Story before sleeping
Bedtime Stories | Free 5 Min Bedtime Stories for Kids Online Bedtime Stories
The Classic fairytale of Cinderella: a young girl, mistreated by her step-mother and step-sisters, who finds out that dreams really can come true.
The Classic Fairytale Story of Snow White with a Modern Twist: Who is the “fair”est of them all? Snow White of course!
A Bedtime Story of Honesty, Courage and Truth. If Pinocchio is to become a Real boy he needs to learn how to be honest, brave and true.
A Grimm’s Brother Tale: A miller tells a tale that his daughter can turn straw into gold. A strange little man is willing to help…for a price. Guess his name and he will be gone…but what is his name?
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids. Goldilocks finds the three bears cottage in the woods. Should she make herself comfortable?
Hansel and Gretel Bedtime Stories for Kids. When Hansel and Gretel go in search of food, they find a gingerbread house. But who is inside?
A Story of Friendship, Love and Courage. Rapunzel’s Story ~ A Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale. An evil witch has trapped Rapunzel in a tower. Can her long hair or love save her?
A Story of Courage, Justice and Self-Awareness. Merlin the Magician places a magic sword in a stone…whomever can pull it out is the rightful king.
A Bedtime Story of Acceptance and Self-Awareness. A Mama Duck is proud when her six ducklings hatch from their eggs. But one duckling does not look like the others? Is he truly an Ugly Duckling?
The classic Brother’s Grimm fairytale that sparked the Disney adaptation.
A Story of Courage, Learning and Love. The Classic fairy tale: The Little Mermaid falls in love with a prince on shore and she makes a deal with the Sea Witch to become human. But without her voice, how can the prince fall in love with her?
This Classic Folktale is adapted from the original story of “Aladdin” from The Arabian Nights. Aladdin, the Genie and the Magic Lamp work to impress the princess who wishes to be a commoner.
A Story of Courage, Kindness to Animals and Learning. The Classic Tale of a male deer, Bambi, his mother and his adventures learning in the woods.
A Story of Charity, Compassion and Justice, from England. Robin Hood takes part in an archery contest thrown by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Will he realize its a trap before it is too late? One of the many Tales of Robin Hood.
This is the Legend Tale of Maui the Demi-God from Moana. It is part of our Classic Bedtime Stories for Kids Collection. It has been adapted from the Tales of Maui as well as Disney’s version of Moana.
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. A toy rabbit learns that through a child’s love it can become real.
The Classic Tale of the Snow Queen: Gerda and Kai struggle to fight the Snow Queen and find the balance between Good and Evil.
The Classic Fairy Tale of Sleeping Beauty. Princess Aurora has been cursed by Maleficent. When she pricks herself on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday, she is put into a deep sleep for 100 years.
Who can save her?
Bedtime Story for Kids: The Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Story. Della and Jim wish to give each other the perfect Christmas present, but how will they come up with the money?
A Bedtime Story of Friendship, Courage and Acceptance. . The story tells of the time Pocahontas saved the life of settler John Smith from her father, Powhatan.
A Cinderella Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
The Classic fairytale of Cinderella: a young girl, mistreated by her step-mother and step-sisters, who finds out that dreams really can come true.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
The Classic Fairytale Story of Snow White with a Modern Twist: Who is the “fair”est of them all? Snow White of course!
Pinocchio Story ~ Fairy Tale Bedtime Stories in English for Kids
A Bedtime Story of Honesty, Courage and Truth. If Pinocchio is to become a Real boy he needs to learn how to be honest, brave and true.
Beauty and the Beast Classic Tale ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
The classic fairy tale of a beautiful woman and the monstrous beast.
Rumpelstiltskin ~ A Fairy Tale Bedtime Story for Kids
A Grimm’s Brother Tale: A miller tells a tale that his daughter can turn straw into gold. A strange little man is willing to help…for a price. Guess his name and he will be gone…but what is his name?
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids. Goldilocks finds the three bears cottage in the woods. Should she make herself comfortable?
Hansel and Gretel ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
Hansel and Gretel Bedtime Stories for Kids. When Hansel and Gretel go in search of food, they find a gingerbread house. But who is inside?
Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm ~ Bedtime Stories
A Story of Friendship, Love and Courage. Rapunzel’s Story ~ A Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale.
An evil witch has trapped Rapunzel in a tower. Can her long hair or love save her?
The Sword in the Stone: a King Arthur Legend of the Sword Story
A Story of Courage, Justice and Self-Awareness. Merlin the Magician places a magic sword in a stone…whomever can pull it out is the rightful king.
The Ugly Duckling Story ~ Fairy Tale Story for Kids in English
A Bedtime Story of Acceptance and Self-Awareness. A Mama Duck is proud when her six ducklings hatch from their eggs. But one duckling does not look like the others? Is he truly an Ugly Duckling?
The Frog Prince: The Story of the Princess and the Frog ~ Bedtime Stories
The classic Brother’s Grimm fairytale that sparked the Disney adaptation.
The Little Mermaid Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids in English
A Story of Courage, Learning and Love. The Classic fairy tale: The Little Mermaid falls in love with a prince on shore and she makes a deal with the Sea Witch to become human.
But without her voice, how can the prince fall in love with her?
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from The Arabian Nights ~ Bedtime Stories
This Classic Folktale is adapted from the original story of “Aladdin” from The Arabian Nights. Aladdin, the Genie and the Magic Lamp work to impress the princess who wishes to be a commoner.
Bambi Story: A Life in the Woods ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids in English
A Story of Courage, Kindness to Animals and Learning. The Classic Tale of a male deer, Bambi, his mother and his adventures learning in the woods.
Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow Story ~ Legend Stories for Kids
A Story of Charity, Compassion and Justice, from England. Robin Hood takes part in an archery contest thrown by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Will he realize its a trap before it is too late? One of the many Tales of Robin Hood.
Maui from Moana: Tales of the Demi-God ~ Legend Stories for Kids
This is the Legend Tale of Maui the Demi-God from Moana.
It is part of our Classic Bedtime Stories for Kids Collection. It has been adapted from the Tales of Maui as well as Disney’s version of Moana.
The Velveteen Rabbit Story ~ Bedtime English Story for Kids
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. A toy rabbit learns that through a child’s love it can become real.
The Snow Queen Fairy Tale Story ~Bedtime Story for Kids
The Classic Tale of the Snow Queen: Gerda and Kai struggle to fight the Snow Queen and find the balance between Good and Evil.
Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
The Classic Fairy Tale of Sleeping Beauty. Princess Aurora has been cursed by Maleficent. When she pricks herself on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday, she is put into a deep sleep for 100 years. Who can save her?
The Gift of the Magi Story ~ A Holiday Story for Kids
Bedtime Story for Kids: The Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Story. Della and Jim wish to give each other the perfect Christmas present, but how will they come up with the money?
Pocahontas and John Smith Story ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A Bedtime Story of Friendship, Courage and Acceptance.
. The story tells of the time Pocahontas saved the life of settler John Smith from her father, Powhatan.
The Emperor’s New Clothes Story ~ Bedtime Stories
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. The Emperor is fooled into believing he is wearing magic clothes which can’t be “seen”.
Mulan Story ~ Tale of Hua Mulan Bedtime Stories | English Story for Kids
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. Based on the “Ballad of Mulan” and Disney’s Mulan, this is a legend tale about a girl who goes in disguise as a boy and joins the army in her brother’s place.
Short Stories for Kids ~ Folk tales, Fairy Tales, Riddles, Legends, Poems
[…]
More From Stories to Grow By
You will find a story you love. Did you know that Stories to Grow By also provides a collection of World Tales? Folktales, fairytales, fables, and more! Whether you are looking for a story from your own country or culture, or a want to learn about a new one! We have you covered.
Check out our special collection of world tales by clicking HERE.
We are strive to provide more. If you would like to see additional stories, content, and materials, or maybe even have some of your own you would like to share - drop us a line! Contact us directly by clicking HERE.
Stay Up to DateJoin our blog by clicking HERE.
Teaching Resources from Stories to Grow By
In addition to our bedtime stories, we also offer a multitude teaching resources! This includes over 100 free bedtime stories, fairy tales, folk tales, readers theater play scripts, and performance notes!
You will find the bedtime stories and the materials you need for your classroom with Stories to Grow By.
Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
This is the Fairytale story of Sleeping Beauty, the Tale of Princess Aurora/Briar Rose.
This Classic Fairy Tale combines parts of the Charles Perrault, Grimm Brothers and Disney versions and is reimagined with a modern ending. It is brought to you by Stories to Grow by.
New #MeToo version! Inspire Today's Girls!
Long ago in France there lived a King and Queen. More than anything, they longed for a child. At last, to their great happiness, the Queen gave birth to a little girl. All the bells in the land were rung with joy.
Thanks to Artist, Fernl
The King and Queen invited all the fairies in the kingdom to the Naming Party for the baby. And what a party it was! Plates and silverware of pure gold were set with care before each guest. But one fairy, Maleficent, who had left 50 years before and had not been seen in all that time, showed up at the door. Quickly the King and Queen found a place setting for the new guest. But alas, the plate and the silverware were not of pure gold.
This made the old fairy very angry.
Soon it was time for each Fairy to give her blessing to the baby. When it came to Maleficent’s turn, she stood up and pointed her long finger at the sleeping baby girl in the cradle.
“I declare, before all of you,” Maleficent called out, “that this child, on her 16th birthday, shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and die!”
Thanks to Artist, Elveariel
With a whoosh of smoke, the evil fairy vanished. Everyone cried out with alarm, as you can imagine. But one fairy had not yet given her blessing. The King and Queen asked this fairy, whose name was Merryweather, to reverse the curse. Merryweather shook her head sadly – that was not possible. But she could soften the curse.
“On her 16th birthday,” she said, “when the princess pricks her finger on the spinning wheel, instead of dying she will fall asleep for 100 years.”
Thanks to Artist, Shambhavi, 11, UK
“One hundred years!” said the Queen.
“After our daughter turns 16, we will not know her anymore!”
The King ordered every spinning wheel in the kingdom to be brought to the palace and burned. To be extra sure the princess would not be anywhere near a spinning wheel, he also ordered the fairy Merryweather, along with two other fairies, Flora and Fauna, to take the baby far away. The fairies would raise the child in a cottage, deep in the woods. There, they would keep her safe until after her 16th birthday. After that day it would be safe to bring back the princess, who had been named Aurora, to the castle.
Aurora grew up knowing no others than the three fairies, whom she knew as her aunts. The animals of the forest were her friends.
Thanks to Artist, Fernl
The birds and the deer, the chipmunks and the rabbits, followed her around as she fed them treats and cooed to them. From the time she was little, Aurora was told she must stay inside the hills that surrounded them.
She did not mind that in the least. The woods were wide and deep inside the hills, and there was plenty of room for her to play.
One day, Aurora came home to the cottage to find her three aunts preparing for a party. “What’s going on?” she said.
“Tonight we will celebrate your 16th birthday!” said Flora.
Thanks to Artist, Parispic
“It is?” said Aurora. “That means tomorrow I go back to the castle!”
“Yes!” said Merryweather. “We have kept you safe from that spinning wheel for 16 years. Soon it will be time for you to take up your royal life as a princess.”
“And the first thing for you will be to get married,” said Fauna.
“Married, already?” said Aurora. “Do you know who I’m supposed to marry?”
“We do,” said Fauna with a wave of her hand, “but there’s no need to worry about that. Even if he’s a bit strange, some might say a bit horrid, you won’t have to spend much time with him,after all.
”
“And he does come from a fine family,” Flora added with a quick smile.
“Wait a minute!” said Aurora, pulling back. “Why do you say he’s a bit horrid?”
“It’s best not focus on such things, dear,” said Merryweather.
“Just do everything your husband tells you to do,” said Flora, “and you will be fine.”
“This is not turning out like I thought!” cried Aurora. “How long do I have to stay married?”
“For the rest of your life, of course,” said Fauna.
“No, no, this is all wrong!” cried Aurora. She turned away, then said in a firm voice, “I would rather prick my finger on a spinning wheel and fall asleep for 100 years than have to marry someone I don't want to marry! Maybe by the time I wake up, people won’t have to get married if they don’t want to!” And she ran out the door.
“Dear me,” said Merryweather to the other two fairies. “I don’t believe that went over very well.”
