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.

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Tonight, I will be continuing the story, The Wind and the Willows. So lie down, close your eyes, and let me read you a story.

Chapter 7 The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

The Willow Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark salvage of the riverbank.

Though it was past ten o'clock at night, the sky still clung to and retained some lingering skirts of light from the departed day,

and the sullen heats of the torrid afternoon broke up and rolled away at the

dispersing touch of the cool fingers of the short midsummer night. Moll lay stretched on the bank,

still panting from the stress of the fierce day that had been cloudless from dawn to late sunset,

and waited for his friend to return.

He'd been on the river with some companions, leaving the water rat, free to keep an engagement

of long-standing with Otter, and he had come back to find the house dark and deserted,

and no sign of rat, who was doubtless keeping it late with his old comrade.

It was still too hot to think of staying indoors, so he lay on some cool duck leaves

...