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 JustSleeppodcast.com

slash support for more information.

Tonight, I will be reading Fumbulina, a story from Anderson's Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson.

So lie down, close your eyes, and let me read you a story.

There was once a woman who wished very much to have a child.

She went to a fairy and said, I should so very much like to have a child. Can you tell me where I can find one?

Well, that can be easily managed, said the fairy. Hair is a barley corn. It is not exactly of the same

sort as those which grow in the farmer's fields and which the chickens eat. Put it in a flower pot and see what

will happen. Thank you, said the woman, and she gave the fairy 12 shillings, which was the price of

the barley corn. Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large, handsome flower,

somewhat like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed, as if it were still a bud.

It is a beautiful flower, said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden-colored petals. And as she did so,

the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip. But within the flower, upon the

green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden. She was

scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of Little Thumb, or Thumbelina,

because she was so small. A walnut shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle. Her bed was formed of blue-violet

leaves with a rose-leaf for a counterpane. Here she slept at night, but during the day,

...