1 00:00:13,503 --> 00:00:17,783 Speaker 1: Or an ad free listening experience and more stories, please 2 00:00:17,863 --> 00:00:20,983 Speaker 1: check out sleep Tight Premium. A link can be found 3 00:00:21,023 --> 00:00:34,903 Speaker 1: in our show notes. Thank you, hello friends, and welcome 4 00:00:35,023 --> 00:00:48,343 Speaker 1: to sleep Tight Stories. Margaret is a sweet girl who 5 00:00:48,383 --> 00:00:53,263 Speaker 1: always does what she has told. When she turns eight, 6 00:00:53,743 --> 00:00:56,423 Speaker 1: she cannot wait to finally get to go to her 7 00:00:56,463 --> 00:01:02,063 Speaker 1: friend Mary's house by herself. On the way, a twig 8 00:01:02,143 --> 00:01:05,943 Speaker 1: gets caught in her wheelchair tire and she falls over, 9 00:01:07,183 --> 00:01:10,623 Speaker 1: trying to stop herself by pushing on a tree. But 10 00:01:10,663 --> 00:01:14,063 Speaker 1: the tree is not hard like she expected, and she 11 00:01:14,183 --> 00:01:21,703 Speaker 1: gets sucked into a whole other world. Margaret and the 12 00:01:21,783 --> 00:01:30,263 Speaker 1: Secret Soft Tree, Part two, Tell me everything, Margaret said 13 00:01:30,263 --> 00:01:35,503 Speaker 1: to Eloise. There's no way to tell you everything. Smiled Eloise. 14 00:01:36,463 --> 00:01:41,223 Speaker 1: She held on to Margaret's sleeve. Now would you like 15 00:01:41,303 --> 00:01:47,783 Speaker 1: to fly? Before Margaret could answer, her feet started to 16 00:01:47,903 --> 00:01:52,823 Speaker 1: leave the ground. Margaret looked down at the white trees 17 00:01:52,903 --> 00:01:57,503 Speaker 1: getting smaller and smaller against the fluffy pink of the ground, 18 00:01:58,303 --> 00:02:02,503 Speaker 1: and the smile on her face grew bigger and bigger. 19 00:02:04,743 --> 00:02:08,303 Speaker 1: The clouds in the purple sky were all different shades 20 00:02:08,303 --> 00:02:12,743 Speaker 1: of the rainbow, and they tasted like cotton candy, just 21 00:02:12,943 --> 00:02:18,703 Speaker 1: like she always imagined. Clouds would taste. When she woke 22 00:02:18,823 --> 00:02:24,103 Speaker 1: up this morning, she couldn't walk, and now she was flying. 23 00:02:25,463 --> 00:02:31,863 Speaker 1: This was the best birthday ever. The other fairies heard 24 00:02:31,943 --> 00:02:36,623 Speaker 1: that the human fairy princess had arrived, and while Eloise 25 00:02:36,743 --> 00:02:40,903 Speaker 1: had he wrote for her flying lesson above Guardinia. They 26 00:02:41,023 --> 00:02:45,983 Speaker 1: were busy putting together a party, and as anyone who 27 00:02:46,023 --> 00:02:51,423 Speaker 1: knows anything about fairies nose, fairies need hardly any excuse 28 00:02:51,463 --> 00:02:55,343 Speaker 1: at all to throw a party. To keep Margaret from 29 00:02:55,423 --> 00:02:58,943 Speaker 1: seeing what they were up to, a fairy named Ruby 30 00:02:59,343 --> 00:03:03,463 Speaker 1: draped an invisibility cloth over the section of the forest 31 00:03:03,543 --> 00:03:07,583 Speaker 1: where the party would take place. There were sugar plum 32 00:03:07,663 --> 00:03:12,623 Speaker 1: cupcakes being baked, dewdrop tea was being brewed, and the 33 00:03:12,703 --> 00:03:16,583 Speaker 1: younger fairies were sewing a crown of daisies for the 34 00:03:16,623 --> 00:03:23,863 Speaker 1: guest of honor. News was spreading across Guardinia that the 35 00:03:23,983 --> 00:03:27,983 Speaker 1: chosen human had arrived, and they were all