Stay ConnectedSnoozecast is the podcast designed to help you fall asleep.
Episodes air every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Copyright: © ℗ & © 2020 Snoozecast: Stories for Sleep
Tonight, we’ll read an Armenian folktale titled “The Betrothed of Destiny”. It comes from A.G. Seklemian’s 1898 “The Golden Maiden and Other Armenian Folktales”. This particular story features a fearless, strong heroine. When Snoozecast first published this story back in 2020, we realize now that we had misspelled the author’s last name as “Sekelmann”.
Abraham Seklemian was an Armenian-American editor and author. He and his wife migrated to the United States seeking refuge from Turkish oppression. They settled in California, and he was the first editor of an Armenian-American bilingual daily newspaper that still publishes to this day. It is the only bilingual daily newspaper in the country, publishing five times a week.
The author grew up hearing classic tales that were recounted by memory, as the custom was for the villagers in his homeland to gather during long winters to recite tales
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Tonight, for our 888th episode, we’ll read the 1865 Mark Twain short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. It was Twain’s first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. We first aired this story back in the year 2020.
In the following tale, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler in California, about the gambler named Jim Smiley.
Jim Smiley is described as betting on just about anything, for example, on the travels of a “straddle bug”. If you’re wondering what a straddle bug is, just picture a large, commonplace beetle.
The story is set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush, a period of American history marked by fervent optimism and the pursuit of fortune. Twain's depiction of this time captures the essence of a society where people from all walks of life mingled and gambled on everything imaginable. The quirky characters and their antics provide a humorous lens through which readers can view the era’s adventurous spirit and sometimes absurd undertakings.
Twain’s writing style in this story is notable for its use of vernacular speech and regional dialects. This stylistic choice adds authenticity to the characters and their environment, bringing the story to life with vivid, colloquial language. Twain's ability to capture the unique voices of his characters helped establish his reputation as a master storyteller and chronicler of American life.
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Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven year old Englishwoman, whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife.
In the last episode, Anne hears from her sister Mary that Captain Wentworth remarked that he felt Anne was so changed he would not have recognized her. This deeply mortifies Anne, though she admits it to be true. Captain Wentworth, still bitter over their past, shows no desire to renew their acquaintance despite frequent social interactions. His focus is now on finding a suitable marriage, excluding Anne from his considerations, though he still has some lingering unresolved feelings. We pick up in the middle of a conversation between Captain Wentworth, his sister and her husband, Mrs. and Admiral Croft and the Musgrove family regarding the Captain’s naval experiences.
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Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Exploits and Triumphs, In Europe, of Paul Morphy, The Chess Champion.” It was published in 1859 and written by Frederick Milnes Edge, who was Morphy’s secretary.
Paul Morphy, born in New Orleans in 1837, was considered the greatest chess player of his era. He was a child prodigy who learned to play chess simply by watching family members play. When he was only 9 years old, he was hailed as the best chess player in his city.
This book describes Morphy's trip to Europe in 1858. After his triumphs in Europe, he was considered the unofficial World Chess Champion, as official championship tournaments were only held starting in 1886, almost thirty years later.
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Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast Original story about the friendship between two boulders on a mountain slope. In this gentle tale, you will meet Mighty Gneiss, an ancient and steadfast rock, and Little Rock, a curious and enthusiastic granite boulder. Their bond grows through shared experiences and geological lessons, highlighting themes of connection, change, and the enduring nature of friendship. As you listen, you'll be transported to a high altitude land where the ancient and the ephemeral coexist.
The Teton Range, known for its rugged peaks and stunning vistas, rises sharply above the Jackson Hole Valley in Wyoming. The Grand Teton is the highest peak within the range, standing at 13,775 feet or 4,199 meters.
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In the previous episode, the Nautilus became trapped by an impenetrable wall of ice. Captain Nemo explains that they face either being crushed or suffocating, as their air supply will only last two more days. The crew, led by Captain Nemo, attempts to break free by attacking the thinner parts of the ice with pickaxes and screws, but progress is slow. As the air quality worsens, they struggle with lack of oxygen. Nemo devises a plan to inject boiling water to raise the temperature and prevent the ice from solidifying. The crew works tirelessly, and despite the worsening conditions, they finally break through the ice and the Nautilus ascends to the surface, bringing in fresh air. We’ll pick up right as the nautilus surfaces'
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Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast-adapted version of the story “Princess Minon-Minette” found in “The Pink Fairy Book” edited by Andrew Lang. This episode first aired back in 2021.
Originally found in the “Library of Genius and Fairies”, this story was written by French aristocrat and writer of the late 1600s Madame de Murat. She published many stories that she first debuted at the fashionable literary salons of her time, and was considered one of the leaders of the “fairy-tale vogue.”
After several years of success and recognition, Madame de Murat was imprisoned and then exiled, being accused of debauchery and “shocking practices and beliefs”. Although she failed at an attempt to escape wearing the disguise of men’s clothing, she did continue to write her body of works for several years after that.
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Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Saboteurs on the River” written by Mildred A. Wirt and published in 1943.
In this story, Saboteurs dynamite a bridge, and a man named Burt Ottman is accused of the crime based on evidence supplied by Penny. Penny feels that Burt is innocent, so she plans to find the culprits in order to exonerate Burt. Penny seeks the help of a man named Old Noah who lives in an ark filled with animals while he awaits the second great flood. Old Noah plays a role in bringing the saboteurs to justice.
If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our other Penny Parker series episodes by searching for our show titled “Snoozecast Presents: Penny Parker” wherever you listen to Snoozecast. Or, you can find Penny at snoozecast.com/series.
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Tonight, we’ll read the 18th chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “Anne to the Rescue”.
In the previous chapter – Anne meets Diana secretly by the Dryad's Bubble, where Diana tearfully tells Anne that her mother forbids their friendship. They have an emotional farewell, exchanging heartfelt promises and a lock of hair. Anne, devastated, decides to return to school, where her imaginative presence is warmly welcomed back by her classmates.
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Tonight, we’ll read the conclusion to the fairy tale “The Treasure Seeker.” You can find the first half of this story which we aired last week. This episode first aired in 2021. In the first half, we learn of Peter Bloch, who was once a prosperous inn-keeper and master cook, but is now a poor man. He hears of a mysterious dark spirit, The Treasure Seeker of the Mountain, and directions on how to find an amazing treasure trove of hidden wealth. Although he has an unhappy marriage with the Dame Ilse, Peter also has a sweet daughter named Lucia. His love for Lucia motivates him to seek the treasure in order to change their fortunes in life for the better.
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