Aurora ran deep into the woods where her animal friends lived.
Thanks to Artist, Betsybauer
A deer hopped beside her, along with the rabbits and chipmunks. “We have to get out of here,” she said to all of them. Then pointing to a mountain pass, she said, “We will go right through the hills.”
Soon Aurora came to a road. In the distance was a carriage, coming closer to her. As the rider approached, her animal friends scattered.
“Hail!” said the stranger. “I’m afraid my carriage scared away your pets. May I give you a lift?”
Aurora had never seen a man before. But she couldn’t think about that – unless she could find a spinning wheel, the very next day her aunts would take her back to the palace.
“Actually,” said Aurora to the stranger, “there is something I need a great deal.”
“What’s that?” said the stranger, hopping out of the carriage. Very nicely dressed was he, and well mannered, too.
Thanks to Artist, FERNL
“A spinning wheel,” said Aurora.
“A spinning wheel!” said the stranger. “But there are none left in the land – everyone knows that.”
“Well, you see,” said Aurora, rubbing her hands together, “I have this friend. She needs a spinning wheel in the worst way.” Aurora looked directly at the stranger. “It’s a matter of life or death.”
The stranger looked at Aurora’s eyes. At last, he said, “I may know of one,” he said. “But this needs to stay between you and me.” The stranger stepped closer.
“Not far from here lives an old woman who spun yarn all her life. When the orders came to burn all the spinning wheels, she could not bear to let go of her beloved spinning wheel since it had been in her family for many years. She came to me,” he said, pointing down the road, “as I’m a prince from the next kingdom. She begged me to let her store it away safely. So I put it in the attic room of my castle tower, where no one ever goes, until the 16 years had passed.”
“She begged me to let her store it away safely,” said the prince.
“Would you take me to your castle tower?” said Aurora.
“I shouldn’t,” said the prince. Then after a moment, he said, “But I will.”
She stepped onto his carriage. Soon they were at the tower, and they both stepped out. The prince said, “This is not for your friend, is it?”
“Thank you for taking me here,” said Aurora. “I will always remember your kindness. Now if you please, I must do what I must do.”
Aurora turned and went up the tower stairs to the very last stair. The door in front of her creaked open. Inside, all was dark and musty. She could barely take a step for all the spider webs. But she pushed them aside and stepped forward. There, in a far corner, was the spinning wheel. From a small window, she could tell the sun was already setting. “I hope this works,” she said, “before it’s too late.”
Thanks to Artist, Shambhavi, 11, UK
Aurora held out her finger to the tip of the spindle.
She pricked her finger on that spindle. One tiny droplet of blood dripped from her finger. At once, Aurora felt dizzy. She fell onto an old dusty velvet blanket that lay on the attic floor, and fell into a deep sleep. Moments later, all the others in the castle, servants and royals alike, fell asleep too, and so did the prince, who was still waiting for her outside the tower. Within hours, thorns and vines had sprung up and wrapped around the castle, so thickly that no human or beast could pass through.
For 100 years, Aurora and the others slept.
Thanks to Artist, ChristyTortland
After 100 years had passed, Aurora blinked her eyes awake. Then all the others in the castle also awoke. Everyone started to do what they had been doing when they had fallen asleep 100 years before. The thorns and vines around the castle melted away.
Aurora stepped down the tower stairs to find the prince.
Thanks to Artist, FERNL
Together, they stepped into the prince’s carriage.
Down the road to the market square, they discovered a whole new world. Bicycles and streetcars, cameras and streetlights – such marvels to behold!
Perhaps best of all, they learned that in this strange new time, it was quite all right for young women and men to get to know each other, if that’s what they wanted to do, and even perhaps to fall in love. As Aurora and the Prince took each other’s hand to explore this wonderful new world together, that is exactly what they wanted to do.
Think and Share Questions: See Other Kids Comments below!
Question 1: Choose one character. How did that person or animal change/grow/learn by the end of the story?
Question 2: Say what you think the story is trying to show you.
cozy stories for the night • Articles on the website of the publishing house BOMBOR
- Articles
- January 13, 2021
Sleepy tales for adults: three stories to help you fall asleep.