excited to 36 00:03:28,063 --> 00:03:33,263 Speaker 1: catch a glimpse of her. See only the oldest fairies 37 00:03:33,303 --> 00:03:36,663 Speaker 1: were allowed to go through the secret soft Tree into 38 00:03:36,703 --> 00:03:40,023 Speaker 1: the human world, so most never got to see a 39 00:03:40,063 --> 00:03:45,183 Speaker 1: people person. Eloise took Margaret around to see lots of 40 00:03:45,223 --> 00:03:50,063 Speaker 1: different fairies at work. She saw sewing fairies with tiny 41 00:03:50,143 --> 00:03:55,223 Speaker 1: measuring tapes around their necks, stitching up wounded dragonflies and 42 00:03:55,343 --> 00:04:01,423 Speaker 1: patching up spiderwebs. She saw nurse fairies tending to sick 43 00:04:01,503 --> 00:04:06,703 Speaker 1: fairy children, and crafty fairies were painting butterfly wings and 44 00:04:06,823 --> 00:04:14,183 Speaker 1: cutting out snowflakes. Every time they met someone new, the 45 00:04:14,303 --> 00:04:17,423 Speaker 1: fairy would bow to Margaret and tell her that it 46 00:04:17,543 --> 00:04:21,623 Speaker 1: was an honor to meet her. Margaret was having so 47 00:04:21,863 --> 00:04:27,823 Speaker 1: much fun that she started to forget about home, but 48 00:04:27,903 --> 00:04:34,103 Speaker 1: Margaret's home certainly hadn't forgotten about her. Back at Margaret's house, 49 00:04:34,543 --> 00:04:37,743 Speaker 1: Margaret's mom and dad were washing up the dishes and 50 00:04:37,863 --> 00:04:42,663 Speaker 1: wondering if Margaret was having fun at Mary's house, should 51 00:04:42,703 --> 00:04:46,223 Speaker 1: we have let her go by herself, Brian said, Margaret's 52 00:04:46,263 --> 00:04:49,623 Speaker 1: mom with that worried look on her face that makes 53 00:04:49,703 --> 00:04:54,623 Speaker 1: mother's foreheads wrinkle up. We have to let her go 54 00:04:54,783 --> 00:04:58,823 Speaker 1: sooner or later, he replied, But I think I'm going 55 00:04:58,863 --> 00:05:02,863 Speaker 1: to make sure she got over there. Okay, I'm going 56 00:05:02,903 --> 00:05:05,383 Speaker 1: to take Buster for a walk and see if I 57 00:05:05,383 --> 00:05:10,143 Speaker 1: can spot her. Margaret's dad put a leash on their 58 00:05:10,143 --> 00:05:17,223 Speaker 1: golden retriever and started out down the path. Margaret and 59 00:05:17,303 --> 00:05:21,503 Speaker 1: Eloise were watching a fix it fairy replaced some scales 60 00:05:21,543 --> 00:05:25,543 Speaker 1: on a rainbow trout. When a young fairy appeared and 61 00:05:25,663 --> 00:05:31,263 Speaker 1: told Eloise she was kneaded in the forest, Margaret was 62 00:05:31,303 --> 00:05:36,223 Speaker 1: excited to see the fairy forest. Without even thinking, she 63 00:05:36,503 --> 00:05:41,463 Speaker 1: jumped up in the air and started to fly until 64 00:05:41,543 --> 00:05:46,503 Speaker 1: now the only way she could fly was with Eloise's help. 65 00:05:46,703 --> 00:05:51,463 Speaker 1: The fairies cheered because Margaret's magic was starting to settle in. 66 00:05:54,663 --> 00:05:59,263 Speaker 1: Margaret smiled bigger than she'd ever smiled before, and they 67 00:05:59,303 --> 00:06:03,583 Speaker 1: all flew off towards the forest with a tinkling sound 68 00:06:03,903 --> 00:06:10,063 Speaker 1: and a puff of fairy dust. When Margaret and Eloise 69 00:06:10,143 --> 00:06:13,303 Speaker 1: got to the clearing in the fairy forest, there were 70 00:06:13,383 --> 00:06:18,743 Speaker 1: flowers everywhere. They were sewn into garlands of all sizes. 