Latest / Abide Meditation App / Magical Sleepy Story _ The Bridge of Light _ Tranquil Sleepy Tale

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Magical Sleepy Story _ The Bridge of Light _ Tranquil Sleepy Tale · Abide Meditation App

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, the podcast where we listen, we relax,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks so
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: much for tuning in. In tonight's story, we'll join Zoe
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: as she discovers the secrets of an ancient bridge in
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: her city. While it may look like an old ruin,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Her natural curiosity for such things means she's sure there's
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: more to it than meets the eye. So let's just
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: take a moment to relax and settle down for the night.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Close your eyes and gently remind yourself that there is
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: nothing more you need to do. or to concern yourself
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: with for today. You're entitled to be fully present and
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: peaceful in this moment, where you can unwind and rest.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: As you slowly drift towards sleep, Watch an image form
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: in your mind. You can see a city spread out
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: before you. A city full of beautiful old buildings made
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: of pale stone. In the sunlight, everything seems to glow
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: and turn to gold. This city has been around for
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: hundreds of years, and the signs of its ancient history
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: are everywhere. You can see the remains of ancient walls
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: and temples, and a calm, green river that flows beneath
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: old bridges. Although it's now a bustling metropolis with cars
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: and trams passing through the streets, this place retains a special,
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: peaceful atmosphere. Here, it feels as though you could turn
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: a corner and travel back in time. This is the
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: city where a girl named Zoe once lived. And this
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: is where our story begins. Zoe had always lived in
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: the city. She was born in the hospital near the river,
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: right in the heart of the historic centre. Then, she
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: spent the next 16 years of her life just across
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: the bridge, in one of the oldest quarters. When Zoe
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: strolled through her neighbourhood on her way to school, She
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: liked looking at all the little details in the streets.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: Sometimes she made a game of it, trying to spot
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: something she'd never noticed before. It might be an ancient
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: inscription carved into the sandstone walls, or the sight of
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: a pet parrot in a window high above her. There
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: was always something new For centuries, this neighborhood had been
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: the artisan's quarter. While some of the oldest buildings had
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: now been converted into cafes or restaurants, there were still
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: plenty of interesting little shops. On the corner of her
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: street was a shop that sold mirrors of all shapes
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: and sizes, as well as unusual handmade glass ornaments. Nearby
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: was a cosy second-hand bookshop, which was owned by Zoe's neighbours.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: The shop window was filled from top to bottom with
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: dusty volumes. though some space had been left near the front.
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: On sunny days, the owner's cat, Leo, would curl up
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: for a nap in the window, surrounded by books. The
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: antique furniture shop was another of Zoe's favourites. It was
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: tucked away in the quiet courtyard of a residential building
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: When the owner was repairing an old chair or table,
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: she would often leave them outside in the sun. At times,
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: the courtyard resembled an open-air living room. That was how
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: Zoe felt about the whole neighborhood. All the streets and
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: buildings were so familiar. that they seemed almost like an
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: extension of her own home. She always felt completely at
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: ease here. As she walked to school on this particular morning,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: she enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, focusing on nothing but her surroundings.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: She knew the streets by heart, so she didn't need
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: to think about her route. When she was in this area,
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: she sometimes felt as though she were in a relaxed trance,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: free from thoughts. Wandering through the sunny streets, Zoe found
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: herself tuning in and out of the sounds of the city.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: In the background was the low rumble of traffic, so
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: familiar she barely noticed it, and the cheerful cries of
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: the parakeets in the trees on the riverside. Then there
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: was the sound of the river itself. It was a slow-moving,
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: tranquil river with jade-green water, Only the occasional boat passed,
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: and the river often seemed silent and almost motionless. But
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: when Zoe stopped to listen carefully, she could detect the
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: quiet murmuring sound of the water. It had its own
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: special melody. Sometimes when she looked at people hurrying past
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: her in the street, she wondered if they were even
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: aware of the river. They always seemed to be in
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: a rush, focused on their destinations. Zoe liked to take
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: her time on her morning walks, especially once she reached
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: the river. Then she would slow down, walking at a
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: leisurely pace, as she pondered over which bridge to cross.
