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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,

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and my friends and I will be reading you a

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sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to

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help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From

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time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,

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peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.

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Once we have read the stories, we will then read

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them a second time, but this time they will be

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ready even slower. This will help you to relax even more.

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Before we begin, I would like you to close your

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eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply. Take

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a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your breath

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for a few seconds more, and then release and breathe out.

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Do this a few times if you need to, while

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you listen to the music and you listen to my voice,

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give yourself time to let your body relax and your

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mind settle. It's important that we allow time for us

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to feel safe, cozy, and completely at ease. And now

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it's time for this week's story. The peculiar voyage of

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the Sleepy Fox in a small meadow where the grass

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leaned lazily in whichever direction the wind happened to be

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thinking about. There lived a fox named Oliver, who was,

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by all reliable accounts, extremely sleepy most of the time.

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Oliver was not lazy exactly. He simply believed that the

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the world worked better when one approached it gently, with

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regular pauses for tea thoughtful staring at clouds, and the

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occasional nap taken with professional dedication. His burrow sat beneath

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an elderly willow tree, whose branches drooped so comfortably that

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birds often forgot why they had started flying and settled

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down for a while. It was the sort of place

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where afternoons stretched politely, and evenings arrived like a quiet

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guest removing their shoes at the door. Oliver liked it

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very much. Each morning, he would wake slowly, stretch each

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pore with the seriousness of a philosopher considering a difficult question,

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and wander outside to see whether anything interesting had happened overnight.

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Usually it had not. Sometimes a mushroom appeared, once a

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hedgehog attempted to invent a hat. On one memorable Tuesday,

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a cloud looked very much like a kettle, which Oliver

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felt was a promising sign for tea, but mostly the

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meadow remained peacefully undecided about doing anything dramatic. This suited

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Oliver perfectly. Unfortunately, the universe has a long and mischievous

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history of disturbing creatures who are trying to be comfortable.

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One evening, just as the sky had turned the color

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of soft peaches and the crickets were clearing their throats

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for the night shift, Oliver was settling into his favorite

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patch of moss to begin what he called his preliminary nap,

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before the proper nap. He had just closed one eye,

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then the other, then opened one eye again because something

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unusual had floated past his nose. It was a boat.

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This might not sound terribly strange if one lives beside

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a river, but Oliver did not live beside a river.

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He lived in a meadow, and this boat was drifting

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slowly through the tall grass, as if the meadow had

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temporarily decided to become an ocean but had forgotten to

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inform anyone. Oliver sat up. The boat was small, wooden,

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slightly crooked, and carrying what appeared to be a suitcase,

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a lantern, and a hat that looked deeply suspicious of

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its surroundings. The boat drifted gently until it stopped beside

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Oliver's moss patch, with the soft bump of someone politely

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arriving somewhere they had never meant to visit. Oliver stared

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at it for a while. The boat stared back in

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the quiet, dignified way boats have. Finally, Oliver cleared his throat.

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Good evening, he said, because politeness remains useful even when

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addressing mysterious meadow boats. The lantern flickered, the hat twitched,

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and the boat said, in a creaky voice that sounded

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like old floorboards, remembering things.

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Speaker 2: Ah good a fox. Oliver blinked slow. A boat that talks,

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He murmured, Yes, Yes, said the boat. Nothing to worry

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about happens occasionally on Thursdays. Oliver looked up at the

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sky to check whether it was Thursday. The sky did

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not answer. It's Wednesday, Oliver said. The boat sighed heavily,

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the way boats sigh when their schedules have gone badly wrong. Well,

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that explains the navigation problem, it said. Oliver leaned forward slightly.

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Navigation problem, he repeated, Yes, said the boat. I was

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meant to be sailing along the River of quiet journeys,

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but here to have drifted into a meadow instead. Oliver

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considered this information with the careful calm of someone who

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had once accidentally fallen asleep in a wheelbarrow, and therefore

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tried not to judge situations too quickly. That does sound inconvenient,

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he said, extremely, said the boat, particularly because my passenger

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has not arrived yet. Oliver looked into the boat. There

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was the suitcase, the lantern, the suspicious hat, but no passenger.

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I don't see anyone, Oliver said, that's the trouble, said

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the boat. You're the passenger. Oliver paused. He checked behind him.

