Tonight, we’ll read a selection of sweetmeat recipes from “Miss Leslie’s New Cookery Book” published in 1857. A type of sugar confectionery, it is where the term ‘sweets’ comes from nowadays. It has nothing to do with animal flesh, as the Old English word ‘mete’ meant ‘food’ in general. In other words, we are talking about candy.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Snoozecast: Stories for Sleep

Marmalades and Other Sweetmeats

Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “Great Expectations” that features the iconic character “Miss Havisham.” A wealthy spinster, once jilted at the altar, who insists on wearing her wedding dress for the rest of her life, she is one of Dickens’s most Gothic characters. Miss Havisham lives in a ruined mansion with her adopted daughter, Estella. Dickens describes her as looking like "the witch of the place".Although she has often been portrayed in film versions as elderly, Dickens's own notes indicate that she is not quite 40 years old at the start of the novel, and that her reclusive lifestyle without sunlight aged her.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Miss Havisham

Tonight, we’ll read the final part to our “Magic Cloak” series, from the book “Queen Zixi of Ix, or The Story of the Magic Cloak”, a children's book written by L. Frank Baum and published in 1905. If you’d like to listen to this continuing story easily in order, go to snoozecast.com/series.In the last episode, Queen Zixi, King Bud, Princess Fluff and Aunt Rivette search the countryside for the missing cloak. They have to piece and sew the cloak together for it was cut up by a group of enthusiastic quilters, and are still missing one little piece. The group decides to regroup at Zixi’s palace and figure out what to do next.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Magic Cloak pt. 15 Finale

Tonight, we’ll read another excerpt from “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame, published in 1908.This story centers around four small animals: Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger. Their stories take place in the countryside of Edwardian England.This series does not require you to follow a plot between episodes, however if you would like to start from the beginning and listen easily in order, go to snoozecast.com/series.In this episode, Rat encounters a wayfarer, the Sea Rat, and invites him to lunch. The Sea Rat regails him with tales of maritime adventures and invites Rat to join him. — read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wayfarers All | The Wind in the Willows

Tonight, we’ll read more stories about cats written by English author and poet Edith Nesbit, published in 1899. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out the other “Cat Tales” episode that aired in September 2021, and also the fairy tale “The White Cat” that aired in July of 2020.Nesbit wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of children's literature under the name E. Nesbit, along with being a political activist.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cat Tales II

Tonight, we’ll read the final part to the classic children’s story “Heidi”, published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. If you’d like to listen to this continuing story in order, go to snoozecast.com/series.In the previous episode, Peter pushes Clara’s wheelchair down the mountainside and then has trouble with his guilty conscience. Enraptured with life on the mountainside, but without her chair, Clara finds the will to live a bigger life, and also the potential to walk towards it on her own.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Heidi pt. 18 Finale

Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” written by Mark Twain in 1876. It is a story about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River, often with his friend Huckleberry Finn. Originally a commercial failure, the book ended up being the best selling of any of Twain's works during his lifetime, and is considered to be a masterpiece of American literature. It was also one of the first novels to be written on a typewriter.— read by 'N' —  Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom Sawyer

Tonight, we’ll read from “Culinary Herbs” by M.G. Kains, published in 1912. Herbs are a widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Herbs generally refer to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while spices are usually dried and produced from other parts of the plant, including seeds, bark, roots and fruits.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Dinner of Herbs

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “The Princess and the Goblin”, a children’s fantasy novel by George MacDonald. If you’d like an easy way to listen to these continuing episodes in order, go to snoozecast.com/series.When we left off, Princess Irene receives a magical, refreshing and healing bath from her mysterious grandmother, after her long ordeal saving Curdie from the goblins. Curdie goes home to discuss everything that happened with his parents. They can tell that he is angry at how the princess seemed to be making up fanciful stories about serious matters.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Princess and the Goblin pt. 16

Tonight, we’ll read the conclusion to  “The Adventure of The Speckled Band” from “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” published in 1891 and written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first part of this story originally aired on November 4th, 2020, and we rebroadcast it yesterday for easy access.In the first part, Watson tells a strange story that starts when a young woman, Helen Stoner, pays them a visit one morning, in desperate need of their help. Helen’s mother had left an inheritance to Helen’s stepfather Dr. Roylott when she died, with a stipulation that should either of her daughters get married, they would receive an annual income from this fund. Helen’s sister died shortly before her wedding and Helen suspects that their stepfather, Roylott, is the culprit. Helen now worries for her own safety, and Holmes agrees to take the case.— read by 'N' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Speckled Band Conclusion | Sherlock Holmes

Tonight, we’ll re-broadcast the opening to “The Adventure of The Speckled Band” from “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” published in 1891 and written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The conclusion episode will air next. The story tells of Helen Stoner, a soon-to-be married young woman who suspects her stepfather may be trying to kill her in order to retain control of her inheritance. Convinced of her stepfather's intentions, she turns to Holmes for help."The Speckled Band" is a classic locked room mystery that deals with the themes of parental greed, inheritance and freedom. Tinged with Gothic elements, it is considered by many to be one of Doyle's finest works, with the author himself calling it his best story.— read by 'N' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Speckled Band [Rebroadcast] | Sherlock Holmes

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “The Secret Garden”, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett published in 1911. If you’d like to listen to this story’s episodes easily in order, go to snoozecast.com/series.In the last episode, Mary discovers her cousin Colin, who is Mr. Craven’s secret son. He is the same age as Mary, often in pain and miserable from it. We will pick up during their first middle of the night conversation, in his dimly firelit bedroom. — read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Secret Garden pt. 14

Tonight, we’ll read the final part to the Romanian fairy tale “The Fairy of the Dawn.” The first part aired last night.In the first part, we learn of a king who has 3 sons- Florea, Costan, and the youngest was Petru. Petru is an unlikely hero, since he is more feminine and playful than his brothers. Yet when his father asks for his help in seeking the spring of the Fairy of the Dawn, it is Petru that eventually sets out on the adventure.Luckily, Petru rides a valiant and wise horse that gives him excellent advice in dealing with the fairy world. He ends up battling dragons and goblins, and making the kingdom a better place than he left it, as he continues onward.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Fairy of the Dawn pt. 2

Tonight, we’ll read the first part to “The Fairy of the Dawn,” a Romanian fairy tale by German author Mite Kremnitz. The other half of this story will air this Wednesday.This story features a prince who doesn’t seem likely at first to be as heroic as he turns out to be. He is more interested in singing and laughing than seeking adventure, fortune or battles as his brother’s do. The author, Kremnitz, was born Marie von Bardeleben, and moved with her husband and children to Romania from Germany. There she became the maid of honor to the Romanian queen and fellow writer, Queen Elisabeth. Queen Elisabeth herself had a reputation for being an eccentric dreamer. They wrote several books together under pen names, and Kremnitz went on to publish many books of her own.— read by 'V' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Fairy of the Dawn pt. 1

Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from Wilkie Collin’s 1864 novel “Armadale.” It is the third of his four 'great novels' of the decade: after “The Woman in White” and “No Name”, and before “The Moonstone.” This is Snoozecast’s third-and-a-half time featuring Collins’ work. If you enjoy this episode, you can also find our “Moonstone” episode from March 2019, our “Woman in White” episode from December 2019, and the “Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices” from July 2020, which Collins co-wrote with his friend Charles Dickens.— read by 'N' — Listen Ad-Free on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Armadale

Welcome to Snoozecast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Snoozecast is meant to be played as you get into bed.

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Snoozecast: Stories for Sleep

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