Music Welcome to Snewscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us on snoozecast.com and if you'd like to get an email once a week with upcoming sleep stories and other news,

subscribe to this newsletter at snoozecast.com This episode is brought to you by Orange Blossoms. Tonight we'll read a Brazilian fairy tale called the seaside princess from Brazil or Or why the sea mones?

From the collection by Elsie Sp Eels, Fairy Tales from Brazil, published in 1917. This story was originally adapted and published by snooze cast in 2021. The author Spicer Eels was an American researcher of folklore and a writer who traveled in the early years of the 20th century across the Atlantic Basin. Having traveled in the 1920s and 30s to various countries as a researcher at the The Hispanic Society of America, New York,

Eels was the author of numerous collections of short stories and legends based on the oral tradition of various regions she visited, including the Brazilian one we found. Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. It is late afternoon in my Brazilian garden. The dazzling blue of sea and sky, which characterizes a tropical noon day, has become seduced, and already rosy tints are beginning to prepare the glory of the sunset hour. A lizard crawls lazily up the white washed wall. A songbird sounds from the royal palm tree. The air is heavy with the perfume of the orange blossom.

There is no long twilight in the tropics. Night will leap down suddenly upon my Brazilian garden from out of the glory of the sunset sky. Teresa stands before us on the terrace under the mango trees, and we know that the story hour has come. Teresa, daughter of the mudhuts under the palm trees is a royal queen of storyline. For her the beast's break silence and talk like humans. For her all the magic wonders of her tales stand forth as living truth. Her live body sways backwards and forwards to the rhythm of her words as she unfolds her tales to us. She is a picture to remember as she stands under the mango trees on our terrace. Her spotless white Camisa is decorated with beautiful pillow lace, her own handiwork. Her skirt of stiffly starched cotton is red and purple in color.

A crimson flowered folded shawl hangs over her right shoulder,

and great strings of beads ornament the ebony of her neck and arms.

To sit at the feet of Teresa, the Amma, is to enter the gate of Storyland. Why the Seamones? Once upon a time, there was a little princess who lived in a magnificent royal palace. All around the palace there was a beautiful garden full of lovely flowers and rare shrubs and trees. The part of the garden which the princess liked most of all was a corner of it which ran down to the sea. She was a very lonely little princess and she loved to sit and watch the changing beauty of the sea. The name of the little princess was Dianisia, and it often seemed to her that the sea said as it rushed against the shore, Dianisia. D. One day, when the little princess was sitting all alone by the sea, she said to herself, oh, I am so lonely, I do so wish that I had somebody to play with. When I ride out in the royal chariot, I see children with playmates. Because I am the royal princess, I never have anybody to play with me. Then, a most remarkable thing happened. And the sea said very slowly and distinctly and over and over again so there couldn't be any mistake about it. Dio Naisia

The little princess walked up close to the sea, just as close as she dared to go without getting hurt beautiful dress and royal shoes and stockings wet. Straight out of the biggest wave of all, there came a sea serpent to meet her. She knew that it was a sea serpent from the pictures in her royal story books, even though she had never seen a sea serpent before. But somehow, this

sea serpent looked different than the pictures. Instead of being a fierce monster, it looked kind and gentle and good. She held out her arms to it right away. "'Come play with me,' said Dionysia. "'I am Labis Menna, and I have come to play with you,' replied the sea serpent. After that, the little princess was very much happier. The sea serpent came out of the sea to play with her every day when she was alone. If anyone else came near, lobby's menna would disappear into the sea, so no one but Dionysia ever saw her. The years passed rapidly, and each year, the little princess little princess grew up a little more. At last she was no longer a child. She still enjoyed her old playmate, Labysmena, and they were often together on the seashore. day when they were walking up and down together beside the sea, the sea serpent looked at Dionysia with sad eyes and said, I too have been growing older all these years dare Dionysia. Now the time has come that we can no longer play together. I shall never come out of the sea to play with you anymore, but I shall never forget you, and I shall always be your friend. I hope that you will never have any trouble, but if you ever should, call my name and I will come to help you. Then the sea serpent disappeared into the sea. this time, the wife of a neighboring king died, and as she lay upon her death-bat, she gave the king a jould-ring. When the time comes, when you wish to wed again, she said, I ask you to marry a princess upon whose finger this ring shall be neither too tight nor too loose. After a while, the king began to look about for a princess to be his bride. He visited many royal palaces and tried the ring upon the finger of many royal princesses. Upon some, the ring was too tight and upon others, it was too loose. There was no princess whose finger it fitted perfectly. At last in his search, the king came to the royal palace where the princess Dionysia lived. The princess had dreams of her own, of a young and charming prince, who would someday come to wed her, so she was not pleased at all. The king was old and no longer handsome, and when he tried the ring upon Dionysius' finger, she hoped with all her heart that it would not fit. It fitted perfectly. Will I really have to marry him? She asked her royal father. Her father told her what a very wealthy king he was, with a great kingdom, and a wonderful royal palace, ever so much more wonderful and grand, than the palace the princess Dionysysia, had always had for her home. Her father had no patience at all with her for not being happy about it. You ought to consider yourself the most fortunate princess in all the world," he said.

