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 Australian fairy tale called “The Magic Well” written by Hume Cook and published in 1925.
Hume Cook was a politician as well as a writer, serving as a member of Australia’s Parliament at the turn of the twentieth century. Beyond politics, he had a lifelong fondness for storytelling, and eventually wrote down the tales he had invented for his three children. The result was a book called Australian Fairy Tales, where gum trees, billabongs, and local wildlife mingled with elves and sprites, firmly grounding old-world fantasy in an Australian setting.
What makes these stories unusual is their attempt to create a distinctly Australian branch of fairy lore. At the time, children’s stories were still overwhelmingly European in flavor—full of castles, cobblestones, and northern forests. By weaving in native landscapes and animals, Cook gave his children stories where fairies might hide behind eucalyptus trees instead of oaks, or guard hidden wells in the bush rather than mossy glades.
In “The Magic Well,” we’ll hear one such tale, where an enchanted spring becomes the heart of a story about discovery and wonder.
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Tonight, we’ll read about cooking alternatives to wheat, from the 1918 pamphlet “Foods That Will Win the War”.
Although the United States did not have food rationing in World War I as it did in World War II, it did rely heavily on propaganda campaigns at the time to persuade people to curb their food consumption.
Pamphlets like this one were part of a vast public education effort. Recipes were tailored to use corn, oats, rye, rice, and even potato flour in place of wheat, encouraging families to support soldiers overseas through their kitchen tables. These simple substitutions reflected a broader spirit of sacrifice and civic duty, where everyday meals became part of the national war effort.
Herbert Hoover, who led the Food Administration before later becoming President, became known as “the Great Humanitarian” for organizing food relief. His “wheatless” and “meatless” campaigns not only shifted American eating habits, but also demonstrated how propaganda and practical instruction could merge to shape daily life during wartime.
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Tonight, we’ll read the 32nd chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “The Pass List is Out”
In the last episode, Anne spent a carefree summer outdoors with Diana, as per the doctor’s advice for her health. The time in the fresh air left her revived and eager for the new school year. As autumn arrived, she threw herself into her studies under Miss Stacy’s inspiring guidance, with the looming “Entrance” exams casting a shadow over the year. Socially, Anne enjoyed parties, sleigh rides, and skating, while at home Marilla reflected with bittersweet feelings on how much Anne had grown. Anne herself became quieter, favoring thoughtful reflection over chatter, and focused on improving her writing through Miss Stacy’s critiques. With just two months before the exams, Anne worried about passing—especially in geometry—while determinedly pushing herself to succeed.
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Tonight, we’ll read the second half of “The Story of the Herons,” from a collection titled Moonshine and Clover written by Laurence Housman and published in 1922. The first half aired last week.
In the previous episode, a princess was placed under a peculiar curse—destined to fall in love at first sight with whatever creature she saw. To protect her, her parents kept her hidden from the world, allowing only carefully supervised walks in the forest while wearing a blindfold. But a spiteful fairy intervened, and when the blindfold was removed, the princess’s eyes fell upon a solitary heron fishing in a stream. Overcome by enchantment, she loved him instantly.
Moved by their daughter’s longing, the king and queen consented to have her transformed into a heron so she could be with her chosen mate. A kindly fairy offered a small hope: if the heron could love her with the depth and devotion of a human heart, they could both regain human form. But as the story left off, news arrived that the princess had laid two eggs in her nest—an event that may bring the tale to a very different ending than anyone expected.
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Tonight, we’ll read the first half to “The Story of the Herons,” from a collection titled Moonshine and Clover written by Laurence Housman and published in 1922. The second half will air in our next episode.
In addition to his fiction and poetry, Housman was a committed activist, championing both women’s suffrage and the acceptance of gay people in society. His work often blended lyrical language with a touch of moral allegory, reflecting his interest in social progress.
Herons, the birds at the center of tonight’s tale, are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are long-legged, long-necked, long-billed freshwater and coastal birds, and include egrets—distinguished mainly by their characteristic white plumage. While they bear a passing resemblance to storks and cranes, herons are easily recognized in flight by the way they tuck their necks back in an elegant S-curve rather than extending them straight out.
