Dreamful Bedtime Stories
Dreamful Bedtime Stories
Little Grain of Wheat
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Have sweet dreams with subscriber-only episodes!This story follows the remarkable journey of a tiny grain of wheat whose adventure begins when two quarreling ants fight over it for dinner. Rescued by a kind-hearted elf man who accidentally drops it into a crack in the earth, the little grain finds itself in the perfect place to fulfill its destiny.
The music in this episode is Dreams of Ambiguity by Martin Landstrom.
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Dreamful is produced and hosted by Jordan Blair. Edited by Katie Sokolovska. Theme song by Joshua Snodgrass. Cover art by Jordan Blair. ©️ Dreamful LLC
Welcome to Dreamful Podcast. Bedtime stories are somber. In this bonus episode, I will be reading the story of a little grain of wheat. So snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Once upon a time there was a little grain of wheat. It was a tiny brown thing, quite hard and dry. It was a tiny brown thing, quite hard and dry. It looked like somebody who had wrapped himself up in a cloak and gone to sleep with his head and feet and all covered up. That was really what happened. The grain of wheat was fast asleep. It lay outside a farmyard gate and the little black ant came along and saw it. Dear me, said the little black ant that will do nicely for my dinner. He was carrying it off, which was hard work because it was nearly as big as he was carrying it off, which was hard work because it was nearly as big as he was. When another little black ant came along, I'll help you carry that if you give me half, said the second ant. Shent, said the first. Then I'm sorry to to say they fought about it.
Speaker 1:While they were biting and kicking and the grain of wheat was rolling about between them, a third person came along. The third person was a little elf man. He was looking about for winter lodgings and he had just found a capital place in a hollow tree at the edge of a field. Shocking, shocking, he said to the two fighting ants Do stop, for goodness sake. But they did not take the least notice of him. Then the little elf man thought If I take that grain of wheat away, they won't have anything left to quarrel about. And so he did.
Speaker 1:The little elf man took the grain of wheat very carefully home to his hollow tree, but when he arrived it was all dark because his tame glowworm that he kept for a candle had felt lonely and gone out for a walk. He bumped his head trying to find things in the dark and dropped a grain of wheat and it rolled out of the tree and down into a tiny chink of the earth. The little elf man was dreadfully sorry at losing it and scolded the glowworm when it came home. He spent many hours searching for the grain next morning. What are you looking for, said his friend the dormouse.
Speaker 1:The dormouse lived in a hole in the hedge bank For a grain I've lost, said the elf. There's a barley grain under that loose sod, remarked the door mouse. That's not it, thank you, said the elf man, and he went on on hunting, but he had no success. It was ever so deep down as good. Many days went by and several things happened rain and wind and sunshine, and more rain and snow and frost and rain again. They all came down to where the little green lay underground and its nice brown cloak did not remain smooth and dry, became damp and sodden and dirty. His appearance was certainly not improved.
Speaker 1:Now, if you got all wet and cold while you were asleep, supposing the wind and rain blew in on you, it would wake you up, most likely. So it fell out to the little grain of wheat. It woke up one day inside its wet, ragged cloak and thrust out its small white feet. They were not like your feet, they were more like little roots, but they did very well for the wheat. Its legs grew longer week by week and it grew more and more awake every day. The more it waked, the less it liked being down there in the dark and cold. It thought really I can't stay here all my life, there's nothing to look at. But whenever it wanted to poke its head up and peep out, the wind made it shiver and feel miserable. So it stayed where it was and tried to be contented. One can always try anyhow.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile the little barley corn under the loose sod was getting on rather badly. You see, it had not been tucked cozily into the soil like the wheat. It was like a poor little vagrant with no proper place to sleep in. It grew, but very slowly. Hello, is that you said the dormouse peeping in one day under the sod? Are you awake? I don't think I've been properly to sleep, said the Barleycorn. Make haste and grow a little faster and come out of that. Said the Dormouse. I should be rather fond of you if I thought you were taking trouble to get on. I think if anyone were fond of me, whispered the barleycorn, I should grow. But the dormouse was not listening.