More interesting things below
This story began when Katherine Nicolai, a 17-year yoga teacher from Michigan, noticed that daily bedtime stories helped her cope with her insomnia. Katherine created the Nothing Much Happens podcast with bedtime stories for herself and her friends. And hit the "bull's eye": the podcast became incredibly successful. Listeners from all over the world wrote thanks for the fact that for the first time in many years they slept through the night, without sleeping pills and nightmares. nine0010
Katherine's years of experience in yoga and meditation helps her seamlessly blend storytelling with brain training techniques. She knows how to relax the body, how to help the brain build new sleep habits, and how to make being awake as pleasant and serene as sleeping.
We have selected for you 3 cozy stories from Katherine Nikolay's book "Nothing Special Happens" that will help you sleep soundly and, most importantly, get enough sleep.
The instructions are simple: get as comfortable as possible in bed. You will go to the usual friendly place with a cute coffee shop and a small library where the seasons change, and at the local market you can slowly choose spicy herbs and fragrant pears for a birthday cake. nine0023
Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. And repeat. Inhale and exhale. Okay, let's start
The first story. Blizzard
The day before we were warned that it would snow all night and all the next day. They said they'd sweep up driveways and lanes, fields and intersections, and that it's best to stay safe at home. We agreed. The whole area and the whole town. Everyone supported this decision. Today we got hit by a snow storm.
I lay in bed in the dead silence of the early morning, thinking of the snow that had covered the ground like a thick blanket, lying on bare tree branches, on the roof above my head, and on everything else you could imagine.
nine0010
I didn't move after waking up, I just felt my hands relaxed and warm under the covers, and I thought about how good it was to be a snowy day, and how wonderful it was to know that from last night. I slept soundly and woke up not remembering dreams, feeling that today everything would start from scratch. She slipped her feet into the slippers by the bed, pulled on a long thick sweater, and went to the window. She slowly pushed back the curtain and enjoyed a small spark of anticipation in her stomach as she looked at the snow-covered ground. nine0010
There used to be a lot of snow too. I have seen this a thousand times, reliving the same moment since childhood, how in the morning after a heavy snowfall I stand in my pajamas, pressing my nose against the cold window pane, but to this day it causes me admiration.
The morning light was faint and cast long shadows on the drifts, catching still-falling flakes in its smooth flight, and showing the crisp, untouched surface of the snow that covered the ground outside my old farmhouse.
I lingered there for a moment, just watching the falling snow, shielding myself from the cold outside with my hands. Enjoyed a gift from mother nature. nine0010
As a child, snowy days were associated with excitement and running around with cups of chocolate to the warm kitchen and back. For adults, such days bring relief. You are forced to relax, no one expects anything from you.
In a hectic world that sometimes moves too fast, this respite is great medicine. I stocked up on everything I needed the night before: a pound of fresh coffee beans, a long loaf of bread for sandwiches and toast, a bag of muffins and muffins, a bag of winter oranges and grapefruit. nine0010
In the fridge was a jug of fresh juice and a huge pile of green vegetables, and in the pantry were neat rows of homemade canned tomatoes and pickles, jars of beans, bags of rice, bags of crackers and pasta. I looked out the kitchen window and told the snow, "Keep falling, I've got enough for a few weeks.
"
I started making coffee, rummaged through the cupcakes, broke off the corner of one and ate it. “If you are going to do this,” I thought, “then you have to do everything right,” and pulled out a waffle iron from the sideboard. After all, that was part of enjoying the snowy day. nine0010
There is finally time to do things that you normally don't, and there's no reason to avoid them. I poured a cup of coffee, took the right ingredients from the shelves and began to mix and beat them, heating the waffle iron. She settled down at the kitchen table with her favorite plate, napkin and fork. I had a flashback of what my aunt did when we were little. She had a special plate in her closet, painted gold in an old fashioned way and didn't match anything else. And, if you did well in an exam, or you had a birthday, or a bad day and you just needed to feel special and cared for, your aunt put her in your place. nine0010
When you sat down, you stood a little taller and felt her warm hand on your shoulder.
And dinner turned into a delight.
This memory kept me warm as I poured batter into a hot waffle iron. It hissed, filling the kitchen with aroma, and I smiled. With pancakes and waffles, the rule of three always applies. Don't overcook the first, burn the second, and the third will be perfect.
