his way. After all, he told himself, the dinner would obviously have gone to waste anyhow. any how. Raising himself from the upholstered chair, Laurent moved across the chamber and pulled the double doors open. The morning light filtered weakly into the entryway, illuminating the Oster Hallway so that he could see it much better than the

Starting point is 00:27:47 night before. Stepping self-consciously into the foyer, he found himself tiptoeing between the vigilant vigilant suits of armour, as if they might come to life any moment and bar his path. Peering around him at the twin curving staircases, he noted that their carpet runners appeared neglected and fusty. It was as if nobody had been living here for some time. He walked lightly across the flagstones to the enormous front door. He reached for the handles and poured with all his might. It slowly slid open again, revealing a misty courtyard outside. Squeezing himself through the crack and then pushing it shut behind him. He straightened his waistcoat and attempted to muster some dignity. Escaping his forbidding refuge like a thief in the night felt wrong, but he would try to put entire, humiliating journey behind him.

Starting point is 00:29:28 Making haste, he returned to the alcove where he'd left his horse tethered the night before. He was glad to find her well. He reached into his saddlebag, to feed her an apple he had left over from the supplies Camille had packed for him. Then untying the horse, he quietly let her down the stone path he had travelled in the whipping wind the night before. Looking behind him, he saw the mansion rising darkly into the growing daylight. It was an enormous shadow. Long, beige and rectangular, the building had a main center section and was flanked by identical

Starting point is 00:30:28 wings on either side. The windows were tall and narrow, lining all the two large floors with a regimented appearance. They seemed to be staring down at him. The sloping, tiled roof was thickly populated with chimneys. Turning away from the sight of the imposing shadow, he led the horse toward the front gate, taking in the overgrown gardens on either side of him. As he was nearing the end of the walkway, he spotted a particularly charming pergola that was overrun with rose bushes. Standing in the centre of a round seating area was a rose bush blooming with the most stunning pink roses it ever seen.

Starting point is 00:31:42 All at once he remembered his promise to Camille. Resolving to keep his word to his youngest daughter, he eagerly set to cutting blushing roses from the bush, with a knife he kept in his back. one rose would not be enough to make up for the circumstances of his reappearance. He would take them all. Blonont was so absorbed by his task that he didn't hear footsteps approaching. However, as he backed away from the rosebush, now devoid of all its blossoms, he sensed he was being watched. Turning, he saw a tall, fierce-looking man, glouring down at him.

Starting point is 00:32:49 Or at least, he thought it was a man. The being who stood before him, resembled a human, but he was bristling from beneath the wilderness of facial hair, and he had an abnormally tall and muscular build. Obviously not prepared for company, he was wearing a wrinkled linen shirt and breeches, as if he had stormed over in a hurry. He appeared to be furious. What do you think you are doing? He said in a loud growl, like that of a wolf. Lauront froze, painfully aware of the bouquet hanging from his left hand. He stuttered out an explanation, saying that he thought nobody lived here.

Starting point is 00:33:59 He said he assumed the roses would not be missed. Then seeing no change in the man's fearsome countenance, he finished weekly with the explanation that he had promised some roses to his daughter. The beastly man in the linen shirt waited in stony silence as if considering his next words carefully. Then he drew himself up to his full height and said, you took advantage of my hospitality without asking. You ate my dinner. You slept in my chair.

Starting point is 00:34:53 All of this I was willing to overlook without confronting you. However, you have now taken every bloom from my most prized rose bush. It has great personal meaning to me. There is not another like it, and each of those flowers is priceless in my estimation. I demand that you make an effort to compensate me for this. Hearing these words, Laurent felt his heart sink. He shook his head in defeat and told the man that he could not pay anything at all. He had nothing to offer. His stony face toast regarded him coolly. In that case, you must work off your debt," he responded. I am in need of laborers here at my estate. Laurent gorked at him, trying to formulate another suggestion.

Starting point is 00:36:16 But sir, he protested, I have six children at home. I cannot stay here with you. What will become of them?" The man appeared unmoved. Either you work off your debt, or someone in your family must take your place," he said. Take your roses. They are no good to me now. Return to your family and make your arrangements.

