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Hey my friends, welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
My name's Thomas, and I'll be reading tonight's story for you.
It's a unique and creative one, written by Zaki.
I'll be guiding us on a very special journey with a girl named Jaina, who has a passion for cultivating new life in her garden, which leads to quite the remarkable development.
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Tomorrow, TK is back to read our story where we'll go on a kayaking trip down the middle fork of the American River in Central California.
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Now my friends, let's get nicely settled in, ready for our story.
Spring has well and truly arrived here in the UK, and we've been blessed with some glorious sunny days already this month.
And in fact, as I'm recording this particular intro, it's a beautiful, clear and warm day outside.
Now, of course, in Britain, we know that cloudy and rainy weather is likely just around the corner, so I try to really appreciate days like this.
And in general, like so many of us, I adore this time of year.
It feels full of hope, renewal and inspiration.
And sometimes I think we all need that little bit of help from the natural world.
Nothing can replace the energy and nourishment we can receive from nature and from the light of our life-giving sun.
So now, as you lie in bed, ready for a peaceful night's rest, just spend a few moments imagining yourself lying on a soft bed of grass somewhere in a peaceful spot amongst nature.
Feel the warm spring sunshine caressing your skin, making you feel more comfortable and relaxed with each passing second.
Hear the soft lilting birdsong in the surrounding trees and bushes and notice any scents that drift through the air, like the subtle fragrance of freshly blooming flowers, the blossoms on the trees or freshly cut grass as people return their care and attention to their gardens.
This is a moment for you to embrace and indulge in, relaxing deeply into the warmth and beauty of a bright spring day.
You can remain here in your imagination for as long as you desire.
Meanwhile we'll turn to tonight's dreamy story and gradually you can drift off into a deep, restorative sleep.
So let's embark on the wondrous journey awaiting us all about the sharing of dreams with a girl named Jaina.
This is where our story begins.
Jaina dreamt of farming her hands in the cool earth, dirt staining her overalls wiping the sweat from her brow after a hard day's work.
She wasn't like the other eight-year-olds in her class.
She wanted to grow something, care for something, and share those fruits with the people she loved.
Her family was supportive and, even though they lived in the city, they helped her turn a part of their modest backyard into a makeshift garden.
There, she tried her hand at simple vegetables, carrots and cherry tomatoes.
The carrots came out tiny and discolored, the cherry tomatoes hard and not very juicy.
But she didn't get discouraged.
It just made her all the more excited to keep learning about growing plants.
And so it came to be that when she lost her next baby tooth, she became even more excited.
After all, she thought, the tooth fairy gives you money, and you can use money to buy more seeds.
That night, she slid her hand beneath her pillow.
She felt the cool cotton fabric on her tiny hand as she gently placed down the tooth.
She switched off her lights and laid her head on the pillow.
Jaina could feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.
Soon, she slipped off into a dream.
And what did she dream of?
Farming, of course.
Rows of tall cornstalks reaching for the bright summer sun.
Cherry tomatoes that were juicy and bursting with flavor.
Carrots that were large and the most beautiful shade of orange.
After all of her hard work, she brought in her veggies and rinsed them under water that was cold and clear.
Then she diced them, cooked them and filled the room with the scents of savory and spiced roasted vegetables.
And the best part, when they were cooked just right.
She had the pleasure of sharing what she grew with a table full of people that she loved.
It was a good dream.
Jaina awoke the next morning with a grin on her face.
She could hardly contain her excitement.
She threw off her covers, sat upright, and then carefully picked up her pillow.
That's when she saw it.
It wasn't the money she expected from the tooth fairy.
Resting there on her mattress was an envelope.
It was small, no bigger than a playing card, and it was a black colour with a beautiful and ornate silver trim around its edges.
She picked up the envelope The paper felt thick, but smooth.
It seemed expensive.
The tooth fairy really took her time with this one, she thought.
Jaina hesitated at first, but then decided to just open it.
Gently, she lifted up the flap and placed her fingers inside, expecting to pull out a few coins.
She gasped.
Inside the envelope was not money, but something odd.
She placed it into her palm and examined it.