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Her school was on the other side of the river,
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: so at some point she would have to cross over.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: But there were bridges all along the water. She could
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: take her pick. First, there was the iron bridge with
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: its curved, latticed sides that resembled a butterfly's wings. A
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: little further up was the wooden bridge, an elegant footbridge
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: that seemed to float in the air. Further still was
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: the marble bridge, which was lined with beautiful stone sculptures.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: of mythical creatures. Zoe tended to vary her route depending
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: on her mood, the time of year, and the sunlight.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: On this particular morning, she decided to cross further up
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: at the marble bridge so she could stay on the
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: sunny side of the river for a little longer. Along
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: this stretch of the river there was also another bridge
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: which Zoe never crossed She longed to walk over it,
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: and often gazed wistfully from afar. But this one was
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: known as the Old or Broken Bridge, and there was
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: no way of accessing it. The bridge was broken on
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: both sides, completely detached from the land. What remained was
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: a large stone ruin rising out of the middle of
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: the river like a strange vertical island or a rocky tower.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: This bridge had been broken for as long as anyone
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: could remember. It didn't even have a real name and
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: people mostly ignored it. The city was full of history
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: and ancient ruins after all. The bridge was just one
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: of many remnants, and besides, so many other bridges had
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: been built since. All along the river were roads and
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: walkways made of wood, stone, iron, and steel. The people
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: of the city could cross from east to west, and
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: west to east, wherever they liked. With no particular reason
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: to restore the broken bridge, it had simply been left
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: in the river, a forgotten ruin. But Zoe didn't see
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: it as a ruin. Although the bridge was old and broken,
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: there was also something magical about it. That morning, on
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: her way to school, Zoe stopped on the embankment and
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: turned to gaze at the old broken bridge. The other
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: people in the street continued to walk briskly onwards, For them,
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: it was as if the bridge were insignificant, or even invisible. Yet,
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: when Zoe was looking at the old bridge, time seemed
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: to stand still. The traffic noise around her faded into
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: the background. and she could hear nothing but the flow
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: of the river and the morning birdsong. Her attention was
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: entirely focused on the ancient monument in front of her.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: The bridge resembled an uneven, towering pile of stones and bricks.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: Some of the fallen stones were visible in the water,
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: forming rocky islands for the birds to perch on. Higher up,
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: the shape of the bridge gradually became neater and more defined.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: The rough stones merged into layers of grey bricks, which
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: supported the elegant ruins of a marble facade. The upper
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: part of the bridge was marked with time-weathered inscriptions that
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: were no longer legible. Some of the lettering was obscured
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: by plants and vines that sprouted from the cracks in
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: the stone. At the far edges of the marble facade
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: were fragments of sculptures It was difficult to tell exactly
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: what they were, but Zoe thought she could see a
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: lion at one end and a unicorn at the other.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: Then there was some kind of snake or a fish
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: or even a mermaid. And in the middle was an
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: engraving of a sun with swirling rays that spiraled outwards.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: For Zoe, the most magical part of the bridge was
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: the tree. Right at the top, seemingly growing out of
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: the marble, was a small tree with curved branches and
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: yellow leaves. In certain lights, the leaves turned golden or
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: a dark flame-like orange. When the sun hit, the tree
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: reminded her of a menorah, a beautiful, burning candelabra. And
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: in that moment, the whole structure seemed like a portal
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: to another world. Zoe never tired of gazing at the bridge,
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: tracing every subtle detail Sometimes she thought that if she
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: looked for long enough she would discover its secrets. Ever
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: since she was a child she had dreamed of somehow
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: reaching the top of the bridge and finding out for herself.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: She'd always been drawn to these inaccessible corners of the city.
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: A broken bridge a secret garden, or a private terrace.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: Knowing they were out of reach only increased their fascination.
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: As she looked at the bridge, a white bird flew
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: across the river and landed on the edge of the
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: crumbling marble facade. If only she too could fly Zoe
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: sighed and decided it was finally time to walk on.
