1 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Hello friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. I'd like 2 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: to say hello to Ella and Zoe from stone Ridge, 3 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: New York. Hello to Isla from Royal Oak, Michigan. Hello 4 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: to Evelyn and Hannah from Salt Lake City, Utah. Hello 5 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: to Sibyl and Ida. Hello to Ashland from Chicago City, Minnesota. 6 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: Hello to Eric and Dietrich, and hello to Peachtree Play 7 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. I'd like to say happy belated 8 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: birthday to Sawyer and her new puppy, Baylor from Greenville, 9 00:00:54,400 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: South Carolina, who had a birthday December fourth. Happy belated 10 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: birthday wishes from Mommy, Daddy and the kitty Princess to 11 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: Mia Morales from Hacienda Heights, California, who turned seven years 12 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: old on December fourth. Happy birthday to Oslon who is 13 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: turning six on December sixth. Happy birthday to the twins 14 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: Madeleine and Millie Menzisa from Sun Valley, Idaho, who are 15 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: turning seven on December seventh. Happy birthday to Janice from 16 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: the UK who is turning seven on December eighth. Happy 17 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: birthday to Aarondira from Flowertown, Pennsylvania who is turning six 18 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: on December ninth. Happy birthday to Georgia from Oregon who 19 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: is turning seven on December tenth, and Happy birthday to 20 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: Nayana from Bangalore, in who is turning nine on December eleventh. 21 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: Happy birthday to you all. I hope you have a 22 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: wonderful day. Shout outs and birthday wishes are one way 23 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,239 Speaker 1: we give thanks to our supporters. If you would like 24 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,679 Speaker 1: to support us and receive more bedtime entertainment like this 25 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: I'll add free, please visit our support page at sleep 26 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: tightstories dot org slash support. Thank you. This is the 27 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: fifth part of our story about Esther and the Magical 28 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: Book of Dreams. Esther is a very curious girl who 29 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: is always daydreaming about heading off on an adventure. Shirewood, 30 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: where she lives, is very boring for her, and she 31 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: can't wait to go and explore the areas around her. 32 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: Esther is reading a book that she found one day 33 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: when she took a different path home, but she is 34 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: afraid she is going to have to give it to 35 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: her mother now, and she doesn't know what is going 36 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: to happen when she does. The Magical Book of Dreams 37 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: Part five, Once upon a Time in a World full 38 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 1: of Magic, and fun. There lived a little girl named Esther. 39 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: She lived in a small village far from any castles, 40 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: at the very edge of the known Kingdom. They were 41 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: surrounded by beautiful gardens, flowers, sparkling streams of water, and 42 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: protected from the elements by moss covered rocks and tall 43 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: towering trees. It was a wonderful and quiet place, far 44 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: from the hustle and bustle of the Mystical Forest. Esther's 45 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: small village was called Shirewood, and life there was slow 46 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: by design. Whereas those of the Mystical Forest might talk 47 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: of politics or philosophy, those of Shirewood were more interested 48 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: in practical matters like agriculture and preserving their old ways. 49 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: They didn't have all the conveniences of the other villages, towns, 50 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: or cities in the Kingdom, and they were very protective 51 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: of their way of life. Despite the lack of conveniences, 52 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: they were very independent and outsiders, though welcomed with open arms, 53 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: were rare. What Shirewood was known for was as a 54 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: gateway to what was once known as the Unknown Realm. 55 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: The kingdom was huge, with vast plains, deserts, mountain ranges, forests, 56 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: and seashores, but it was not all encompassing. There were 57 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: regions far afield that the Kingdom traded with or heard 58 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: about from those who loved to travel, but they were 59 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 1: as mysterious to those in the Kingdom as traveling to 60 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: some far off exotic place might be to us to day. 61 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: The most mysterious and the most dangerous was the place 62 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: that Shirewood served as a gateway to. While many people 63 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: used to travel through Shirewood in order to understand this 64 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: place of mystery, the Unknown Realm holds as much much 65 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: mystique today as it did hundreds of years ago. The 66 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: reason for this is quite simple. No one has ever 67 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: returned from their expedition to explore the realm, and subsequent 68 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: attempts to find these intrepid travelers failed. As well. As 69 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: the word spread of the traveler's fate, the number of 70 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: people who traveled through this small village became less and less, 71 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: until it became an idea for only the most restless adventurers. 