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There was still only meadow. He checked the willow tree.

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It was still a tree. Then he looked back at

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the boat. I think there has been a mistake, Oliver

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said politely. I'm very busy this evening. The boat tilted slightly,

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busy doing what it asked. Oliver opened his mouth, then

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closed it again. I was planning to sleep, he admitted,

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a noble activity, said the boat. But this voyage is

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particularly suitable for sleepy individuals. Oliver scratched behind one ear thoughtfully.

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What sort of voyage, he asked, A quiet one, said

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the boat the river of quiet journeys flows through places

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where the world slows down, lantern islands, drifting fog gardens,

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fields where the stars practice shining before nighttime officially begins.

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Oliver's ears twitched slightly at that last part. He had

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always wondered where stars practiced. Still, a sensible fox avoids

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unnecessary voyages when moss patches and naps are readily available.

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I appreciate the invitation, Oliver said, carefully. I am quite

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comfortable here. The boat rocked gently. Yes, it said, that

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is exactly why you must come. Oliver frowned. That reasoning

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seems suspicious. Not suspicious, said the boat traditional. The river

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of quiet journeys only appears for travelers who are already

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good at resting. Otherwise everyone would rush around on it

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and ruin the atmosphere. Oliver had to admit that made

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a certain kind of sense. Before he could respond, the

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lanterns suddenly glowed brighter. The air in the meadow changed,

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The tall grass began to sway in long, slow waves,

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as if remembering something ancient and watery. Then, with the

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quiet sound of distant tide pulling at the edges of

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the world, a narrow ribbon of shimmering water appeared between

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the blades of grass. It curved gently through the meadow,

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like a path made from moonlight and patient ideas. Oliver

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stared well, he said, softly, that is new. The boat

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looked pleased with itself. There we are, it said, right

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on schedule after all. Oliver walked around the edge of

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the water ribbon. The surface reflected the sky, even though

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the sky was still above it, which Oliver felt was

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slightly unfair to gravity. The lantern flickered again, the suitcase

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shifted politely, and the hat gave Oliver what could only

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be described as a very encouraging nod. Oliver sighed the

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long sigh of a creature whose evening has clearly changed direction.

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If I come, he said, slowly, will the voyage be

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very energetic? Absolutely not, said the boat. In fact, we

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strongly discourage energetic behavior. Oliver climbed into the boat. It

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felt surprisingly comfortable, like sitting inside a well organized thought.

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The moment he settled down, the lantern dimmed to a

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soft golden glow. The water ribbon widened slightly, and the

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boat began drifting forward with the quiet confidence of something

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that knew exactly where naps belonged. Oliver curled his tail

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around his paws. The meadow began sliding gently away behind them,

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and as the first curious stars appeared above the drifting river,

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the sleepy fox discovered that sometimes the most peculiar voyages

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begins simply because it seemed rude to refuse a talking boat.

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The little boat drifted forward with the unhurried confidence of

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something that had traveled this river many times before and

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had no intention of rushing, simply because the world outside

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tended to do so. Oliver settled deeper into the wooden

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seat and watched the meadow slowly dissolve behind them into

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a gentle haze of grass and fireflies. It did not

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vanish suddenly, it faded, the way a memory fades when

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one becomes pleasantly distracted by something new and slightly mysterious.

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The ribbon of water widened as they moved, until it

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was no longer a ribbon at all, but a narrow,

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quiet river that seemed to flow not through the meadow,

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but slightly beside it, as if the river preferred its

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own version of geography. The lantern at the bow glowed softly,

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painting warm circles of light on the water that drifted

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away behind them, like floating thoughts. Oliver yawned. Excuse me,

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he said politely to the lantern. The lantern flickered in

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a forgiving sort of way. You'll find yawning is very

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common on this river, said the boat in its creaky voice.

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Most travelers do it within the first ten minutes. Oliver

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nodded sleepily. That sounds reassuring, he said. They floated onward

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for a while in companionable quiet. The water made a

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soft brushing sound against the sides of the boat, like

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someone gently turning Paine in a large, peaceful book. Oliver

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watched the sky carefully. The stars above were beginning to

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arrange themselves into neat, thoughtful patterns, as though rehearsing their

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evening performance before the night fully arrived. Do they really practice,

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Oliver asked quietly. The stars, Oh, yes, said the boat.

