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Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
My name's Thomas and I'm your host.
Thanks so much for joining us for this special bonus episode.
Shortly we're going to join Eva as she is transported to a magical tea house set in a beautiful woodland glade.
Thank you to Sarah for writing it, and to Nadine who will be reading it for us.
Before we sit down with the mystical creatures and enjoy a warm cup of tea, let's first make ourselves comfortable.
When you're ready, close your eyes and let yourself relax.
Take a slow, deep breath in focusing on the sensation of your chest and stomach as they rise.
And as you exhale, imagine yourself sinking deeper into your comfortable position.
Feel your muscles begin to soften and any tension melt away.
Enjoy this moment of relaxation and calm, continuing to breathe in and out, slowly and peacefully.
Now let's join Eva.
She has recently moved into a cottage at the edge of a small village and is just finishing off the last bits of unpacking.
This is where our story begins.
It was a bright afternoon in September.
The leaves on the trees had begun to turn yellow and orange, and the days were beginning to shorten.
Eva had spent the afternoon swapping out her summer duvet for a thicker and warmer one, and was now busy rummaging through the last of the moving boxes.
She had saved these boxes until the end, as they contained the precious ornaments and decorations that she had collected over the years.
She hoped that they would add the finishing touches to her new house.
As the weather today was warm and sunny, she had opened the window in her bedroom to let in the fresh countryside air.
Outside, at the bottom of her garden, was a thick bramble hedge.
It separated the row of gardens belonging to the terraced cottages from the farmer's fields beyond.
Eva could hear her neighbors and their young children chatting as they picked off the last of the juicy dark berries from the hedgerow.
Since moving in, her neighbors had kindly brought around two punnets to share with her, as well as blackberry pastries and jam.
While setting down an empty vase on the windowsill, Eva noticed that the neighbors were outside in their garden.
She could see that today they had filled another three punnets at least.
The children seemed to be enjoying themselves.
They were stomping about the overgrown grass which bordered the hedgerow, each wearing brightly coloured wellies and jumpers with rolled-up sleeves.
Turning back to her own task, she looked at her most cherished decoration.
Leaning against the bedroom wall was a painting.
It was wrapped in in brown parcel paper, with a hand-painted gift tag dangling from it.
The painting was a housewarming present from her mum, a family heirloom.
She peeled back the paper cover, revealing a beautiful oil painting mounted in a simple wooden frame.
She lifted it up and settled it onto the nail she had put in the wall earlier that day.
Her grandmother had painted this many years ago and gifted it to her mother, who had now gifted it to Eva.
Happy with the positioning, she took a step back.
The paintings showed a whimsical tea house, set beneath the canopy of an ancient forest.
The wooden building was perched amongst the large sprawling roots of the old trees that towered overhead.
A jumble of raised wooden decks, all at different heights, was connected by an assortment of bridges and steps.
Tables and chairs were scattered about in any available space, spreading out onto the forest floor.
A lopsided sign hung over the entrance, welcoming visitors in.
The lights inside the tea house were lit And even though it was just a painting, Eva had always felt as though they were flickering.
Every time she gazed upon the painting, she spotted a new detail.
She had been looking at this painting ever since she was a child, but it was still brimming with surprises.
The tea house was a place she had heard much about.
When she was little, her grandmother would tell her bedtime stories of the owner Gloria and the wonderful teas and pastries that were served there.
She remembered stories of friendly woodland creatures, adventures with fairytale beings and descriptions of the tastiest cakes and most comforting pots of tea.
Her grandmother had told these stories to her mother when she was a child.
Eva's mother would also tell her the same bedtime stories, but sometimes hers were a little different.
Different adventures, different cakes, different characters.
The magical tea house had been such an important part of her childhood and it still stirred her imagination even now.
She hoped that by putting the painting up Across from her bed, she would remember those sleepy stories that used to send her into the deepest, most refreshing slumber.
The rest of that afternoon passed by quite quickly.
The neighbors had popped around with some of the berries and she had spent her peaceful evening baking blackberry tart.
Her parents were visiting her in the morning, and she knew they would like these treats.
After enjoying some dinner and reading a book, it was finally time to go to bed.
She closed her bedroom window a little, leaving it on the latch.
Under her thick new winter duvet and fresh covers.
Cool breeze blowing in through the small gap was very welcome.
The air smelled sweet from the warmth of the day, and as the night grew colder, Eva found herself drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The moon rose high in the sky as the night became dark.
Outside her room, an owl called out to its mate, but there was no reply.
The owl called out again.
It was a soft sound, but just loud enough to wake her up.
Groggily, Eva opened her eyes.
Her room was lighter than she'd expected it to be. so she hurriedly shut her eyes and rubbed them.
The owl called out again, but this time it sounded close by.
