Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Sleeping Castle

Starting point is 00:00:00 Before tonight's episode, I want to let you know about our supporters' feed Get Sleepy Premium, the best way to experience the show and get a good night's sleep. With Get Sleepy Premium, everything is ad-free. You'll receive a bonus episode every week, and have full access to our entire back catalogue. Your support really helps, and means so much to us. Simply tap the link in the show notes to learn more. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make it possible for us to bring you two three episodes each week. Do you have a baby that won't fall asleep? A noisy neighbor you need to block out?

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Starting point is 00:01:33 Or just follow the link in the show notes for a 30 day free trial of the Deep Sleep sounds app. Welcome to Get Sleepy. The podcast when we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm Tom, your host. Thanks for tuning in. I'm excited to let you know that this week, in addition to our usual schedule of episodes, we'll also have a bonus episode in honour of World Sleep Day on Friday.

Starting point is 00:02:12 It's a very special meditation, where we will all have the chance to share in the comfort and reassurance of good rest. of good rest. As for tonight, our story is inspired by a fairy tale once collected by the brother's grim. It's about two brothers who set off from their humble village to find an enchanted castle and win the ultimate prize. As the proverb goes however, you reap what you sow and the very different approaches they take to the same journey end up greatly affecting their fate. in and unwined, ready for our enchanting adventure this evening. Allow your body to settle into the peace and quiet of night. Whatever today was like, be it busy and full on, or maybe steady and leisurely, you can leave it behind now.

Starting point is 00:03:46 Today's journey is at its end. So gently take your foot off the pedal of activity, allowing any racing thoughts to slow down and rest. And allowing any leftover energy in your body to also slow down and rest. You've done enough for today and you needn't look ahead to tomorrow either. The only intention in this moment should be to enjoy the comfort of your bed, to relax your body and ease your mind. Then, you can invite your imagination to guide you through our story as you listen along. Feel free to drift off whenever the pull of sleep comes your way. Now, picture a village nestled in a lush green woodland. The tranquil hum of nature And it's with him one of its humble cottages, where our story begins. There was once a leather worker who had two sons. The elder was named Ludvik and the younger was named Johan. The boys had grown up assisting their father in his trade. They knew that the work was difficult, the hours were long and the income

Starting point is 00:06:17 was small. As they came of age, they both began to secretly wish they could spread their wings. They loved and respected their father, but they had dreams of their own, and were curious to explore a different path in life. One day, their father was mending the shoe of a passing traveler. While the stranger was waiting, he entertained Johann and Ludwig with some stories from his journey, which sounded very grand and exciting. Neither of the boys had ever experienced life beyond the woods around their village. The traveller told many an eye-opening tale from the road, but there one in particular that interested Ludwig. According to their guest, there was a distant castle very deep in the forest, where the entire court had been enchanted and fallen into a deep sleep. Rumor had it that at the centre of the castle was a beautiful sleeping

Starting point is 00:07:49 princess, and many a wishful suitor had attempted to reach her to no avail. In fact no man who had ever entered the castle had been known to return. This was quite a pity for all of them, because it was widely believed that the princess and her future husband would inherit the castle and all its lands and riches. If only she and her court could be awakened. Ludwig was a clever boy who had a rather high opinion of himself and he was looking for a way out of the family trade. This enchanted princess seems like an opportunity too good to miss. When the traveler had paid for his mended shoe and retired to the inn for the night, Ludwig went to speak with his father and brother. He told them he would pack himself a bag of provisions

Starting point is 00:09:09 and set out to find the enchanted castle the very next morning. Johann did not wish to be a leather craftsman either, but he tried to dissuade Ludwig from taking on this adventure. Even if you are able to find the enchanted castle, he said to his brother, what makes you think you can succeed in breaking this spell when so many before you have failed. But Ludwig was not the type of boy to trouble himself with such limiting details. Your just envious that I'll be having an adventure," he replied. Johann continued to speak sense to Ludwig, but the older boy could not be talked out of the trip. If you must go, Johan finally said, then I will come with you.

