Welcome to Jane's Dreamy Bookshelf.
In this sleep story,
You will journey to a healer's cabin in the woods.
There,
You will find rest and relaxation and listen to the tale about the children of the woods and how they came to be there.
As you settle in,
Please find a private quiet place where you can be cozy for our journey.
Take a couple of deep breaths and close your eyes.
Feel yourself being fully supported wherever you are.
This sacred time is for you to rest.
As you deeply breathe in and out,
Remember you are safe,
You are comfortable,
Nothing else matters in this moment.
Our journey will take you deep into the forest to a healer's cabin where you will be welcomed inside,
Cared for,
And given ample opportunity to rest.
You will be surrounded in comfort and warmth,
Protected from the outside world.
The cabin will be your very own sanctuary.
So now,
Let yourself be carried away to the healer's cabin in the woods.
As you begin your journey,
You find yourself standing at the edge of a heavily wooded forest.
You feel the sun's warmth seep into your bare skin and onto the top of your head.
The sound of wind chimes produces a symphony of gentle tinkling sounds that create a harmonious blend of melodies.
The delicate ethereal music creates a soothing and peaceful effect.
The pine scented air is slightly heavy and as you breathe in and out,
You catch the subtle fragrant notes of flowers.
Before you set off,
You whisper the words to a spell you have been given to help you find your way.
The words float for a moment in the air in front of you before gently drifting away,
Guiding you on your adventure.
You watch and wonder as branches drooping with luscious green leaves move aside,
Revealing your path.
As you venture down the path,
You stop for a moment to let your eyes adjust to the dim lighting.
The ground feels solid beneath your feet.
As you meander down the trail,
Soft light filters down between trees that tower above,
Letting in just enough heat to keep you comfortable.
Your steps are light and full of wonder.
You hear the distant laughter of children beckoning you forward and you can't help but feel joyful.
The thick green foliage muffles the sounds of your steps.
You feel at peace as you listen to the rhythmic hum of insects and of birds singing above your head.
You lean against a tree for a moment and then suddenly pull back as you notice the elegant symbols and words carved into it.
You take a deep breath as you let the meaning of the words sink into your mind.
Welcome.
You are safe.
You are loved.
You are cherished.
You touch the rough bark of the tree and then run your finger over the smooth carved symbols and words as you marvel at them.
As you continue forward into the forest,
A deep feeling of calm settles over you.
You stop for a moment to pick up a small blue stone on the side of the path.
You hold it in the palm of your hand and run your thumb over the stone,
Admiring the smooth surface.
It feels comforting to the touch.
You place it in your pocket for safekeeping.
Beyond a tapestry of wild flowers,
A small stream intersects your path,
Forcing you to pause.
As you gaze down at your reflection,
You hear children whispering.
You look up and notice the figure of a small child hidden in the shadow of a large tree.
You call out softly and watch as a young girl with long brown hair braided down her back steps out.
She impatiently pushes away a wisp of hair that has escaped her braid and is tickling her nose.
You are surprised to see that her tan skin has a light green tint to it.
She is wearing a simple yet tattered brown dress patched all over with leather.
You smile at her and she cautiously makes her way towards you and holds out her hand.
You hesitate for only a moment before you take it,
Noticing how easily her hand fits inside yours.
She looks up at you with her clear green eyes and puts a finger to her lips,
Gesturing at something with her hand.
You follow the line of her finger until you see a rabbit that is slowly making its way along the path.
Its speckled brown fur camouflages it so well that you might never have noticed it if not for the girl.
You both watch as it nears the water and then suddenly scurries under a bush as a young boy rushes past it.
He is smaller than the girl yet he seems braver as he comes right up to you.
He has the same tan skin with a light green tint to it.
The girl pinches him on the side playfully and he laughs as he takes your other hand.
Both children guide you over to a fallen tree and you all use it to cross over the water.
You are then led up a steep hill by the children yet you climb it with ease.
At the top of the hill there is a waist-high stone wall covered in green moss and a weathered wooden gate.
On the other side of the hill is a small graystone cabin.
You are filled with anticipation at the sight of it.
There is an old porch swing that sways gently back and forth as if someone had only recently vacated it.
The boy lifts the metal latch and pushes open the gate.
Both children let go of your hand but urge you to continue on without them.
From here the path transforms from dirt to stone.
The stones have been crushed into small pebbles and you like the way they sound and feel under your shoes.