71 00:06:19,503 --> 00:06:24,263 Speaker 1: There were rose petals all over the ground. Music was 72 00:06:24,343 --> 00:06:31,463 Speaker 1: playing and fairies were dancing. It was a party. Happy birthday, Princess, 73 00:06:32,303 --> 00:06:37,303 Speaker 1: long Live Margaret of Gardenia, saying, hundreds of fairies in unison. 74 00:06:39,463 --> 00:06:43,263 Speaker 1: Margaret felt like a giant in this fairy world, but 75 00:06:43,423 --> 00:06:48,383 Speaker 1: she also felt like a true princess, especially when the 76 00:06:48,463 --> 00:06:52,303 Speaker 1: young fairies flew up and placed a crown of daisies 77 00:06:52,303 --> 00:06:57,023 Speaker 1: on her head. The breeze from their flapping wings made 78 00:06:57,063 --> 00:07:02,423 Speaker 1: her eyelash his flutter. Margaret's dad started along the path 79 00:07:02,543 --> 00:07:08,063 Speaker 1: he'd cleared through the woods for Margaret. Buster began to bark, 80 00:07:08,303 --> 00:07:10,903 Speaker 1: and he began to run down the path ahead of 81 00:07:10,943 --> 00:07:18,663 Speaker 1: Margaret's dad. Buster slowed down. Buster was following. Margaret sent 82 00:07:19,543 --> 00:07:26,903 Speaker 1: right to the secret soft tree. As the fairy musicians 83 00:07:27,103 --> 00:07:32,223 Speaker 1: entertained with a lively Celtic reel, Margaret clapped and danced 84 00:07:32,623 --> 00:07:36,263 Speaker 1: and feasted on sugar plum cupcakes and cups of dew 85 00:07:36,383 --> 00:07:41,863 Speaker 1: drop tea. Margaret was just getting the hang of dancing 86 00:07:41,903 --> 00:07:46,663 Speaker 1: a jig with her new feet when suddenly the music stopped. 87 00:07:48,983 --> 00:07:53,183 Speaker 1: A silence fell over Gardenia, as if a great cloak 88 00:07:53,223 --> 00:07:57,623 Speaker 1: of quiet had been draped over the land. It was 89 00:07:57,703 --> 00:08:02,543 Speaker 1: the same deep silence Margaret heard or hadn't heard when 90 00:08:02,543 --> 00:08:08,503 Speaker 1: she first fell through the tree. A flash of blue 91 00:08:08,583 --> 00:08:13,423 Speaker 1: light whizzed past overhead, and then a quiet, angry fairy appeared, 92 00:08:13,463 --> 00:08:21,343 Speaker 1: shouting something's approaching. All fairy silent fairies rushed to fasten 93 00:08:21,383 --> 00:08:25,423 Speaker 1: the invisibility tarp back over the party, since there was 94 00:08:25,463 --> 00:08:31,463 Speaker 1: no way to hide Margaret with her great size. The 95 00:08:31,543 --> 00:08:37,303 Speaker 1: fairies and Margaret all froze. The only sound to be 96 00:08:37,463 --> 00:08:42,863 Speaker 1: heard was coming from the Secret Soft Tree. It sounded 97 00:08:42,983 --> 00:08:50,303 Speaker 1: familiar to Margaret. Buster's nose sniffed around the stump of 98 00:08:50,383 --> 00:08:55,863 Speaker 1: the secret Soft tree. The dog smelled something very familiar. 99 00:08:58,743 --> 00:09:02,663 Speaker 1: The fairies all had their eyes fixed to the inside 100 00:09:02,703 --> 00:09:07,423 Speaker 1: door of the Secret Soft Tree. They watched as bit 101 00:09:07,543 --> 00:09:14,183 Speaker 1: by bit a dog's nose started to appear. Margaret remembered 102 00:09:14,183 --> 00:09:19,023 Speaker 1: where she really was in her back yard. That nose 103 00:09:19,143 --> 00:09:27,263 Speaker 1: belonged to Buster. Suddenly, the Queen appeared. The dog can't 104 00:09:27,423 --> 00:09:33,863 Speaker 1: enter Guardinia, she said, there's