Carefully, she held it next to her windowsill so the morning light could illuminate it.
It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
Oval-shaped and about the size of a dime.
It was soft and smooth to the touch.
The most fantastic part was its color.
It was the exact shade of the sky at sunset.
Cool blues shifting down to a warm violet before mixing into gold and orange.
All these amazing tones in one little object.
She started to laugh as she knew exactly what was in her hand.
It was a seed.
Jaina jumped out of bed and got ready to run downstairs.
But she suddenly stopped.
Where were her manners?
She turned back around and faced the room.
Thank you, Tooth Fairy, she said.
Then she sprinted downstairs, seed in hand.
She turned the corner, rushing past her family who were enjoying their breakfast, and bolted out of the back door.
Her family called after her, but there was no stopping now.
Barefoot, she stepped onto the grass.
It was a late spring morning, warm with a gentle breeze in the air.
The grass was covered in a light morning dew that tickled her feet with every step.
Jaina walked over to the garden that she was caring for.
It was a humble little patch of dirt.
She worked on all by herself, with some parental supervision of course.
She took a moment to decide the perfect spot for her seed.
It was only right that she planted this special little thing next to where she grew her first carrot last year.
So, Jaina reached her hand into the earth and shaped a little hole for the seed.
She softly placed it in the center and covered it back up.
Tenderly, she patted the earth, feeling the moist soil beneath her fingers, and she smiled.
Jaina grabbed her garden hose and turned the nozzle.
A mellow mist of water sprayed from the end and spread out in front of her.
She felt the coolness of the water.
It was the perfect temperature.
And with a flick of her wrist, it rained down on her garden patch.
When Jaina was finished watering the seed, she made sure to clean off any dirt from her hands and went back inside.
She spent all day at school thinking about the mysterious plant growing in her garden.
It was all she could talk about over dinner that night.
And when she was tucked in tight for bed, she could hardly focus on her bedtime story.
Her thoughts drifted to her vegetable patch.
The next morning, soft sunlight streamed through her window.
The warm light landed across her forehead and tickled the bridge of her nose.
Jaina awoke, while all the other children in her class were probably spending their Saturday sleeping in.
Her first thought was of her plant and getting up to water it.
She descended the staircase, said her morning greeting to her family, and then approached the sliding glass door to her backyard and stepped outside.
Jaina crossed over to the water hose, turning on the spout.
She wiped the sleep from her eyes as she took her first step into her garden.
But it wasn't what she was expecting.
The mound of dirt where she buried the seed was covered in heavy green leaves.
A thick emerald-colored vine emerged from the earth.
It practically glowed with vibrant life as it wrapped around the plot of soil.
While she was dreaming, her plant had fully grown.
With a look of wonder, she approached it.
There in the center of the creeping vines, was one giant fruit about the size and shape of a large ripe watermelon.
Except, it was the color of the envelope left under her pillow the previous morning.
The melon-like fruit was black as night.
Here and there, beautiful ribbons of silver streaked across it.
Carefully, she grabbed it.
It was surprisingly light for its size.
She was expecting it to weigh a ton, but she lifted it easily.
Strangely, it reminded her of the heavy weight of her eyelids whenever she fought back sleep.
With hardly any effort, the fruit snapped off the vine.
It was clearly ripe.
She held it in her hands, making sure not to drop it as she brought her prize back inside.
Jaina placed it on the breakfast table.
Her family stared at it in astonishment.
Where did you get that? they asked her.
I grew it, she said, quite satisfied.
They were a little skeptical at first, but seeing the giant grin across her face, her family couldn't help but be proud of their little gardener.
She asked for some help cutting it.
They were happy to oblige, excited to take a closer look at this new fruit.
Split open, it was unlike any melon she had ever seen.
In fact, the fruit was only a melon on the outside.
The inside was filled with dozens of smaller, round fruit, a little bigger than a blackberry.
They were the color of those seeds.
Again, the varying shades of the sky at sunset a swell of violets, blues and oranges.
Jaina grabbed one of the berries and held it in her hands.
It was somewhat firm, and its ripe skin was smooth.
There was a sweet scent drifting from the berry, like it was calling for her to take a bite.