As you walk down the hill the wind picks up at your back as if urging you on.
You hear the children close the gate softly behind you.
Warm golden light spills from the windows casting a comforting glow.
The cabin stands as a haven for those seeking solace from the bustling world.
Its presence is known only to those that have been invited.
Its sturdy stone walls are a symbol of protection and healing.
As clouds begin to form in the sky above you notice that the front door has been left open to welcome you.
With a curious spirit you step inside and let your eyes adjust to the dim lighting.
You are greeted by a spicy sweet scent.
It reminds you of vanilla and cinnamon.
The coolness of the room draws you into a welcoming sitting area.
Beyond this room is a doorway that leads to a kitchen adorned with herbs drying from the rafters.
There are fresh flowers and ceramic vases and shelves brimming with glass vials of potions and elixirs.
You notice there is a ladder to your left that leads up to a sleeping loft.
Your fingers trace the well-worn edges of a wooden bookshelf.
It's filled with old leather-bound books and trinkets carved from wood.
The healer steps out of the kitchen and greets you warmly.
Her voice soft as the wind is comforting.
With a compassionate smile she offers you a cup of your favorite cold beverage and suggests you sit on the sofa next to a small sleeping cat.
You slip off your shoes and sink into the soft supportive cushions that are cool to the touch.
Lit candles line the mantle above the fireplace and the flames crackle,
Casting playful shadows on the wall.
The logs in the fireplace,
Although not currently lit,
Still smolder slightly from an earlier fire and shimmer with a blue iridescence.
You watch them as you drink your beverage and become mesmerized by the sight.
When you finish your beverage the healer places a thin cool blanket around your shoulders and you feel your eyes grow heavy.
She takes the cup from you and you hear the gentle tinkling of ice at the bottom of it.
Your body softens as you sink back into the luxurious sofa cushions.
Your heartbeat slows as you take long deep breaths.
You notice the other sounds in the room that are soothing.
The soft ticking of a clock and the purring of the cat lulling you into sleep.
For a moment all sounds become muted as raindrops lightly splatter against the heavily curtain windows behind you.
You feel your limbs relax as your breath deepens.
You bring your legs up on the couch and turn on your side as you stretch out underneath a generously sized blanket.
Your head sinks back as you close your eyes.
The light from the candles flicker as you hear rain falling softly outside.
The healer,
Now sitting across from you in the armchair,
Begins to tell you a story about the children of the woods and how they came to be.
Once upon a time a white witch named Anya lived in this very same stone cabin that you are in now.
With your eyes closed you can almost picture the cabin without any furniture,
Freshly built with a newly mined stones and firm clay mortar.
It was built with the loving and steady hands of a woodsman named Gavin.
He had fallen in love with Anya and he worked tirelessly to build her a safe haven.
Before the cabin was built she had to travel a great distance every day through the woods to get from the castle where she lived to the town where she worked.
Gavin knew how much the people of the town depended on her for her remedies.
He had recently been under her care after he'd had a near-fatal accident with a fallen tree.
Luckily,
After they pulled the tree off him,
He was carried away from the scene with only a broken arm but had passed out from the pain.
When he came to,
The most beautiful woman was gently wiping the sweat from off his face.
He found his arm had been reset and was secure in a sling.
As he looked into her mesmerizing green eyes,
He suddenly understood what love at first sight meant.
Gavin chose a location of the cabin carefully because he wanted to have an excuse to visit Anya there during the day while he worked.
Sometimes he foolishly wished he would fall ill so he could stay in the cabin and have her nurse him back to health.
She would then be able to focus more of her attention on him.
He imagined her sitting by his side and reading a book to him to help him sleep.
He loved listening to her voice.
It was very soothing and he'd like nothing more than to fall asleep listening to it.
As it was,
They spent a great deal of time together.
He would visit her there during the day.
She always welcomed him inside if she was home and they would sit and talk while sharing a meal or a drink.
They would often take long walks together in the wood,
Hand in hand.
It seemed it would only be a matter of time before they would live together,
But they waited,
Not feeling the need to rush into it.
The space they had from each other only seemed to bring them closer together and make their time feel more special.
If they only knew what the future held,
They wouldn't have waited.
On one particularly cold winter day,
As Anya sat cradled in Gavin's arms near the roaring fire and he combed her long soft brown hair,
The town was invaded by a sea raider and his men.
