A Dreamy Journey with a Dragon

0:00Get Sleep is a production of Samba Studios. To listen, add free, access our entire catalogue of episodes and support the show directly. Check out our premium feed by going to GetSleepy.com-support. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. Call us footballers back, so Hilton called and mean the superstition concierge to make your fan rituals a reality. Need a room to match your lucky number? We got you. Want to make sure our team doesn't wash your lucky jersey? Oho, that smells lucky. Hilton's unmatched hospitality can keep up with any superstition. Even a marching bandwicker call at 555 and 55 seconds. Hit it! When you need a team that will do whatever it takes on game day, it matters where you stay. Hilton, for this day. This episode is brought to you by PayPal. You know how a mom's bag has everything? Sunscreen? Snacks?

1:00A stapler? The new PayPal app is like that, but for your money. Shop, pay, manage your account, and earn rewards all in one place. And with purchase protection on eligible items, biometric security, and pass keys, you're protected at every step. Download the new PayPal app to get started. See PayPal.com-protection-terms. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get Sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you for joining us. Before we get to tonight's story, I want to mention the newest show from the Samba Studios team. Listeners of the Sleepy Bookshelf will be particularly familiar with the wonderful Elizabeth Grace, who hosts that show. While now, she's bringing you even more classic literature to fall asleep to, in our new podcast called The Sleepy Bookshelf, Just Jane.

2:08There, Elizabeth will be reading Jane Austen's entire catalogue of novels, starting with Mansfield Park. If you're yet to listen, go and give it a try, wherever you get your podcasts by searching the Sleepy Bookshelf Just Jane. And I'll pop some links in the show notes too. Now, as for tonight, we'll be travelling through the skies on the back of a very friendly dragon. We'll learn all kinds of facts about these magical creatures, as we view the world from a whole new perspective. This lovely tale was written by Joe, and I have the pleasure of reading it for you all. But first, let's treat the body to some relaxation.

3:10Find a position that feels comfortable to you. And close your eyes as soon as you are ready. If you wish, you might also bring your shoulders up towards your ears, and squeeze for just a moment. Then let them drop, sinking a little bit lower into your bed. And now, turn your attention to your breath, the rise and fall of your chest, and the subtle movement of air through your body. As you continue to breathe, settle on the words, I am here now.

4:18Breathe in, breathe out. I am here now. There's nowhere else for you to be, nothing else you need to do. Just follow my voice as we journey to a land of dreams, where dragons roam the skies above. This is where our story begins.

5:24Imagine yourself sitting high upon a cloud, as soft and white as a ball of cotton wool. This is a magical cloud. It's safe and comfortable. It smells wonderful, like summer flowers, freshly washed bedsheets, and sweet pink candy floss. The sky around you is a lovely light blue, like the calm water in a swimming pool. You can feel the sun bright and warming.

6:25You can't remember quite how you got here, but you're glad to have arrived. The view from the cloud is spectacular. As high up as you are, you can see such a long distance. You see patches of colour, the blues of water, and the greens of forests and fields. Lines of silver are scattered throughout, where roads and motorways run across the land. Towns and cities are splashes of beige and brown. They look like model towns. The streets are lined with tiny dull-sized houses.

7:26It's as if the pieces have been carefully placed there. The homes, cars, trees, and telephone poles. They are perfectly ordinary towns and cities, the kind of places that you've seen many times. But when viewed from above, they become infinitely more charming. You could sit for hours, just watching from your cloud. You're pondering this when a sound catches your attention. It's the sound of breathing, deep and relaxed. You turn to your right to see where it's coming from.

8:28And to your surprise, you find a dragon right beside you, a giant green dragon lying on the cloud. Its body is coated in pea-green scales with hints of pinkish gold. Horn-shaped points run along its neck, and its tail is pointed in an arrowhead shape. It's culled up on the cloud like a sleepy pet cat. Though its eyes are open, they are a warming sunlight-corrige. Dragons, of course, are known to be scary. These fire-breathing creatures have been feared throughout history.

9:35This dragon, however, seems altogether friendly. There's a kindness about it that shines out through the eyes. It seems less like a monster and more like a friend. Or be it an enormous, scaly friend that flies and breathes fire. The dragon's eyes meet yours, and its massive mouth culls into a smile. It's a strange and wonderful sight. You expect the dragon to have a deep, booming voice. But when it speaks aloud, the tone is light and cheery.

10:35Where you not to know that you were speaking with a dragon, you might easily imagine that you were chatting with another kind of friend. The dragon tells you that her name is Freya. It's an Icelandic name, meaning mistress or lady. Freya explains that she was born in Iceland, a beautiful island in northern Europe. She had her 112th birthday just last week, which is apparently about 12 in human years. She's been travelling the globe since turning 100. Along the way, she's become an expert Freya and learnt a lot about humans.