Starting point is 00:36:55 I will expect you or your replacement to be here within a week. If you do not appear, I will find you. With that, the glouring, fierce-looking man turned on his heel and strode toward the house. He never looked back and Laurent watched him as he disappeared into the shadow. Laurent could see no other option than to go home and tell his children what he had done. He did not know how, but he would have to make arrangements for them to manage in his absence. Perhaps when the man who had called his temper, he would see sense and not keep Laurent in his service too long. With the storm passed and daylight on his side, Laurent was able to follow his path back to the main road and continue onward towards home. He rode steadily but slowly as he considered the news he'd have to share upon his arrival. It was a beautiful day.

Starting point is 00:38:37 The mist lifted and the early autumn sun showered him with a cheer that felt out of place. The birds sang sweetly as if nothing was a miss. But his heart was heavy and he was hesitant about what was to come. When he arrived home late that night, his children greeted him with excitement. After all, they were expecting gifts. Opening and closing his saddlebags, Opening and closing his saddlebags, they playfully reached around to find the finery he had promised them. With regret, he instead offered each of them a rose. Camille took hers and smelled it with delight, admiring its perfection. But his other five children demanded to see their real presence. That night, around the crowded kitchen table, Laurent told his children what had happened on his ill-fated journey to the port city.

Starting point is 00:40:11 He related the loss of his remaining fortune as well as the circumstances leading up to his current obligation to the owner of the mysterious chateau. When he concluded that he would have to return and work off his debt, the five oldest siblings were not pleased. They pouted, asking how they were supposed to manage in his absence. Camille alone was silent. She sat at the table with an unreadable expression, lost in thought. Finally, she called for silence. Her siblings looked at her with surprise, as Camille was

Starting point is 00:41:13 usually not one to insert her opinion. Camille announced that she would return to the shadow to take her father's place. Laurent's eyes filled with tears. He protested that he could not and would not allow such a thing. However, Camille's sound reasoning was difficult to counter. Father was needed at home to support the family. She however could be spared. Furthermore she did have some household skills and would be able to do whatever cleaning or cooking was allotted to her. No, she concluded, there was not another reasonable solution. It was she who would work off the family debt.

Starting point is 00:42:28 It only took a day or two for Camille to prepare her modest belongings for the journey. As the rose her father brought her began to wilt. She pressed it in a book to dry. She wanted to have a reminder of why she was leaving home to work for this beastly stranger on a distant and isolated estate. Camille was nervous about leaving behind everything she had known, but she was determined to make her father proud. The morning of Camille's departure dawned bright and clear. She and Launt packed her things into a small cart that they hitched to their faithful mare. The chateau would be two days' walk with the horse pulling the cart. Launt knew of an inn where they could spend the night along the way.

Starting point is 00:43:52 Her older siblings gathered in front of the cottage to see them off. Among them there was a mixture of relief and unspoken admiration. They were glad that they would not be left to fend for themselves for very long. It was a somber journey for Laurent and Camille. journey for Laurent and Camille. The fine weather lasted all the first day and their night at the inn was uneventful. However, the second day of their trip proved to be blustery and sullen, as autumn first began to stake its claim on the forest. The first of the fallen brown leaves blew across their path, and the wind whistled through the trees. Their faithful horse clopped along the road, slowly drawing them nearer and nearer to their parting.

Starting point is 00:45:17 When Laurent spotted the turnoff from the main road that would lead to the shadow, his heart began to break more with each step. Sensing her father's sinking spirits, Camille bolstered her courage and smiled at him reassuringly. Don't worry, father, she said soothingly. I am a capable person. I will be fine. He nodded, hoping it would be true. Inevitably, the pair arrived at the gloomy entrance to the estate. Laurent knew the time had come, pushing the gate open once again. He led the horse through the opening and approached the forbidding mansion for the second time. ... ... ... ... ... ... you ... ... you I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:50:08 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:50:24 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... ... ... ... ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Beauty and the Beast: Part 1

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