Narrator: Chloe De Burgh 🇬🇧 Writer: Chloe De Burgh ✍️ Sound effects: ocean waves, seagulls 🌊 Includes mentions of: Food, Dogs, Cats, Magic, Bodies of Water, Car, Summer, Walking, Shipwrecks, Fantastical Creatures, Travel, Folklore, Fantasy, Smugglers, History. Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, Avery visits the fishing village of Polperro in Cornwall and stumbles upon an enchanting shop run by a mysterious red-haired lady. 😴 Watch, listen and comment on this episode on the Get Sleepy YouTube channel. And hit subscribe while you're there! Enjoy various playlists of our stories and meditations on our Slumber Studios Spotify profile. Support Us Get Sleepy’s Premium Feed: getsleepy.com/support/ Get Sleepy Merchandise: getsleepy.com/store Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-sleepy/id1487513861 Connect Stay up to date on all our news and even vote on upcoming episodes! Website: getsleepy.com/ Facebook: facebook.com/getsleepypod/ Instagram: instagram.com/getsleepypod/ Twitter: twitter.com/getsleepypod Our Apps Redeem exclusive unlimited access to Premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Get Sleepy and Slumber Studios team: Deep Sleep Sounds: deepsleepsounds.com/getsleepy/ Slumber: slumber.fm/getsleepy/ FAQs Have a query for us or need help with something? You might find your answer here: Get Sleepy FAQs About Get Sleepy Get Sleepy is the #1 story-telling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditations with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep. Get Sleepy Premium Get instant access to ad-free episodes and Thursday night bonus episodes by subscribing to our premium feed. It's easy! Sign up in two taps! Get Sleepy Premium feed includes: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads). An exclusive Thursday night bonus episode. Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free). Extra-long episodes. Exclusive sleep meditation episodes. Discounts on merchandise. We’ll love you forever. Get your 7-day free trial: getsleepy.com/support. Thank you so much for listening! Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! getsleepy.com/contact-us/. Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. Check out our podcasts, apps, and more at slumberstudios.com. That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the purpose of the Get Sleepy podcast?
Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios and is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and premium members. If you'd like to listen ad-free and access weekly bonus episodes, extra long stories and our entire back catalogue, you can try out premium free for seven days by following the link in the episode notes. Now, a quick word from our sponsors.
Chapter 2: How can BetterHelp Online Therapy benefit you?
Thanks to BetterHelp for sponsoring tonight's episode. You know, traditional in-person therapy can cost anywhere from $100 to $250 per session, or the equivalent in other currencies. But with BetterHelp Online Therapy, you can save on average up to 50% per session. Therapy should feel accessible for any of us who need it, and not like a luxury that so many of us are excluded from.
Therapy has always made such a positive impact on my life each time I've attended sessions, and I hope you're able to do the same if you feel it could be helpful for you. BetterHelp makes therapy more affordable and convenient. Hey everyone, I've been hearing from many of you lately about how stressed and anxious you're feeling.
Perhaps it's all the political energy out there, or maybe the heaviness of managing all the daily tasks that are on your plate. Whatever it is, I want you to know that you're not alone. and I have the perfect podcast to recommend to you that will help you manage stress and anxiety.
It's called Meditation for Anxiety, and it provides daily meditations that can help you dissolve all those worries and find deep peace. A recent favorite of mine is called Relieve Nighttime Anxiety. and I've found it really helpful. So follow Meditation for Anxiety on your favorite podcast player, so you can have these incredible meditations on hand anytime you need them.
Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas and I'm your host. Thank you so much for being here. Your company means everything to us. We know how important good sleep is in making everyday life that much easier and better and we are honoured to be a resource for you to achieve that.
Every one of us on the Get Sleepy team loves what we do, and the absolute best thing about it is knowing that we are making a positive difference in the world. So thank you my friends for being on that journey with us. A well-rested world is a better world, and we're all collectively creating that together.
And please do remember, there's nothing more meaningful than a word-of-mouth recommendation. So if you have friends, family, or anyone else that you think would benefit from listening to the show, please do send them a link to Discover Us. Maybe to this episode, or pick out one of your favorites. That way, we can keep spreading the gift of good rest far and wide.
