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Thanks so much for your support. And now a few ads before tonight's story. Welcome to send me to sleep, the place to find relaxing stories for a good night's rest.

My name's Andrew. Thanks for joining me. Tonight I'll be reading The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Adventure of the Dancing Men, Part One. In the previous part, Sherlock finally proved the innocence of young Mr. McFarland by the discovery that Oldacre was hiding behind the walls in his home

and had framed McFarlane for revenge. In tonight's story, Sherlock and Watson meet with a Norfolk

squire who was troubled by mysterious drawings of dancing figures that are frightening his wife.

While some of the language in this story has been changed to make it more suitable for sleep,

it still contains themes of violence and death, so listener discretion is advised.

Before we begin tonight's story, let's get ourselves ready for sleep.

Start by taking a deep, relaxing breath. And settle your body in whatever way feels most

comfortable.

Now let any thoughts of the day drift away from your mind

and simply follow the sound of my voice.

So let your eyes fall heavy and your breath soften as we settle in for a peaceful night's sleep. The Adventure of the Dancing Men

Part 1

Holmes had been seated for some hours in silence

with his long, thin back, curved over a chemical vessel in which he was brewing a particularly

melodorous product. His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange,

lank bird with dull grey plumage and a black top knot.

"'So, Watson,' said he suddenly, "'you do not propose to invest in South African securities?'

...