Welcome to bedtime stories for everyone, in which nothing much happens.

You feel good, and then you fall asleep.

I'm Catherine Nikolai.

I write and read all the stories you hear on Nothing Much Happens.

Audio Engineering is by Bob Wittersheim.

We are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this story originally aired at some point in the past.

It could have been recorded with different equipment in a different location.

And since I'm a person and not a computer,

I sometimes sound just slightly different.

But the stories are always soothing and family-friendly,

and our wishes for you are always deep rest and sweet dreams.

Now, I have a story to tell you. It's a soft landing after your day.

A quiet, safe place to rest your mind, and all you have to do is listen.

Just by following along with the sound of my voice,

we'll deactivate your default mode network and turn on task mode, and you don't have to understand that, for it to work. It just means you'll sleep. I'll tell it

twice, a little slower the second time through.

If you wake later in the night, turn a story right back on.

You'll drop right back off.

This response builds over time, so be patient if you are new to this.

Our story tonight is called snow and streetlights.

And it's a story about an afternoon at the bookshop on the edge of winter.

It's also about a bell jingling on a dog's collar,

...