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They take their work quite seriously. One cannot simply appear

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every night without a little preparation. Oliver felt that was

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very responsible of them. Soon the river curved around a

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bend where the air became pleasantly misty, and the lantern

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light turned the fog into slow drifting ribbons of gold shapes.

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Appeared ahead. Small islands floated on the water, each carrying

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a single object. One island held a rocking chair, gently

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rocking all by itself. Another carried a teacup that occasionally

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released a polite puff of steam. A third island held

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a large sleeping cat who appeared to be dreaming about

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something extremely important. Oliver leaned forward slightly. What are those,

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he asked. Lantern islands, said the boat. They collect quiet

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moments that wander away from busy places. Oliver watched the

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rocking chair sway gently. That seems like a nice job,

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he murmured. They drifted past, slowly so as not to

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disturb the sleeping cat. The cat twitched one whisker in

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its dream, and then settled again. The river widened once more,

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the fog thinned, and ahead of them rose a cluster

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of tall reeds that whispered softly to one another. As

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the boat approached. From somewhere within the reeds came a low, thoughtful,

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humming sound. Oliver listened carefully. It sounded like someone humming

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while trying to remember where they had put something. As

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the boat glided closer, a turtle appeared between the reeds.

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He was wearing round specterles and holding a tiny notebook.

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He looked up slowly. Which turtles are particularly good at doing? Evening,

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said the turtle. Evening said the boat, routine voyage. The

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turtle made a careful note in his notebook. Passenger, he asked.

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The boat nodded slightly toward Oliver. Tired fox, it said. Excellent,

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said the turtle. Tired passengers make the calmest journeys. Oliver

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felt proud of this qualification. The turtle adjusted his spectacles

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and studied Oliver for a moment. Remember, he said, kindly,

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The river travels fastest when nobody notices. Oliver thought that

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was very wise advice. The boat drifted on through the reeds,

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leaving the turtle quietly writing in his notebook again. For

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a while, the river became very smooth and very quiet.

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The lantern dimmed slightly, as if encouraging softer thoughts. Oliver

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felt his eyelids growing heavier. The gentle movement of the

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boat made the world feel like a cradle being rocked

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by an extremely patient giant. Just as Oliver was about

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to drift into a small, comfortable doze, the hat beside

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the suitcase suddenly cleared its throat. Oliver looked down in surprise. Oh,

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he said, I forgot about you. Most people do, said

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the hat cheerfully. I'm Harold, Oliver nodded politely Oliver, he replied, Yes,

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I know, said Harold. The boat mentioned it earlier. Oliver

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had not noticed the boat mentioning it, but he decided

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not to argue. The hat shifted slightly on the seat

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first voyage. Harold asked, yes, said Oliver, I was planning

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to sleep in my moss patch instead. A common beginning,

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said Harold wisely, But travelers often discover the sleep is

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even better when the river carries it along. Oliver found

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that idea extremely appealing. They continued drifting quietly. Soon the

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sky deepened into a deeper blue, the kind that only

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appears when night is fully considering its arrival. The stars

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above grew brighter and steadier. Somewhere far away, an owl

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called once, and then decided that was quite enough talking

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for the evening. The river curved again ahead. Oliver could

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see a stretch of water so calm that the lantern

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light rested on it without moving. The boat slowed slightly.

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This art is called the floating quiet, it said softly.

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Most passengers fall asleep. Here, Oliver felt his tail curl

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comfortably around his paws. The lantern glow warmed the wooden seat,

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the water whispered softly beneath them. He leaned back against

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the suitcase. This is very pleasant, he murmured, exactly said

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the boat. Oliver watched the sky one last time. A

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few late stars drifted into their places, like careful musicians

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joining an orchestra just before the music begins. The river

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carried them gently forward. The lantern dimmed to a soft,

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sleepy glow, and somewhere between one slow ripple and the next,

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the very sleepy fox closed his eyes and drifted into

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the quietest nap of the entire peculiar voyage. The boat

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continued sailing softly beneath the patient stars, carrying its passenger

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deeper along the river of quiet journeys, where many more

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peaceful curiosities waited. Further downstream the peculiar Voyage of the

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sleepy Fox. In a small meadow where the grass leaned

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lazily in whichever direction the wind happened to be thinking about,

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there lived a fox named Oliver, who was, by all

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reliable accounts, extremely sleepy. Most of the time. Oliver was

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not lazy exactly. He simply believed that the world worked

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better when one approached it gently, with regular pauses for tea,

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thoughtful staring at clouds, and the occasional nap taken with

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professional dedication. His burrow sat beneath an elderly willow tree,

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whose branches drooped so comfortably that birds often forgot why

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they had started flying and settled down for a while.

