Ten Weeks with a Circus

·59 min·5 clips

Otis Gray introduces two other sleep podcasts before reading a classic circus story to help you drift off.

A soft recommendation opens the episode. The host nudges sleepy listeners toward other bedtime shows, then steps back and lets the old story move at its own slow pace. Toby has seen the circus, and the idea of going with it still shines, though it already hurts a little. Mr. Lord gives him a wink. It is clumsy and strange, all glasses and blood, but Toby takes it as kindness. At home the mood is colder. Uncle Daniel's scolding sits in him, and Toby starts to feel that running away may bring more loneliness than adventure. The sad part is how close he is to staying. One gentle word could probably do it. Supper makes that plain. Toby barely eats, which Uncle Daniel notices because the boy usually clears his plate fast. Toby says he is not sick. He says he has been to the circus and has eaten enough already. Privately, the penny keeps bothering him. He bought only six peanuts, and in his homesick logic wonders whether a meal that small ever made Uncle Daniel sick. Later, Toby says goodbye to the monkey as if the quiet little listener can take the worry from him. When Mr. Lord comes for him, Toby follows into the ropes, poles, and bustle of the circus getting ready to leave. The sleepiness softens the ache. Toby leaves the monkey behind, and the host returns just long enough to thank the listener and say good night.

As heard by us

A homesick boy, a strained wink, and a circus farewell give this bedtime story its tender pull.

Toby Tyler's circus adventure settles into the ache underneath escape. The boy is pulled toward circus life, but leaving his unhappy home feels heavier once he looks at Uncle Daniel's stern face and imagines never seeing it again. The tenderest turn comes when Mr.

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Why you'd press play

You get a circus departure that turns tender when Toby realizes leaving home can hurt more than he expected.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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