a human with him. The 105 00:09:33,943 --> 00:09:36,703 Speaker 1: Queen put both of her hands up in front of her, 106 00:09:37,223 --> 00:09:40,543 Speaker 1: with her palms facing the place where Buster's nose was 107 00:09:40,623 --> 00:09:46,663 Speaker 1: poking through the Secret Soft tree. She closed her eyes, 108 00:09:47,063 --> 00:09:50,743 Speaker 1: and Margaret and the fairies watched in wonder as the 109 00:09:50,783 --> 00:09:54,623 Speaker 1: place where the world of Guardinia seemed to end in 110 00:09:54,703 --> 00:10:00,743 Speaker 1: a wall of pink and lavender became translucent. The image 111 00:10:00,783 --> 00:10:04,903 Speaker 1: looked rippled at first, like waves of water were covering 112 00:10:04,943 --> 00:10:13,663 Speaker 1: the scene. Margaret, Margaret, are you in there? Margaret's eyes 113 00:10:13,783 --> 00:10:18,983 Speaker 1: opened wide. Whose voice was that it didn't sound like 114 00:10:19,063 --> 00:10:25,703 Speaker 1: anyone she knew. As Margaret stared at the tree, fixed 115 00:10:25,743 --> 00:10:29,383 Speaker 1: on the sound of the unfamiliar voice. The image in 116 00:10:29,423 --> 00:10:33,863 Speaker 1: front of the queen appeared visible. Margaret could see the 117 00:10:33,903 --> 00:10:37,983 Speaker 1: path that led through the trees to Mary's house. Buster 118 00:10:38,143 --> 00:10:42,543 Speaker 1: was sniffing around the trunk of the tree. I smell you, Margaret, 119 00:10:43,023 --> 00:10:48,943 Speaker 1: I smell you. Margaret realized then that she was hearing 120 00:10:48,983 --> 00:10:56,383 Speaker 1: Buster's thoughts. Eloise appeared in a streak of blue light. 121 00:10:57,343 --> 00:11:01,143 Speaker 1: We have to mask your smell. She opened a bag 122 00:11:01,223 --> 00:11:06,463 Speaker 1: of fairy dust and puffed it into Margaret's face. Buster 123 00:11:06,663 --> 00:11:10,343 Speaker 1: lost margaret scent, and they watched him head back down 124 00:11:10,383 --> 00:11:17,143 Speaker 1: the path towards Margaret's dad. Margaret, overwhelmed with what had 125 00:11:17,263 --> 00:11:24,543 Speaker 1: just happened, started to feel sleepy, very sleepy. Oh no, 126 00:11:25,383 --> 00:11:27,983 Speaker 1: I was worried that might be too much fairy dust 127 00:11:28,023 --> 00:11:33,503 Speaker 1: for a human, squealed Eloise, as Margaret's eyes closed and 128 00:11:33,623 --> 00:11:37,183 Speaker 1: she fell to her knees and down onto the fluffy, 129 00:11:37,223 --> 00:11:43,863 Speaker 1: pink ground. Buster, what made you run off there? Did 130 00:11:43,903 --> 00:11:49,983 Speaker 1: you smell another dog? Margaret's dad picked Buster's leash up 131 00:11:49,983 --> 00:11:54,663 Speaker 1: off the ground and patted the dog's head. Then he 132 00:11:54,743 --> 00:11:59,663 Speaker 1: saw the scariest thing a father could see. Margaret's wheelchair 133 00:11:59,783 --> 00:12:03,703 Speaker 1: was tipped against the tree. His daughter slumped down on 134 00:12:03,783 --> 00:12:11,583 Speaker 1: the ground beside it. Margaret's dad ran to her, Margaret, Margaret, 135 00:12:11,583 --> 00:12:14,783 Speaker 1: wake up? Can you do you hear me? Her eyes 136 00:12:14,823 --> 00:12:20,823 Speaker 1: started to open Eloise she said. Oh, thank goodness, said 137 00:12:20,863 --> 00:12:24,183 Speaker 1: her dad. What happened? You must have fallen and hit 138 00:12:24,303 --> 00:12:31,063 Speaker 1: your head, daddy, said Margaret. She looked around and saw 