11:42She loves to fly far across the skies as the people below go about their day. You've never met a dragon before, let alone such a friendly one. You tell her your name and that you're very pleased to meet her. She's very lucky to be able to fly, you add. You can't even imagine what that must feel like. Freya laughs a warm hearty laugh, a sound that echoes deep in her belly. She'd be delighted to offer you a ride she sets. She can tour the globe in a matter of hours, showing you places that you've likely never seen.

12:51Usually, she flies alone, so it would be lovely to have some company for a change. It would be hard to refuse an offer like that, so you gratefully accept. Freya leans down so you can climb up on her back. You sit in a position similar to how you might be if you were riding a horse. You're at the base of Freya's neck in a spot where the scales are flat and smooth. Her back makes for a surprisingly comfortable seat. Freya promises a steady and peaceful flight. She'll keep you safe and take very good care of you.

13:56You're welcome to live forward and rest your arms on her stardin' neck. What a set-up right and hold on to her scales. If you ever wish for her to stop and land, you only need to tap and say her name. And with that, you are ready. Freya rises on the cloud, extending back like wings at either side. They are bigger and more beautiful than you could ever have imagined. Pinkish green with a golden sheen, that the colour of a garden bathed in sunlight. Her wings begin to flap gently up and down, as Freya prepares to leave the cloud.

15:06The cool air is refreshing and altogether pleasant sensation on such a warm sunny day. The sense of the cloud becomes sweeter and fresher as they're found towards you by Freya's massive wings. Then, before you've even realised, Freya has stepped off the cloud and is flying gracefully through the blue sky. Her takeoff is smooth, with not so much as a dip or a wobble. You are as safe and relaxed as you are on the sofa, though the views from there are far less interesting.

16:06Streets below glimmer in the sunlight. They wind and weave through residential estates, forming streams and rivers of silver from above. The driveways of the houses are a similar colour, except for the vehicles standing on them. They're the size and colour of cake sprinkles scattered about to the ground. Some of these sprinkles are moving too, as people begin travelling along the roads. Parents take children to schools, before heading to work in various buildings. They move like ants in single file, seeming to drive ever so slowly.

17:11They're probably moving at regular speeds, but everything feels slow when compared to the soaring, great dragon. Freya glides gently downwards, flying above the chimneys and rooftops. You can smell breakfast being cooked inside houses, and fragrant sweet flowers planted in back gardens. Many of the gardens have been recently tanned it, and their flowers bloom in the sunshine. Their floral perfumes mix beautifully with the freshly cut grass, and the washing hung out to try.

18:11In one particular garden, a woman sits down on a white wooden bench. It's placed at the edge of a golden patio, beside a green lawn, flanked by flower bats. She looks to be enjoying a quiet morning moment, as she sips blarey-eyed from a hot cup of coffee. Occasionally, she smiles up towards the sky, and she closes her eyes as sunlight brightens her face. It looks an altogether peaceful way to start the day. You fly above this woman on her bench, watching Freya's shadow move across her lawn.

19:16It passes over the woman's face, blocking her son for a brief moment. She opens her eyes, wearing an expression of confusion. Then, she looks above, right in your direction. Only somehow, she sees neither you nor the dragon. It's as if she looks through you to the sky. Freya explains, answering your question before you've even asked it. Over the years, she says, dragons have become increasingly less visible. Only those humans, born with a special gift, are able to see them now.

20:20It's because of this, that many completely doubt their existence. It's also how they can travel in daylight, without arousing so much as a second glance. This only makes the experience more magical, to fly about to the sky, without worry of being seen. It also leaves you feeling rather special. You've always believed in the existence of dragons, and it's marvelous to think that you have a rare gift for seeing. Freya continues flying above the rooftops. She moves with the grace of a high-speed airplane, covering huge distances with her parenties.

21:32The landscape below changes continuously. Villages become towns, and they become great sprawling cities. Freya weaves around the buildings, above blocks of flats, and multi-story car parks. She hovers above the city park, where people walk dogs around a lake site. Then up she rises, soaring higher in the sky, gliding around the tops of the city's skyscrapers. Soon, the landscape becomes greener beneath you, and the streets and buildings fewer.

22:32Gone are the rows of townhouses and business complexes, replaced with country cottages and old stone farmhouses. You pass fields and meadows, where sheep and cattle graze, and patches of golden corn, swaying in the breeze. Groups of hikers navigate a hillside, while an emerald forest is home to most of the wildlife. The countryside air is fresh and earthy, and the colors below shine bright and bold. You can't imagine views more picturesque, or a better way to take them in.