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: She couldn't spend all morning daydreaming. On her way home
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: after school, she would stop to look at the bridge
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: once more, admiring it from another angle in a different light.
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: there were so many ways to see things after all.
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: She'd once read that it was impossible to step in
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: the same river twice. The flowing water meant that the
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: river was always moving, changing, transforming into something new. To
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: some extent, this expression was true about everything. Maybe even
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: an old ruined bridge could change with passing moments, or
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: it might appear different and new when viewed in another
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: moment or from somewhere else. The world was full of
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: beauty and mystery, thought Zoe. She would never take any
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: of it for granted. Later that day, after seeing the
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: bridge again on her way home she decided that she
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: would try to learn more about it. If she could
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: not physically reach the bridge the next best thing was
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: to discover something about its mysterious past. When she reached
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: the streets of her neighborhood she passed by the same
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: shops she'd seen that morning. There was the courtyard of
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: the furniture shop, the shutters of the mirror shop slowly
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: descending as the owner closed for the day, and there
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: was the second-hand bookshop. Just as Zoe was about to
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: walk towards her building, she found herself Suddenly coming to
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: a stop, she stared into the window of the bookshop
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: without realizing why, her gaze drifting from cover to cover. Then,
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: she realized why she had instinctively stopped. Perhaps there was
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: a book in this shop that mentioned the bridge. It
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: didn't really matter if it was a book about history
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: or myth or even a novel or a poem. She
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: wanted anything that might give her insight or even just
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: a clue. Zoe stepped inside the bookshop and breathed in
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: the familiar, comforting scent of old books. The shop was
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: owned by an elderly couple who lived in the apartment
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: above Zoe's. She often came here to browse the shelves
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: or even just to say hello. At first, She couldn't
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: see any sign of the owners. She could only spot
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: the old tabby cat, Leo, who was curled up on
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: the desk, sleeping peacefully. Zoe stroked him lightly, so as
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: not to wake him, while she waited for one of
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: the owners to appear. She was in no particular hurry,
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: so she was happy to enjoy this moment, caressing the
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: cat's soft, warm fur. After a while, she heard footsteps,
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: and then saw Daniel emerge at the top of the
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: stairs that led to the basement. As soon as he
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: saw Zoe, his face lit up. Daniel was a kind,
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: grandfatherly old man who'd known Zoe ever since she was born.
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: They'd always been neighbors, and he sometimes joked that in
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: a way they were family. He and his wife had
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: adopted Leo as a kitten shortly after Zoe was born,
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: so the two were almost exactly the same age. Now
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: that he was old, Leo the cat spent almost his
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: entire day asleep. As Daniel and Zoe talked together, he
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: purred contentedly in his sleep. Even without opening his eyes,
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: he seemed to be aware of Zoe's presence and happy
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: that she was there. Zoe explained her interest in the
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: old bridge and asked Daniel if he had any books
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: that might have some information. Even just a sentence would
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: be enough, she said, as she knew so little about it.
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: Daniel said that a new book had just come in.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: Of course, it wasn't really a new book. Like everything
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: else in the shop, it had been published decades ago.
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: But it was still about the secret history and folklore
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: of the city, and there would probably be a mention
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: of the bridge somewhere. He reached behind the counter and
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: pulled out a thick, dark blue book. The binding was
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: falling apart and some of the yellowing pages were coming loose.
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: It was clearly very old. As Zoe turned the book
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: over in her hands, she thought of all the people
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: who had owned it or read it over the years.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: She imagined these readers as kindred spirits Like her, they
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: had been fascinated by the hidden corners and secrets of
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: their beloved city. When she reached into her pockets, Zoe
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: realized that she didn't have any money to buy the book.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: But Daniel patted her on the arm and told her
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: not to worry. She was welcome to borrow the book
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: for as long as she liked. He trusted her to
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: take good care of it. Zoe smiled and thanked him.
