Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Tiny Family Go to the Funfair

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Starting point is 00:01:17 including stories, meditations, soundscapes, music and audio books, it has a huge variety of sleep-inducing content, and we add new episodes every single day. You can search by narrator, hear episodes you won't find on Get Sleepy,

Starting point is 00:01:35 and even customize your background sounds to create your own perfect mix. As a listener of Get Sleepy, you can unlock all of the content in the app free for one month. Just go to slumber.fm.fm slash get sleepy. That's slumber.fm.fm slash get sleepy for instant access to all of the content in Samba, free for one month. Welcome to get sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas. Thank you so much for being here as we make our return to one of our best-loved series on the show. But don't worry if this is your first time coming across this charming set of characters. In just a few minutes, we'll rejoin the Pocket family as they embark on an adventure like no other. Tonight, they're heading to the tiny fun fair, an amusement park built for people

Starting point is 00:02:49 just like them. And as always with this series, it was written by Joe and will be read by Simon. If you enjoy listening and you're on a platform where you can do so, then we'd love for you to leave us a comment. Perhaps you'd like to share an idea for a future adventure that the pockets might enjoy, or you may simply wish to send some gratitude to Joe and Simon for their lovely storytelling. But of course, you can wait until the morning, once you've had a good night's sleep. Before we begin, let's just take a brief moment to ready ourselves for rest, find a position that feels comfortable, and close your eyes, bring your attention towards the breath. As you breathe, experience it with curiosity, follow the breath's journey as it enters through the nostrils,

Starting point is 00:04:12 and travels down your throat into your chest and stomach. Let the breath clear away any thoughts and calm the senses. Resetting the mind and body for rest. Now, you can simply relax and follow Simon's soothing voice. We're ready to join the adventures of the tiny pocket. family. This is where our story begins. The family comprise Mar and Parr Pocket, their children Joe and Matilda, and their sausage dog, Hercules. It's an apt surname for a family so small they could fit very comfortably into a coat or trouser pocket. Being tiny allows them to stay

Starting point is 00:05:47 hidden. Even from the humans that they share a home with, Miss Granger and her daughter are oblivious to the existence of their miniature housemates. The pockets live in a dollhouse, behind the living room sofa. There are three floors, and the rooms are all beautifully decorated, with sleek, modern furnishings, and a lift at the side. The pocket's prior residence, was an old tissue box, located at the back of the kitchen cupboard. Thus, their move to the palatial dollhouse is something of a rags-to-riches story. Not that this has changed them in any real way. True, they drive about in a dazzling pink convertible and dine by the light of a battery-operated fireplace. But they're as cheerful and down to earth as they were before. They're the kind of family

Starting point is 00:07:01 who could make the best of any situation. But making the best of it won't be difficult today, because the pockets are headed to the tiny fun fair. Built and run by miniature people, It's an entire amusement park with rides, games, food stalls and other entertainment. The fun fair travels from place to place, setting up beneath the floorboards when it comes to town. Amusementments are made from equipment the workers bring with them, as well as bits and pieces found in the locality. This keeps things interesting for all involved. No two tiny funfares are ever quite the same. The family look forward to their yearly visit

Starting point is 00:08:02 as much as birthdays and Christmas celebrations. They count down the days until they can see this year's rides and daydream about the games and food on offer. It's an opportunity to get out and have fun as a family and a chance to mix with other tiny, people. This includes their relatives and next-door neighbours who live in the semi-detached house attached to the Granger's property. Mr. Jacket Pocket, or Dadsy, as he's known, is Parr's brother and best friend. His wife, Mumsy, is good friends with Mar. And their two children are Joe

Starting point is 00:08:57 and Matilda's cousins. The Jacket Pocket children are a boy and a girl like their cousins. But whereas Joe is the elder of the pocket siblings, with the jacket pockets, it's the other way around. Cassie, then her younger brother, Billy. Joe and Cassie have lots in common. They both love ice cream and television and share a passion for fish and sea life.