23:39The line of blue appears on the horizon, and grows larger, with each passing moment. A salty tang hangs in the air, accompanied by the sound of rolling waves. You'll soon be crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Freyr explains. She's going to take you to her homeland, across the water. Moment later, you see the beach, a golden strip of glistening sand. Then, you're flying just meters above the ocean, completely surrounded by waves of blue water.

24:39This remains the case for quite some time, just you, Freyr, and the endless ocean. Occasionally, you pass a boat or crew signer carrying passengers along the water. Or you make out to the colors of a whale beneath the surface. It's blackened white tones, eye catching in the depths. For the most part though, there's only the waves. There air been flow, soothing like a lullaby. You rest your head on the dragon's silky back, stretching out your arms at either side.

25:40Then, you close your eyes and simply listen, following the patterns of the gently rocking water. You've never felt so safe and relaxed. Your mind is as calm as can be. You are longed into a state of dreamlike consciousness. Not quite asleep, but not fully awake either. Until Freyr's voice stares you into wakefulness, alerting you to the fact that you're now flying above Iceland. It's the kind of view that you wouldn't like to miss, and you sit up once more, gazing across the landscape.

26:48Clearly, the dragon is proud of her homeland, sharing facts and information as she flies through the air. It's often called the Land of Fire and Dice, she says, because of its ice bags and lava filled volcano. It's also home to large numbers of dragons, including Freyr's family, who live in the mountains. You won't find another place like it anywhere in the world, she says. The first thing you see is the island's southern coastline, which Freyr tells you is called Black Sand Beach.

27:50You've never seen a shoreline like it. There's miles and miles of charcoal-colored sand, beautifully stark against the white foaming tide. Freyr explains how the beach was formed when a powerful volcano erupted thousands of years ago. The Red Hot Lava rolled downwards into the water. Only when it hit the cold Atlantic did it break up into tiny fragments of dark basalt rock. Over the years, these rocks have been eroded, becoming smaller with each passing decade. Today, they're the size of grains of sand, and form unique black beaches around the island's southern coast.

29:03With that, she flies downwards, low enough that you can really see the sand. Then, she flips her tail across the beach, sending a pebble soaring through the air. You reach out a hand instinctively and catch it. It's a small black pebble, glistening in the sunlight. You inspect it for a moment, touting it this way and that between your fingers. There you'd like to keep it. You know it's best to leave beaches as they are, so you gently toss it back down.

30:04Freyr tells you that she's journeyed around to the wild, viewing beaches on every continent. But none compare to the volcanic sands of Iceland. She'll bring you back here when it's snowing some time, which can happen any time, aside from summer. There's few things as magical as watching snow fall on the black sandy beaches of Iceland. The volcano has erupted several times over the last millennia, though Freyr hasn't seen it herself, being just 112 years old. She's heard many stories from her parents and grandparents who tell of the eruptions that have shaped the island.

31:13You see this for yourself as you fly along the coastline, where massive black rocks are dotted about in the water. These volcanic hills rise above the ocean's surface. Some must be over 200 feet tall. They twist and turn in all kinds of interesting shapes, made all the more dramatic by waves splashing against them. Freyr says her grandparents tell stories about these rocks. They say that they are trolls who were turned to stone by sunlight. Though Freyr herself doesn't believe it, and you're not sure that you do either.

32:19Then again, you're riding on the back of a dragon, so who's to say what's real or not? There's no denying the beauty of these rocks, even more so as Freyr flies inland when mountainous cliffs dominate to the landscape. Viewed from above, these grass-covered hills look much as you'd expect, but from the side they're entirely unique. You see row after row of hexagonal pillars, stood together to form a soaring, great column. The lines of each pillar jutt out against the next, like the pipes of an organ rising towards the sky.

33:29Further inland, the rock forms a canyon, towering above a turquoise river. Freyr glides above the water, offering views of the volcanic cliff-side. As before, you note soaring basalt pillars, but here they're set behind a series of smaller hexagonal rocks. They're how you might imagine a pyramid in ancient Egypt, so perfect in shape that they appear human-made. Rising outputs towards the cliff top, they form a natural staircase of basalt stacks. A stream of water prizzles down the rocks, joining the river at the base of the canyon.

34:38The rocks beneath it have been altered by its path, as the iron in the water has reacted to oxygen. The basalt here is a shade of orange, as if the rock has rusted over time. A little while later, Braia veers away from the turquoise water. She flies eastwards across the island, eager to show you more of the sights. There's a growing coolness in the air, and it makes you thankful for the dragon beneath you. For all they might look like reptiles, they're anything but cold blooded. You could almost be sitting on a giant flying radiator, so warm and toasty are the scales of Braia's back.

