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Bore You To Sleep - Sleep Stories for Adults

Sleep Story 389 - The Old Curiosity Shop

·36 min·3 clips
An old man meets a lost girl who asks for directions to a distant street, sparking curiosity about her secret errand.
The episode begins with host Teddy introducing the podcast and reading a sponsorship message for IG Private Wealth. He explains the podcast's purpose to help listeners sleep through boring stories. Teddy then reads Chapter 1 of 'The Old Curiosity Shop' by Charles Dickens. The narrator describes his habit of walking at night in London. He encounters a lost little girl who asks for directions to a distant street. The narrator escorts her, and she reveals she is on a secret errand but won't disclose details. They arrive at the Old Curiosity Shop, where the girl's grandfather lives. The shop is filled with odd antiques and curiosities. The grandfather, an old man with long grey hair, thanks the narrator. The narrator observes that Nell does all the household chores. The grandfather whispers that Nell will be rich one day, though they appear poor now. The narrator questions the grandfather's ability to care for Nell alone. The grandfather insists Nell is his sole focus in life. The awkward lad Kit arrives, bringing comic relief and showing Nell's joy. The narrator continues to express concern about Nell's upbringing. The grandfather becomes defensive about his love for Nell. As midnight approaches, the narrator prepares to leave. Nell helps her grandfather put on his cloak, revealing he is going out. Nell will stay alone in the shop all night. The grandfather blesses her, and they separate. The narrator walks away with the grandfather. Teddy concludes the reading and invites listeners to another episode.

As heard by us

A hushed literary reading where a shadowy curiosity shop leads into a tender farewell.

Teddy's bedtime reading settles into a dim, bookish hush, following a child to an old man's door and then into a shop packed with musty curiosities.

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Why you'd press play

You want a dark little shop of old curiosities, a careworn old man, and a child's farewell to slow the room down.

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