Dionysia spent her days and nights weeping. Her father was afraid that she would grow so thin that the ring would no longer fit her finger so he hastened the plans for the wedding. day. D Dionysia walked up and down beside the sea, crying as if her heart would break. All at once she stopped crying. How stupid I have been, she said.

My old friend, Labbis Menna, told me that if ever I was in trouble, she would come back and help me, with all my silly crying I have forgotten about it. Zionizio walked up close to the sea and called softly. L'h'b's mena, l'h'b's mena. Out of the sea came the sea serpent just as she used to come. The princess told the sea serpent all about the dreadful trouble which was threatening to spoil her life. "'Have no fear,' said Lobby Smena, "'till your father that you will marry the king When the king presents you with a dress, the color of the fields, and all their flowers, and that you will not marry him until he gives it to you. Then the sea serpent disappeared again into the sea.

Dionysia sent word through her father to her royal suit her, that she would wed him only when he procured her, address the color of the fields and all their flowers. The King was very much in love with Dionysia, so he was secretly filled with joy at this request. He searched everywhere for address the color of the fields and all the flowers. It was a very difficult thing to find, but at last he procured one. He sent it to Dionysia at once. When Dionysia saw that the king had really found the dress for her, she was filled with grief. She thought that there was no escape, and that she would have to marry the king after all. As soon as she could get away from the palace without being noticed, she ran down to the sea, and again called, Lobby Smena, Lobby Smena. the sea, and again called Lobby Smana, Lobby Smana. The sea serpent, at once, came out of the sea. Do not fear. She said to Dionysia, go back and say that you will not wet the king until he gives you a dress, the color of the sea, and all its fishes. When the king heard this new request of Dionysias, he was rather discouraged. However, he searched for the dress and, at last, after expending a great sum of money, he procured such a gown. When Dionysia saw that the dress, the color of the sea, and all its fishes had been found for her, she again went to seek counsel from her old playmate. Do not be afraid, lobby's men again said to her. time. You must ask the King to get you a dress, the color of the sky and all its stars. You may also tell him that this is the last present you will ask him to make you. And the king heard about the demand for address the color of the sky and all its stars, he was completely disheartened. But when he heard that Dionysia had promised that this would be the last present, she would ask. He decided that it might be a good investment, after all. He set out to procure the dress with all possible speed. At last, he found one. Dionysia saw the dress, the color of the sky, and all its stars, she thought that this time there was no escape from marrying the king. She called the sea serpent with an anxious heart, for she was afraid that now even Lobby's menna could do nothing to help her. Lobby's menna came out of the sea and answered to her call. Go home to the palace and get your dress, the of the field and all its flowers. Set the sea serpent. And your dress the color of the sea and all its fishes. And your dress the color of the sky and all its stars. Then, hurry back to the sea for I have been preparing a surprise for you. All the time the king had been procuring the wonderful gowns for Dionysia. The sea serpent had been building a ship for her. When Dionysia returned from the royal palace with her lovely dresses, all carefully packed in a box, there was a strange little boat awaiting her. It was not at all like any other boat she had ever seen, and she was almost afraid to get into it when Lobby's menna asked her to try it. This little ship which I have built for you, San Lameshmana, will carry you far away over the sea to the kingdom of a prince who is the most charming prince in all the world. When you see him, you will want to marry him above all others. O Lobby Smana, how can I ever thank you for all you have done for me?" cried Dionysia. You can do the greatest thing in the world for me," said Lobby Svena, though I have never

