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.

Occasionally, we will run ads in order to cover the costs of the production of the podcast.

Rest assured, there will be no ads during or after the story.

If you prefer an ad-free and intro-free show, you can join Just Sleep Premium.

Visit Just Sleeppodcast.com slash support for more information.

Tonight I continue this story,

The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

So lie down, close your eyes,

and let me read you a story.

Chapter 8. Valency did not sleep that night.

She lay awake all through the long, dark hours, thinking, thinking.

She made a discovery that surprised her. She, who had been afraid of almost everything in life,

was not afraid of death. It did not seem in the least terrible to her, and she need not now be

afraid of anything else. Why had she been afraid of things? Because of life.

Afraid of Uncle Benjamin because of the menace of poverty in old age.

But now she would never be old, neglected, tolerated.

Afraid of being an old maid all her life.

But now she would not be an old maid very long, afraid of

offending her mother and her clan because she had to live with and among them, and couldn't

live peacefully if she didn't give in to them. But now she hadn't. Valancy felt a curious

...