They stole what they could before being run out of town.
Tragically,
The raiders left behind the rats that had followed them from their ship.
These pests greedily infiltrated the town and soon brought disease to it.
Over the next few weeks,
Anya worked tirelessly to cure the town's folk of infection.
She spent many late nights delivering her remedies throughout the town.
Thankfully,
Many of the adults recovered quickly and were cured of the disease.
Sadly,
The same could not be said for the children.
They grew weak from fever as their tiny bodies struggled to fight off the illness.
Anya moved into the schoolhouse in town with all the sickest children so she could care for them day and night.
Despite her efforts,
The children only seemed to grow weaker and late one night,
When Gavin checked in on her,
She pulled him aside to talk to him.
This is a powerful illness,
She told him.
I must consider using a magical spell that will transform the children and protect them from death.
Anya felt conflicted.
She had only used magic sparingly in the past,
Mostly because it could be unpredictable and it required vital energy to wield it.
There were a great number of children in her care and Anya feared she would not have the strength for them all.
I cannot know for sure how their little bodies will respond.
There's a chance that some might never grow up.
The disease has progressed too far to restore them as they once were,
She told him.
For many days and nights,
Anya poured out her magic into the children,
Starting with the weakest ones.
After each child was transformed by the spell,
She was forced to rest and recover for a couple hours,
For this kind of magic was very demanding.
Eventually,
Every child under her care was saved and returned home to their loving families.
Exhausted,
Anya returned to her cabin with the help of Gavin,
For she was very tired and weak.
They lay down together in her bed and he wrapped his arms around her.
She let out a deep sigh for she knew her work was done and that she was safe in her lover's arms.
With heavy eyelids,
She fell into a deep sleep that lasted for many years.
Gavin visited her every day and soon moved into the cabin so he could watch over her.
He would talk to her every night and brush her hair,
As he had done when he was courting her,
And she could hear him,
But she was never able to fully rouse herself.
After many lonely days,
Gavin built a workshop next to the cabin and spent his free time crafting furniture.
He found that when he kept his hands busy,
The days would pass more quickly and then he would spend every night with the woman he loved.
As the years passed,
Gavin witnessed many changes to the town.
The children remained the same,
While their parents and any younger siblings,
The ones born after that dreadful time,
Grew older each day.
Eventually,
Some of the older parents passed away,
Leaving the children alone.
A few fortunate children were able to move in with other families,
However,
Most of them found themselves drawn to life in the forest.
The forest and the woodsmen that lived there offered protection and hid them from people who didn't understand.
They were free to live their days in peace,
Surrounded by nature,
While they learned about the sacred plants and animals.
After many seasons had passed,
Anya woke and found herself alone.
The cabin was beautifully decorated with the well-crafted furniture that Gavin had made,
But the air felt still and empty.
Her glass bottles full of potions were clouded and dusty.
She slowly got up and took some tentative steps,
Calling out to Gavin with no reply.
With much difficulty,
She made her way outside to his shop and looked through the window,
Only to find it deserted.
She instinctively knew that a great amount of time had passed but she wasn't sure exactly how long.
Her knees felt weak as she assumed the worst,
That Gavin was no longer here.
He had either left willingly or something had happened to him.
She sank down into the ground and cried in despair.
Her cries covered the sound of footsteps approaching.
When she finally looked up,
Her vision was blurred from her tears.
She blinked several times and watched as Gavin rushed over to her and swooped her up in his arms.
They both laughed in relief as he twirled her around in the air and squeezed her tight.
She was finally awake.
After many hugs and kisses,
They sat together in silence on the porch swing that Gavin had built.
Anya noticed Gavin's hair and beard had flecks of gray in them and she stroked them,
Wishing that she had not slept so long.
Gavin gently put his hand over hers and shook his head.
He told her not to be sad for the sacrifice she had made.
His gaze then shifted to the forest and that's when she heard delighted whispers and laughs.
She turned and saw the children she had saved approaching her with flowers in their hands.
At first,
They advanced slowly and shyly,
But when she stood with the help of Gavin to greet them,
They rushed at her and hugged her,
Kissing her hands and falling at her feet.
They expressed their gratitude for all she had done and for the price she had paid for their lives.
Anya and Gavin spent many wonderful years in the woods with the children that the town had forgotten.
The story of her sacrifice became a legend that was whispered through the leaves through the leaves and sung by the forest streams for generations to come.
