A Gentle Fairytale To Fall Asleep | The Four Clever Brothers

Tonight’s bedtime tale is The Four Clever Brothers, a charming fairytale about four brothers who each learn a special skill—and how those talents are put to the test. It’s a gentle story to help you wind down and drift off peacefully.

As always, the music will continue for a little while after the story ends to help you settle in for a restful night.

Wishing you a peaceful night's sleep!
Joanne

Music in this episode is 'Mindful Endeavors' via Epidemic Sound

Transcript

Hello dear listener,

I'm your host Joanne and this is Drift Off,

A quiet space to slow down,

Let go,

And ease into rest.

Tonight's story is part of the Drift Off premium feed.

A heartfelt thank you for supporting the podcast and helping keep this space peaceful and ad-free.

I am so grateful that you are here.

So let's take a moment now to gently settle in.

Allow your body to grow still.

Let your eyes soften or close.

And when you're ready,

Take a slow deep breath in,

And then exhale gently,

Letting go of the day.

With each breath,

Feel your body growing heavier and heavier,

Calmer and calmer.

There's nothing you need to do right now but rest.

Tonight I'll be reading a gentle tale for you from the Brothers Grimm,

About four brothers who set out into the world to learn a special skill.

It's a light and whimsical story of talent,

Teamwork,

And quiet cleverness,

Retold in a dreamy bedtime tone just for you.

So when you're ready,

Let's begin.

Dear children,

Said a poor man to his four sons,

I have nothing to give you.

You must go out into the wide world and try your luck.

Start by learning a trade or skill and see where it leads you.

The four brothers nodded understanding.

They each took a walking stick in hand and tied up their little bundles for the road.

After saying farewell to their father,

They set off,

Shoulder to shoulder,

Through the garden gate and out into the world.

Before long,

They came to a place where four roads crossed,

Each leading in a different direction.

The eldest brother stopped and said,

Here is where we must part,

But let's agree to meet again at the same spot four years from today.

In the meantime,

Each of us will go our own way and learn what we can.

The others agreed,

And with one last wave,

They each took a different road.

Now,

The eldest brother hadn't gone far when he met a man on the road.

Where are you heading?

The man asked,

And what is it you hope to find?

I'm going to try my luck,

Said the young man,

And I'd like to begin by learning a craft or a trade.

Well then,

Said the stranger,

Come with me.

I'll teach you how to become the cleverest thief the world has ever known.

No thank you,

The young man replied.

That's not an honest way to make a living,

And if it ends at the gallows,

What good is it?

But the man only laughed.

Oh,

You needn't worry,

He said,

I'll teach you to take only what others cannot find or do not miss,

Things that no one else can get to,

And no one will ever know it was you.

The young man thought for a moment,

And agreed.

He followed the man,

And in time,

Proved to be a natural.

He learned quickly,

And there was nothing,

Once he set his mind to it,

That he couldn't manage to steal,

Quietly and skillfully.

Meanwhile,

The second brother was also making his way down a quiet country road,

When he met a man walking beside a field.

Where are you headed?

The man asked.

I'm off to seek my fortune,

The young man replied.

I'd like to learn a useful trade.

Well then,

Said the man,

Come with me,

And I'll teach you to be the most skilled stargazer that ever looked at the sky.

You'll learn how to read the stars and understand the secrets they keep.

That sounded fascinating to the young man,

So he agreed.

He followed the man,

Who was a master of the stars and the heavens,

And before long,

The boy had learned to read the night sky like a book.

He could find any planet or star,

And even see what was happening far across the earth,

Just by looking through his telescope.

He became so sharp-sighted,

He could see things that were happening a hundred miles away,

As clearly as if they were right in front of him.

The third brother also traveled far,

And before long,

He came to a quiet village at the end of a great forest.

There he met a man standing beside a stream,

Watching the birds in the trees.

Where are you going,

Young man?

The man asked kindly.

I've left home to learn a skill,

Said the brother.

Something useful,

Something I can make a life with.

Well then,

Said the man smiling,

You're in luck.

Come with me,

And I'll teach you to become the finest marksman in the world.

With my help,

You'll never miss your target,

Not even from the farthest distance.

The young man was intrigued and agreed.

He stayed with the man and trained each day,

And soon,

He could hit anything he aimed at,

No matter how small or how far.

Whether it was the tiniest leaf fluttering in the wind,

Or a coin tossed into the air,

His arrow always struck true.

The fourth and youngest brother wandered longer than the others before he met anyone,

But at last,

In a quiet town by the sea,

He came across a tailor sitting outside his little shop stitching by the window.

Where are you off to?

The tailor asked,

Not looking up from his work.

I'm looking to learn a trade,

Said the young man,

Something useful and good.

The tailor nodded.

Come in then,

I'll teach you to sew better than anyone.

You'll learn to cut and stitch so finely,

No seam will show.

Your work will be stronger than armor and smoother than silk.

So the boy stayed,

And day by day,

He learned.

Soon,

He could sew anything with perfect precision,

Whether it was silk for a king or leather for a traveler.

His stitches were so fine and strong that nothing ever came undone.

