Your Fantasy Sleep Saga (Season 2 Episode 11)

A warm welcome to Season 2 of your fantasy sleep saga, where you are the main character! This is Season 2 Episode 11: 'Christmas Mischief & The Wizard's Fireworks'

On the edge of the Christmas markets you meet two of your halfling friends, known for their mischievousness, and embark on a mini adventure of your own. Soon enough you find yourself in the heart of the party field, ready to enjoy and unforgettable firework display from your trusty wizard.

Tune in to Episode 12, coming soon, where the adventure continues!

All of these stories will be accompanied by soft, meditative music, helping you to sink into an effortless sleep.

Music by Liborio Conti

Transcript

A warm welcome to season two of this fantasy sleep saga,

Where you are the main character.

Throughout this bedtime story series,

You will spend autumn and winter in the rolling hills of your homeland,

Celebrating all of the festivities.

You will also delve into the deep dwarven kingdoms,

Embark on another adventure with the wizard and the ranger,

And visit an enchanted little village that is hidden away from the rest of the world.

Here,

There is magic,

Wonder,

And mystery waiting around every corner.

But first,

Let us take a moment to relax.

We will do a short,

Guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.

This will allow you to slow down and relax,

Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,

Peaceful rest.

When you are ready,

Breathe in through the nose for three,

Hold for four,

And breathe out for five.

Let all of it go now,

Again that's in for three,

Hold for four,

And release,

Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,

Today,

And tomorrow,

Again in for three,

And let it go.

Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,

And with each breath out,

Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper,

And gradually allow the breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.

Enjoy this new peace flowing through your body.

And now,

Let us continue our fantasy sleep saga,

And enjoy Season 2,

Episode 11,

Christmas Mischief and the Wizard's Fireworks.

You are met once again by the fresh December air that is wonderful to breathe in.

The atmosphere all around you is utterly enchanting,

And you are filled with a homely Christmas comfort.

Not too far ahead is a group of halfling children laughing and playing together.

They are building a gingerbread house atop a low wooden table,

And piecing together the final bits.

You recognize some of the faces from the mischievous group chasing your cart and enjoying the early fireworks.

They greet you both with big smiles and beckon for you to come closer.

One of the halfling children,

With thick,

Curly red hair,

Has noticed your squirrel in your top pocket and stares with a wide-eyed wonder.

You gently lift your companion from your pocket and ask the tiny child if they would like to hold the squirrel.

You reassure them that they are very friendly.

The child nods their head without a word,

Too excited to speak.

In the next moment,

Your lovely squirrel snuggles up into their palm,

Apparently enjoying this extra attention.

And as they sniff their hand,

The child lets out a happy chuckle.

Just then,

You feel a tug on the bottom of your coat,

And as you turn to look,

You see the smallest of the halfling children gazing up at you with big,

Innocent eyes.

They hold out a piece of gingerbread in their tiny hand and ask very politely if you'd like to put the door on their gingerbread house.

It is the last piece.

With a warm smile,

You kneel down and tell them you'd be delighted to help.

They respond by suddenly growing shy and pressing their chin into their chest,

Giving a sheepish smile.

You gently take the final piece of gingerbread,

And the little halfling pipes white icing along the edges.

Then,

In one careful movement,

You slide the gingerbread door into place.

As you remove your hand,

The house stays intact,

Strong,

And proud.

You give a sigh of relief as the crowd of children jump up and down with excitement.

The wizard gives an approving nod,

Letting out a low chuckle.

The red-haired halfling holds out their hands to you now,

And your squirrel hops back into your palm.

You place them back into your top pocket as the child thanks you with a beaming smile.

You wish them all a very happy Christmas,

And the halfling children wave goodbye for now as you and the wizard journey through to the end of the market,

Coming out on the other side.

As you emerge from the crowd,

Two very mischievous halflings appear in front of you,

As if out of thin air,

A wide grin on their faces.

You know these kind,

Warm-hearted halflings very well.

Both are dear friends to you,

But they do have a habit of finding themselves in a lot of mischief,

And they have quite the reputation throughout the village.

The wizard gives them a curious stare with a raise of his eyebrow,

But underneath this serious demeanor,

You sense a deep love for these two halflings.

Then,

Your wizard bursts into a smile and greets the pair with a warm hug.

Your group shares a happy embrace,

And a rich laughter fills the air.

The wizard tells you it is time for him to prepare the firework display,

So it is done before the Christmas feast.

With a subtle wink,

He tells you to be sensible now,

And before you know it,

He has disappeared back through the markets and towards the cart.

Your two companions admit they have been waiting for your return,

And with a cheeky smile,

They add that they have something to show you.

You follow behind your friends as they lead you through a small,

Crooked gate and out onto a snowy hilltop that slopes down into the party field.

The field is peppered with gold and silver lanterns,

Like tiny fireflies below.

Many halflings are mingling together in crowds,

Getting ready for the wizard's fireworks.

To your right are three wooden sledges piled up on top of the hill.

Your two halflings look to you with a smile,

And you each take one sledge and perch at the top of the hill,

A bubbling excitement in your stomach.

You line up between your friends,

And a quiet suspense fills the air.

Together,

You count three,

Two,

One,

And off you go.

Gently,

Now,

You begin to drift down the snowy hillside.

It is a long,

Shallow hill,

And you are gliding on the snow at a perfect pace.