Starting point is 00:10:18 After all, two heads are better than one. Ludwig considered his younger brother to be naive and did not think he would be much help, but he shrugged indifferently. Do as you please, he responded, but do not think you will marry the princess instead of me. Then the two brothers went to bed, for they would need a good night's rest before leaving in the morning. When the sun rose, the two brothers each packed a bag with a loaf of bread, some cheese, and enough water to drink. Their father was a bit teary-eyed to bid his sons farewell, not knowing what they would encounter. He embraced them both, saying to Ludwig, take care of Johann, he is not as clever or brave as you are.

Starting point is 00:11:34 With that Ludwig and Johann left their father's cottage, walked to the edge of the village and followed the path straight into the woods. By midday when the sun was at its highest in the sky, Ludwig and Johann had gone farther from their village than they had ever been before. The path through the woods continued, but the foliage was increasingly dense as they plunged deeper into the heart of the forest. On the fringe of the woods where they had started, the bird song had been abundant. But as they continued into the gloom, a heavy silence fell around them. Once in a while they had a rustle in the underbrush, or a frog singing in a stream, but they saw no other people.

Starting point is 00:12:49 As the day wore on, they came upon a massive group of ants in the middle of the path. All of the ants were busily engaged in building and carrying tiny bits of food. Johann's instinct was to give the ants a wide berth and be on his way. Ludwig, however, nudged the antel with his foot and disturbed it as he passed. Why did you do that, Johann said? Why not, Ludwig responded with a smack. They're just ants, and they probably bite. Ludwig kept walking as if nothing had happened, but Johann couldn't bear to leave the Antill so unsettled.

Starting point is 00:13:49 He put down his bag and gingerly pushed the fallen part of the Antill back in place. To his relief, the Ants did not bite him. Sorry about that, Johann said quietly to the ants. Then he picked up his bag and ran to catch up with Ludwig. The two brothers walked onward through the darkening woods as the sun moved lower in the sky. They no longer knew where they were. The path always continued, winding through the oddly shaped boulders and over small bubbling streams. Even their footsteps on the moss made no noise as they travelled. Finally, as Twilight fell, the trees opened to a clearing and they found themselves looking at a shining lake.

Starting point is 00:15:06 In the light of the setting sun, Johan could see a small flock of ducks gathered a little way down the shore. Some were paddling happily, and others were sitting near the edge of the water. What good luck, Ludwig said with delight. We can still eggs from the ducks for our dinner. Johan looked at him with dismay. Why would you steal their eggs when you brought bread and cheese for yourself? He asked his brother.

Starting point is 00:15:48 Ludwig looked at him with disdain. They can always lay more eggs, he scoffed. As Johan watched, Ludwig walked towards the ducks and scattered them, casting about to see if he could find their nests. Alas, he didn't unearth a single egg. In bad humour, he returned to a spot under a nearby tree and suddenly ate some of the food from his back. Johann observed the ducks as they reconvened on the shore of the lake, smoothing their ruffled

Starting point is 00:16:36 feathers. Cautiously, he approached them, and then he tore a piece from his loaf of bread and scattered the crumbs lightly in their direction. I'm sorry about the disturbance he called quietly to them. The ducks cautiously nibbled at the crumbs, and Johann retired under his own tree to eat the rest of his dinner and make himself comfortable for the night. In the morning there was no sign of the ducks, and Ludwig did not bother to see Kenny eggs. The two brothers ate a few bites of food,

Starting point is 00:17:30 drank from their water bottles and picked up their bags once again. They followed the path around the edge of the lake and continued their journey through the heart of the forest. By noon they were feeling tired and hot and they stopped by the side of the path to rest and drink some water. After a moment they both noticed a low hum coming from a nearby hollow in a tree. Investigating the source of the sound, they discovered a massive hive of honeybees inside. What good luck, Ludwig said. Just when we're beginning to get low on food, we've stumbled across a treasure trove of honey.

Starting point is 00:18:32 Let's light a fire to smoke out the bees and find ourselves some lunch. But Johann felt bad about the idea of stiving honey from the bees. Furthermore, he knew he and Ludwig were likely to damage the hive in the process. He had to admit he was hungry, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Ludwig was frustrated by his brother's reluctance, so Johann plicated him by offering him the rest of his food. You can have my last pieces of bread and cheese, he said. Just leave the bees alone.