And so the four years passed.

Each brother had worked hard and learned his craft well.

And just as they had promised,

On the very same day,

Four years later,

All four returned to the place where the roads had first divided.

They greeted one another with joy and amazement,

Each eager to hear what the others had done.

The eldest told of how he became a master thief,

Able to take anything without leaving a trace.

The second spoke of the stars and how he could see anything,

Anywhere,

From across the land.

The third smiled proudly and told how he never missed his mark,

No matter how distant or small the target.

And the youngest shared how his stitches were now so fine and strong that his work could hold together even things that had once been torn to pieces.

They were all glad to be together again,

And pleased to see how clever and skilled they had each become.

Now they set off toward home,

Walking side by side as they had when they left,

Wondering what might come next for four such clever brothers.

Not long after they had returned to their homeland,

Word spread through the land that the king's daughter had been taken.

A mighty dragon had come in the night and carried her away to a distant mountain where no one could reach her.

The king was heartbroken,

And he declared that whoever could rescue his daughter and bring her home safely would be richly rewarded and might even win her hand in marriage.

When the four brothers heard this,

They looked at one another and smiled.

Between the four of us,

Said the eldest,

Surely we can do what no one else can.

So they went to the king and offered their help.

The king agreed at once,

For he had heard of their talents and gave them everything they needed for their journey.

They set out the very next day.

First,

The brother who could see far into the distance climbed to the top of the hill.

He lifted his telescope and looked carefully in all directions.

At last he cried out,

I see her,

Far away on a steep mountain crag.

She sits beneath a rock guarded by a dragon that never sleeps.

The second brother,

The master thief,

Nodded,

Leave it to me.

He took his tools and vanished into the night.

No one saw him go,

And no one heard him move.

Quiet as a shadow,

He reached the mountain,

Crept past the sleeping dragon,

And gently lifted the princess into his arms.

Without a sound,

He brought her back to where his brothers waited,

Hidden in the trees.

But as they rejoiced at her rescue,

The dragon awoke,

And it was furious.

It soared into the air,

Flames bursting from its mouth,

And came rushing after them.

Now it's my turn,

Said the third brother,

The marksman.

He raised his bow,

Took careful aim,

And with a single arrow struck the dragon right between its blazing eyes.

The creature fell from the sky with a great crash,

Never to rise again.

But the danger wasn't over yet.

As the brothers fled down the rocky mountain path with the princess,

The ground shook,

And a great chasm opened beneath their feet.

Rocks tumbled,

And it seemed the mountain itself might swallow them whole.

Quickly,

Cried the fourth brother,

The tailor.

He pulled a long thread and needle from his coat,

And with magical speed,

Sewed the broken ground back together.

His stitches held fast,

And the path was safe once more.

And so,

With all four brothers working together,

The princess was saved and brought safely home.

When they returned to the palace,

The king was overjoyed to see his daughters safe and well.

He praised the four brothers and declared that they had done what no army or knight could do.

Then he said,

As I promised,

One of you shall have my daughter's hand,

But which one?

Each of you played a part,

And none could have succeeded without the others.

The brothers looked at each other,

Unsure what to say.

I found her,

Said the stargazer.

I rescued her,

Said the thief.

I defended her,

Said the marksman.

And I saved her from the crumbling path,

Said the tailor.

The king thought for a long time.

At last,

He spoke kindly.

You are all clever and brave,

But my daughter will choose for herself.

The princess thanked each brother for their courage.

Then she gently explained that though she was grateful to all,

She wished to remain with her family for a while longer.

The brothers understood and bowed politely.

And so the king gave each of them a fine reward,

Gold,

Land,

And a title of honor in the kingdom.

They remained close friends and lived in comfort,

Each following the craft he had mastered.

They visited one another often,

Always remembering the great adventure they had shared.

And though none of them became king or married a princess,

They were happy and known throughout the land as the four clever brothers.

And now,

As the four brothers return to their quiet lives,

With gold in their pockets,

Peace in their hearts,

And the warmth of shared adventure behind them,

You too can let the story for the day come to a close.

Take a slow,

Steady breath in,

And gently breathe out as you settle into stillness.

There's nothing you need to do now.

No path to follow,

No skill to master.

Just this quiet moment here and now.

Imagine yourself resting beside a gentle hillside,

Where the long grass sways in the breeze,

And the stars above shimmer like they're smiling down just for you.

With each breath,

Feel your body grow heavier,

And softer,

And quieter.

Let those shoulders relax.

Let your hands grow still.

Let your thoughts wander like fluffy clouds in a wide,

Peaceful sky.

You've done enough today.

You are enough,

Just as you are.

And now,

As the night wraps gently around you,

Like a cozy blanket stitched with care,

You can let go.

You can let go and rest.

You are safe.

You are secure.

And all is well.

Sweet dreams,

My friend.

Sleep well.

Reviews

I loved this story of the four brothers, I’ll have to listen again as I didn’t hear the ending. (Although that’s a good thing!) as always, your voice and cadence were soothing and relaxing. 😻💙

What a great story of how being a team player is successful. Thank you, Joanne.