The Sleepy Shepherds (Christmas Sleep Story)

This bedtime story is the third in the '12-days of Christmas bedtime stories' series, related to 'three French hens'. This bedtime story for grown-ups is about a gentle and peaceful Christmas Eve, centered around three lifelong shepherd friends who reunite each year to celebrate their bond. The story unfolds on a frosty winter morning as Reg tends to his sheep and prepares for their annual gathering beneath the stars.

As the evening progresses, the three men build a campfire, share nostalgic and heartfelt stories of their past, and reflect on the warmth of friendship, family, and life’s quiet miracles. Wrapped in the stillness of the night, they find deep peace and contentment in their connection with each other and the land.

Transcript

Okay so just take a moment to allow your eyes to close and allow yourself to begin to relax and as you begin to comfortably drift asleep I don't know whether you'll fall asleep faster to the sound of my voice or whether it'll be to the spaces between my words and as you comfortably drift asleep I'm just going to tell this bedtime story in the background and Reg wakes slowly as if the gentle tug of morning pulls him from a deep tranquil dream his eyes open to the dim light of a winter dawn filtering through the small window of his stone cottage for a moment he lingers in the warm cocoon of his blankets savoring the quiet the air is cool and crisp a reminder that outside the world is dressed in frost and silence he breathes deeply feeling the subtle ache of age in his bones the familiar stiffness that comes with years spent working the land today though there's no rush no urgency to chase after wandering lambs or mend fences today is different he pushes the blankets aside and swings his legs over the edge of the bed his feet landing softly on the floor the cold of the floor seeps through his socks and he lets out a small sigh his breath hanging in the air he stretches his movements slow but deliberate like the rising Sun inching its way into the sky outside the faint glow of dawn peaks over the horizon painting the world in shades of soft pink and pale gold a winter's dawn quiet and unhurried he dresses warmly layering wool and thick fabric against the bite of the frost waiting just beyond the door with a steady hand he pulls open the heavy door to his cottage and the chill of the morning air greets him like an old friend the cold nips at his nose and ears but is not unwelcome it helps to wake him sharpening his senses to the beauty of the world before him the earth is covered in a blanket of frost each blade of grass a tiny crystal reflecting the soft light of the early Sun the air is so still it feels as though the entire world is holding its breath his boots sink gently into the frost crisped grass and a satisfying crunch follows with each step the ground beneath his feet feels solid and sure just as it always has the land has been his life his home his sanctuary the sheep are already awake their breath visible in the cold morning air as they huddle together for warmth their soft rhythmic bleating is the only sound in the quiet expanse Reg smiles his heart warming at the familiar scene he moves among them his weathered hands brushing over their thick wool as he counts them each one a comforting presence a reminder of the simple joys of life as he tends to his flock his mind drifts to the day ahead Christmas Eve the day of their annual gathering a tradition now so familiar so cherished that it feels as much a part of him as the very land beneath his feet Al and Frank his oldest friends men who've shared both the burdens and joys of life with him for longer than he can remember they'll meet again tonight as they always do to camp beneath the stars and share stories by the fire a tradition that had started long ago when they were young and the world seemed so much larger Reg pauses straightening up from his work he looks up at the sky already clearing the last remnants of night fading into a pale blue canvas the air is so still so peaceful that he can almost hear the silence itself there's a certain magic to mornings like this where the world feels untouched pure as though time slowed just for him a sense of calm settles over him spreading through his body like warmth from a fire he knows tonight will be clear the sky promises it with not a cloud in sight a night for stars for stories and for remembering as the Sun continues to rise casting a golden glow over the frost-covered fields Reg feels a sense of quiet anticipation growing within him the morning chores are simple the movements of his hands familiar and easy feeding the sheep checking their enclosure ensuring all is well before he leaves there's no need for haste today no urgency in his steps everything moves at a slow measured pace the rhythm of a winter's morning guiding him deeper and deeper into a relaxed state with each task completed his mind drifts further into the peaceful reverie of the day when all is done he lingers for a moment longer standing in the middle of the frosty field he closes his eyes letting the cold air wrap around him letting the quiet sink into his bones the only sound is the gentle breathing of the sheep the distant rustling of the bare trees and his own heartbeat slow and steady then with a deep breath he turns back towards the cottage knowing it's time to go time to meet his friends time for the stories to begin again he gathers his things carefully every item placed with care into his pack his thick woolen scarf worn with age but still soft wraps snugly around his neck and his gloves stiff from the cold slide over his hands the fields stretch out before him as he sets off blanketed in frost the landscape painted in shades of white and silver the air so still feels like the world itself is resting as he walks his boots crunch through the frozen grass cold brushes his cheeks while walking his thoughts drift back through the years he can see Al and Frank in his mind how they looked when they were young with bright eyes and strong hands full of energy and ideas time has softened them all worn them down in some ways but deepened them in others their friendship has aged like fine wine richer fuller more meaningful with each passing year the landscape continues to open up before him he feels a deep sense of peace wash over him the last traces of the Sun begin melting away in the distance Reg spots a small flock of three French hens their feathers bright against the wintry landscape they move gracefully through a patch of the fading sunlight pecking at the frost-covered earth he smiles while watching the birds they seem almost out of place in the stark winter landscape he feels that there's something symbolic about them something that speaks to the harmony that he feels with Al and Frank the three of them like these hens have weathered many winters yet they continue to return to this place to share in the quiet beauty of the land and the stories it holds eventually a small clearing comes into view framed by the gentle rise of hills on one side and the forest of leafless trees on the other the Sun almost fully set now as he sees Al and Frank waiting for him to arrive and as they spot each other they all smile and as they all meet they stand there for a moment just looking at each other how they've aged they joke with each other before beginning to set up a camp they talk to each other about small and simple things of the sheep they tend to of the weather of the stars overhead they collect up dry branches and they begin to make a campfire they arrange that wood carefully they place some tinder among the wood they light that fire as it sparks to life with warmth and comfort sending shadows dancing across the landscape in the distance the French hens settle into the branches of a tree softly cooing before they'll settle down for the night the stars twinkle overhead like a million tiny pinpricks of light scattered across the vast expanse and the three friends sit around the fire initially in comfortable silence enjoying the atmosphere around them and as the evening gets darker and darker and cooler and cooler they wrap blankets around themselves while they chat and tell stories to one another and then Al,