Speaker 1:At last a sunbeam came along the field, several sunbeams in fact. They were quite bright and warm, and the little elf man who had kept close indoors all the bad weather opened his door and sat on the threshold basking. Then the sunbeams burrowed right down into the earth and said Hurry up, is anybody here? For out of doors you could not have heard them. Their voices were not like ours, but the grain of wheat heard them. Their voices were not like ours, but the grain of wheat heard them. At once it threw off the last rags of its tattered old cloak and it was clean and white as possible underneath. Then it pushed up its little green head with a two-horned peaked cap on and looked out curiously upon the world. Everything was clear and warm and sunny and perfectly delightful, and there was a little elf man sitting on a threshold in a one-horned pinky green cap. Well, I never said the elf man. Who's this? My name's Wheat, said the little green head. Then you've changed very much. Let me tell you, said the elf man, you were not a bit like when you were, but ever so much better. I hope I shall go on improving, said the wheat politely. And that is just what it actually did. But the poor barley corn was only beginning to push through under the loose sod by the time. The wheat was six inches high. It was thin and stunted, just as you would be if you had no proper food and nobody to be fond of you. The wheat took no notice of it, but the dormouse came now and then and said how slow you are. The little elfman was rather sorry for it, but it did not occur to him to say so. But it did not occur to him to say so.
Speaker 1:The little elf man came out every day and talked to the wheat while it grew Very soon. It was much bigger than he was, but this did not make him conceited. Did you have nice dreams while you were down below there? He asked it. I only had one dream, said the wheat, but that went on all the time. I dreamed I was very tall and golden, yellow and lived along with a crowd of brothers and sisters. And lived along with a crowd of brothers and sisters? Oh, but you didn't, said the elf man. I found you all by yourself. You were a poor, little, lonely brown thing, I can't help. It said the wheat. That was my dream and I have it now, sometimes if I shut my eyes. The little elf man was greatly puzzled, but the wheat was now so tall that he did not like to contradict it. As for the little barley corn, nobody took the least interest in his dreams. He had very delightful ones too, but they were the kind that never come true.
Speaker 1:The summer went on and all sorts of friends came and talked to the wheat, birds, bees and butterflies. He enjoyed himself more and more. The taller he grew, the better view he had of the rest of the world. He had very pretty green clothes, which grew bigger as he did. This was a really useful arrangement. He never required to be measured for a new suit. One day he said to the little elf man Do your clothes change color? No, replied the elf man. I always wear green, even in the winter. I can find some blades of grass to weave together or a few leaves to stitch up into a coat. You don't understand me, said the wheat. I mean, do they turn to a different color while you're wearing them? I mean, do they turn to a different color while you're wearing them? Not that I know of, said the elf man. Well, mine do, said the wheat. Just look. Sure enough, his green clothes were turning yellow and he was changing color all over too. He was very much altered altogether, which was most surprising, goodness me, said the little elf man. "'that's exactly what I think', said the wheat.
Speaker 1:About a month after this, the elf man was getting his breakfast ready An acorn cup full of dew and a drop of wild honey. When he heard a loud, eager voice calling him it was the wheat very much excited. I've had that dream several times lately, said the wheat, rocking to and fro. And now it has come true. How do you mean, asked the elf man. Can't you see, said the wheat, I've turned golden yellow from head to foot, and I have a whole family of children. They're not my brothers and sisters, of course, but they're each other's. So it comes to the same thing, dear, dear. How happy do I feel. And it rocked even more. How many are there? Asked the elf, about twenty, I should think, asked the wheat, but I can't count them without cricking my neck. Well, well said the little elf. It's a large family to look after.
Speaker 1:It reminds me of a little rhyme. I once heard about an old woman who lived in a shoe, the more the merrier said the wheat hush, children don't talk all at once. But the little grains would not stop talking all at once, and although you could not have heard them, their voices were too tinkly and tiny. It was perfectly deafening to anyone who could. The elfman went back into his house and shut the door. Presently, he had put some cotton willow wool in his ears.
Speaker 1:The wheat tried to sing its children to sleep with alibis, but it didn't know any. I shall never have a merry family like that, I'm afraid, said the barleycorn to the dormouse. The barleycorn had hardly grown two inches since the spring. In fact he was so little you would hardly have known he was there. Never mind, said the dormouse, you have me to talk to, haven't you?
Speaker 1:By and by, the wheat got very tired and could endure the talking children no more. So it called to the little elf man and said kindly, fetch me the dormouse. I can see him now on the bank at the end of the field. He's beginning to get sleepy too, so please make haste. What do you want me for? Said the dormouse when he was fetched. What do you want me for? Said the dormouse when he was fetched. He and the elf stood staring up at the tall wheat.
Speaker 1:The little grays were quieter now. They had said nearly all they had to say. It's like this, said the wheat in weary tones I can't rock these children to sleep up here. It's too light and too draughty. They must be put to bed in the earth, as I was. I'm sure it's a proper place for them.