told you, and I do not believe that you have ever suspected it. I am really an enchanted princess. I shall have to remain in the form of a sea serpent until the happiest maiden in all the world, at the hour of her greatest happiness calls my name three times. You will be the very happiest girl in all the world on the day of your marriage, and If you will remember to call my name three times, then you will break my enchantment, and I shall once more be a lovely princess instead of a sea serpent. Dionysia promised her friend that she would remember to do this. The sea serpent asked her to promise three times to make sure. When Dionysia had promised three times and again embraced her old playmate and thanked her for all that she had done, she sailed away in the little ship. The sea serpent disappeared into the sea. Dionysia sailed and sailed in the little ship, and it lasted for her to a lovely island. She thought that she had reached her destination,

so she stepped out of the boat, not forgetting to take her box of dresses with her. As soon as she was out of the boat, it sailed away. Now what shall I ever do?" said Dianaizia. The ship has gone away and left me, and how shall I ever earn my living? I have never done anything useful in all my life. Dianaizia surely had to do something to earn her living immediately. So she had once set out to see what she could find to do. She went from house to house, asking for food and work. At last she came to the Royal Palace. at the Royal Palace, they told her that they had great need of a maid to take care of the hands. Dionysia thought that this was something that she could do, so she accepted the position at once. It was, of course, very different from being a princess, but it provided her with food and shelter, and when Dionysia thought of having to marry the old king, she was never sorry that she had left home. Time passed, and at last there was a great feast day celebrated in the city. Everybody in the palace went, except the little maid who mined it the hens. After everybody had gone away, Dionysia decided that she would go to the Festa or party too. She combed her hair and put on her gown which was the color of the fields and all their flowers. In this wonderful gown she was sure nobody would ever guess that she was the little maid who had been left at home to mind the hens. She did want to go to the party. She hurried there as fast as she could, and arrived just in time for the dances. Everybody at the festa noticed the beautiful maiden in the gown the color of the fields and all their flowers. The prince fell madly in love with her. Nobody had ever seen her before, and nobody could find out who the beautiful stranger was, or where she came from. Before the Festa was over, Dionysius slipped away, and, when the rest of the royal household returned, there was the little maid, minding her hands, just as they had left her. The second day of the festa, everybody went early, except the little maid, who looked after the hens. When the others had gone, she put on her dress the color of the sea and all its fishes and went to the festa. She attracted even more attention than she had the day before when the festa was over, the royal household and returned to the palace, the prince remarked to his mother, Don't you think that the beautiful stranger at the Festa looks little like the maid who mines our hands? What nonsense! Reply the mother! How could the little maid who mines our hands ever get such wonderful gowns to wear? Just to make sure, however, the prince told the royal counsellor to find out if the little maid who mines the hands had been to the festa, all the servants told about leaving her at home with the hands and coming back and finding her just as they had left her. Whoever the beautiful stranger at the Festa may be said the prince. She is the one above all others whom I want for my wife. I shall find her some way. The third day of the festa, Dionysia went attired in her gown the color of the sky and all its stars. The prince fell more madly in love with her than ever. He could not get her to tell him who she was, or where she lived, but he gave her a beautiful jewel. When the prince returned home, he would not eat any food. He grew thin and pale. Everyone around the palace tried his best to invent some dish, which would tempt the prince's appetite. Finally, the little maid who took care of the hands said that she thought she could prepare a dish, which the prince would eat. Accordingly, she made a dish of broth for the prince, and in the bottom of the dish, she dropped the jewel, which the prince had given her. When the broth was sent before the prince, he was about to send it away untouched, just as he did everything else, but the sparkling jewel attracted his attention. Who made this dish of broth? He asked as soon as he could speak. It was made by the little maid who min minced the hands, or applied his mother.

Send for the little maid to come to me at once, cried the prince. I knew that the beautiful stranger at the Fasta looked like our little maid, who minced the hands. The prince married Dionysia the very next day, and she was the very happiest girl in all the world. For from the first moment she had seen the prince, she had known that he was the one above all others whom she wished to marry. Alas, in Dionysia's excitement, she forgot all about, calling the name of her old playmate, Lobby Smena, at the hour of her marriage, and she had promised to do. She thought of nothing but the prince. Lobby Smana had to remain in the form of a Caesar pent. For this reason, her moan to her friend is heard in the sea until this very day. Perhaps you have heard it. You will often notice the call come from the sea as it breaks against the shore. Tion Isaiah, Tion Isaiah, Tion Isaiah, Tion Isaiah. Die on Isaiah. Tio Nisia Yn yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n y