Now, in tonight's story, we'll be following Avery as he visits an enchanted apothecary in the beautiful village of Polpero, a hidden treasure of the Cornish coast in the southwest of England. The area is well known for stunning, seemingly Mediterranean beaches, with sweeping white sand bays, lush countryside, surfing, and a host of culinary delights to appeal to many a traveler's appetite.
The story was written by Chloe, who you'll know as one of our regular narrators on the show, which means she'll be reading it too, of course. Before we begin, let's spend some time winding down and relaxing. Make sure you're nice and comfy, wrapped up in your covers. And when you're ready, close your eyes and bring your attention to your body.
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Chapter 3: Who is Avery and where is he visiting?
Now he decides that after his cup of breakfast tea, he will venture out to explore the delights of Pulpero. He is sitting at the scrubbed wooden kitchen table with Mrs. Nancarrow, who tells him more about this beautiful place that she's so proud to have lived in all her life. She comes from a long line of fishermen and holds the local culture in her heart. part and parcel of who she is.
Her pleasant, dark eyes twinkle as she speaks, and her round, sun-browned face, etched like clay with laughter lines, is open and warm. The small russet terrier is less suspicious and more curious now. Mrs. Nancarrow introduces him as Rumor, or Mr. Rumor, for when he is being less well-behaved and needing reminding that he is a gentleman.
Mr. Rumour soon accepts Avery, sensing that he's a good person. The terrier leans against him and warms his side with his soft, gentle weight. Mr. Rumor is also hopeful that there may be a little second breakfast for him to snaffle, should the opportunity arise. But realizing that no breakfast is required for the new guest this morning, he resigns himself to the quiet comfort of Avery's company.
Whilst the dog settles in next to Avery on the large kitchen chair, Mrs. Nancarrow speaks animatedly in a soft Cornish burr. He listens to her speak in her local dialect, unfamiliar but lovely words she uses to describe the people that have lived here before. She tells of strange goings-on, hidden passages, secret rooms, and mysterious lights twinkling in the dead of night.
She speaks of piskies, of brownies, and mermaids that lived amongst them in the fairy tales of times gone by. of selkies and beings who appeared and disappeared with the ever-changing tide and the ever-changing light. Avery asks Mrs. Nancarrow about the mythical mermaid apothecary.
She tells him, with a flicker of a smile, that she's sure she's never seen it herself, as the shop only appears to those who have need of its magic. Avery feels lucky to have found Pulpero.
With its intriguing history of smugglers and wreckers, flotsam, jetsam, and contraband, Avery indulges his imagination in conjuring up the possibility of discovering long-forgotten hordes of hidden treasure and feels a tingle of excitement.
Mrs. Nancaro tells him how he can find his way to the local smuggling museum and even to the nearby sandy Lancelot's Cove, just three miles on foot along the coastal path from Polpero. Avery is intrigued and wants to know more. And so, Mrs. Nancaro explains that Lancelot is a tiny hamlet with just a handful of houses and a little church.
Avery thinks that somewhere so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the modern world, would be a perfect place to spend the afternoon. He makes note of the directions to the cove and puts the note in his pocket. From the little church, she tells him, a track leads down the hill through a beautifully wooded valley to the cove. The beach there is remote, she says.
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Chapter 4: What magical stories does Mrs. Nancarrow share?
along with the rich earthiness of dried hops Avery sees hanging from a beam overhead. In the center of the apothecary, a large, old-fashioned glass cabinet stretches elegantly before them. Antiques and items of unknown use or origin glint beneath its curved top. Towards the back of the shop, Avery sees a polished wooden countertop with little labeled drawers beneath.
Various instruments, measuring spoons, scissors, weighing scales, and wrapping paper lay in readiness for the next customer. Beside this area, A large, fringed tapestry curtain, heavily embroidered in muted colors, hangs as though it's guarding a secret. Avery, overtaken by curiosity, takes a breath and steps into the shop alongside Mr. Roomer. The shop feels calm and peaceful.
Like a sacred space, capable of healing. A black cat saunters in, a little snootily. Mr. Rumor barks a greeting in its direction, and the cat... Sleek and very pleased with its own stealth, jumps expertly up onto a shelf, out of reach of the eager little dog. Mr. Rumour, excited to see the cat, inadvertently knocks over some displayed items. Just then,
The curtain pulls back in a blaze of bright daylight pouring in from a room beyond. And there, framed in the opening, is the silhouetted form of a young lady. She admonishes the cat, whom she calls Nicodemus. gently reminding him that they must make their customers feel at home. She then welcomes Avery and Mr. Rumor to her shop and introduces herself as Ember.