Starting point is 00:09:36 It's hard for anyone else to get a word in when the pair are together and chatting about such things. Matilda and Billy couldn't be more different. They're opposites in nature and have different interests. What they do share is curiosity and a good sense of humour. The human-owned houses in which the tiny families live are separated only by a sense of, single thick wall. When they meet, as they do on occasions throughout the year, they usually do so in the wall cavity between the buildings. Coincidentally, the path to the fun fair also begins in this very spot. The families have arranged to meet in the wall cavity and make the journey down

Starting point is 00:10:41 together. Now, tiny people tend to keep their own time. They're adapt their routine based on what the humans are doing. If Miss Granger and her daughter are busy inside the home, the pockets might find a spot to nap or take some downtime. Equally, they plan adventures around the house and garden, mostly for when the humans are out or asleep. However, Neither is the case right at this moment at a quarter to eight on a Friday evening. The humans are in, but busy upstairs. As is usually the case at this time of night, the seven-year-old girl is getting ready for bed. It usually takes around 20 minutes for her to wash, brush her teeth and change into her pajamas.

Starting point is 00:11:54 All the while, her mother wanders from really. room to room, closing curtains, dimming lights, and pulling back the covers of her daughter's bed. She'll tuck her in, once all else is done, and send her to sleep with a bedtime story. Often, the pocket children will sneak upstairs and find a secluded spot on the girl's bookshelf. They love to listen to Miss Granger read aloud. Her voice is soothing like a lullaby, and yet full of expression. Her tone really lends itself to bedtime stories, particularly the fairy tales that her daughter is so fond of. The way she whispers the words only adds to the magic of the adventures, tales involving dragons, knights, witchcraft and royalty.

Starting point is 00:13:05 Of course, there's no time to listen to such stories tonight, because the pockets are living out their own adventure. Currently, they're standing outside the dollhouse, their own private mansion behind the sofa. In the living room, the blinds have been shut. The room is still, and the lights dim and sleepy, the terracotta walls, and now. Now a shade of sunset, while a tall lampstand beside the sofa casts a sheen of gold across the furniture and floorboards. The brown leather sofa, along with the armchair and coffee table, all look as if they've been sprinkled with gold dust. So to the wooden floorboards, which are so glossy in places that they reflect the light bulb. Joe points out that it looks like the sun, like a golden orb shining on the woodwork.

Starting point is 00:14:25 The pockets are performing their final checks, making sure that they've packed any equipment they might need. Matilda secures Hercules with a lead of cotton thread. He wags his tail happily at the prospect of a walk. With par at the front and mar at the rear, they set off walking across the floorboards. It's a short walk from the dollhouse to the back wall, and then up to the right to where the skirting boards meet. Just a few strides to most humans,

Starting point is 00:15:10 but significantly more for the pocket's tiny legs. For the most part, they walk in silence, listening to the movements of the Granger's upstairs. The sound of curtains being drawn, on is comforting and familiar, in part because it signals that the humans are winding down and that the pockets will soon be free to roam the house. They reach the wall behind the sofa in just a few minutes. Here they turn right and continue on towards the corner of the living room. By now, the little girl must be tucked up in bed and her mother nearby, an open book.

Starting point is 00:16:05 on her lap. It's not long before the pockets arrive at the corner where the skirting boards meet. Parr uses his walking stick, a toothpick, and wedges it into the corner where there's the thinnest of gaps. The skirting board is a little bit loose, so the space widens with a few nudges of the stick. One by one, the family enter the passageway. Ma is at the front, and par at the back. Now that they're inside the wall cavity, they move towards their meeting spot between the buildings. It's very dark inside the wall,

Starting point is 00:16:58 but Ma lights the way with her tiny torch. It was a prize in a Christmas cracker that the humans had no use for, something that has since proved invaluable to the pockets. The path within the wall is scattered with obstacles. It wouldn't be easy in the dark. The family must duck beneath the warm pipes of radiators

Starting point is 00:17:28 and dodge out of the way of dangling electric cables. As well as enabling them to see where they're going, the torchlight enhances all that it touches. Dusty walls and floorboards sparkle white and silver, making the pockets feel as though they're walking among the stars. Hercules is curious and keeps sniffing at the floor until he inhales so much dust that it causes him to sneeze. Everyone laughs as he shakes his little head,

Starting point is 00:18:11 eyes wide and long ears flapping. From then on, he's easier for Matilda to manage, needing fewer tugs on his lead to walk with a little. being distracted. And so it isn't long before they reach the meeting point within the wall, where the jacket pockets are ready and waiting. It's always a happy occasion when the families get together, especially when they have plans like today's. Suffice to say that there are a very merry lot as they hug, shake hands and exchange the warmest of greetings. Jokes are a very merry lot. Jokes are and backs patted, while Hercules is fussed over again and again.