When the plate was full, I sat with a cup of fresh coffee and a warm jug of maple syrup, enjoying my breakfast, watching the snow fall. I peeled the orange and ate the slices slowly between sips, setting the rind aside, thinking I'd add it later to a simmering pot with cinnamon sticks, vanilla and a couple of cloves. Let it simmer all day to fill the house with a sweet aroma and soften the dry air with steam. I rinsed my plate, tidied up the kitchen and began to walk from window to window, looking out into the street. nine0010
In the evening I brought firewood and put it in the fireplace: now it was ready to give warmth. She lit a long match and held it up to the paper and kindling, watching it burn.
I added a few crumpled newspapers to the fire and squatted by the fire for a couple of minutes until my face and fingers warmed up.
Now the wind was blowing and I watched small swirling spirals of snow appear and disappear in the air. Maybe later I'll pack up and go for a long walk through the fields and woods, and then reward myself with a cup of something hot; but now I was not going to leave my cozy place. I imagined laying out a puzzle on the table and thinking about it while a movie was playing in the background, or reading for hours, or lying in a hot bath until the skin on my fingers wrinkled. nine0010
But first, having had my fill after breakfast and warming up by the fireplace, I stretched out on the sofa, covered my legs with a warm blanket, and felt that it would be best to close my eyes, listen to the crackling of logs, and forget myself in a long winter sleep.
Sweet dreams.
Second story. Night outside with a dog
I heard the soft rustle of dog paws when my pet stopped by the bed.
My ears were already programmed for it. I heard him sigh at night or toss and turn in bed. And when he got up and quietly stood next to me, I heard it too. He is already an old dog with a gray muzzle, and his movements are slow and careful. nine0010
Our walks got a little shorter, but today he saw a squirrel running along the pavement and suddenly found some youthful canine energy in his limbs. He pulled me along, following the path. Fortunately, the squirrel was not caught, but he enjoyed the chase. He barked as she ran up the tree and teased him with the language of little animals who know how fast they are. I stroked his head and told him that he tried his best. Shouldn't we go to the park? I reached out to put my hand on it and lowered my feet to the floor, sleepy but understanding. nine0010
As he got older, he sometimes had to leave the house in the middle of the night. I didn't mind at all, wrapped myself in a dressing gown, slipped my feet into my slippers, and we went down the stairs to the backyard.
Most of the time, I just let it out and came back a few minutes later, but as I opened the door this time, I felt something in the smell of the air pull me outside. It was pitch dark, deep night, about three o'clock. There came those weeks when the weather tossed between autumn and winter.
The cold air opened my eyes and I lifted them up to see a clear sky lit by stars and a moon that was barely more than half visible. Growing moon, I thought. After the dog returned to me, we stood very still and just listened. Summer nights are filled with the buzzing of beetles, the croaking of frogs, and some unreasonable buzzing that comes from nowhere and is simply present in the air. Maybe it's the fecundity of growing, swaying plants, or just the trace of life left after a day in the sun, but it certainly sounds loud. nine0010
There is a special sound that can only be heard in the middle of the night just before winter, a shocking silence. Not a single car passed by, no one was visible except us, and only the faint rustle of a very light wind stirred in the bare branches high above us.
The earth was asleep, its creatures curled up in their burrows, preparing for the new season. The bulbs were deep under mulch and dirt, only dreaming now of the vibrant pinks, purples and yellows they would turn into in spring. We stood still for a while, and I let the cold air tingle my fingers and move up my neck, knowing that I would soon be back in a warm bed. nine0010
I took a few very deep breaths, and under the spicy scent of dry leaves, something clean and clear appeared in the air. I thought it might be snow. Tomorrow these clear skies may be thick with clouds. And if we get up again in the middle of the night, which we most likely will, we will be standing under the first falling flakes.
I leaned over and slowly kissed my old man on the top of his head, and then we turned and walked back into the house. He stopped to drink water. I drank too and slowly walked up the stairs back to the bedroom. He turned a few times and sat down on the large soft cushion. I covered the dog with a blanket and tucked it in from all sides.
