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 betrothed by Anton Chekhov. So lie down, close your eyes and let me read you a story.

It was 10 o'clock in the evening. A story. One.

It was ten o'clock in the evening, and the full moon was shining over the garden.

In the Schumann's house, an evening service celebrated at the request of the grandmother,

Marfa Mihalovna, was just over.

And now Nadia, she had gone into the garden for a minute,

could see the table being laid for supper in the dining room,

and her grandmother bustling about in her gorgeous silk dress.

Father Andre, the chief priest of the cathedral,

was talking to Nadia's mother, Nina Ivanovna.

And now, in the evening light, through the window, her mother for some reason looked very young.

Andre Andrei Aj, father Andrei's son, was standing by listening attentively.

It was still and cool in the garden, and dark, peaceful shadows lay on the ground.

There was a sound of frogs croaking far, far away beyond the town. There was a feeling of May, sweet May.

One drew deep breaths and long to fancy that, not here, but far away under the sky above the trees,

far away in the open country, in the fields and the woods. The life of spring was unfolding now.

Mysterious, lovely, rich and wholly beyond the understanding of weak, sinful man.

...