Starting point is 00:19:09 The sausage dog's tail wags to and fro with contentment, even as the family begin walking again. With par at the front, the group head back towards the pocket side of the wall. They walk past landmarks that they've all seen before, the terracotta paint chip and the mound of sawdust. and that one creaky floorboard, which they know to avoid. The spiral stairway, which leads down beneath the floorboards, lies just beyond the rusty nail in the wall. It's made of a tall tube, with buttons glued around its sides in all different shades and sizes.

Starting point is 00:20:04 A single hairpin has been bent into shape and wrapped around the tube to form rail. for the stairway. It's a cool metal banister for tiny people to rest their hands on as they descend the stairway one by one. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this colorful stairway was one of the amusements, or even a ride. The plastic buttons, every color of the rainbow, appear neon in the glow of the light beneath the floorboards. Just a few inches high, this area, is what a human might call a gap rather than a room. But to the pin-sized pockets, the opposite is true.

Starting point is 00:20:58 It's an underground world beneath the floorboards. Each step downwards reveals more of the room. The wooden joists that reinforce the floorboards form beams across the ceiling, their latticed in a grid of rectangles, with foam insulation, inside. A network of fairy lights dangles just below the ceiling. In places, the cord has been sewn to the insulation. The fluffy white foam looks like clouds, adding to the dreamy atmosphere, and the soft illumination of the fairy lights casts a veil of silver across the space, forming pools of platinum on the floor below.

Starting point is 00:21:58 It highlights the support beams that run floor to ceiling, transforming them into marble columns, like those of ancient Greece. It's a beautiful space, even when empty, and nothing short of magical as the setting of a funfair. Up on the stairway, the size and scale appear breathtaking. It really is a sight to behold. It's as much a town or village as it is a fairground, though you'd struggle to find a town as colourful as this one. Rooftops made of sweet wrappers and paper cocktail umbrellas house food stalls and game stands. But it's the rides that really

Starting point is 00:22:57 catch the eye. From the loop-earing ferris wheel to the roller. coaster made of spiral straws. A child's soft toy forms a plush, bouncy castle, where tiny children are laughing and squealing with delight as they spring up and down on the pink belly of an elephant. Thrill seekers among the party might enjoy a ride on the waltzer, its carriages made from plastic bottle caps, or they can wander into the matchbox with the words haunted house written on its front and discover the source of spooky noises coming out of its doorway. Those who like their rides, that little bit calmer, might prefer to slide down the giant plastic spoon or take a ride on the swing chairs. The seats are the caps of acorns.

Starting point is 00:24:06 attached via tooth floss to the figure of a ballerina. This particular ride is closest to the stairway, so it grabs everyone's attention once they reach the floor. Intrigued, the two families stand and watch as a pair of tiny workers turn a lever at the base and set the swing chairs into motion, a lovely ballerina and the motor that powers out. are the kind that once stood in the center of a jewelry box.

Starting point is 00:24:45 This becomes obvious as the figure begins turning and a twinkly piece of music plays out from invisible speakers. A handful of people are seated on the chairs, legs dangling from gaps in the acorn caps. Their smiles grow wider as their seats fly higher, suspended in the air. Hercules barks, full of excitement, as if he's going to chase the flying acorns. But Matilda soothes him with a head pat, and though he waggles his tail, he settles down.

Starting point is 00:25:32 In any other place, they might worry about the noise. But today, Hercules can bark to his heart's content, even though Miss Granger is back downstairs. She's right above them, in fact, on the living room sofa. As she often does, once her daughter is asleep, she's relaxing on the couch and watching TV. There's no chance that their antics will be heard beneath the flooring, with the television on and its speakers blaring. What's more? There's the insulation beneath the floorboards, acting as a sound barrier between the two worlds. The foam padding absorbs the noise of the television above

Starting point is 00:26:24 and the music and merriment of the funfare below. Another benefit of the insulation is that it prevents heat from escaping and keeps the space warm and cozy. It also traps a range of mouth-watering sense, the smell of chips, popcorn, donuts and sweets. Joe is already salivating at the thought of eating chips. But his mother advises him that it might be wise to wait. It's probably better to enjoy some rides first,

Starting point is 00:27:10 before filling one's belly with food. In fact, it's decided that the group will split up and meet back in an hour to visit the food stalls together. They'll meet at the Ferris wheel. It's the perfect meeting point, as it's impossible to miss. Next, there's a quick discussion about who wants to do what, with like-minded individuals grouped together. Cassie, Joe, Ha and Dadsey make up the more adventurous group.