In a few seconds he will be asleep. We should all learn this from dogs: they can go from awake to deep sleep instantly and wake up just as easily. nine0010
I took off my bathrobe and slippers and pulled back the heavy blanket on the bed, slipped onto the sheets and straightened the covers. I felt the cold gradually leave my body until the tips of my toes were warm again. I thought about the change of season, the gentle breeze outside, and how grateful I was that the dog had taken me along. It's the magic that our friends give us: they take us to places we wouldn't go on our own and show us things we would otherwise miss.
I sighed slowly, rolled over on my side, pulling the blanket over my shoulders, and felt myself sinking into sleep, drawing part of today into my daydreams, falling asleep. The squirrel swept its tail high up in the tree. The leash was taut because the dog suddenly wanted to run. Growing Moon and sleeping Earth. Probability of first snow. nine0010
Yes, I'll probably wake up again tomorrow night, and the day after tomorrow, and so on, but it made me happy.
Sweet Dreams.
The third story. Winter day outside the window
From the window I watched what was probably the last big snowfall of this winter.
Snow lay in even layers on the lawns and rooftops of our block. I knew we all wanted spring now, but we could be coaxed into spending another day admiring the quiet charm of falling flakes, squeezing snowballs with gloves and making snowmen, sledding down the hillside in the park. nine0010
I didn't know if I wanted to go sledding, but I was ready to watch it from the cozy warmth of the living room, warming my feet with thick socks to the whistle of the kettle boiling in the kitchen. Watch how a small flock of neighboring children, wrapped from head to toe, dragged sleds and ice-boats on thin ropes. Even in boots and insulated thick trousers, they somehow skipped forward and called their friends and younger sisters to speed up their pace. The sledding hill was waiting for them.
As a child, there was one in the neighborhood, and I remembered with what delight we rushed from it, crammed into the sleigh two or three of us, holding on to their worn-out reins and each other, and shouted, picking up speed. We rolled over or crashed into a pile of snow, jumped up, shook snowflakes from our faces and raced back up.
Sometimes it was cold or someone's parents drove us back into the house to keep warm. We took off our wet coats and hats, put them on the radiator so that they would dry faster, and sometimes, without waiting, put them on again and raced up the hill. nine0010
I went into the kitchen, poured boiling water from the kettle into a cup, and tossed the tea bag in, shaking it slowly as I watched the reddish-brown color of the rooibos flow like ink into the water. She went to the sideboard and took out a pack of cookies, bought the day before.
Pushing a cart down the aisles of the grocery store, I was lost in the day's worries when I saw a familiar orange pack of cookies I hadn't eaten since I was a kid.
It looked like windmills, light brown, with almond flecks scattered across the dough. nine0010
In the blink of an eye, I forgot about the confusion of thoughts that did not let me go, and reached for the pack on the shelf. The inscription was exactly the same as it had been when I was a child, thick and slightly smeared, as if it had been printed on an old-fashioned press. The company logo was a greased windmill and a family name, and when I turned the pack over, I saw that the cookies were still being made in a small town up north.
Suddenly, I felt immense gratitude that this delicacy had ended up here, on the shelf of a nearby store. She smoothed out the wrapper and peered through the cellophane at the cookies. It wasn't perfectly shaped, each a little irregular, some darker, thicker, or paler. They immediately migrated to my cart, and since then I have been looking forward to the moment to open them for tea. nine0010
I ate these cookies at my grandparents' house.
Looking back, I couldn't remember trying them anywhere else. She took out a plate, placed a stack of windmills on it, and carried them back to the chair by the window. Sitting comfortably and tucking her legs under her, she put the blanket on her knees and took one of the cookies. I brought it to my nose and inhaled the sweet aroma.
There was some spice in it - I smelled the smell of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and a faint cherry-sweet aroma of almonds. I took a bite, the cookies were a little crumbly and dry, but the taste immediately brought me back to my grandparents' kitchen. Their house was small, with a tiny front porch, and nestled in a cozy spot among tall, old trees. Their shadows lurked in every corner, and the rooms were filled with paintings and toys that had once belonged to my father. But in the daytime the house was bright and full of sun. nine0010
Grandmother hid the “windmills” in the back of the cupboard, covering the cookies with a jar of flour so that grandfather would not accidentally stumble upon them.