72 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:46,239 Speaker 1: Despite the known dangers, many young people in Shirewood still 73 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: dreamed of unraveling that mystery, and often, as was the 74 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: case with Esther, dreamed of exploring the Unknown Realm. Esther 75 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: was restless living in growing up in her hometown, something inherited, 76 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: perhaps from her father, who himself disappeared during an expedition. 77 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: She dreamed not just of the unknown realm, but of 78 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: all the places beyond the walls of Shirewood, the mystical Forest, 79 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: the towns and villages of the east, and those people 80 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: who lived there. Esther was a good student, but she 81 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: was prone to daydreaming, always looking out the window, thinking 82 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: of what existed outside the confines of their village. Today 83 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: was no exception, as her mind repeated over and over 84 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: again the text that she had read the night before. 85 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: She had but six months left in this school year, 86 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: and then she was free to visit the mystical Forest, 87 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: the unknown realm, or anywhere she wanted to. But until 88 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: then she had to endure Headmaster Eileen's boring lectures. She 89 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: was doing her best, but aunt day's like today, when 90 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: the headmaster talked about gardening, she wanted to run away. 91 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: She survived the in depth talk on the silent life 92 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: of soil and didn't attempt an escape this time, but 93 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: she did rejoice when the end of the school day 94 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: finally came. She had avoided her friends Dobie and Winkie 95 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: all week. She knew they would be waiting for her 96 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: outside near the gateway to the school, as they always 97 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: made a habit of hanging out and joking around together 98 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: whenever they had time. But today she wanted to get 99 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: home and quickly help her brother with his homework so 100 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: that she might have more time to read the difficult 101 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: text in the book. She escaped the schoolyard via the 102 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: smaller exit only the younger students took, in order to 103 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: pass by a small sweet store that was ideally positioned 104 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 1: near the school and had been opened for generations. It 105 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: was a rite of passage that once you reached a 106 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: certain age, you stopped going in that direction to stop 107 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: for a piece of dragon candy, though Esther would still 108 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: visit from time to time. After passing the sweet store, 109 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: she took a fork in the dirt path and started 110 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: walking along the way that led to her home, careful 111 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: not to walk on the stone covered moss, which had 112 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: led to many bruised knees over the years. They tended 113 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: to be very slippery. As she walked, she admired the 114 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: gardens that people grew. Esther loved how they looked and 115 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: appreciated the food that they produced. Still, she was less 116 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: enthusiastic about their in depth study than the headmaster was. 117 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: It was getting near dinner time, so the homes along 118 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: the way were burning wood to fuel their stoves, the 119 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: smoke rising in the sky. Other places in the Kingdom 120 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: used various forms of magic to cook and heat their homes, 121 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: but Shirewood stuck to the old ways. She eventually approached 122 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: the fork in the path that had led to her 123 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: current nightly secret. The direction to the left led to 124 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: the part of the village where she lived, and the 125 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: right was the path the explorers always took to leave 126 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: the village to explore the unknown realm. It was still 127 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: overgrown and hard to see. She went left this time, 128 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: knowing that perhaps one day soon she would head down 129 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: that path again. Esther quickly came to her small home 130 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: at the edge of the village. Her mother was gathering 131 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: laundry she had hung outside, including some of Esther's favorite clothes. 132 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 1: People in Shirewood still washed all their clothes by hand, 133 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: which Esther knew must be backward compared to what they 134 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: did elsewhere in the Kingdom with all their magic. You 135 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: were home quickly, her mother said, as Esther opened the 136 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,959 Speaker 1: gate to their yard. Didn't you hang out with your 137 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: friends today, not today, mother, Well, your brother is a 138 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: bit late today, no doubt. He stopped at the sweets 139 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: shop and will have ruined his dinner with all that 140 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: dragon candy. And then he will wake us up in 141 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 1: the middle of the night saying he is starving because 142 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: he didn't eat enough at dinner. Esther replied, I'd like 143 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: you to quickly finish your chores and come in the 144 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: house before he comes home. I have something I want 145 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: to talk to you about, her mother said, as she 146 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: walked into their house with a basket full of laundry. 