Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep - The Curios Shop (Encore)

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

Originally presented as Season 10, Episode 21, October 24, 2022 Our story tonight is called The Curios Shop, and it’s a story about a little shop in downtown Nothing Much, that takes the right set of circumstances to be found. It’s also about creaky wood floors, an old book covered in velvet, and a small grey cat with yellow eyes. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 Visit ⁠⁠⁠curednutrition.com/NOTHINGMUCH⁠⁠⁠ and use code NOTHINGMUCH at checkout to receive 20% off your order. For a limited time, you can try OneSkin with 15% off using code NOTHINGMUCH at ⁠⁠oneskin.co⁠⁠. ⁠NMH merch, autographed books and more!⁠ ⁠Pay it forward subscription⁠  Listen to our daytime show ⁠Stories from the Village of Nothing Much⁠.  ⁠First This, Kathryn’s guided mediation podcast. ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get more, Nothing Much Happens with bonus episodes, extra long stories, and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love. Subscribe now. If you already listen to me, then you know bedtime stories can be powerful tools for rest. But sometimes what you need isn't a story. Maybe it's something a little different.

And that's where sleep magic comes in. Sleep Magic is a sleep hypnosis podcast, hosted by hypnotherapist Jessica Porter. Instead of storytelling, Jessica uses a hypnotic voice that gradually slows down, weaving in gentle suggestions to help your mind, let go. It's designed so that by the end, you're not just calmer, you're already asleep. And what's unique is that she doesn't only talk about sleep. Jessica threads in themes like dealing with heartbreak, easing anxiety, and building confidence. So the work you do while drifting off actually carries into your waking life.

There are more than 300 episodes, and listeners call the show Life Changing and a Real Gift. Over 5 million people have tuned in, and I can see why. So if you're curious to try a different approach, one that complements what you already get here, subscribe to Sleep Magic, wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search Sleep Magic and start listening for free today. If you've been listening to me for a while, you know how much I value rest. Sleep is really the foundation for everything else we do, our creativity, our relationships, our mood. And like you, I've had stretches where sleep just didn't come easily. And that's why I want to

share something that's made a difference for me. CBN night caps from cured nutrition. These capsules are formulated with 30 milligrams of CBD and 5 milligrams of CBN, two cannabinoids that work together to support deep, restorative rest. What I've noticed is that I fall asleep. really quickly, and I stay asleep longer, and maybe most importantly, I wake up without feeling heavy or groggy. Instead, I just feel rested and clear. There's no psychoactive effect, just a gentle calm that helps my body and mind unwind. For me, taking one an hour before bed has become part of my wind-down ritual, right alongside tea and a book. It feels natural, not forced. And that's why it works.

Cured Nutrition is offering my listeners an exclusive 20% discount so you can try nightcaps for yourself. Just visit Curednutrition.com slash nothing much and use code nothing much at checkout. That's C-U-R-E-D-Nutrition.com slash nothing much. Coupon code nothing much. Transform your nights and your days with CBN nightcaps. Because when you sleep well, you show up better in every area of your life. I am a skin care devotee.

Honestly, I'm almost an aspiring skin fluencer at this point. And I love trying different products, but I don't stick with many. One skin is different. I was already a fan before they partnered with us. and it is part of my daily care routine. It's the product I recommend to friends when they ask me what actually works. The texture, the way it layers into my routine,

the way my skin feels smoother and healthier, it's everything I want from skin care. And I love knowing that one skin isn't just about looking good today. It's about targeting aging at the cellular level. so your skin stays younger for longer. One Skin is the world's first skin longevity company. For a limited time, you can try it with 15% off using code Nothing Much at OneSkin.co. That's 15% off at OneSkin.co with code nothing much.

After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them that. we sent you. Try one skin today. Your future self will thank you. Welcome to bedtime stories for everyone, in which nothing much happens. You feel good, and then you fall asleep. I'm Catherine Nikolai. I write and read all the stories you hear on nothing much happens. Audio engineering is by Bob Wittersheim. We are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this story originally aired at some point in the past. It could have been recorded with different equipment in a different location. And since I'm a person and not a

computer. I sometimes sound just slightly different, but the stories are always soothing and family friendly, and our wishes for you are always deep rest and sweet dreams. We've got a few treasures left in our wind-down collection, and we're sending them off with love and a deep discount, Both the weighted pillow and our wind-down box are now 50% off. Think of it as the perfect way to set up your autumn bedtime routine. Go to Nothing Much Happens.com. Now, just like when you were a child, being tucked in for bed, you're about to hear a story to send you off to Dreamland.

The story is meant to be a son. soft landing place for your mind, so that instead of circling through the same thoughts you've been stuck in all day, you can rest in a sweet, peaceful place. I'll tell our story twice, and I'll go a bit slower the second time through. If you find yourself awake again later in the night, don't hesitate to turn the show right back on. Or just take your mind back to the beginning of the story and walk yourself through any part that you can remember, especially anything that felt particularly cozy. You're training your brain and body to wind down, and the more often you do it, the faster you will,

fall asleep. So have a bit of patience at the beginning. Now, it's time to turn off the light and put away anything you've been playing with or looking at. Take some time to cozy your body down into your preferred sleeping position. Get the right pillow in the right spot and let everything relax. In time, all of this becomes a signal for your brain, and the signal says it's time for sleep. Let's take a deep breath and through the nose and a soft sigh from your mouth. Do that one more time. Breathe in. Sigh out. Good.

