Welcome to Sleepy Shorts Short Stories for Bedtime. This podcast is brought to you by I have a story to tell you that will help take your mind off all of your worries and cares. Just listen and relax, then drift peacefully into sleep. It's time to turn off the lights and snuggle into your bed. Find your most comfortable position there. Now take a few seconds to relax your mind. It's time to sleep. Time to rest and rejuvenate our minds
and bodies. In order to prepare our bodies for sleep, let's do a couple of muscle relaxation and breathing exercises. I want you to inhale for account of three, and while doing so, tighten all of your muscles and inhale one two, three, Hold your breath, keep your muscles tense. Now exhale to account of six. While you relax all of your muscles one two, three, four, five six, feel your body sinking deeper into your
bed. Let's do this one more time. Take a deep three second breath as you tighten your muscles, hold it now, relax and exhale to account of six. Let your body sink even deeper into your bed. Now it's time for your sleepy short Let me help you fall asleep. The flower Queen's daughter. A young prince was riding one day through a meadow that stretched for miles in front of him when he came to a deep, open ditch. He was turning aside to avoid it when he heard the sound of someone crying
in the ditch. He dismounted from his horse and stepped along in the direction the sound came from. To his astonishment, he found an elderly woman who begged him to help her out of the ditch. The prince bent down and lifted her out, asking her at the same time how she managed to get there. I am a very poor woman, and soon after midnight I set out for the neighboring town in order to sell my eggs in the market on the following morning. But I lost my way in the dark and fell into
this deep ditch, where I might have remained forever. But for your kindness, then, the prince said to her, you can hardly walk. I will put you on my horse and lead you home. Where do you live? Over there at the edge of the forest, in the little hut you see in the distance, replied the old woman. The prince lifted her on to his horse, and soon they reached the hut, where the woman got down, and, turning to the prince, said just wait a moment and
I will give you something. And she disappeared into her hut, but returned very soon and said, you are a mighty prince, but at the same time you have a kind heart which deserves to be rewarded. Would you like to have the cleverest, loveliest woman in the world for your wife? I most certainly would, replied the prince. So she continued, The most amazing woman in the world is the daughter of the Queen of Flowers, who has been captured by a dragon. If you wish to marry her, you must
first set her free, and this I will help you to do. I will give you this little bell. If you ring it once, the King of the Eagles will appear. If you ring it twice, the King of the foxes will come to you, and if you ring it three times, you will see the King of the Fishes by your side. These will help you if you are in any difficulty. Now farewell, and Heaven prosper your undertaking. She handed him the little bell and then disappeared hot and all as
though the earth had swallowed her up. Then it dawned on the prince that he had been speaking to a good fairy, and putting the little bell carefully in his pocket, he rode home and told his father that he meant to set the daughter of the Flower Queen free, and intended setting out on the following day into the wide world in search of her. So the next morning, the prince mounted his horse and left his home. He had roamed around the world for a whole year, but still had come upon no trace of
the princess. At last, one day he came to a hut in front of which sat a very old man. The prince asked him, do you know where the dragon lives who keeps the daughter of the Flower Queen prisoner? No? I do not, the old man, But if you go straight along this road for a year, you will reach a hut where my father
lives, and possibly he may be able to tell you. The prince thanked him for his information and continued his journey for a whole year along the same road, and at the end of it came to the little hut, where he found a very old man. He asked him the same question and the old man answered, no, I do not know where the dragon lives. But go straight along this road for another year, and you will come to a hut in which my father lives. I know he can tell you.