147 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: Upon hearing that, Esther became overwhelmed with the feeling of dread. 148 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: She didn't have much in the way of chores, just 149 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: cleaning up some of the mess in the yard, but 150 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: she wished she could stretch out the ten minutes of 151 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: work until it was time for bed. What could her 152 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: mother want to talk about? Somehow she must know about 153 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: the book. Now she would have to give it to 154 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: her mother. Her mother would then give it to the 155 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: headmaster or the village elders, and she would never get 156 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:15,559 Speaker 1: to read its contents again. After she finished her chores, 157 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: she walked into the house and her mother was standing 158 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: in the kitchen waiting for her. I would like to 159 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: talk to you about that heavy thing you have been 160 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: carrying around in your bag this past week, her mother said, 161 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: indicating that she knew all about what Esther had been 162 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: up to. Okay, Esther replied, I know you went down 163 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: the path that all the travelers used to take. I 164 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: knew from the very first day. I saw the stains 165 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: on your mouth from eating the berries that only grow 166 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: in that area. I've noticed you are up late every night, 167 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: and how distracted you have been lately. You always have 168 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: been a daydreamer, but it has been much worse lately. 169 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: Is there something you would like to share? Her mother asked. 170 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: She could never lie to her mother, so it was 171 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: time to tell her everything. One day, on my way 172 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: home from school, I took the right fork instead of 173 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: the left and followed the path through an old clearing 174 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: where I suppose travelers would meet and rest before continuing 175 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: on their way. When I was there, I found a 176 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: leather bound book, well more of a travel journal, full 177 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: of a collection of stories and pictures. Why did you 178 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: feel it necessary to take that turn? You know, most 179 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: parents don't want our children to go down that path, 180 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: her mother asked, it's boring in Shirewood. I want to 181 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: see the kingdom or see an anything. I want to 182 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: travel and experience more than what we are allowed in 183 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: this small village. Going down that path was a brief escape, 184 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: I guess. Her mother sighed, Oh, your father was much 185 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: the same as you. Never content and couldn't appreciate what 186 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: he had until he had something to compare it with. 187 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: He traveled a lot, but always came home, that is 188 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: until he was bitten by the bug of the mystery 189 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: of the unknown realm, her mother said, with deep sadness 190 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: in her eyes. Esther took the book out of her 191 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: bag that she still carried on her back. This is 192 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: the book I found in the clearing. It was dirty, 193 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: but in remarkable condition, she said, as she handed the 194 00:15:55,040 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: book to her mother. Esther's mother opened the book, leafing 195 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: through its pages, looking at the complicated text and the 196 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: many illustrations. This is quite old. I can't imagine it 197 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: has been sitting where you might have found it for long. 198 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: Someone must have left it out there for what reason, 199 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. Have you read it all yet? No? 200 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: The handwriting and some of the language are quite difficult 201 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: to read. But mother, please don't take it away and 202 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: give it to the head master or the village elders, 203 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: or burn it or burn it. Don't talk such nonsense. Child. 204 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: Books are sacred in this household, and as far as 205 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: giving it to the elders or your head master, I 206 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: don't see why we would want to do that. If 207 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: this book proves to be of historical significance, we might 208 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: share with those in the village who might gain from 209 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: reading it. But I have no intent on giving it away. 210 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 1: Esther visibly relaxed. This is what we are going to 211 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: do every night as part of your and your little 212 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: brother's reading time. We will read this book together. That 213 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: way we can all benefit from its contents and discuss 214 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: what it contains. There is no need for secrets. We 215 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,399 Speaker 1: will start tonight after dinner, during our normal study and 216 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: reading period. Just then, Esther's little brother walked in the door, 217 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: dragon candy stains all over his mouth. What's everyone standing 218 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: around for? And what's for dinner? I'm starving And that's 219 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 1: the end of this part. Good night, sleep tight.