Good evening. Welcome to the Just Sleep podcast. I'm Tasia, your host. Every week, I will read you

an old story to help you relax, put the stressful day behind you, and drift off to sleep.

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Tonight, I will be reading

Beauty and the Beast from Andrew Lang's

Blue Fairy Book. So lie down, close your eyes

and let me read you a story.

Once a and let me read you a story. Once upon a time, in a very far-off country,

there lived a merchant who had been so fortunate in all his undertakings

that he was enormously rich.

As he had, however, six sons and six daughters, he found that his money was not too much to let them all have everything they fancied as they were accustomed to.

But one day, a most unexpected misfortune befell them. Their house caught fire and was speedily burnt to the ground with all the splendid furniture, the books, pictures, gold, silver, and precious goods it contained, and this was only the

beginning of their troubles. Their father, who had until this moment prospered in all ways,

suddenly lost every ship he had upon the sea, either by dint of pirates, shipwreck, or fire.

Then he heard that his clerks in distant countries, whom he trusted entirely, had proved

unfaithful, and at last, from great wealth, he fell into the direst poverty.

All that he had left was a little house in a desolate place, at least a hundred leagues from the town

in which he had lived, and to this he was forced to retreat with his children, who were in despair of the idea of leading such a different life.

...