And so the prince wandered on for another year, always on the same road, and at last reached the hut where he found the third old man. He put the same question to him as he had put to his son and grandson, But this time the old man answered, the dragon lives up there on the mountain, and he has just begun his year of sleep. For one whole year he is always awake, and the next year he sleeps. But if you wish to see the Flower Queen's daughter, go up to the
second mountain. The dragon's mother lives there, and she throws a ball every night, to which the Flower Queen's daughter goes regularly. So the prince went up the second mountain, where he found a castle made of gold with diamond windows. He opened the big gate leading into the courtyard and was just going to walk in when seven dragons rushed on him and asked him what he wanted. The prince replied, I have heard so much of the beauty and kindness
of the dragon's mother, and would like to enter her service. This flattering speech pleased the dragons, and the eldest of them said, well, you may come with me and I will take you to the mother dragon. They entered the castle and walked through twelve splendid halls, all made of gold and diamonds. In the twelfth room, they found the mother dragon seated on a
diamond throne. She was quite fierce looking and had three heads. Her appearance was a great shock to the prince, and so was her voice, which was like the croaking of many ravens. She asked him, why have you come here. The prince answered at once, I have heard so much of your beauty and kindness that I would very much like to enter your service. Very well, said the mother Dragon. But if you wish to enter my service, you must first lead my mare out to the meadow and look after
her for three days. But if you don't bring her home safely every evening, then I will send you away with nothing. The prince undertook the task and led the mare out to the meadow, but no sooner had they reached the grass than the mare vanished. The prince sought for her in vain, and at last, in despair, sat down on a big stone and contemplated his sad fate. As he sat lost in thought, he noticed an eagle
flying over his head. Then he suddenly remembered the little bell which was given to him by the good Fairy, and taking it out of his pocket, he rang it once. In a moment, he heard a rustling sound in the air beside him, and the King of the Eagles landed at his feet. I know what you want of me, the bird said. You are looking for the Mother Dragon's mare, who is galloping about among the clouds. I will summon all the eagles of the air together and command them to catch
the mare and bring her to you. And with these words, the King of the Eagles flew away. Towards evening, the prince heard a mighty rushing sound in the air, and when he looked up, he saw thousands of eagles driving the mare before him. They landed at his feet and gave the mare over to him. Then the prince rode home to the old mother Dragon, who was full of wonder when she saw him, and said, you have succeeded today in looking after my mare, and as a reward, you
shall come to my ball tonight. Then she awarded him a cloak made of copper and led him to a big room where a number of young dragons were dancing together. Here too was the Flower Queen's wonderful daughter. Her dress was woven out of the most lovely flowers in the world, and her complexion was like lilies and roses. As the prince was dancing with her, he managed
to whisper in her ear, I have come to set you free. At his words, the princess said to him, if you succeed in bringing the mare back safely the third day, ask the Mother Dragon to give you a foal as a reward. The ball came to an end at midnight, and early the next morning, the prince again led the Mother Dragon's mare out into
the meadow, but again the horse vanished before his eyes. So he took out his little bell and rang it wis In a moment, the King of the Foxes stood before him and said, I know already what you want, and I will summon all the foxes of the world together to find the mare,
who has hidden herself in a hill. With these words, the King of the Foxes disappeared and in the evening, many thousand foxes brought the mare to the Prince, who rode quickly home to the Mother Dragon, from whom he received this time a cloak made of silver, and again she led him to the ballroom. The flower queen's daughter was delighted to see him safe and sound, and when they were dancing together, she whispered in his ear, if you succeed again tomorrow, wait for me with the foal in the meadow.
After the ball we will ride away together. On the third day, the prince led the mare to the meadow again, but once more she vanished before his eyes. Then the Prince took out his little bell and rang it three times. In a moment, the King of the Fishes appeared and said to him, I know quite well what you want me to do, and I will summon all the fishes of the sea together and tell them to bring
you back the mayor, who is hiding herself in a river. Towards evening, the mayor was returned to the Prince, and when he led her home to the Mother Dragon, she said to him, you are a brave youth, and I will bring you into my service as you requested. But what shall I give you as a reward? To begin with, the prince asked her for a foal of the mare, which the mother dragon at once gave him, and over and above a cloak made of gold, for he had
proven himself such a worthy servant. So in the evening he appeared at the ball in his golden cloak. But before the entertainment was over, he slipped away and went straight to the stables, where he mounted his foal and rode out into the meadow to wait for the Flower Queen's daughter. Towards midnight she appeared, and placing her in front of him on his horse, she and
the prince flew like the wind till they reached the Flower Queen's dwelling. But the dragons had noticed their flight and woke their brother out of his year's sleep. Flew into a terrible rage when he heard what had happened, and determined to lay siege to the Flower Queen's palace. But the Flower Queen caused a forest of flowers as high as the sky to grow up around her dwelling,
through which no one could force away. When the Flower Queen heard that her daughter wanted to marry the prince, she said to him, I will give my consent to your marriage gladly, but my daughter can only stay with you in summer. In winter, when everything is dead and the ground covered with snow, she must come and live with me in my palace underground. The prince consented to this and led his beautiful bride home, where the wedding was
held with great magnificence. The young couple lived happily together till winter came, when the Flower Queen's daughter departed and went home to her mother. In summer, she always faithfully returned to her husband, and this coming and going continued all their married life, which was filled with love, laughter, and many many beautiful flowers, but thankfully no dragons. Good night, STI m SA STI Still the six