1 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. Esther is angry. 2 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: She cannot believe what her mother did. Her mother had 3 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: told them they could stay up later and read more 4 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: of the book, but once the map started to glow, 5 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: her mother had shut the book and sent them to bed. 6 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: Esther has decided that she has to get the map 7 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: and go to find the portal. Maybe this would finally 8 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: be the way to bring her father home. How would 9 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: she know unless she tried The Magical Book of Dreams 10 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: Part eleven. Esther sat in her room, staring absently at 11 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: the flickering light of her candle as it created patterns 12 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: on the wall of her room. She was mesmerized by 13 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: what had just occurred and what it might mean. The 14 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: map had come to life by the touch of her 15 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: hands and the wind of her breath, almost as if 16 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: it was created for her or people like her, whoever 17 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: they might be. All the intricate designs that glowed the 18 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: root to the portal and the symbols, including a key, 19 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: were burned into her mind. The symbol of the key 20 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: might indicate that the map was not only showing the 21 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: way to the portal, but was the means to open it. 22 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: After years of missing her father, of wondering where he 23 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: might have gone. This could finally represent a way to 24 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: find him, bring him home, and prove to everyone that 25 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: he didn't just leave us alone to go on another 26 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: crazy adventure. The feelings of amazement and hope were soon 27 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 1: replaced by disappointment and anger when thoughts of what her 28 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: mother had done entered her mind. Esther's mother had promised 29 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: to give them time to read the book later than 30 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: normal to discuss what they read, but instead, shortly after 31 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: the map started to glow and reveal itself, she grabbed it, 32 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: put it back inside the book, and sent them off 33 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: to bed without so much as a word. They hardly 34 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: had time to digest what had just happened. Esther thought 35 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: back to when she told her mother that she had 36 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: found the book. Her mother had assured her that she 37 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: would not take it to the village elders. Taking the 38 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: book to the elders meant it would likely never be 39 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: seen again. She promised that they would discover its contents together. 40 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: Esther started to think that her mother might not have 41 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: been true to her word. There were times when she 42 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: could protest her mother's decisions, but tonight, when she shewed 43 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: them to bed. The look on her face showed that 44 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: this was not one of them. Her face had a 45 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: seriousness to it that would not allow for discussion. But 46 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: Esther thought she also saw something new in her mother's face, fear. 47 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: Her mother was the strongest person she had ever known, 48 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: and though she may have at times struggled, she did 49 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: so unflinchingly. What was it about the map that could 50 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: possibly bring about this change, that would force her to 51 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: change her mind? Would she take the book away, never 52 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 1: allowing Esther to read it again. She didn't ponder these 53 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: questions for long. Esther was increasingly angry. She was so 54 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: angry she swore that steam was coming from her ears. 55 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: She remembered her father telling her one night, after a 56 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: particularly difficult negotiation that anger was the enemy of sound 57 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: decision making. When emotions are high, wisdom is low. She 58 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: knew she should heed his advice, but made the fateful 59 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: decision anyways. Esther decided that she would follow the map 60 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: to the portal and if she could use it to 61 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: find her father, and she would do it alone. But 62 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: first she would have to get the map out from 63 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: the book, which was certainly in her mother's hands. Esther 64 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: decided to wait until all light was extinguished in their cottage, 65 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: a sure sign that everyone was asleep. She first packed 66 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: a bag for travel. She planned on traveling light, so 67 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: she packed the bare essentials candles, a change of clothes, 68 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: a coat, some loose currency, water, and some jerky for energy. 