35:49Soon, it becomes clear where the chill is coming from, as the land ahead becomes white with snow. You see many huge mountains, their tips kept white, and blankets of snow covering the rock face. Between two mountains is a river of ice, which Freyr explains is a glacier. It's a massive ice formed many years ago. Over 11% of the island is home to glaciers, and there are many different types. The ice caps in the east are by far the largest. The glaciers flow like rivers, though they move a great deal slower.

36:56In places, they travel all the way down to the ocean, forming diamond-like blocks that sparkle along the coastline. Elsewhere, they melt down rocky hillsides, forming freshwater reservoirs that pool within valleys. One such pool is beneath you now, a stunning blue lake only visible by air. It's hidden within a valley encircled by snow-capped mountains, and it is perhaps the most beautiful and tranquil place that you've ever laid eyes on.

37:56Freyr dips down and flies above the water. It's a vibrant shade of turquoise, and it's so still that you can see your own reflection, your face at least gazing out above the dragon's back. You'd expect it to look hot, the image of you riding a dragon. But somehow, it looks natural, like a perfectly normal thing to do. Freyr circles the calm blue water, before pausing to hover in the middle of the lake. Next, she extends her long neck downwards, and sips from it as if it were a glass.

39:03Judging by the sounds, she seems to enjoy it, and she's certainly and it, having flown such a way. When Freyr has taken the refreshment she needs, she kindly suggests that you drink too. After all, it's the coolest and cleanest water on earth. She dips her wing into the lake, before tilting her topwards towards you. A stream of water flows down her wing. You catch it in your hands, holding them together to form a cup. Sip by sip, you drink the water.

40:06It is cool, refreshing, and perhaps a bit magical. From here, Freyr flies upwards once again, heading further east across the landscape. You pass groups of hikers traversing the hillsides, and a few brave climbers scaling the ice. You cross towns and villages with bright green valleys, where local people go about their day. Many have houses of metal rather than brick. Their walls and roofs beautifully painted. Bright blue homes sit beside yellow, while cream-coloured walls are topped with roofs of rat.

41:12There are even some built into the hillside, their roofs covered with a carpet of moss and grass. You might have missed them altogether if it weren't for their doors, so colourfully painted. Eventually, you come to a patch of land where a pool of water sits in the grass. It's the colour of the sky on a perfect spring day. Steam rises above its surface, and you feel its warmth even from above. Freyr explains that it's a natural bath, again the outcome of volcanic activity.

42:14These geothermal springs are heated underground, and they apparently make for a most relaxing soak. Freyr seems to power at the sight of this pool, and she glides downwards, circling above the water. The surface ripples beneath her large, flapping wings, until she comes to a stop on the grassy water side. Before your tour comes to an end, she thought she might like a dip in the water. It's not only soothing, but healing too, full of healthy minerals.

43:15She soaks in the pool a few times a week to keep her scales clean and shiny, she says. Freyr's tail curves back towards you, acting as a hand that helps you step down. Then off she goes into the water, as content and peaceful as a dragon can be. You watch from the side as she swims under the surface, reappearing with a great beaming grin. You follow after her into the water, and take a swim in the huge warm bath. It fills utterly magical against your skin, and just the right temperature to keep you cozy.

44:24It's so lovely to bathe outside in the warmth, with icy mountains visible in the distance. Trees and bushes dot the grassland that is blooming with flowers. Freyr sings as she bobs through the water, before lying back and gazing towards the sky. You think she might be singing an Icelandic, in words you don't recognise, though it's possible she's using another language that is older still. Whatever the language her voice is like velvet, so pleasing to the air.

45:27You lie back floating on the water and cast your eyes to the sky. A trio of clouds is visible, their shapes reminiscent of the rocks in the ocean. You remember too, the place where you started, the fluffy white cloud where you first met Freyr. Soon you'll be back on that cloud, carried by Freyr across the vast ocean. She'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back, then lower you down gently onto the cloud. She'll whisper kind words before she leaves, telling you how wonderful it is to have met you.

46:38Now that your friends, you're welcome to join her whenever you like. You'll remember these words when you wake in your bed, after a long night of deep, peaceful sleep. And you'll wonder if it was all just a dream. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

47:44And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

48:52And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

49:52And you'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

50:52You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

51:52You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

52:52You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

53:52You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

54:52You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back.

55:52You'll remember her, and she'll sing her sweet lullaby with you on her back. You