She is tall and willowy, with large glasses that frame elfin features, dotted with freckles, and she wears a plum-colored headscarf. Her hair is bright red and looped into a messy bun on top of her head. Avery recalls Mrs. Nancarrow's words about the red-haired mermaid and, of course, the signage of the apothecary. He takes a surreptitious glance at her legs, but there is no sign of any fishtail.
She wears denim dungarees and casual pumps. Avery apologizes for Mr. Rumor's clumsiness and offers to help clean up the display. But Ember shakes her head, saying not to worry. The cat and dog eye each other and agree to coexist in peace.
Ember calls Nicodemus, and he jumps to her shoulder, remaining perched there, regally, whilst she gives the visitors a tour of the apothecary, starting with the sun-drenched room. As well as herbal preparations and remedies, Ember says she also sells plants and flowers that she's cultivated in the orangery behind the shop. The orangery is well placed to receive every bit of sunlight.
so Ember can grow all kinds of exotic plants that thrive in the warmth. Her green eyes shine as she proudly shows them her botanical collection. Trailing bougainvillea, luxuriant banana trees, and palms, ferns, and orchids. Oranges, lemons, vanilla, and cocoa beans fill the air with a fragrance that transports Avery to far-flung places.
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Chapter 5: What treasures can be found in Pulpero?
With this room being so full of light, Avery wonders why it's kept so much darker in the main and jests that Ember may have secrets. She twinkles almost imperceptibly, adding that perhaps she does. She explains that the curtain is to shut out the sun from the front of the shop. The darker room protects the contents of the bottles from spoiling,
The precious herbs, essential oils, tinctures, and preparations could be damaged or lose their potency if left exposed to the light. As the tour of the shop comes to a close, Ember suggests that perhaps there is something from her apothecary that she can prepare for Avery.
If only he could bottle the feeling of tranquility that he's experienced today and take it back with him to his everyday life, he tells her. Ember has just the thing and asks Avery to give her a moment to prepare it. She takes a small vial and turns her back whilst she fills it with herbs that she grinds with her mortar and pestle.
She utters some hushed words and taking a pinch of sand from a jar, blows it from her hand over the vial. She adds a couple of other items, a tiny shell and a piece of dried seaweed, and seals the vial with a small cork. She wraps the whole thing in brown paper. Ember tells him to open it and breathe in its fragrance whenever he feels the need to remember his time here.
To think of it as a bottled memory that sets him free. She looks deeply into his eyes and he is quite transfixed. He laughs shyly and puts it in his pocket. As he does so, he finds the little note with the directions for Lancelot's Cove given to him this morning by Mrs. Nancarrow. He shows it to Ember, who says she is headed that way home. Together, they lock up the shop
And say goodnight to Nicodemus. The late afternoon is lovely. Their shadows grow long and tall. The third little shadow of Mr. Rumour trotting happily beside them as the evening draws in. They walk for a while in companionable silence, just listening to the sea and everything that was. As they reach Lancelot's Cove, Avery unclips Mr. Rumor's lead.
The little dog bounds towards the waves and runs and scampers on the sand. Ember says that her home is just around the next bay. She'll leave him here if he knows the way back to Mrs. Nancarrow's place. Avery thanks Ember But before he says goodbye, he turns to call Mr. Rumor from the water. The little dog runs back, and Avery stoops to clip the lead on his collar.
As he kneels, he spots something glinting in the sand. a gold coin. Antique. Avery is incredulous. Could this really be smuggled treasure? He picks it up and slips it into his pocket. As he stands to say goodbye to Ember, he finds that the cove is empty apart from him and the little dog. He skims the horizon. The sun touches the sea now. The water is slate gray.
And the sky is turning from lilac to a fiery orange. Everything it touches is lit with a golden glow. The light glints on the waves, breaking against the dark, jutting rocks. Further out, on one of those rocks, Avery almost thinks he sees the form of a woman, sat upright, dignified, and gazing out to sea. Long, bright red hair streaming behind her. He rubs his eyes, and she is gone.
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