She brought it to her nose to take another sniff.
There was a subtle sweetness, not overpowering.
It was just right.
She placed the berry in her mouth and began to chew.
It burst like a perfectly ripe cherry tomato, with a juice that tasted like nothing she had ever had before.
If she could describe its taste, she'd say it was like the dream she had this week.
It tasted like that feeling.
The feeling of everyone she loved gathering around a table and sharing a beautiful meal.
It tasted like patience rewarded with unconditional love.
And as she nibbled at the fruit, she noticed it had a pleasant warmth to it.
It was good, really good.
So she went in for another one.
Her family joined in, and they all remarked on how delicious it was.
They went around the table sharing their admiration for her and congratulating Jaina on her hard work.
The little girl blushed and thanked them right back.
She could have eaten those berries all day, but she wanted to savour them.
So after everyone had had a few, she packed the rest of the fruit into a container and put it in the fridge.
Jaina spent the rest of her day doing all of the other things she loved riding her bike with some friends who lived nearby and playing with her toys.
She even got to stay up a little later than usual to read a book that she couldn't put down.
As far as days go, this was a perfect one.
After finishing a chapter, she shut her book and turned off the lights.
She couldn't wait to dream, and dream she did.
In her dream, she was in her house.
She dreamt of being awoken by the scent of her favorite breakfast, blueberry waffles.
The scent lifted her into the air, like she was in a cartoon.
Gently, she floated and followed the trail that the tasty smell left behind. she drifted downstairs.
Her family was gathered at the table, and they had waited for her.
They watched in awe as she levitated down the steps and over to the table.
They asked her how she did it. and Jaina said that she would show them after breakfast.
As she ate, she realized the food reminded her of the berries she had tasted the previous morning.
After they were finished eating, as if by magic, the plates vanished.
There would be no washing the dishes in this dream.
Now it was time for flying, Jaina told her family.
They were all able to do it in this dream.
They defied gravity with ease, and one by one, each member of the family floated around the kitchen.
I think we should take this outside, Jaina said with a smile.
She slid open the door to the backyard and flew outside.
The world was different out there.
The whole neighborhood was gone.
It was just Jaina's house and the yard floating in space.
A sea of stars streaked across the sky.
She turned to her family and proposed a race.
Last one to the moon is a rotten egg, she said, giggling.
They all laughed and sped after her.
But they couldn't beat Jaina.
It was her dream after all, wasn't it?
She was almost at the moon now.
It glowed a pale silver.
She always thought it would be cold, but as she got closer she could feel a lovely warmth coming from it.
She was about to land on the moon when her eyes slowly opened.
The sleep drifted from her, and she was awake in her own bed.
The soft mattress cradled her, and her head rested comfortably on her pillow.
What a strange dream, she thought to herself.
That's when she smelled it. blueberry waffles.
Someone was making them downstairs.
Jaina walked down towards the kitchen.
Just like in her dream, everyone was gathered around the breakfast table.
They were all well-rested, with joyous smiles on their faces.
A wonderfully stacked plate of blueberry waffles was placed before her.
She clapped in excitement.
Maybe after this, we can all race to the moon, Jaina joked.
That's when everyone stopped.
The family turned to Jaina, and they realized something together.
They had all had the same dream.
Not just a similar one.
The details were exact.
They had dreamt it together.
But how was that possible?
The berries, Jaina thought.
It must have been those berries.
She ran to the fridge and pulled them out.
They were still just as fresh as they had been yesterday.
She took one and bit into it.
It tasted familiar.
Like a morning spent with her loved ones.
Like her hair flying as she soared among the stars and touched down on the moon.
It tasted like a dream.
Dream berries, she said out loud.
These are dream berries.
Her family laughed in the way adults often do when kids say something fantastical.
Sweetie, the dreams were just a coincidence, her mother said.
But the berries were delicious, so they all helped themselves to a few more.
After breakfast, Jaina checked on her garden.
The vine was still there, thick and green, but there was no fruit dangling from it that morning.
The soft glow it had in the sunlight had vanished.
Had she only imagined it?
The remainder of her Sunday was restful.
She spent the afternoon drawing her dream with her favorite colored pencils.