Starting point is 00:27:53 They're a lively forsome as they wave their goodbyes and head directly for the soaring roller coaster. Billy and Matilda, with Hercules alongside them, set off too. Ma and Mumsy are close behind. They're an easygoing lot, happy to go with the flow. Their first point of call is the nearby swing chairs, which are grinding to a halt as they approach. The music slows down, along with the ride,

Starting point is 00:28:31 and gradually the chairs lower until they stop completely. As people often do when waiting in line, the group watch the faces of those who've gone before them. It's surely a good sign that they all look happy. Some are laughing, while others just seem relaxed. Once the passengers have exited the ride, a member of staff invites the group to take a seat. He points them to a spot where they can leave belongings and says, the dog can ride too, so long as he's with an adult. Hercules wags his tail as if he understood what was said. Watching closely, as Ma takes his carrier from her backpack. She strapped it to her chest and slides the dog into his seat. Hercules paws and head stick out through gaps in the fabric.

Starting point is 00:29:44 Soon enough, the others are in a similar position. Legs dangling from holes. in the acorn cap chairs. The seats have been cushioned with fabric and have a rope of twine for people to rest their hands on. Billy, Mumsy, and Matilda all get a chair to themselves. Mar, on the other hand, is very happy to share with Hercules. He sits, facing forward, strapped to her chest, with his paws resting on the rope.

Starting point is 00:30:19 Next, the workers call out to one another, announcing that it's safe to turn the lever. The chairs begin to wobble as the ballerina turns, and the music of a harpsichord plays out from below. Initially, the chairs float parallel to the figure, like a vertical swing in a playground. But as the ride picks up speed, the seats climb higher and higher. fanning out in the air until they're near horizontal, the tiny people feel as if they're flying. And all from the comfort of a plush seat. There's a lovely combination of feeling safe, yet free. And though they're moving quickly, it's like they're gliding in slow motion. Better still is that although they sit alone, they can see each other in front and behind.

Starting point is 00:31:31 The children find it hilarious to see their mother's wide-eyed expressions. They look so young and playful, flying through the air. It's Hercules, as usual, who gets the most attention. Not only from the family, but from strangers down below. Look, they say, a flying sausage dog, pointing out Mar and Hercules to their amazed companions. He does look particularly amusing, with his long ears flapping wildly, and his mouth stretched into a great smile. Clearly, the dog is in a world of fun, and he isn't the only one enjoying himself.

Starting point is 00:32:26 At the other end of the fairground, the more adventurous tiny people are about to take a ride on the giant roller coaster. They've walked to the entrance at the top of a soaring bridge. bridge. It's based a lollipop stick with bent paper clips for railings. The Speed straw, as it's called, is made up of drinking straws glued together. Some twisted into coils like the shape of a corkscrew. It's raised at different heights on cotton buds and wine corks. Passenger cars resemble mini-bobbslays. They're made from the lids of ballpoint parents. with tin foil at the bottom. The plastic carriages have been painted in many bright colors and cut out in places, allowing the riders to see through the windows. Cassie, Joe,

Starting point is 00:33:33 Parr and Dadsey are welcomed to the speed straw by a friendly worker. She explains that all four can ride together, but that the heavier people should sit towards the back. This will make their journey even faster and smoother, given that the roller coaster runs on gravity alone, with smiles on their faces and excitement in the air. The group take their seats in the rocket-shaped car. The chassis has been painted with scarlet red nail polish and has white racing stripes along its sides. Joe goes at the front, followed by Cassie. Dadsy goes next, with a lot. with par at the back. Each has their own bar to rest their hands on,

Starting point is 00:34:33 and cotton-wall seats to cushion the ride. The passengers lean forward like cyclists on a racing bike. The worker behind them gives the car a good push. It sets off slowly on a flat section of straw, the tinfoil base sliding easily along the plastic, and then the vehicle descends down a steep, straight drop. There are many happy noises of exhilaration and glee as a rush of cool air flows through the carriage. The rocket-shaped car glides at speed before traversing the section

Starting point is 00:35:23 of coiled straw. The passengers feel weightless as the car loops around the track. Once, twice, three times altogether. The ride is utterly magic. and they relish every moment, the feeling of air flowing through their clothes, the coolness of the metal bar that they hold as they ride, the sound of the foil undercarriage sliding over plastic, and the happy exclamations of their loved ones. It's one of those experiences that's so out of the ordinary that every marvelous detail seems etched onto the mind.