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It was the sort of place where afternoons stretched politely,

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and evenings arrived like a quiet guest removing their shoes

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at the door. Oliver liked it very much. Each morning,

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he would wake slowly, stretch each pore with the seriousness

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of a philosopher considering a difficult question, and wander outside

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to see whether anything interesting had happened overnight. Usually it

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had not. Sometimes a mushroom appeared, once a hedgehog attempted

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to invent a hat. On one memorable Tuesday, a cloud

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looked very much like a kettle, which Oliver felt was

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a promising sign for tea. But mostly the meadow remained

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peacefully undecided about doing anything dramatic. This suited Oliver perfectly. Unfortunately,

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the universe has a long and mischievous history of durbing

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creatures who were trying to be comfortable. One evening, just

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as the sky had turned the color of soft peaches

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and the crickets were clearing their throats for the night shift,

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Oliver was settling into his favorite patch of moss to

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begin what he called his preliminary nap, before the proper nap,

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he had just closed one eye, then the other, then

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opened one eye again because something unusual had floated past

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his nose. It was a boat. This might not sound

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terribly strange if one lives beside a river, but Oliver

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did not live beside a river. He lived in a meadow,

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and this boat was drifting slowly through the tall grass,

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as if the meadow had temporarily decided to become an ocean,

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but had forgotten to inform anyone. Oliver sat up. The

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boat was small, wooden, slightly crooked, and carrying what appeared

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to be a suit case, a lantern, and a hat

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that looked deeply suspicious of its surroundings. The boat drifted

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gently until it stopped beside Oliver's moss patch, with the

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soft bump of some one politely arriving somewhere they had

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never meant to visit. Oliver stared at it for a while.

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The boat stared back in the quiet, dignified way boats have. Finally,

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Oliver cleared his throat. Good evening, he said, because politeness

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remains useful even when addressing mysterious meadow boats. The lantern flickered,

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the hat twitched, and the boat said, in a creaky

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voice that sounded like old floorboards, remembering things. Ah good

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a fox, Oliver blinked slowly. A boat that talks, He murmured. Yes, Yes,

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said the boat. Nothing to worry about happens occasionally on Thursdays.

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Oliver looked up at the sky to check whether it

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was Thursday. The sky did not answer. It's Wednesday, Oliver said.

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The boat sighed heavily, the way boats sigh when their

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00:30:53,279 --> 00:30:59,960
schedules have gone badly wrong. Well, that explains the navigation, probably,

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00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:10,880
it said. Oliver leaned forward slightly. Navigation problem, he repeated, yes,

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00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,960
said the boat. I was meant to be sailing along

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the River of quiet journeys, but I appeared to have

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drifted into a meadow instead. Oliver considered this information with

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the careful calm of someone who had once accidentally fallen

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asleep in a wheelbarrow, and therefore tried not to judge

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situations too quickly. That does sound inconvenient, he said extremely,

295
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said the boat, particularly because my passenger has not arrived yet.

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Oliver looked into the boat. There was the suitcase, anton,

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the suspicious hat, but no passenger. I don't see anyone,

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Oliver said, that's the trouble, said the boat. You're the passenger.

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Oliver paused. He checked behind him. There was still only meadow.

300
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He checked the willow tree. It was still a tree.

301
00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,839
Then he looked back at the boat. I think there

302
00:32:38,839 --> 00:32:45,079
has been a mistake, Oliver said politely. I'm very busy

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00:32:45,119 --> 00:32:54,319
this evening. The boat tilted slightly, busy doing what it asked.

304
00:32:55,200 --> 00:33:02,000
Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it again. I was

305
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planning to sleep, he admitted, a noble activity, said the boat.

