Story for sleeping time
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.
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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.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
Thanks to Artist, yehachan
This is the fairy tale story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with a modern twist.
It is brought to you by Stories to Grow by. Check out our other great stories!
Listen to the story while you read along!
Once upon a time a girl named Goldilocks lived in a house at the edge of the woods. In those days curls of hair were called "locks." She was "Goldilocks" because golden hair ran down her head and shoulders.
One morning Goldilocks was out for a walk when she came across a beautiful bird. She followed that bird right into the woods, where her mother had said many times she must never go. But Goldilocks didn’t think of that.
Thanks to Artist, JoannaPasek
Deeper and deeper into the woods she went. But where was the bird? It was nowhere to be seen. Goldilocks looked around. That's when she knew she was lost.
But a house was not far away. “I wonder who lives there,” she thought, "so deep into the woods." She went up and knocked on the door.
No answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. Goldilocks knocked a third time and the door opened. But no one was behind the door.
“Well, the door is already open,” said the girl. “So I may as well go in.”
Goldilocks smelled a wonderful smell, and soon knew why. On the table were three steaming bowls of oatmeal. All of a sudden she realized how very hungry she was.
What Goldilocks did not know, however, is that three bears lived in this house. In fact, that very morning the three bears had sat down to their bowls of oatmeal but the cereal was too hot. So they had decided to take a short walk. They said to each other, "By the time we return home our oatmeal will be perfect."
Gazing at the steaming bowls of oatmeal, Goldilocks thought, “I'm sure whoever lives here won’t mind if I take just one sip.” She sat at the first chair and took a sip. “Ah!” she said, “it is too hot.”
She moved to the next bowl and took a sip. “Ah!” she said, “it is too cold.
”
Thanks to Artist, JoannaPasek
She moved to the third bowl and took a sip. “It is just right!” And before she knew it, the oatmeal was all gone.
Goldilocks rubbed her tummy. “I'm full! I must find somewhere to sit that's more comfortable.”
She went to the living room. Three chairs were lined up in a row – one big chair, one medium-sized chair, and a wee little chair.
“I'm sure whoever lives here will not mind if I sit on just one chair,” said Goldilocks. She sat on the big chair, but it was too hard.
“The next chair looks good,” said Goldilocks. She moved to the medium-sized chair, but it was too soft.
“The wee little chair looks better,” said the girl. She sat on the little chair and it was just right! But when Goldilocks leaned back a bit, the chair broke into a dozen pieces. She plopped right on the floor.
“Oh, no!” Goldilocks wailed. Then she yawned.
There must be somewhere she could lie down for a short nap.
The girl saw a ladder and climbed it to an attic. In a row, three beds were lined up – one big bed, one medium-sized bed, and a wee little bed.
“I'm sure whoever lives here won’t mind if I lay down for just a short nap,” she said. She laid down on the big bed but it was too hard. She laid down on the medium-sized bed but it was too soft. The girl laid down on the wee little bed, and it was just right! As her head hit the pillow, Goldilocks was fast asleep.
Just then, the three bears came home from their walk. "Oh, my!" said Mama Bear. “Did either of you leave the front door open?”
“Not I,” said Papa Bear.
"Not I," said Little Bear.
Slowly the three bears stepped inside and looked around.
“Most odd!” said Papa Bear, seeing his spoon in his bowl. “Someone has been eating my oatmeal!”
“Most odd indeed!” said Mama Bear, also seeing her spoon in her bowl.
“Someone has been eating my oatmeal!”
“This is the most odd of all!” said Little Bear. “Someone has been eating my oatmeal and they ate it all up!”
The three bears were very surprised, as you can imagine. With care, they stepped into their living room.
“Do you think someone was sitting in my chair?” said Papa Bear.
“I know someone was sitting in my chair,” said Mama Bear, “because I can see the seat cushion is pushed down.”
“And I know someone was sitting in my chair!” said Little Bear. “Because it’s all broken!”
Thanks to Artist, Joannapasek
The three bears were even more surprised at that! They climbed the ladder to their attic.
“Someone has been sleeping on my bed,” said Papa Bear, who could see that his blankets were moved.
“Someone has been sleeping on my bed, too,” said Mama Bear, who could also see that her blankets were moved.
“Someone has been sleeping on my bed,” said Little Bear.
“And look - she is still there!”
Goldilocks bolted awake. Three bears were looming over her, and they did not look happy.
Thanks to Artist, Joannapasek
“Oh my!” said Goldilocks, jumping out of bed. As quick as she could, she climbed down the ladder and ran out the front door.
Little Bear chased after her. "Wait, please!"
Goldilocks stopped and turned around.
"Tell me," said Little Bear, “Why did you come inside our house?”
“I guess I didn’t think–,“ said Goldilocks.
“And why did you eat my oatmeal?” said Little Bear.
“Well I guess I didn’t think–,“ said Goldilocks.
“And why did you break my chair and sleep in my bed?” said Little Bear.
“Well I guess I didn’t think about that, either,” said Goldilocks.
They were silent.
Goldilocks said, “I suppose I could have waited outside your door.”
“We were coming right home,” said Mama Bear.
"We might have invited you in if we knew you were hungry."
“I’m sorry about the chair,” said Goldilocks. “I guess you saw it broke.”
"Yep," said Mama Bear with a frown.
“I’m good at fixing things,” said Goldilocks, “If you have glue.”
“Of course we have glue!” said Papa Bear. “What kind of bears do you think we are?”
“I will make it up to you!” said Goldilocks.
“Come on in then, dear,” said Mama Bear.
“We'll start over,” said Papa Bear with a nod.
“Come in, come in!” said Little Bear, jumping up and down.
With smiles, they skipped together inside the Bear’s house.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 I admire it.
The morning light was faint and cast long shadows on the drifts, catching still-falling flakes in 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. She added a few crumpled newspapers to the fire and squatted by the fire for a couple of minutes until her 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Nothing special is happening. Cozy stories for restful sleepCatherine Nikolay
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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.
It continues to drive even when there is no driver and will race all night if allowed. Add to this restless mind a hectic, chaotic world, a mountain of caffeine, and a frightening amount of time spent in front of mobile and computer screens, and it becomes clear why so many of us find falling asleep a difficult task. 
She had a happy ending, and no matter how many times I told her, she always comforted me before bed. 
During this time, I learned a lot about how to make the body relax and how the principles of mindfulness - relaxed attention to what is happening from moment to moment - help to calm an electrified mind. I did some neuroscience along the way, and my library, along with books on physiology and pranayama, is full of writings on the brain and how to train it. 
I realized that my practice of storytelling was actually a secret superpower that other people desperately needed. However, aside from the fact that I was literally with them as they tossed and turned (which is both creepy and impractical), I wasn't sure exactly how I could help them. 
I learned about a man who listened to them while undergoing chemotherapy, a woman who for years was afraid to go to bed because of nightmares, but now she was looking forward to hiding her head and having pleasant dreams for almost the first time in her life. People wrote that they successfully got rid of sleeping pills and that they feel rested and alert when the alarm rings in the morning. Families have told me that they put on a bedtime podcast all together and the toddlers, who ran around the house like a clock, calmed down and fell asleep within minutes. People listened if they were anxious, and they got better. The artists wrote that they use the podcast when they draw or sculpt, and sometimes they even sent a picture inspired by this or that story. 
No wonder the mind resists or wakes us up at three in the morning to try and solve the problem we've been racking our brains over before going to sleep. As far as the brain knows, we are still working. You need to cut off the ends of the day in order to signal to the mind that the work is over for the moment. 