Speaker 1:As the wheat spoke, all the little grains fell suddenly fast asleep. Well, I'm not a nurse, said the dormouse rather grumpily, because he had been disturbed and I can't climb your stalk and fetch him down either. You must bite my stalk right through, said the wheat, so that we can all lie down together. The dormouse with his sharp little teeth, bit through the stalk just where it came out of the ground. The wheat gave one great rock and sigh and snap Down it came. All the little greens tumbled out of their cradles and rolled into chinks of the soil the tall weed as it lay in the earth, said thank you in a husky voice to the dormouse and goodbye to the little elfman. The wind blew it away that night and nobody ever saw it again. Where's the barley, asked the dormouse next day. But the poor barley was quite shriveled up. The little elfman was sad for nearly a week, but when all the little grains woke up the following spring he had a jollier time than ever.
Speaker 1:Once upon a time there was a little grain of wheat. It was a tiny brown thing, quite hard and dry. It looked like somebody who had wrapped himself up in a cloak and gone to sleep with his head and feet and all covered up. That was really what happened. The grain of wheat was fast asleep. It lay outside a farmyard gate and the little black ant came along and saw it. Dear me, said the little black ant, that will do nicely for my dinner. He was carrying it off, which was hard work because it was nearly as big as he was. When another little black ant came along, I'll help you carry that if you give me half, said the second ant. Shent, said the first. Then, I'm sorry to say, they fought about it While they were biting and kicking and the grain of wheat was rolling about between them, a third person came along.
Speaker 1:The third person was a little elf man. He was looking about for winter lodgings and he had just found a capital place in a hollow tree at the edge of a field. Shocking, shocking. He said to the two fighting ants Do stop, for goodness sake. But they did not take the least notice of him. But they did not take the least notice of him. Then the little elf man thought if I take that grain of wheat away, they won't have anything left to quarrel about. And so he did.
Speaker 1:The little elf man took the grain of wheat very carefully home to his hollow tree. But when he arrived it was all dark because his tame glowworm that he kept for a candle had felt lonely and gone out for a walk. He bumped his head trying to find things in the dark and dropped a grain of wheat and it rolled out of the tree and down into a tiny chink of the earth. The little elf man was dreadfully sorry at losing it and scolded the glowworm when it came home. He spent many hours searching for the grain next morning. What are you looking for, said his friend the Dormouse? The Dormouse lived in a hole in the hedge bank For a grain I've lost, said the elf. There's a barley grain under that loose sod, remarked the door mouse. That's not it. Thank you, said the elf man, and he went on hunting, but he had no success.
Speaker 1:It was ever so deep down as good. Many days went by and several things happened Rain and wind and sunshine, and more rain and snow and frost and rain again. They all came down to where the little grain lay underground and its nice brown cloak did not remain smooth and dry. It became damp and sodden and dirty. Its appearance was certainly not improved. Now, if you got all wet and cold while you were asleep, supposing the wind and rain blew in on you, it would wake you up, most likely. So it fell out to the little grain of wheat. It woke up one day inside its wet, ragged cloak and thrust out its small white feet. They were not like your feet, they were more like little roots, but they did very well for the wheat. Its legs grew longer week by week and it grew more and more awake every day. The more it waked, the less it liked being down there in the dark and cold. It thought really I can't stay here all my life. There's nothing to look at, but whenever it wanted to poke its head up and peep out, the wind made it shiver and feel miserable. So it stayed where it was and tried to be contented. One can always try anyhow.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile the little barley corn under the loose sod was getting on rather badly. You see, it had not been tucked cozily into the soil like the wheat, it was like a poor little vagrant with no proper place to sleep in. It grew, but very slowly. Hello, is that, you said the Dormouse, peeping in one day under the sod. Are you awake? Peeping in one day under the sod? Are you awake? I don't think I've been properly to sleep, said the barleycorn. Make haste and grow a little faster and come out of that, said the dormouse. I should be rather fond of you if I thought you were taking trouble to get done. I think if anyone were fond of me, whispered the barleycorn, I should grow. But the dormouse was not listening.
Speaker 1:At last a sunbeam came along the field, several sunbeamsams in fact. They were quite bright and warm. And the little elf man who had kept close indoors all the bad weather opened his door and sat on the threshold basking. Then the sunbeams burrowed right down into the earth and said Hurry up, is anybody here? For out of doors you could not have heard them. Their voices were not like ours. But the grain of wheat heard them At once. It threw off the last rags of its tattered old cloak and it was clean and white as possible underneath. Then it pushed up its little green head with a two-horned peaked cap on and looked out curiously upon the world. And looked out curiously upon the world. Everything was clear and warm and sunny and perfectly delightful. And there was a little elf man sitting on a threshold in a one-horned pinky green cap. Well, I never said the elf man. Who's this? My name's Wheat, said the little green head. Then you've changed very much, let me tell you, said the elf man, you were not a bit like when you were, but ever so much better. I hope I shall go on improving, said the wheat politely. And that is just what it actually did.