The eldest of the group asks a question in all these years apart from that night we first felt the spirit of this place what's been the most profound moment of your life?

His question lingers for a while in the air Reg and Frank gaze at each other their expressions thoughtful each mulling the question over in their mind Al leans back his eyes moving from one friend to the other as he waits for a reply the fire crackling softly,

The light dancing lazily Reg smiles softly I suppose,

Reg says it would have been the birth of my first son he pauses for a moment allowing himself to become deeper absorbed in his thoughts he was born on a day much like this the air was cold the stars were bright overhead but there was a warmth in the room a kind of warmth I'd never felt before it wasn't just from the fire in the room it was from him,

From the moment I held him it was like holding a tiny piece of the sun I remember looking at him and it felt like the whole world had shifted everything was brighter,

Sharper,

More alive I could hear every sound,

Feel every breath as though the very air around us had slowed down to watch this moment unfold the first time he laughed,

Reg says,

His voice catching slightly it was like hearing music for the first time and when he took his first steps it was as if the ground itself was cheering him on Frank and Al continue listening in silence and now,

Reg continues,

When I see him grown into a man there's still that same light in him it's a quiet glow but it's there and every time I look at him I feel it again that same warmth,

That same awe as though the world is still shifting around him making space for all the moments yet to come Reg falls silent,

Gazing off into space while his mind drifts elsewhere to a place where he's standing in a field watching his sun run ahead of him the sun setting behind them casting long shadows across the earth it's a memory that holds him gently like the soft glow of a candle in the dark and he lets it linger for a moment longer before drifting back to his friends the fire continues to crackle softly it's golden flickering light continuing to dance on the ground and stretch into the stillness of the night Al shifts in his seat as he prepares to share his story he gazes into the fire it was many years ago,

He begins I was young then,

Much younger than I am now I just started tending my own flock trying to prove myself,

Trying to make my way in the world a storm came faster than I expected the clouds gathered overhead,

Thick and dark like great ships sailing across the sky before I knew it,

The wind was howling through the trees and the rain began to fall in great sheets so thick I could barely see my hand in front of my face I was lost the storm had swept me up,

I had no idea which way to go the trees creaked and groaned all around me the wind pushed against me and the rain,

It was it was like the world itself was trying to wash me away Al gazed off as he absorbed himself deeper in his story and then out of nowhere,

He appeared I couldn't see his face clearly but there was something about him something calm,

Something certain he didn't speak much,

Just gestured for me to follow and I did,

I followed him through the storm,

Through the wind and the rain he moved with such ease,

Like the storm didn't touch him at all he led me back to the edge of the woods back to safety and just as suddenly as he appeared,

He was gone I turned to think him,

But there was no one there the storm had calmed,

The rain had stopped and the air was still but he was gone to this day,

I don't know who he was or where he came from but I'll never forget the feeling he left behind it was like the warmth of the fire spreading through me a sense of calm,

Of safety like I was held in something greater than myself Frank isn't a man of many words but having listened to Al's story he knows it's his turn to speak next I suppose,

Frank begins,

If I had to pick one moment it would be the time when I nearly lost everything my farm had fallen on hard times the crops failed the sheep were thin and the debts,

Well,

They kept piling up I was on the verge of losing the land,

Losing everything that my father and grandfather had built I thought there was no way out I tried everything,

Worked harder than I ever had but nothing seemed to change and just when I thought I would lose it all a stranger appeared he didn't say much but he came to me,

Offered to pay off my debts I didn't know him,

Had never seen him before and yet,

There he was,

With an offer that seemed too good to be true I accepted,

I had no choice and when I asked him why,

Why he was helping me he just smiled and said,

Because you needed it he didn't ask for anything in return didn't leave his name and when I tried to find him later he was gone,

As though he'd never been there at all ever since that day I've carried the belief that kindness is like a fire it spreads,

It's warm and it doesn't ask for anything in return for a moment,

There's only silence the kind of silence that soothes a deep,

Calming quiet that invites reflection and peace the three friends have shared their stories each one a gift shared around the fire their words now a part of the air the land and the night Reg leans back gazing up at the constellations overhead the stars twinkling so softly as though winking at the earth Al and Frank sit beside him breathing slow and even feeling a deep sense of comfort and peace they watch as a shooting star streaks across the sky it feels almost like time is standing still they exchange some quiet glances with each other feeling no need for words just enjoying their friendship and their time together the three of them head to their tents as the fire is burned down to embers they sit in the entrance to their tents talking softly with each other for a little while all feeling increasingly tired talking as they wait for the fire to fully burn out and once the fire is fully burned down and nothing but warmth remains they say goodnight to each other head into their tents and seal their tents wrap themselves up warm for the night and drift and float so peacefully,

So relaxed asleep into slumberland

Reviews

Loving the Christmas themed stories thank you. Peace and relaxation are needed at the busy time the stories do me wonders x