She drew her backyard floating in space.
The sharp emerald grass contrasted beautifully with the blackness of the sky.
She pulled out her violet and orange pencils to draw a distant nebula.
Finally, she filled in the moon with a pale yellow.
When she was done, she took her drawing and pinned it on the fridge.
She didn't even wait for her parents to do it.
Jaina knew a work of art when she saw one.
In the evening, she sat on her front porch, feeling the chilly night air starting to arrive.
She was wearing a cozy light sweater and watched the sunset admiring its glow.
The colors were so much like those of her dream berries.
She gazed at the evening sky and watched as the last rays of light vanished over the horizon.
Jaina smiled to herself.
It was bedtime.
She went upstairs and changed into her pajamas.
She brushed her teeth and crawled into bed.
Then, Jaina picked up the book next to the lamp on her bedside table and started to read.
She was only a few sentences in when her eyelids felt heavy.
Maybe it was time to go to sleep after all.
She could pick up where she left off tomorrow night.
As she reached for the cord to switch off the lamp on the bedside table, she blinked.
And as she opened her eyes, the lamp was gone.
In its place was a small glowing orb about the size of a baseball.
She held it in her hands and gazed into it.
The surface of the orb was moving around.
A swirl of deep yellows and oranges crashed around it like tiny waves of fire.
Oh my goodness, Jaina thought.
This wasn't just any orb.
It was the sun.
That's when she realized she wasn't in her bedroom any longer.
She was floating in outer space.
And she wasn't alone.
She turned around to see her family flying all over the solar system.
They were dancing among the stars, skipping stones in the asteroid belt and tossing around the rings of planets.
But most importantly, they were all together.
When she awoke the next morning, Jaina had an amazing idea.
She took some of those dream berries and saved a few for her and her family.
The rest she put in a little container to bring to her classmates.
At lunch, she handed them out to the other kids.
They all commented on the beautiful color of the berries and were amazed that she was able to grow something so pretty.
The taste was also popular.
Even the kids who were picky eaters were fans of the little fruit.
After school, when Jaina got home, she checked on her plant.
The vine was still that lovely shade of green as before.
The soil was still nice and moist, and there were no little critters picking at her plant.
But sadly, the plant appeared to have grown the last of its dream berries.
She should have been sad.
But instead, Jaina was just grateful.
Grateful that she got to share the last of her berries with everyone she could.
And to celebrate, she had big ideas for tonight's dream.
Jaina went to bed early that night.
She wanted to get a head start on her special plans.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth.
Afterwards, she put on her comfiest pajamas and tucked herself in.
Then, she closed her eyes.
It was a beautiful pre-dawn morning in her dreams.
Jaina floated from her bedroom window down to her backyard.
While normally the yard was perfect for her needs as an amateur gardener, today it just wouldn't do.
So, with a wave of her hand, she transformed it The small plot changed into a massive piece of land.
This was no vegetable patch but a real farm with a field stretching back further than she could see.
Fertile earth covered everything.
And so, Jaina got to work.
She could have waved her hands again.
It was, after all, her dream.
But she wanted to do this part by hand.
Jaina walked through the farm.
After a while, she bent down and made a little hole in the mud.
She felt its cool texture and how softly it gave way when she touched it.
She relished the fresh smell of soil that was rich and waiting to take on new life.
And in that little hole, she put in a tomato seed.
Tenderly, she covered it and gave it a little drink from the fresh water in her watering can.
Then, she moved on down the line.
She did it all over again, planting a new seed and giving it some love.
After planting all of her tomatoes, it was time to work on the corn.
She spent the early part of her dream planting and caring for every little thing on that farm.
And because it was a dream, she didn't have to do her least favorite part of gardening.
With a wave of her hand, the ground beneath her gave a soft rumble.
Luscious green vines sprouted from the earth.
Her farm was covered with fully grown plants golden rows of corn, sweet and juicy tomato plants, brilliant carrots and even cute little peas.
With a snap of her fingers, the veggies plucked themselves.
They were perfectly ripe and fell right from their plants.
Jaina turned around.
Magically, they all floated behind her and followed her into the house.