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Tonight, we’ll read the next chapter of “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott titled “My Lord and Lady”. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel and is considered the 45th chapter as part of that work as a whole.
In our last chapter, Laurie visits the March home with Amy, and the newlyweds share lighthearted banter with Jo and Mrs. March. Laurie reveals his plans to work seriously in business to please his grandfather, while Amy speaks of creating a warm home before stepping into society. Later, at home, they discuss Jo’s possible marriage to Professor Bhaer, with Laurie assuring Amy he would be happy for them. The couple then talk warmly about their shared desire to use their wealth to discreetly help those in need, particularly struggling artists, ambitious young women, and “poor gentlefolk” who cannot ask for aid. They pledge to make generosity a joyful part of their life together, seeing it as a way to strengthen their own marriage while brightening the lives of others.
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Tonight, we’ll read “Pop Corn Recipes” by Mary Hamilton Talbott, published in 1916.
Corn was domesticated about 10,000 years ago, in what is now Mexico. Archaeologists discovered that people have known about popcorn for thousands of years. Fossil evidence from Peru suggests that corn was popped as early as 4,700 BC.
Through the 19th century, popping of the kernels was achieved by hand, on stove tops.
During the Great Depression, popcorn was fairly inexpensive at 5–10 cents a bag and became popular. Thus, while other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived and became a source of income for many struggling farmers, including the Redenbacher family. The snack was popular at theaters, much to the initial displeasure of many of the theater owners, who thought it distracted from the films. Their minds eventually changed, however, and Popcorn became more profitable than theater tickets.
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Tonight, we’ll read the opening fairy tale from The Descent of the Sun: A Cycle of Birth published in 1903. This book was purportedly translated from unidentified Sanskrit manuscripts by F. W. Bain. More likely, the stories were only inspired by ancient Hindu myths.
Bain, a British academic and translator, presented his works as delicate artifacts from the East, complete with ornate introductions describing his supposed discoveries. At the time, readers were fascinated by such “found” works, and many took them at face value, seeing them as glimpses into an exoticized vision of Indian literature. Only later did scholars conclude that Bain had likely authored the stories himself, drawing loosely on Hindu philosophy and mythological themes.
Whether authentic translation or original invention, The Descent of the Sun blends the cadence of classical myth with the romantic imagination of turn-of-the-century fantasy. The tales explore creation and rebirth, the intertwining of fate and desire, and the enduring victory of love over hardship—framed in the lyrical, almost musical prose that Bain favored.
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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, an Englishwoman whose family moves in order to lower their expenses, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife.
In the last episode, Anne navigates Bath’s tightly woven social circuits—frequenting parties and strolling the streets—she continues to hope for a meaningful conversation with Wentworth, while contending with Lady Russell’s lingering disapproval and Mr. Elliot’s calculated charm. When a concert presents itself as a likely opportunity, Anne sets aside a visit to her friend Mrs. Smith in hopes of finally seeing Wentworth again—and possibly learning the truth of his feelings once and for all.
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Tonight, we’ll read from Elements of Arithmetic, written by Augustus De Morgan and first published in 1846.
De Morgan was a pioneering British mathematician and logician, remembered not only for his clear explanations but also for his sharp wit. He introduced the world to what we now call De Morgan’s Laws in logic, and was the first to formally define and use the term “mathematical induction.” Because he was a Unitarian and refused to subscribe to the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Church, he was denied a fellowship at Oxford and Cambridge. This principled stance however did not hinder his influence: he went on to become the first professor of mathematics at the newly founded University College London. His legacy is honored not only in mathematics but on the Moon itself, where a crater bears his name.
Elements of Arithmetic was one of his most widely read works, offering both beginners and more advanced students a foundation in the science of numbers. Arithmetic — the study of numbers, their properties, and their relationships — forms the bedrock of mathematics, bridging the practical art of calculation with the deeper theories that underpin algebra and number theory.
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