She and I would put a pack of biscuits on the table and each one would dip them into their drink, Grandmother into coffee and I into cocoa, and slowly ate it while watching the squirrels running along the fence.
Maybe I inherited a penchant for quiet contemplation from her. Looking out over the snow-covered yard, I raised my cup to share my memories of our time in the kitchen with her, then washed down the cookies with a slow sip of tea. A few more guys ran to their friends on the hill, and mittens dangled from strings on their wrists. I saw how the snow lay flat on the bare branches of a plane tree in a neighbor's yard and the slanting peach-orange rays of the setting sun spilled across the sky. Yes, I will be happy for spring when it comes, but I was happy to stay at home and watch the snow fall. nine0010
Sweet dreams.
More cozy stories, meditations to relieve stress throughout the day, recipes and crafts in Katherine Nicolai's book Nothing Special Happens.
Cozy stories for restful sleep. Reclaim your restful sleep and all the joys that come with it.
Tell everyone what an interesting article you found!
Nothing special is happening. Cozy stories for restful sleepCatherine Nikolay
800 ₽
Buy
Read related
Articles • December 4, 2020
How to sleep to get enough sleep
We tell you how to find the perfect balance in bed without sticking one leg out from under the covers and focus on relaxation.
Articles • July 28, 2020
Teips. An alternative to Botox and surgery
How to stay young with colorful tapes on your face.
Interview • November 29, 2019
How to be healthy all your life?
We talked with the author of our novelty “Evidence-Based Medicine. Checklist of a healthy person, or What to do while nothing hurts ”by Roxana Mukharyamova on how to always be healthy.
Bedtime stories | Papmambuk
Bedtime stories
Irina Ryabkova January 23, 2017 8545 Read in English
The glorious tradition of reading before bed has not taken root in our family. Lada is a sensitive child, she is not one of those who easily falls asleep among talking people, in the light and other sources of impressions. The book also serves as such a source: history, illustrations attract her attention and "hold" it, do not give the opportunity to relax and fall asleep. Moreover, the daughter herself asks to read, apparently intuitively choosing this activity as “calm”, but as a result, it has never led her to fall asleep. So we have our own tradition - before going to bed we tell the books we read. The room is dark, quiet, the bed is cozy - nothing distracts and does not draw attention to itself. Lada listens to her favorite stories and falls asleep. nine0010
Meowli at the vet»
Good book! 11
Favorite stories usually last for several weeks.
Now it's Mewley at the Vet by Judith Kerr, After the Storm and One Winter Night by Nick Butterworth, Chick and Bricky. Favorite Frog" Axel Scheffler.
"Telling" a children's book is not at all the same as reading. In fact, you can know it by heart, but you still won’t be able to tell it “by heart”, because the book is half composed of illustrations. I understood their meaning only when I first tried to retell what Lada had read. I suddenly found myself "dunking", stammering, all the time picking up words - and this is in a "simple" children's story! nine0010
The fact is that pictures complement the text, and not just decorate or “enliven” it. When we read to a child, we are constantly distracted by them - we show, explain the text with their help, pay attention to interesting details. We do this "by the way", without even noticing that sometimes a child receives no less amount of information from the "author's" mother's speech and illustration than from the text.
For example, in the book “Meowli at the veterinarian” there is a difficult moment for the narrator:
“…Meowli didn't want to get out of the basket.
nine0010
- We'll have to shake it out! the vet decided.
– Well, well… Show me a bad paw…
The doctor's hand flickered in the air, and in the next moment he solemnly said:
– Well, that's it. Meowli had a splinter in her paw. Look how big!”
There is an illustration for each veterinarian's remark in the book, which you can simply point to to a child and the image of what is happening will “complete” by itself. We, adults, easily fill in such gaps in our imagination, even when we encounter a text for the first time. nine0010
But how can you tell illustrations to a two year old? How to connect Meowli's reluctance to get out of the basket with the decision of the veterinarian to shake her out, and this decision - with a request to show a sore paw?
You have to compose, look for words that will smoothly connect the “hanging in the air” parts of the text. Of course, it doesn't always work out well. But it seems to me that such an occupation has a positive effect on both of us.