69 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: She then wrote a note for her little brother, which read, 70 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: choices are not always this way or that way. You 71 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: can be a math scholar and a fine gardener. Follow 72 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: your dreams, you squirt. After all the lights were out, 73 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: she sat listening for a small cycle longer, hoping that 74 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: that would ensure everyone was asleep. She crept out of 75 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: her bedroom and walked into her brothers, whose heavy breathing 76 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: indicated he was sleeping. She left him the note and 77 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: stared at him. Awhile, I'm coming back, right, she said 78 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: to herself. Then she walked slowly to her mother's room, 79 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: where she was sure the book must be. Looking in 80 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: to see if her mother was asleep, she saw that 81 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: her bed was empty. That's not good. If she was 82 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: up waiting for her in the dark, she would be 83 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: in big trouble and would never be able to make 84 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: her way to the portal. Esther quietly walked out into 85 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: the main room. It was dark, but Esther knew where 86 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: all the creeks in the floor were, and since her 87 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: eyes were adjusted to the dark, avoided any accidents like 88 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: banging her toes on the bookcase that guarded the entrance 89 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: to the room. At the table was her mother asleep, 90 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: her head on the book she had been reading alone. 91 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: Beside her head was the map, no longer glowing and 92 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: free for Esther to grab. Her anger had time to 93 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: dissipate somewhat, so she hesitated, questioning her decision before she 94 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: lost her nerve. She silently took the map, thankful it 95 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: didn't start with its fireworks like display of light, put 96 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: it into her bag, and walked out the door of 97 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: the only home she had ever known. The sky was 98 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: clear that night, allowing the moon to shine bright like 99 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: a giant lantern in the sky. Its light was so 100 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: strong that it turned a rocky path into something amazing. 101 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: It made the stone sparkle and made it easy for 102 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: Estra to walk without tripping. She stopped to look back 103 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: the cottage just visible in the distance, but before she 104 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: could change her mind, Esther turned around and continued towards 105 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: the path. That had changed everything for her. Esther walked slowly, 106 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: but in what seemed like a short period of time, 107 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: arrived at the meeting place where she had found the book. 108 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: It was quiet but for the rustling of leaves and 109 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: the whisper of the wind as it blew through the 110 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: trees in the distance. She sat and took the map 111 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: out from her bag, and upon unfolding it, it started 112 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: to glow again. It showed her location, the path, and 113 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: the root forward. It was incredibly straightforward, and she couldn't 114 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: understand why no one had ever reported the route. She 115 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: started on her way again. Path took her through a 116 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: grove of trees, with fireflies flying through the air like 117 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: tiny floating lanterns, casting a warm glow on the path. 118 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: Before her, she saw small glowing mushrooms growing on the 119 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: sides of the path and the faint outline of small 120 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: animals moving in the shadows. Looking back, she saw the 121 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: mushroom's lights slowly fade and the fireflies dissipate, as if 122 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: the map she was carrying had asked them to help 123 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: her find her way. As she walked, Esther heard the 124 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: distant hoot of an owl, its call echoing through the forest, 125 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: as if guiding her toward the portal. The soft chirping 126 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: of crickets accompanied her steps, and from high up in 127 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 1: the trees, she heard the gentle fluttering of wings, revealing 128 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: a family of fairies, the larger of the group ushering 129 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: the others into their tiny homes as if to protect 130 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: them from the site of Esther. Surely they must have 131 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: seen people like myself before, she thought. The map guided 132 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: Ester down one path after another, through meadows and forests 133 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: with impossibly tall trees, each path looking less traveled than 134 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: the other. It must have been many cycles since anyone 135 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: has walked down these paths, Esther mumbled as she pulled 136 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: the vines off her ankles. The farther she walked, the 137 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: more the plants and trees seemed to be trying to 138 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: discourage her. There were no more fireflies, and the glowing 139 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:57,719 Speaker 1: mushrooms were gone. It's like there were two imposing forces, 140 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: one keen to help god her toward her destination, the 141 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: other not. Esther kept walking, not wanting to rest, until 142 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,959 Speaker 1: just before sunrise, with the distant orange visible in the sky, 143 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: she came upon a wall of vegetation that blocked her way. 144 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: The thick vines covered with thorns and leaves and shades 145 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: of emerald and ruby, snaked all across the path, stopping 146 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: her from continuing. As she stepped forward, the vines would 147 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: sway and tighten, trying to dissuade her from continuing her journey. 