Starting point is 00:19:29 You are a fool the older brother said, taking the food from him. If you insist on going hungry, I won't argue. With that, Ludwig walked away from the hive and enjoyed the last of Johann's food on a nearby rock and managed with just water for lunch. The brothers walked on. They slept under trees, woke and continued down the path the next day. They were now both completely out of provisions and had to fill their bellies with water they collected at streams and berries they were able to harvest from bushes along the path. Just when they thought they'd be spending a hungry night sleeping under the trees again,

Starting point is 00:20:48 the path widened to a clearing and a huge, iron gate rose before them. Behind it, down along, weed-choked walkway was a stone castle. There was no sign of people anywhere. It seemed like the castle was slept, just as the traveller had told them in his story. The massive old gate was part way open. Johann felt a bit nervous, just forging ahead onto the castle grounds. But Ludwig had no such concerns. Glad to have reached his destination, the older brother strode confidently ahead.

Starting point is 00:21:48 Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Johann followed, peering around him as the two moved towards the ancient-looking door at the front steps. When they reached the front of the castle, Ludwig tried the door handle and found it to be locked. There was a little window in the door, however, and the two brothers peered through the ironwork that covered it, and squinted it as their eyes adjusted to the glume inside. They found themselves looking at a vast, empty entrance hall. Suits of armour stood in quiet vigilance, covered in dust and cobwebs. There was no sign of life. Undaunted Ludwig took a step back and spied an enormous iron door knocker in the shape

Starting point is 00:23:03 of a gargoyle. Without hesitating he pulled on the heavy knocker and let it fall. Johann felt like they were disturbing the piece, but they both watched through the little window to see if anyone would come. Moments seemed like hours, but finally there was some movement at the back of the dark hall. From the depths of the castle, an old woman appeared, shuffling toward the door with no hurry. As she neared their little window, they both stepped back and stood straighter, preparing for her to open the door. Yo-han wondered briefly what they would say. Perhaps, hello strange lady, we've come to break this spell on your castle. Or was it better to just pretend they were weary travelers seeking a meal? He had not given this part of the adventure any forethought.

Starting point is 00:24:28 As it turned out, he didn't have worried about saying anything. The door creaked open slowly. And as if they had been expected without any expression of surprise. The old woman gestured that the brothers should enter the hall. They stepped into the cavernous interior and waited a bit uneasily as she swung the door shut behind them, extinguishing the light and their last chance of exit. Then the woman shuffled around them and walked back in the direction she had come into the dark hallway between the wide, curving entryway staircases and to the unknown reaches of the castle.

Starting point is 00:25:37 Ludwig and Johann walked behind her trying not to trip on the flagstones in the dark. Up ahead they could see a closed door with an interior light illuminating its edges. When their host reached the door she opened it. Inside, illuminated by cheerful firelight, was a very long table, richly laid with a delicious feast of cheese, meats and other delicacies. There were just two seats at the table. Without any expression, the woman gestured that they should sit, and she left the room again. Johann was a bit nervous to immediately start eating magical food in an enchanted castle.

Starting point is 00:26:47 But Ludwig did not appear bothered. He grinned broadly and set upon the feast with great gusto. Seeing that his brother wasn't suffering any ill effects from his dinner, Yo-Hang gave in to his hunger and took the other chair. They ate until they couldn't finish another bite. And then they sat back in their soft upholstered chairs, enjoying the warmth of the crackling fire. Without realizing it, they both fell into a comfortable, dreamless sleep and stayed that way until morning. When they awakened, the fire was out and everything that had been on the

Starting point is 00:27:52 table was gone. They had the door opening and turned to see the same old woman lit from behind by the morning light from the distant entry hall. Without any greeting, she spoke. In order to break the enchantment of this castle, you will have to pass three tests. I do not suggest you undertake these lightly because nobody has passed even the first one. Many men have tried and failed. Those who do not succeed fall under the enchantment. They are all sleeping here in the castle now, and they won't awaken until the spell is broken. Hearing this, Johann felt concerned. After all, the odds of succeeding at this task did not seem good. And why should he be any more clever or lucky than the last man? Ludwig however, had immense confidence in his own abilities. He stepped forward and

Starting point is 00:29:31 arrogantly announced that he was ready to take on the first task. The old woman shrugged and motioned for Ludwig to follow her. She let him down some winding hallways through the deserted castle kitchen and then out a back door to what must once have been a thriving kitchen garden? Ludwig stood and surveyed the plot, now overgrown with vines, grass and weeds. There are a thousand seeds scattered in this garden, the woman told him, you have until nightfall to find every single one. Even if you find only 999 seeds, you will fail the task and fall under the enchantment. Then without ceremony, the woman turned and rooted through weedy patches. Here and there he found a seed and slipped it into his pocket. He did this without stopping for food, drink, or rest, all day long.

