Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 5 Continued For the land's sake,
Miss Pollyanna,
What a scare you did give me,
Panted Nancy,
Hurrying up to the big rock,
Down which Pollyanna regretfully slid.
Scare?
I'm so sorry,
You mustn't ever really get too scared about me though,
Nancy,
Father and the lady's aide are used to it.
They always found I came back all right.
I didn't even know you went,
Cried Nancy.
Pollyanna skipped gleefully,
I did,
Only I flew down instead of up and came down the tree.
Nancy stopped short,
You did what?
I came down the tree outside my window.
My stars and stockings,
Gasped Nancy,
Hurrying on again,
I'd like to know what your aunt would say to that.
Would you?
Well,
I'll tell her then,
So you can find out,
Promised the little girl cheerfully.
Mercy,
No,
Gasped Nancy.
You don't mean she'd care,
Cried Pollyanna,
Plainly disturbed.
No,
Yes,
Never mind,
I ain't so very particular about knowing what she'd say,
Truly,
Stammered Nancy,
Determined to keep one scalding from Pollyanna,
If nothing more.
But we'd better hurry up,
I've got to get them dishes done,
You know.
I'll help,
Promised Pollyanna promptly.
For a moment there was silence,
The sky was darkening fast.
Pollyanna took a firm hold of her friend's arm.
I reckon I'm glad after all you did get scared a little,
Because then you came after me,
She shivered.
Poor little lamb,
And you must be hungry too,
I'm afraid you'll have your bread and milk in the kitchen with me,
Your aunt didn't like it because you didn't come down to your supper,
You know.
But I couldn't,
I was up here.
Yeah,
But she didn't know that,
Observed Nancy dryly.
I'm sorry about the bread and milk,
I am,
I am.
Oh,
I'm not,
I'm glad.
Glad?
Why?
I like bread and milk,
And I'd like to eat with you,
Nancy,
I don't see any trouble about being glad about that.
You don't seem to see any trouble being glad about everything,
Retorted Nancy,
Choking a little over her remembrance of Pollyanna's brave attempts to like the bare little attic room.
Pollyanna laughed softly.
Well,
That's the game,
You know,
Anyway.
The game?
Yes,
The just being glad game,
Whatever in the world you're talking about.
It's a game,
Father told it to me,
And it's lovely,
Rejoined Pollyanna.
We played it always,
Ever since I was a little,
Little girl.
I told the ladies' aide,
And they played it,
Some of them.
What is it?
I ain't much on games,
Though.
Pollyanna laughed again,
But she sighed too,
And in the gathering twilight,
Her face looked thin and wistful.
We began it on some crutches that came in a missionary barrel.
Crutches?
Yes,
You see,
I'd wanted a doll,
And father had written them so,
But when the barrel came,
The lady wrote there hadn't been any dolls,
But the little crutches were left.
So she sent them along,
As they might come in handy for some child sometime,
And that's when we began the glad game.
I must say,
I can't see any game about that,
Declared Nancy almost irritably.
Oh,
Yes,
The game was to find something about everything to be glad about,
No matter what it was,
Rejoined Pollyanna,
And we began right on,
On the crutches.
Goodness me,
I can't see anything to be glad about getting a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll.
There is!
Pollyanna clapped her hands.
I couldn't see it either.
Father had to tell it to me.
Well then,
Suppose you tell me?
Go see why,
Just be glad because you don't need them,
Exalted Pollyanna triumphantly.
It's just as easy when you know how.
Well,
Of all the queer doings,
Breathed Nancy,
Regarding Pollyanna with almost fearful eyes.
It isn't queer,
It's lovely,
Maintained Pollyanna,
And we've played it ever since.
The harder the thing is,
The more fun it is to get out your glad thoughts.
Only sometimes it is almost too hard,
Like when your father dies and goes to heaven and there isn't anybody but a lady's aide left.
Or when you're put in a snippy little room where at the top of the house there's nothing in it,
Growled Nancy.
Pollyanna sighed.
That was a hard one at first,
She admitted.
Especially when I was so kind of lonesome.
I just didn't feel like playing the game then.
And I had been wanting pretty things so much.
Then I happened to think how I hated to see my freckles in the looking glass,
And I saw that lovely picture out of the window too,
So I knew I'd found things to be glad about just then.
You see,
When you're hunting for the glad things,
You sort of forget the other kind,
Like that doll you wanted,
You know.
Choked Nancy,
Trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
Most generally it doesn't take so long,
Sighed Pollyanna.
Lots of times now I think of them without thinking,
You know.
I've got so used to playing it,
It's a lovely game.
Father and I used to like it so much,
She faltered.
I suppose though it'll be a little harder now,
As I haven't got anybody to play it with.
Maybe Aunt Polly will play it though,
She added as an afterthought.
My stars and stockings,
Ha ha,
Breathed Nancy behind her teeth.
But aloudly she said,
See here Miss Pollyanna,
I ain't saying I'll play it very well,
And I ain't saying I know how anyway,
But I'll play it with you after a fashion,
I will.
Oh Nancy,
Exulted Pollyanna,
Giving her a rapturous hug.
That'll be splendid,
Won't we have fun?
Conceded Nancy and opened out.
But you mustn't count too much on me,
You know.
I never was no case for games,
But I'm going to try and make an awful old try on this one.
You're going to have to have someone to play with it anyhow.
They entered the kitchen together and Pollyanna ate her bread and milk with good appetite.
Then,
At Nancy's suggestion,
She went into the sitting room where her aunt sat reading.
Miss Polly looked up coldly.
Have you had your supper,
Pollyanna?
Yes,
Aunt Polly.
I'm very sorry,
Pollyanna,
To have been obliged so soon to send you into the kitchen to eat bread and milk.
But I was really glad you did it,
Aunt Polly.
I like bread and milk,
And Nancy too.
You mustn't feel bad about that one bit.
Aunt Polly sat suddenly a little more erect in her chair.
Pollyanna,
It's quite time you were in bed.
You've had a hard day.
Tomorrow we must plan your hours and go over your clothing to see what's necessary.
Nancy will give you a candle.
Be careful how you handle it.
Breakfast will be at half past seven.
See you are down to that.
Good night.
Quite as a matter of course,
Pollyanna came straight to her aunt's side and gave her an affectionate hug.
I've had such a beautiful time so far.
She sighed happily.
I know I'm just going to love living with you.
But then I knew I should before I came.
Good night.
Well,
Upon my soul,
Ejaculated Miss Polly half aloud.
What a most extraordinary child.
Then she frowned.
She's glad I punished her and I mustn't feel bad one bit.
And she's going to love to live with me.
Upon my soul.
Fifteen minutes later in the attic room,
A lonely little girl sobbed into the tightly clutched sheet.
I know,
Father among the angels,
I'm not playing the game one bit now,
Not one bit.
But I don't believe even if you could find anything to be glad about sleeping all alone way off up here in the dark like this.
If only I was near Nancy or Aunt Polly or even a lady's aider,
That would be easier.
Downstairs in the kitchen,
Nancy,
Hurrying with her belated work,
Jabbed her dish mop into the milk pitcher and muttered jerkily.
If playing a silly fool game about being glad you got crutches when you want dolls has got to be my way of being that rock of refuge.
Why,
I'm going to play it.
I am.
I am.