Starting point is 00:36:18 And yet, at the same time, it's over very quickly. Because once the car has made its final loop, it travels upwards and begins to slow down. At the top, it takes a corner and comes to a stop, right back at the point where the journey started. The Foresome's faces are a picture of joy, as they're greeted by the same woman who saw them off. Dadsy and Parr laugh so cheerfully, so freely, that they almost look and feel as youthful as their children. It's a feeling that will continue over the next hour and beyond as they wander about the fairground, trying all kinds of rides. They sit together in the bottle cap waltzer, whooping and laughing as their carriage is spun.

Starting point is 00:37:25 And they have two goes each on the spoon ride. sliding down from a great height, waving their arms in the air. In the haunted house, a ghost made of tissue causes everyone to jump in fear. Then they fall about laughing, feeling rather silly. And these are just some of the stories they have to tell. And the families meet up at the Ferris wheel later. Equally, they get to listen to what the others have been up to. Once they visited the food stalls and settled to, down to eat. They sit at picnic tables made from lollipop sticks. Within the giant marquee of a cocktail umbrella, a piece of toffee-coated popcorn provides a feast for the whole family. They each

Starting point is 00:38:25 pick off pieces chatting between mouthfuls. Matilda, Billy, Mumsy, Mar and Hercules have been just as busy having fun. Though Billy explains that only he and Matilda bounced on the belly of the pink toy elephant. They all rode together on the Lego pirate ship, which utilizes the mechanism of a pendulum clock. They sat at the back, feeling weightless and wonderful as the stern lifted. Billy impressed everyone with his accuracy on the game stand by throwing rubber bands onto cocktail sticks from a great distance, and Marr revealed a surprising competitive streak, throwing beads with such force and precision that she hit every gummy bottle at the candy knockdown table. It's Mar that the group have to thank for their meal.

Starting point is 00:39:33 Her prize was this kernel of delicious toffee popcorn. Once they've finished eating, Pa and Dadsey bring them drinks, an exquisite rose nectar mixed with morning dew. The nectar must have been collected from the Granger's garden. The pockets recognise the scent. The sweet, fragrant water is served in rolled-up rose petals, ruby red drinking cones with the texture of velvet. The group sipped slowly, not wanting to rush. They savour the moment as much as the drink. At least half of the party still have their rose cups with them as they ride the Ferris wheel 10 minutes later. Kept in place at either side by stands made of chopsticks. The wheel itself is a single hoop hearing, spokes made of fishing wire fan out from its center.

Starting point is 00:40:50 A blue pushpin acts as the axle and allows the wheel to turn while remaining stationary. Silicon thimbles have been cut in half and secured around the edges of the giant wheel. They've been decorated with curls of ribbon, along with the jewels of a charm bracelet, the kind that jingle like bells. Each carriage has the space for two tiny people. Billy and Matilda, Cassie and Joe, Mumsy and Dadsey, and Mar and Parr. The latter is actually a threesome, including Hercules in his carrier. He's as happy as ever in his pouch by Mars' chest.

Starting point is 00:41:50 The sausage dog loves the feeling of air on his face, as workers below turn a crank to make the wheel move. Just as his companions enjoy their seats in the thimbles, padded as they are with lovely feathers. The passengers sip from their rose petals and look out at the view, occasionally waving at their relatives. in other carriages. The charms clink and jingle as the wheel move smoothly. From the top,

Starting point is 00:42:30 they can see right across the fairground. The people below shrink to the size of dots. Meanwhile, the fairy lights above, twinkle-like stars, and the music from the swing chairs plays on in the distance. Ma plants a kiss on the sausage dog's head. Then reaches out to hold Parr's hand. She tells him that she's having the most wonderful day. And while the attractions, games and food have been lovely, they're not what has made today so special. By far, the best thing has been getting to spend time with the family,

Starting point is 00:43:30 to laugh and have fun with those she loves.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Tiny Family Go to the Funfair

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