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Good evening.

Welcome to send me to sleep, the world's sleepiest podcast.

I'm your host, Andrew. I'm here to help calm your mind and send you into a peaceful night's sleep.

Tonight, I'll be reading the first two chapters from The Shadow Witch by Gertrude Crownfield.

So let your eyes fall heavy and your breath soften as we settle in for a peaceful night's sleep.

Chapter 1

One morning at early dawn, The Shadow Witch stalled down her palace steps and out into her garden of shadows to walk there alone.

Not many days before, a stranger prince seeking to deliver a beautiful flame princess whom he loved had passed through the land of the evil fairies that lies far away from the heart of the fire.

The Shadow Witch had seen him and at first half in mischief and half because she was lonely had tried by her magic to lure him away from his quest into her own land.

But soon, moved by his courage and goodness, yet most of all by his faithful love to his princess, she had given him aid in his undertaking and had saved him from destruction by her brother, the wizard of the cave of darkness.

No such bright visitant had ever before come into the strange country where she dwelt, and when he departed, her dim palace, her misty woods and gardens, even her own magic no longer gave her pleasure as they had once before.

Far from her dominions lay that lovely land from whence the prince had come, the land of the good and happy fire fairies.

Of the bright spells, the noble magic, the joyous life of these fairies she knew nothing.

Through her dusky land she moved, attended by her servants the shadows, working with them her curious and sometimes mischievous spells.

Her brother, the wizard, gave her no cheer, spent no love upon her, taught her nothing good and she, for her own part, seldom sought his presence.

...