139 00:12:31,223 --> 00:12:36,103 Speaker 1: that the sky was boring old blue, the ground was brown, 140 00:12:37,023 --> 00:12:41,343 Speaker 1: and there was her wheelchair. When she tried to lift 141 00:12:41,343 --> 00:12:48,943 Speaker 1: herself up, her legs didn't work. Margaret's dad carried her 142 00:12:48,943 --> 00:12:53,503 Speaker 1: into their house. What happened, asked her mother, running to 143 00:12:53,583 --> 00:12:59,263 Speaker 1: open the door. Oh, Margaret, are you okay? She's fine, 144 00:12:59,583 --> 00:13:02,863 Speaker 1: said Margaret's dad. A twig got stuck in her wheel 145 00:13:02,903 --> 00:13:07,703 Speaker 1: and she bumped her head on a tree. It couldn't 146 00:13:07,703 --> 00:13:11,303 Speaker 1: have been a dream, thought Margaret to herself. It was 147 00:13:11,423 --> 00:13:17,503 Speaker 1: so real. She rubbed her head, hoping she wouldn't feel anything, 148 00:13:18,383 --> 00:13:22,543 Speaker 1: hoping that this perfect world wasn't all in her imagination. 149 00:13:24,343 --> 00:13:27,943 Speaker 1: But there it was a large bump on her head 150 00:13:28,263 --> 00:13:32,743 Speaker 1: where she fell into the tree. After Margaret had rested 151 00:13:32,743 --> 00:13:36,103 Speaker 1: for an hour and her parents were sure she was okay, 152 00:13:37,063 --> 00:13:41,703 Speaker 1: Margaret's dad fixed up her wheelchair, took her back outside, 153 00:13:41,743 --> 00:13:47,383 Speaker 1: and helped her across the path to Mary's house. Mary 154 00:13:47,423 --> 00:13:50,983 Speaker 1: and Margaret played for the rest of the day, but 155 00:13:51,343 --> 00:13:55,583 Speaker 1: playing dolls and making puzzles wasn't much fun compared to 156 00:13:55,703 --> 00:14:02,903 Speaker 1: painting butterflies and cutting out snowflakes. Cookies and milk weren't 157 00:14:02,983 --> 00:14:07,783 Speaker 1: quite as tasty as dew dropped tea and sugarplum cupcakes. 158 00:14:10,983 --> 00:14:15,143 Speaker 1: Later that evening, when Margaret was in bed reading and 159 00:14:15,263 --> 00:14:18,103 Speaker 1: daydreaming about what it felt like to be a princess 160 00:14:18,423 --> 00:14:22,343 Speaker 1: who could fly among fairies, her mother came into her 161 00:14:22,423 --> 00:14:25,983 Speaker 1: room to say good night. I'm sorry you didn't get 162 00:14:26,023 --> 00:14:29,503 Speaker 1: to go to Mary's by yourself today, said Margaret's mother, 163 00:14:29,903 --> 00:14:33,423 Speaker 1: as she sorted the laundry to be washed. I know 164 00:14:33,583 --> 00:14:36,143 Speaker 1: you were hoping to have an adventure on your first 165 00:14:36,223 --> 00:14:39,583 Speaker 1: day as an eight year old. She checked the pockets 166 00:14:39,623 --> 00:14:42,663 Speaker 1: on a pair of Margaret's pants and pulled out a 167 00:14:42,783 --> 00:14:48,903 Speaker 1: tiny silver object the size of a pair of nail clippers. Oh, Margaret, 168 00:14:49,383 --> 00:14:52,183 Speaker 1: what have I told you about cleaning out your pockets? 169 00:14:52,863 --> 00:14:58,623 Speaker 1: This little toy could have gone through the washing machine. 170 00:14:58,663 --> 00:15:02,703 Speaker 1: Margaret reached over and picked up the tiny silver wand 171 00:15:02,783 --> 00:15:06,703 Speaker 1: from her mother's hand. She held it in her hand 172 00:15:07,463 --> 00:15:15,623 Speaker 1: and smiled. And that is the end of our story. 173 00:15:16,863 --> 00:15:19,423 Speaker 1: Good Night, sleep tight.