148 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: If she tried to press on through, she would certainly 149 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: be scratched by all the thorns. Even without the thorns, 150 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: the vegetation was so thick, the wall so seemingly impenetrable, 151 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: it seemed to impossible to continue. Why would the map 152 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: lead her to a dead end? Or was this a test? 153 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: She looked at the map. It glowed with her location, 154 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: urging her forward. Pushing the vines forcefully led to painful 155 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: scratches on her hands. Looking at the map, she noticed 156 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: the gentle flow of her glowing location. Force may not 157 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:41,599 Speaker 1: be the answer. Trying again, she whispered words of kindness, 158 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: asking for safe passage, and with gentle hands, she started 159 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: pushing aside the vines. The vines responded by parting just 160 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,959 Speaker 1: enough to create a narrow path for her to walk through. 161 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:05,319 Speaker 1: With each step, the impenetrable wall of vegetation seemed to 162 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:12,439 Speaker 1: recognize her and allowed her passage. Gradually clearing the way. 163 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: The vines loosened their grip, and the bushes shifted their branches, 164 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: revealing a cleared path leading straight to what she hoped 165 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: would be the magical portal to the unknown realm and 166 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: her father. It was morning now as she walked, and 167 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: she imagined that her little brother was eating breakfast with mother. 168 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: Her anger had long since faded, and she thought for 169 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: a brief moment that she might have made a mistake. 170 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: Her mother would be worried. She hoped that if she 171 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: was successful, she might find a way to forgive her 172 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: on the vines had disappeared, replaced by a small dirt 173 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: path surrounded by tall white trees, flowering ferns, and excited 174 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: birds who seemed to sing louder the farther she went. Finally, 175 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: she came upon a sunlit clearing of tall grass, with 176 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: birds and insects flying about, drinking from the tops of 177 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: purple flowers. She could see a small stream of water 178 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: in the distance. What she couldn't see was a portal. 179 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: Looking at the map, it plainly showed that the portal 180 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: was supposed to be right in front of her, but 181 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: she couldn't see it. She walked around the edge of 182 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: the clearing, looking to see if it was simply hidden 183 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: by the flowers and trees. After many psych of disuse, 184 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: but she saw nothing. Esther came back to the center 185 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: and walked forward ever so slightly. Why did you guide 186 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: me here for nothing, she said aloud. Disappointed, she sat 187 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: down on the grass, tears starting to flow down her cheeks. 188 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, father, I thought I could find you. As 189 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: she cried, she noticed something shining in a large tree 190 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: directly in front of her. She got up, walked towards 191 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: the tree and saw a large polished stone shining in 192 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: the sunlight. The tree was covered in light, intricate patterns 193 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: that were difficult to see if you weren't close. As 194 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: she touched them, they started to glow and the tree 195 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: center started to fade away. This must be it, she said. 196 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:11,439 Speaker 1: I was expecting some kind of elaborate stone archway, like 197 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: illustrated on the map. Shirewood was full of them, announcing 198 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: your entrance to each and every neighborhood. But this was 199 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 1: far more subtle and gentle. Esther's heart was beating with 200 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:34,679 Speaker 1: excitement as she stepped closer. There's no turning back now, 201 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: she said, holding up the map. The tree center started 202 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: to pulse with a bright white light. The map was 203 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: the key. Ester bravely stepped forward, clutching the magical map 204 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: in her hand. As she approached the tree, the center 205 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: began to shimmer and sparkle with an enchanting light. It 206 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: grew brighter and brighter until it dazzled like a hundred 207 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: suns Esther closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 208 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 1: Feeling excited and scared. With a burst of courage, she 209 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 1: stepped forward and walked straight through the trees center, disappearing 210 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: from this realm to another. And that is the end 211 00:18:41,000 --> 00:19:00,199 Speaker 1: of this part. Good night, sleep tight.