Curiously, she opened her eyes again.
Though she was still sitting in her bed, she was no longer in her bedroom.
She was now sitting beneath the canopy of lofty ancient trees in a woodland not quite like any she had visited before.
Immediately, she could feel that there was something magical about this place.
Perhaps it was the way a hazy evening light shimmered through the leaves, or maybe the soothing, loamy-scented air with a hint of fragrant pinecone.
The woodland felt oddly familiar and very welcoming.
The owl which she had noticed liked to perch in the trees at the bottom of her garden was now sitting on the end of her bed.
It ruffled its soft brown feathers and looked at her quizzically.
Before long, it stretched out its wings and silently flew to a branch high above her bed.
Puzzled, Eva pushed back the duvet and put her feet on the hard ground.
To her surprise, she was no longer wearing just her comfortable pajamas, but a pair of her warmest boots and her favorite snuggly jumper over the top.
It wasn't cold in the woodland.
In fact, the ambient temperature was quite cozy.
There was a slight breeze blowing and a warming glow which seemed to hang in the air beneath the branches.
Eva looked around.
It was autumn here, too.
The trees were large and holding on to most of their leaves, but a sudden swirl of wind ruffled the canopy overhead.
As it did, a flurry of orange, yellow, and red leaves gracefully floated to the forest floor.
Ahead, she could see that strings of glowing lights were hanging between the tree trunks and branches.
They had been wrapped in such a way that it lit a path for her to follow.
Curiously, she followed the path.
Beyond, she suddenly became aware of the low hum of voices.
As she followed the path further, the voices became clearer and clearer, until she was standing in a place so familiar to her that she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.
It was the treehouse.
Just as in her grandmother's painting, a beautiful welcome sign hung above the entrance, engraved with swirling letters into a large, rustically cut piece of wood.
The sprawling treehouse was just as enchanting as in the painting.
Scattered around a vast glade were small wooden tables that looked as though they had grown from the ground itself.
Each was decorated with a small centerpiece of colorful autumn leaves and glistening sweet berries.
Around each table grew a circle of soft, spongy mushrooms, each of a different kind.
The patrons used these to sit at the tables, with one lounging on his side, nestled in a large frilly mushroom that she recognized from her local woodlands.
Before Eva had time to take in anything more, a small gnome-like creature called out to her, inviting her to take a seat at an empty table.
The lady's hands were full.
In one, she carried a plate of baked treats, and in the other, she held a steaming pot of tea.
Eva sat down to where the gnome had pointed and before long the plate and the pot were set before her.
The gnome, whose hair was tied up neatly in a bun and who wore an orange apron, smiled cheerily at her and welcomed her warmly.
This must be Gloria, the owner of the tea house.
She appeared so often in the bedtime stories that her mother would tell her.
Eva felt as though Gloria had been expecting her for some time now.
Gloria nudged the plate of pastries and cakes closer towards Eva and pulled out a saucer and cup from the pocket in her apron.
Relax and enjoy the tea, she said, before hurrying off to serve other customers.
Eva looked at the pot of tea.
Steam was swirling from the spout, And as it did, a soft, spicy vanilla scent filled the air.
Carefully, she poured a little of the tea into her cup.
It was a light toffee color.
She took a small sip and felt instantly soothed.
It was herbal tea with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.
Delicate and refreshing.
Happy with the flavor, she filled up her cup.
A selection of small cupcakes and sweet-filled pastries were on the plate, which Gloria had left for her.
There was a small apple turnover and a cinnamon bun.
And each cupcake was decorated with a different design.
One was covered in a thin layer of plum-colored icing sugar with small golden speckles on top.
Another had perfectly piped cream icing around the outside, with a thick dollop of shiny jam in the center and a single blackberry sitting on top.
The thing that most caught her eye was the fairy cake that looked just like the ones she used to bake as a child.
It was a soft and airy vanilla sponge.
With the top of the bun cut off, thick splodge of buttercream was spooned on.
The piece that had been cut off was then cut into two and pushed gently into the buttercream as though they were fairy wings.
The last time she had baked.
One of these was with her parents and it had been for a school cake sale in.
It brought back so many happy memories of her family and of the kitchen in her childhood home.
The best part of baking with her parents was that they always let her decorate the cake however she wanted.
Glitter, sprinkles, and icing sugar.
She was sure she must have made a mess, but that was part of the fun.
She smiled at the fond memories.
Perhaps they should all bake together again soon.
Eva reached out and picked up the fairy cake.
She carefully peeled back the paper case and took a bite.
The sponge was so light and the buttercream so smooth and rich.
It was perfect, just as she remembered them.
As she enjoyed the sweet treats, she finally began to take in the scenery around her.
The tea house really was as sprawling as in the bedtime tales.