Our story tonight is called The Curious Shop. And it's the first in our two-part Halloween special this year. It's a story about a little shop in downtown Nothing Much that takes the right set of circumstances to be found. It's also about creaky wood floors, an old book covered in velvet, and a small gray cat with yellow eyes. The Curio's Shop I'd seen the sign for the shop

someday over the summer when I'd been out peddling my bike The sign was small and wooden, hanging from an iron brace over a door I'd never noticed. And even then, I'd forgotten it as soon as I looked away. Then, a week later, I'd seen it again. And it sparked a memory. and I'd retained a bit more of it. The third time I'd ridden by,

I was racing home as the sky overhead quickly turned dark, and the first few sprinkles had fallen on my face and hands. Still, I'd seen the sign swinging a bit, in the rising wind. And this time I'd been able to read it. Painted in fading maroon letters on a dark green background was the word curious.

And I'd said it a few times in my mind as I sped through the falling rain toward home. Our downtown wasn't large, a few streets running north to south, a few more crossing over them. A big park with a pond, and a maze of smaller alleys right in the heart of everything. In the neighborhoods themselves, there were a few pockets here and there. with a couple buildings pushed together, housing a cafe, a corner store, and maybe an office. But not much more than that.

So I knew just about every block of town. How had I missed this little place? Even then, I'd seemed to have forgotten about it again. It slipped from my mind, and though I'd fully intended to make a trip over to see the wares. By the time the rain had dried from my sleeves, the thought was gone.

It wasn't till today, when I'd stopped on the corner by the spice shop, that all the times I'd seen it before came back and finally stuck. It stopped because I spotted the moon rising over the trees in the park, and its full, pale face seemed bigger and more beautiful than I'd ever seen before. I must have been mesmerized for a few moments, lost in thinking about the moon. How distant and remote she was,

yet present and known to each person in the world. I came back to myself as someone brushed past me in a hurry, across the street. They spun me around a bit, and that's when my eyes fell upon the sign. Curios, I said to myself. It was an odd sensation,

but it seemed like the lines of the door under the sign of the front window, and its contents or coming into existence as I looked at them. I'm sure because there was so much to take in, so many details to observe. The door was solid wood, painted black,

but with small carvings all over it, sigils and motifs of moons and acorns and honeybees that had been meticulously shaped in the panels and at eye height was a window which I immediately peered through all I could make out was a hazy sort of light inside that's when I noticed the front window likewise framed and carved wood

decorated here with oak leaves and paw prints and things that must be ruins, inscrutable to me, but pretty nonetheless. The display was lined with jewel-bright orange velvet, and full of interesting objects. Some I recognized, and others I didn't. There were bundles of verbs tied with string in different colors. decks of tarot cards and a wooden box filled with cones of incense

laid out across the velvet where a dozen small candles in every color of the rainbow and a bowl whose bottom was as shiny and reflective as a mirror I couldn't see past the window, again just that hazy bit of light from further in. I reached for the doorknob, thinking I'd likely find it locked, but it turned smoothly in my hand, and I pulled the door open and stepped through. It was dim inside, and my glasses immediately fogged up on my face.

It had been chilly out on the sidewalk, and the air in here was warm, and smelled of rose petals and lavender and sandalwood. There were creaky wood floors under my boots. and the sound of a simmering pot somewhere in the background. I started to unwind the scarf from around my neck in the warmth, and a hand reached out to take it. I'll just hang this up for you, so glad you finally made it in. I turned toward the voice.

pulling my fogged glasses off to wipe them on my sweater. But whoever had spoken was already gone. My scarf was twisted through the arms of a coat tree, and the curtain behind a counter opposite was swaying back into place. I managed to get my now clear lenses back onto my nose and took a slow look around it was a smallest shop with the walls painted like a starry midnight sky

dark blues and purples and the stars themselves luminescing with a bright glow. There were a few vitrines full of tinctures and rocks and crystals and shelves full of old books and new journals. I found myself drawn to touch things. to run my finger over the spines of the books and pick up certain stones. There was a table full of old golden coins and handlebells

and something made from dried reeds that rattled when I shook it. And I wanted to feel the weight of each object in my hand. I noticed the black curtain behind the counter twitch, and a moment later a small gray cat with bright yellow eyes jumped up and landed softly on the case in front of me. There was a fuzzy shawl spread out over the surface already liberally decorated with gray hairs

that I guessed was her favorite resting spot and I swirled it into a soft nest as she watched she stepped daintily into it and laid down like a sphinx and just stared at me. I laid a hand on her soft body, and she purred without blinking.

A shiver ran up my spine, and I laughed at myself. It was deja vu I was feeling. But I knew I hadn't been here before. So then, what was this? I stroked the kitty between her eyes, and supposed it was being right where I was supposed to be at this particular moment.