Starting point is 00:31:31 As the sun dropped low in the sky, he took stock of the seeds in his pocket, and found he had less than 200. He tried to work faster as the light slipped away. He pulled up grass and grabbed in the dirt. However, it was to no avail. As the sun dropped below the horizon, Ludwig went back inside the castle, hoping to bargain with the old woman for a few more hours. But he didn't even get as far as the room where Johan awaited him. He fell deeper sleep on a bench in the hall. Ludwig had

Starting point is 00:32:32 failed the test. Meanwhile Johan was alone in the room with the fireplace. He did not know what had happened to his brother, but the table set itself with a magical feast again at dinner time. A crackling fire materialized in the large stone fireplace, and warmly illuminated a table full of meats, cheeses, and delicacies, just like it had the night before. Yo-han was very hungry, so he sat by himself and ate a generous dinner. Then, just like he'd done the night before, he succumbed to the warmth of the fire and the fullness of his belly. Allowing his worries to rest for the night, he slumbered peacefully again in his comfortable chair. In the morning, the old woman appeared in the door.

Starting point is 00:34:00 Your brother has failed to the first task, and he is now deeply asleep, she told Johann. Are you willing to attempt the task, or will you choose to leave the castle and save yourself? In all honesty, Johann was quite afraid to attempt this test. However, he wasn't sure if he could live with himself if he abandoned his brother to eternal enchantment. It didn't take long for him to make this decision. I will attempt the task he responded. The old woman did not reveal whether she thought this was a wise choice or a foolish one. Instead, she turned and walked out of the room, clearly expecting Johann to follow her. When they reached the castle garden, she gave. Otherwise, you will join your brother in

Starting point is 00:35:32 perpetual dreams. Johann felt a sense of hopelessness as he surveyed the terribly overgrown garden. How could he possibly find a thousand seeds there? For a time, he tugged up vines and pushed through the grasses, picking up seeds here and there. After an hour, however, he could easily see that this pace would never do, and he sat on the steps to the kitchen and put his head in his hands. He didn't know how long he sat that way, but after a while he looked up to see some small movements out of the corner of his eye. As astonishment, he realized the line of ants was growing. They were crawling all over the garden and depositing the seeds in the growing The growing hill next to him on the steps. Relief flooded him as he realized that he might not fail this task after all.

Starting point is 00:37:19 Exactly 1,000 seeds were resting in his pile by the time Twilight fell. He had rebuilt their Antill for them, and now they had made a special hill of precious seeds for him in return. Thanks to his animal friends, he had passed the first test. That night, Johann feasted at the magical table with a mixture of happiness and concern. He was delighted to have succeeded at collecting the seeds, but he was also nervous about what the second task would be. He didn't have long to wait before he would find out. In the morning, the old woman reappeared and motioned for him to follow her. Again they exited the house through the kitchen door. This time they proceeded through the weedy kitchen garden and then followed a wide path around the side of the castle where Johann saw a large lake.

Starting point is 00:38:52 The lake had obviously been very pretty at one time. There were elegant benches here and there, with intricate trellises covering them. Roses now run rampant, unchecked by pruning for a very long time. Bushes that had once been trimmed into fanciful shapes were now completely and overgrown. A fountain in the middle of the lake, lay silent, covered in moss. The lake itself was covered with lilypads and algae. The woman gestured at the water, somewhere at the bottom of this lake, there is a key that will open the door to our sleeping princess. You have until nightfall to find that key, or else you will fail the test and fall into a deep sleep like your brother and all the suitors before him. Without any further help or explanation, the woman turned and walked back toward the castle. back toward the castle. Johann looked hopelessly at the lake.

Starting point is 00:40:29 Naming that the only option was to begin searching, he waded on steadily ahead. Immediately, his shoes sank into the mud underneath the water, and Miyagi collected around his knees. Not only was it hard to walk, but he couldn't see, pulling his mud-filled shoes with him. He sat toplessly on a nearby bench, agonizing over his situation. As he desperately tried to think of a solution, some ducks flew into view. Sackling the lake, they descended, swimming delicately among the lilypads, and dunking their feathered heads beneath the water. Soon an entire flock was there, splashing and swimming. The birds did this for hours, slowly making their way around the entire lake.