The main wooden building sat a little higher than the ground, propped up by stilts in places created raised seating areas of various heights all around it.
Strings of lights were hung from branch to branch and tree to tree.
Autumn in the woodland glade was so beautiful.
Even though she was sure it should be chilly, there was a warmth in the air that kept her snug and cozy.
Her cheeks were perhaps a bit cool from the breeze, but nothing like the autumn days back at home.
It seemed that an endless abundance of red, orange and yellow leaves were falling like confetti from the canopy above.
They hadn't stopped since the moment she arrived.
They fell gently to the ground, which was already thick with leaves.
As people walked between the tables, the leaves crunched and rustled underfoot.
They were so crisp and dry.
Shimmering, glowing orbs floated about the canopy and above the tables.
They moved and swayed in the gentle breeze.
Eva wondered what caused the orbs to glimmer.
As she thought about it some more, a young-looking creature walked by.
From all the fairy tales she had heard, she recognized it as a small elf-like being.
It had large, pointed ears and a cheerful smile.
It was wearing a thick, green tunic with a bag that hung about its waist.
The bag seemed to be made of leaves, sewn together with twine.
On each arm it carried a basket, and each basket was piled up high with blackberries and raspberries.
It reminded her of her neighbors and their generosity.
The young creature took some raspberries and blackberries from the baskets and began filling small dishes on the tables.
It hummed a tune as it went, something soft and low, but very melodic.
"'Here!'
The elf said as it filled the dish on Eva's table, freshly picked from the bushes at the edge of the wood.
Eva thanked the elf and picked the juiciest looking raspberry to try.
It was delicious, sweet and perfectly ripe.
She watched as the elf filled a bowl on a table not far from hers.
One of the patrons sitting there was quite petite.
She had long flowing hair and large wings sprouting from her back.
They fluttered every so often, glistening as they caught the soft glowing lights.
The fairy caught Eva's gaze and raised her hand to wave.
There was a knowing smile about her face, as if she too had been waiting for Eva to visit.
Sitting beside her was a rather disheveled-looking gnome.
He wore a large blue pointed hat and sported a long white beard.
He was chatting happily to his companion between sips of tea and mouthfuls of pastry.
Both the fairy and the gnome were dressed warmly in thick, autumn-colored clothes.
Their clothes were embroidered with patterns of flowers, leaves, and berries.
Eva looked at the now empty cup of tea in her hands.
She lifted the teapot and poured herself another cup.
She held it in her hands and felt the warmth.
Taking another sip, Eva was surprised to discover that this time the flavor of the tea was different.
Where before it had tasted of vanilla and cinnamon, now it tasted of sweet apple with a hint of cloves.
Curiously, she took another sip.
It was still apple tea.
Gloria, who had been walking by, stopped and smiled.
She explained, that every time you refilled your cup, the tea changed flavor.
This was a magical tea house after all.
As Gloria went off to serve a giant-like creature, at the far side of the glade Eva spotted a rather preoccupied squirrel.
Instead of raspberries and blackberries, The bowl on his table was filled with acorns, nuts and seeds.
He seemed to be inspecting each one meticulously.
He held one of the acorns between his paws and tapped it on the table before stuffing it into an already over-full satchel.
Seeming quite pleased with his haul, he darted off into the trees.
No doubt, he was going to bury and stash his food ready for winter.
It seemed all the animals of the woodland were busy in their preparations for winter.
A hedgehog was snuffling the ground beneath the crunchy leaves, searching for food to eat now before hibernating over the colder months.
Overhead, a flock of tree sparrows seemed to be inspecting the nesting boxes which were tied to the trees.
As the nights grow cold.
These boxes will provide the sparrows with a warm and cozy place to rest, while their days will be spent foraging for seeds and grains.
Eva was suddenly very aware of how sleepy she was starting to feel.
The cup of tea in her hands was beginning to cool as she drank from it, and she was now so full from the berries and cakes that she was ready for bed.
Gloria must have sensed this as she quickly appeared at her table and began to clear up.
You best go back to sleep now, Eva."
Please tell your mother and grandma that they are welcome back anytime.
It would be good to speak with them again.
Eva wanted to ask her more questions, but felt her eyelids grow so heavy that she soon drifted off into a deep sleep with her head resting against the table.
The next thing she knew, Eva was waking up in her bed as the morning sun was streaming in through a gap in her curtains.
She felt so refreshed.
Memories of her magical encounter last night washed over her.
She looked at the clock on her bedside table.
It was eight o'clock.
With more energy than she had woken up with in months, she got up and dressed.
Her parents would be arriving later that morning, and she couldn't wait to speak with her mom and tell her all about her dream.
Or perhaps, she wondered, maybe it had all been real.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