A new freedom is washing over you,

And the cool breeze gently strokes your cheeks.

You are in complete control,

And you give yourself permission to just be in this moment,

As you allow all other thoughts to leave your mind.

Your little companion rests in your pocket,

Sniffing the air and enjoying this wonderful ride with you.

You share a wide smile with the halflings,

And you each trace a hand along the snow as you drift effortlessly down the hill.

The field below is full of the hustle and bustle of many halflings laughing and playing games together.

You can see your wizard rolling a wheelbarrow full of fireworks and putting the final touches on his display.

There is the luminous glow of the firefly lanterns pulsing in gold and silver,

Rounded off with the enormous party tree guarding this sacred land.

It is the perfect picture.

One or two stars are beginning to show themselves,

And the full moon beams down a silver spotlight,

Guiding your way in a gentle glitter.

It feels so wonderful to be home at last and enjoying the Christmas magic of the Shire.

As you reach the bottom of the hill,

Your sledge comes to a natural stop.

You roll onto the soft snow,

Sharing an infectious laughter with your two halflings.

You thank your friends for this adventure,

And through the chuckles,

They whisper that this was only the beginning.

They place a finger on their lips and beckon for you to follow.

Under the cover of night,

The three of you creep through the snow,

Round the back of the huge party tree.

And there,

Resting on the trunk,

Is one of the wizard's fireworks.

It is enormous and twisted in colors of blue and green.

The halflings turn to you with mischief in their eyes,

Telling you how they slipped it from the cart earlier,

And you know instantly what they have in mind.

You are hesitant to disobey the wizard,

But you cannot deny the excited temptation running through you.

One of the halflings takes the firework out from under the tree,

Sticking it firmly in the ground.

The other produces a match from their pocket and strikes it.

Suddenly,

You hear a branch snap behind you,

And you turn in a flash.

There stands the powerful silhouette of the wizard towering over you.

The moonlight reveals his bushy raised eyebrow and a disapproving stare.

The two halflings stop in their tracks,

Blowing out the match and dropping the firework.

You feel yourself freeze on the spot,

A wave of nerves in your stomach.

The wizard reveals he saw these two halflings pinch one of his fireworks the moment he arrived.

It was to be expected,

Of course,

But what to do with the three of you now,

He mutters to himself as his stern eyes flick between you.

To your disbelief,

His face softens,

And the wizard lets out a low laughter,

Telling you that if you were all so desperate to light one,

You need only ask.

You give a sigh of relief as the wizard takes you all into a warm embrace,

Proclaiming that all is forgiven in the spirit of Christmas.

He even offers the three of you the chance to light the first firework,

And you cannot help but wonder if he has been at the gaffer's home brew already.

With a new excitement,

You quickly make your way to the main field,

Dotted with gold and silver lights and packed with halflings.

A collection of colorful fireworks wait in the ground,

Ready for the display to begin.

The wizard places your borrowed firework front and center,

And you huddle around it with your two halfling companions.

One of them strikes another match,

And the three of you lock hands around it,

Agreeing to start the display together.

The flame touches the fuse of the firework,

And it lights with a golden fizz.

You quickly step back and join the wizard at the front of the crowd as the burning fuse etches closer and closer.

Suddenly,

The flame disappears,

And the firework lets out a hiss,

Propelling into the sky.

The firework soars up and up,

Deep into the black beyond.

And just then,

There is a beautiful eruption of color.

You feel a ripple of blue and green beaming across your face,

And the firework spreads like a blossoming flower through the night.

A new excitement runs through the crowd as the wizard steps forward.

And with his wooden staff to hand,

He begins to cast his magic over the rest of the fireworks.

There are gold and silver streaks disappearing into the air,

Followed by a kaleidoscope of color swirling together in the sky.

One of the fireworks takes the shape of a huge red dragon,

Soaring through the night and over the moon.

It bellows out an orange flame above you,

And you are blanketed with a beautiful warmth and a deep comfort.

The dragon glides over the crowd and disappears beyond the snowy horizon,

Before erupting into a dazzling display of color.

A rainbow of fireworks arches over the sky now,

Backed by a pulsing golden glow.

Another firework fizzles into a glistening white horse,

Galloping down towards the ground and across the front of the field.

There are little firework birds darting across the night,

And an enchanted blue whale leaps over the party tree,

Crashing down in a wave of turquoise and sapphire.

You cannot help but gaze in wonder at these majestic fireworks.

You hold your squirrel in your hands now,

As their innocent eyes trace the colorful night,

Their steady breath rising and falling in the palm of your hand.

You look over to the wizard in full control of this magical display,

And to your halfling friends,

Both with their arms around you.

There is nowhere else you would rather be tonight,

And in this magical moment,

Nothing else matters.

The wizard lights a small box of fireworks with his staff,

And a wonderful collection of silver whiz-poppers begin to pepper the air around you.

The halfling children chase the whiz-poppers across the field,

Desperately trying to catch one.

Thin blue fireworks shoot up into the night,

And they give a subdued pop,

Leaving behind a collection of glowing blue orbs,

Like little moons dancing across the night.

It's as if you are floating ever so slightly above the ground,

Immersed in a kingdom of starlight.

It is a breathtaking display,

Full of magic and wonder,

And you feel so blessed to be one of the lucky few to witness it.

This is a memory that will stay with you forever.