Starting point is 00:42:11 way around the entire lake. Finally, as the sun drew lower in the sky, one of the ducks waddled up onto the shoreline and stepped delicately toward Johan where he sat on the bench. In its bill was a golden key. Johann gratefully took the key from the duck and shed some tears of relief. Seeing that their work was done, the rest of the ducks rose from the water and flew off into the sunset. They had repaid their debt to the brother who had helped them a few days ago. Johann had passed the second test. Johann had passed the second test. Just like he had on the previous two nights, Johann ate well at the magical dinner table and slept in his chair. When the old woman appeared in the morning, however, he was very nervous. He felt he'd been lucky with the help he'd received for his first two tasks. He couldn't imagine how he would pass the

Starting point is 00:43:36 third one. This time, the woman did not lead him to the kitchen. Rather, she indicated that he should accompany her up one of the large, curving staircases to the highest reaches of the castle. He followed her echoing steps through a long dusty corridor. Stopping in front of a cobweb-covered door at the end, she produced the key the ducks had found in the lock and turned it, and the door groaned in protest as it was pushed open. Johann stepped into the doorway and surveyed the interior. The room was lit by very tall windows. Straight ahead there was

Starting point is 00:44:50 a large canopied bed draped in velvet. Dust moats drifted across the sunbeams that struggled through the dirty window glass. It looked as if nobody had been in this room for a long time. After a moment, Johann realized there were three lovely maidens lying in the large bed. All of them wore identical white night dresses. They were fast asleep. One of these sleeping Maydons is the princess, the woman said. The other two are her ladies in waiting. On the day that they were enchanted, they each had a sweet after dinner. The two ladies in waiting each chose little candies made with white sugar. However, the princess preferred honey, and she ate a honey cake. To break the enchantment, you must wake the real princess with a kiss. If you choose the

Starting point is 00:46:20 wrong girl, all will be lost, and you will join your brother and the rest of the castle in sleep. Johann was very concerned about this last test. How was he to know which of these identically-attired maidens was royalty? Or who had eaten honey cake? He stood in front of the bed and wondered how he wouldered his fate, he became aware of a hum near his ear. Turning, he saw that it was a honeybee, and judging by her appearance, she was a special one. In fact, it was the Queen Bee who had entered the chamber and was now hovering over

Starting point is 00:47:30 the maidens on the bed. Yo-han watched silently as the bee moved lightly from one girl to another, never landing but hovering briefly over each. After a few moments, the queen bee returned to the maiden at the far left of the bed. As Johann watched, the bee slowly circled over her head three times. He knew what this meant. That maiden had eaten honey cake. Her task accomplished, the queen bee flew once around the room and then disappeared through the open door. Johan approached the maiden on seemed to fill the room and bird-song drifted anew through the tall windows. As he watched, the princess fluttered her eyes, once, twice, and opened them. As her vision focused on Johan, a puzzled look spread across her face.

Starting point is 00:49:21 And she said, goodness, I've had the strangest dream. That day, the entire castle awakened. The people of the court didn't really remember what had happened, or how long they'd been sleeping. All the failed suitors of course had one final memory of not finding a thousand seeds and they were rather ashamed about that. Still the king ordered that the cobwebs be cleared and the magical table produced a grand feast for everyone to attend that night. Everyone from the scullery maid to the king thanked Johan for his brave efforts, and he and the princess discussed their mutual

Starting point is 00:50:29 love for cake. Most of the unsuccessful suitors left the castle that night, but Ludwig stayed to see his brother Johann and the princess happily married. After his humbling adventure, he was a changed man with a much smaller ego. As it happened, one of the ladies in waiting took a shine to him, and they were eventually betrothed as well. So it was that both Johann and Ludwig lived happily ever after in the castle. They sent for their father to come and live out his days with them in comfort. And they were all often seen scattering breadcrums for crumbs for the ducks, protecting the beeh. 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.

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Starting point is 00:53:47 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 to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go.

Starting point is 00:54:19 I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was going to go. I'm going to go back to the place where I was 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 00:58:36 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. you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Sleeping Castle

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