Speaker 1:But the poor barley corn was only beginning to push through under the loose sod by the time the wheat was six inches high. It was thin and stunted, just as you would be if you had no proper food and nobody to be fond of you. The wheat took no notice of it, but the door mouse came now and then and said how slow you are. The little elf man was rather sorry for it, but it did not occur to him to say so. The little elfman came out every day and talked to the wheat while it grew Very soon. It was much bigger than he was, but this did not make him conceited. Did you have nice dreams while you were down below there? He asked it. I only had one dream, said the wheat, but that went on all the time. I dreamed I was very tall and golden, yellow and lived along with a crowd of brothers and sisters. Oh, but you didn't, said the elf man. I found you all by yourself. You were a poor little, lonely brown thing. I can't help. It said the wheat. That was my dream and I have it now sometimes if I shut my eyes. The little elf man was greatly puzzled, but the wheat was now so tall that he did not like to contradict it. As for the little barleycorn, nobody took the least interest in his dreams. He had very delightful ones too, but they were the kind that never come true.
Speaker 1:The summer went on and all sorts of friends came and talked to the wheat birds, bees and butterflies. He enjoyed himself more and more, talked to the wheat birds, bees and butterflies. He enjoyed himself more and more. The taller he grew, the better view he had of the rest of the world. He had very pretty green clothes, which grew bigger as he did. This was a really useful arrangement. He never required to be measured for a new suit. One day he said to the little elf man do your clothes change color? No, replied the elf man. "'i always wear green. "'even in the winter I can find some blades of grass to weave together, "'or a few leaves to stitch up into a coat. "'you don't understand me', said the wheat. "'i mean, do they turn to a different color while you're wearing them' "'Not that I know of, said the elf man. Well, mine do, said the wheat. Just look. Sure enough, his green clothes were turning yellow and he was changing color all over too. He was very much altered altogether, which was most surprising. Goodness me, said the little elf man. That's exactly what I think, said the wheat.
Speaker 1:About a month after this, the elf man was getting his breakfast ready. About a month after this, the elf man was getting his breakfast ready An acorn cup full of dew and a drop of wild honey when he heard a loud, eager voice calling him it was a wheat. Very much excited I've had that dream several times lately said the wheat rocking to and fro. And now it has come true. How do you mean, asked the elf. Man Can't you see, said the wheat. I've turned golden yellow from head to foot and I have a whole family of children. They're not my brothers and sisters, of course, but they're each other's. So it comes to the same thing. Dear, dear. How happy do I feel. And it rocked even more. How many are there? Asked the elf. About twenty, I should think, asked the elf About twenty, I should think, asked the wheat. But I can't count them without cricking my neck. Well, well, said the little elf. There's a large family to look after. It reminds me of a little rhyme I once heard about an old woman who lived in a shoe, the more the merrier, said the wheat Hush, children don't talk all at once.
Speaker 1:But the little grains would not stop talking all at once and although you could not have heard them, their voices were too tinkly and tiny and it was perfectly deafening to anyone who could. The elfman went back into his house and shut the door Presently. He had put some cotton willow wool in his ears. The wheat tried to sing its children to sleep with alibis, but it didn't know any. I shall never have a merry family like that, I'm afraid, said the barley corn to the dormouse. The barley corn had hardly grown two inches since the spring. In fact he was so little you would hardly have known he was there. Never mind, said the dormouse, you have me to talk to, haven't you?
Speaker 1:By and by the wheat got very tired and could endure the talking children no more. So it called to the little elf man and said kindly fetch me the dormouse. I can see him now on the bank at the end of the field. He's beginning to get sleepy too, so please make haste. What do you want me for, said the Dormouse. When he was fetched, he and the elf stood staring up at the tall wheat.
Speaker 1:The little greys were quieter now. They had said nearly all they had to say. It's like this, said the wheat in weary tones I can't rock these children to sleep up here. It's too light, too draughty. They must be put to bed in the earth, as I was. I'm sure it's a proper place for them.
Speaker 1:As the wheat spoke, all the little grains fell suddenly fast asleep. Well, I'm not a nurse, said the dormouse rather grumpily, because he had been disturbed and I can't climb your stalk and fetch them down either. You must bite my stalk right through, said the wheat, so that we can all lie down together. The Dormouse with his sharp little teeth, bit through the stalk just where it came out of the ground. The wheat gave one great rock and sigh and snap down it came. All the little greens tumbled out of their cradles and rolled into chinks of the soil. The tall wheat, as it lay in the earth, said thank you in a husky voice to the dormouse and goodbye to the little elfman. The wind blew it away that night and nobody ever saw it again. Where's the barley? Asked the dormouse next day, but the poor barley was quite shriveled up. No-transcript.