The curtain shifted again, and a woman with long black hair, in a neat braid over one shoulder stepped through. She had a book with a green velvet cover in the crook of her elbow and a soft smile on her face. Well, she said, shall we have a cup of tea and talk about it? I smiled and nodded. The Curious Shop

I'd seen the sign for the shop someday over the summer when I'd been out peddling my bike the sign was small and wooden hanging from an iron brace over a door I'd never noticed. And even then, I'd forgotten it as soon as I looked away. Then, a week later, I'd seen it again. And it sparked a memory.

and I'd retained a bit more of it. The third time I'd ridden by, I was racing home as the sky overhead quickly turned dark, and the first few sprinkles had fallen on my face and hands. I'd seen the sign swinging a bit in the rising wind, and this time I'd been able to read it. Painted in fading maroon letters on a dark green background was the word curios. And I'd said it a few times in my mind as I sped through the falling rain toward home.

Our downtown wasn't large, a few streets running north to south. A few more crossing over them. A big park with a pond. and a maze of smaller alleys right in the heart of everything. In the neighborhoods themselves, there were a few pockets here and there, with a couple buildings pushed together, housing a cafe, a corner store, and maybe an office, but not much more than that.

So I knew just about every block of town. How had I missed this little place? Even then, I'd seem to have forgotten. about it again. It slipped from my mind, and though I'd fully intended to make a trip over, to see the wares.

By the time the rain had dried from my sleeves, the thought was gone. I wasn't till today, when I stopped on the corner by the spice shop, that all the times I'd seen it before came back and finally stuck. I'd stopped because I spotted the moon rising over the trees in the park, and its full, pale face seemed bigger and more beautiful than I'd ever seen before. I must have been mesmerized for a few moments, lost in thinking about the moon.

How distant and remote. yet she was present and known to each person in the world I came back to myself as someone brushed past me in a hurry to cross the street they spun me around a bit and that's when my eyes fell upon the sign.

Curious, I said to myself, I was an odd sensation, but it seemed like the lines of the door under the sign, of the front window and its contents were coming into existence as I looked at them. I'm sure because there was just so much to take in, so many details to observe. The door was solid wood.

painted black, but with small carvings all over it. SIGILs and motifs of moons and acorns and honeybees that had been meticulously shaped in the panels. And at eye height was a window, which I immediately peered through. All I could make out was a hazy sort of light inside. That's when I noticed the front window,

likewise framed and carved wood. Decorated here with over, leaves and paw prints and things that must be runes, inscrutable to me, but pretty nonetheless. The display was lined with jewel bright orange velvet, and was full of interesting objects. Some I recognized, and others I didn't. There were bundles of herbs tied with string in different colors, decks of tarot cards, and a wooden box filled with cones of incense,

laid out across the velvet or a dozen small candles in every color of the rainbow and a bowl whose bottom was as shiny and reflective as a mirror I couldn't see much through the window again

just that hazy bit of light from further in I reached for the doorknob thinking I'd likely find it locked but it turned smoothly in my hand and I pulled the door open and stepped through

It was dim inside, and my glasses immediately fogged up on my face. It had been chilly out on the sidewalk, and the air in here was warm and smelled of rose petals. and lavender and sandalwood. There were creaky wood floors under my boots, on the sound of a simmering pot somewhere in the background. I started to unwind the scarf from around my neck in the warmth. and a hand reached out to take it.

I'll just hang this up for you, so glad you finally made it in. I turned toward the voice, pulling my fogged glasses off, to wipe them on my sweater. but whoever had spoken was already gone. My scarf was twisted through the arms of a coat tree, and the curtain behind a counter opposite was swaying back into place. I managed to get my now-clear lenses back onto my nose, nose and took a slow look around it was a small shop with the walls painted like a starry midnight sky dark blues and purples and the stars themselves luminescing with a bright glow.

There were a few vitrines full of tinctures and rocks and crystals and shelves full of old books and new journals. I found myself drawn to touch things, to run my fingers over the spines of the books and pick up certain stones. There was a table full of old golden coins and handle bells, and something made from dried reeds that rattled when I shook it.

And I wanted to feel the weight of each object in my hand. I noticed the black curtain behind the counter twitch. And a moment later, a small, gray cat with bright yellow eyes jumped up and landed softly on the case in front of me. There was a fuzzy shawl spread out over the surface, already limberly decorated with gray hairs. I guessed it was her favorite resting spot. And I swirled it into a soft nest as she watched. She stepped daintily into it and laid down like a sphinx and just stared at me.

I laid a hand on her soft body and she purred without blinks. A shiver ran up my spine, and I laughed at myself. It was deja vu I was feeling, but I knew I hadn't been here before. So then, what was this? I stroked the kitty between her eyes and supposed it was being right where I was supposed to be at this particular moment the curtain shifted again

and a woman with long black hair in a neat braid over one shoulder, stepped through. She had a book with a green velvet cover in the crook of her elbow and a soft smile on her face. Well, she said, Shall we have a cup of tea and talk about it? I smiled and nodded. Sweet dreams.