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: This was not the first time Daniel had lent her
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: a book. Sometimes he acted more like a librarian than
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: a bookshop owner, as he believed that knowledge should be
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: free and accessible to everyone. Perhaps he lent her the
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: book because he thought she needed to study the bridge
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: for a school project. It was a project, in a way,
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: but it had nothing to do with school. And, as
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: it was Friday evening, Zoe could forget about her studies
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: for now. That night, when she was tucked up under
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: the blankets in her cozy bedroom, she turned the pages
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: of the old book. Some of the index pages were missing,
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: so it took her a while to find what she
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: was looking for. Handling the book carefully, she flicked past
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: black and white illustrations of familiar monuments. There were the
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: ruined columns of a pagan temple, and the remains of
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: an old marketplace. On another page was an image of
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: the ancient archway that now spanned over the tram lines
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: near her home. And then, near the back of the book,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: There it was. The entire page was filled with a
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: beautiful engraving of the bridge. It showed every detail clearly,
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: from the symbols on the marble facade to the fallen
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: stones in the river. The artist had captured it perfectly.
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: Perhaps they had been just as enchanted by the ruin
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: as Zoe now was. She turned her attention to the
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: next page and began to read quickly, eager to learn more.
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: It seemed that the bridge had been shrouded in mystery
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: even when this book was published nearly a century ago
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: There were many theories about the bridge's origins and design,
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: and its fall into ruin, but nothing certain. However, there
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: had been people in the city who believed that there
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: was something special about this bridge, or even magical. The
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: longest paragraph was about the sun symbol in the middle
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: part of the bridge. According to the author, some people
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: believed that the bridge had been built in ancient times
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: to honor the sun. At certain times of the year,
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: the sunlight at dawn illuminated the exact part of the
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: river where the bridge had been built. The other symbols
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: on the facade were a mystery. Perhaps no one would
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: ever know the significance of the lion, the unicorn, or
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: the mermaid. And perhaps these designs had no meaning at all.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: They might be merely decoration. The author speculated that that
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: maybe long, long ago, the bridge had been connected to
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: some kind of sun worship. But there was no way
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: of knowing for sure. Sometimes, all research came to a
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: dead end. Then there was nothing to do said the author,
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: but look elsewhere. As Zoe closed the book and placed
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: it gently on her bedside table, she reflected on what
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: she'd just read. She understood what the author meant, but
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: she didn't believe that there were ever any true dead ends.
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: There was always a way of learning more, seeing more,
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: and getting a little bit closer to the truth. Zoe
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: switched off the light and settled into bed, making herself comfortable.
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: She closed her eyes and sighed. At the end of
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: a long day and week, she was feeling so sleepy.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Now she could finally relax and enjoy a good night's rest.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: With each breath, she could feel herself falling, drifting, sinking
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: into deep sleep. That night, She dreamed that she was
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: walking down a long, sunlit street in the city. She
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: didn't know exactly where she was, but the place felt
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: somehow familiar, like she'd been there a long time ago.
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: All she knew for certain was that she felt happy
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: and safe there. The street was narrow, with tall orange
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: walls on both sides that were overgrown with ivy and
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: flowering jasmine. As she walked, the street seemed to gradually
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: get wider and brighter. She could sense that there was
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: water at the end of the street, and trees and flowers.
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: With just a few more steps, she would be there,
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: in this beautiful new place. When Zoe awoke in her
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: dark bedroom, it took her a few moments to adjust.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: She had the sensation of having slept for many hours.
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: But when she glanced at the clock, she saw it
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: was still night. about an hour before dawn. Zoe had
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: slept so well and so deeply that she now felt
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: completely refreshed. She lingered in her warm bed for a while,
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: daydreaming about all the things she could do that weekend.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: Although she knew she could easily fall asleep again and
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: rest until late in the morning, she felt ready to
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: get up now. Perhaps she could make herself an early
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: breakfast and go up to the roof terrace to watch
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: the sun rise. When she turned on the lamp on
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: her bedside table, she caught sight of the old book.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: In that moment, everything she had read and dreamed came
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: back to her. Now she knew how she wanted to
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: spend her morning. As Zoe got dressed, she smiled to herself.
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: It was as though the universe had given her a gift.
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: It was rare to wake up naturally this early, feeling
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: refreshed and ready to start her day. Now, she would
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: make the most of this beautiful morning and the gift
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: of time. Before setting off, Zoe wrote a short note
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: for her parents and used a magnet to stick it
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: to the kitchen fridge. This way, they would know where
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: she'd gone if they woke up early too. But there
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: was a good chance she'd be back before they'd even
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: woken up. The bridge was only a 15 minute walk away,
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: so she would soon be back home to join her
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: parents for breakfast. Outside, the streets were still dark, illuminated
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: only by the old cast iron street lamps. As Zoe
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: walked through the silent back streets of her neighbourhood, she
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: noticed that the sky was slowly lightening, changing to a
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: softer shade of blue. It was the first time she
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: had ever experienced this magical transition, the moment just before
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: the dawn. The city was almost deserted at this hour.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: It felt so peaceful, as if everyone was under some
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: kind of magic enchantment. Zoe could almost believe that she
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: had the entire city to herself. It was just her
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: and the birds, singing their joyful dawn chorus from the
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: branches and rooftops. By the time Zoe reached the river,
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: the first glimmers of gold were just about visible on
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: the horizon. She quickened her pace, keen to be near
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: the bridge by sunrise. Although she didn't know exactly what
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: to expect, she hoped that she would somehow see it
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: differently in this light. Zoe got as close as she could,
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: leaning on the low wall that separated the street from
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: the embankment. She sighed wistfully as she gazed at the
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: shadowy mass of the ruined bridge and the outline of
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: the golden leaf tree on top. Although it was still
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: too dark to make out the details clearly, With every
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: passing moment, the sky grew lighter, revealing more of the structure.
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: It was like a curtain, slowly being lifted up and up.
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: And then, as the sun rose higher, a magical transformation
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: took place. Suddenly, right in front of Zoe was a
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: path of sunlight. The thick ray of light passed from
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: one side of the river to the other, crossing right
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: through the middle of the ruined bridge and illuminating the edges.
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: She could hardly believe her eyes. The path of sunlight
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: had created a shining structure, completing the bridge. The structure
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: in the middle of the river was no longer a ruin,
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: but an entire bridge which radiated golden light at both ends.
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: Zoe had never seen anything so strange or so beautiful.
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: Perhaps she was still dreaming, she thought, as she stared
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: in wonder at the gorgeous apparition. But whether she was
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: dreaming or not, in that moment, it hardly seemed to matter.
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: The sunrise had offered her a path, and she would
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: take it. After climbing over the low wall she stepped
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: onto the golden bridge. It was surreal in a way,
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: but also surprisingly natural. She was amazed to discover how
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: solid it felt beneath her feet, as sturdy and real
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: as a stone structure. And yet, she was walking on air,
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: walking on light. The golden bridge connected seamlessly with the
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: middle part, the ruin that Zoe knew and loved. But
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: as she stood there in the center, she now knew
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: that there was so much more than a ruin. The
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: bridge was its own magical well, she walked slowly over
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: the stone floor, which over time had been transformed into
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: an overgrown garden. There were plants and purple wildflowers blossoming
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: out of the stone, and right in the center was
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: the golden tree. In the radiant light of the dawn,
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: It seemed as if the entire tree was made of gold,
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: from the slender trunk to the translucent leaves. This must
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: be a dream, Zoe said to herself. She looked around
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: at the spellbinding scene, taking in one detail at a time.
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: the shining tree, the wild garden, the bridge of light,
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: and then the green river below, and the rising sun
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: turning the sky amber. If it was a dream, it
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: was the most beautiful she'd ever had. In that moment,
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: the city seemed to belong to her. She smiled, feeling peaceful, fulfilled,
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: and deeply happy. Once she had looked around in all directions,
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: drinking in every detail to her heart's content. she closed
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: her eyes. Perhaps when she next opened them, she would
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: discover that it had all been a wonderful dream. But
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: no matter what, she knew that this special sunrise had
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: changed her life, illuminating everything. Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you. you Thank you. Thank you for watching.
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: Thanks for watching! Thank you. Thank you. you you you
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you.