306
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But this voyage is particularly suitable for sleepy individuals. Oliver

307
00:33:18,599 --> 00:33:25,599
scratched behind one ear thoughtfully. What sort of voyage, he asked,

308
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A quiet one, said the boat. The river of quiet

309
00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:41,559
journeys flows through places where the world slows down, lantern islands,

310
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drifting fog gardens, fields where the stars practice shining before

311
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night time. Officially begins. Oliver's ears twitched slightly at that

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last part. He had always wondered where stars practiced. Still,

313
00:34:04,119 --> 00:34:09,440
a sensible fox avoids unnecessary voyages when moss patches and

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naps are readily available. I appreciate the invitation, Oliver said, carefully,

315
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:26,280
but I am quite comfortable here. The boat rocked gently. Yes,

316
00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:35,320
it said, that is exactly why you must come. Oliver frowned.

317
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:45,760
That reasoning seems suspicious. Not suspicious, said the boat traditional.

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00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,079
The river of quiet journeys only appears for travelers who

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00:34:52,119 --> 00:34:58,400
are already good at resting. Otherwise everyone would rush around

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00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:03,400
on it and ruin them in the atmosphere. Oliver had

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00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:09,239
to admit that made a certain kind of sense. Before

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he could respond, the lantern suddenly glowed brighter. The air

323
00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:21,039
in the meadow changed. The tall grass began to sway

324
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in long, slow waves, as if remembering something ancient and watery. Then,

325
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with the quiet sound of distant tide pulling at the

326
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edges of the world, a narrow ribbon of shimmering water

327
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:44,000
appeared between the blades of grass. It curved gently through

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00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:49,440
the meadow like a path made from moonlight and patient ideas.

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Oliver stared well, he said softly. That is new. The

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00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:06,480
boat looked pleased with itself. There we are, it said,

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00:36:08,639 --> 00:36:13,800
right on schedule after all. Oliver walked around the edge

332
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:19,599
of the water ribbon. The surface reflected the sky, even

333
00:36:19,639 --> 00:36:23,280
though the sky was still above it, which Oliver felt

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00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:30,599
was slightly unfair to gravity. The lantern flickered again, the

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00:36:30,679 --> 00:36:37,119
suitcase shifted politely, and the hat gave Oliver what could

336
00:36:37,119 --> 00:36:43,559
only be described as a very encouraging nod. Oliver sighed

337
00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,800
the long sigh of a creature whose evening has clearly

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changed direction. If I come, he said, slowly, Will the

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00:36:55,880 --> 00:37:04,760
voyage be very energetic? Absolutely not, said the boat. In fact,

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we strongly discourage energetic behavior. Oliver climbed into the boat.

341
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:19,199
It felt surprisingly comfortable, like sitting inside a well organized thought.

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00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:25,280
The moment he settled down, the lantern dimmed to a

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soft golden glow. The water ribbon widened slightly, and the

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boat began drifting forward with the quiet confidence of something

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that knew exactly where naps belonged. Oliver curled his tail

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around his paws. The meadow began sliding gently away behind them,

347
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and as the first curious stars appeared, above the drifting river.

348
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The sleepy fox discovered that sometimes the most peculiar voyages

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begins simply because it seemed rude to refuse a talking boat.

350
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The little boat drifted forward with the unhurried confidence of

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00:38:17,559 --> 00:38:22,440
something that had traveled this river many times before and

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had no intention of rushing, simply because the world outside

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00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:34,840
tended to do so. Oliver settled deeper into the wooden

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seat and watched the meadows slowly dissolve behind them into

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a gentle haze of grass and fireflies. It did not

356
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:51,880
vanish suddenly, It faded, the way a memory fades when

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one becomes pleasantly distracted by something new and slightly mysterious.

358
00:39:00,039 --> 00:39:03,639
Ribbon of water widened as they moved, until it was

359
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no longer a ribbon at all, but a narrow, quiet

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00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:11,239
river that seemed to flow not through the meadow, but

361
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:15,920
slightly beside it, as if the river preferred its own

362
00:39:16,039 --> 00:39:22,199
version of geography. The lantern at the bow glowed softly,

363
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:27,199
painting warm circles of light on the water that drifted

364
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away behind them like floating thoughts. Oliver yawned. Excuse me,

365
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he said, politely to the lantern. The lantern flickered in

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00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:47,559
a forgiving sort of way. You'll find yawning is very

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common on this river, said the boat, in its creaky voice.

368
00:39:53,679 --> 00:39:58,599
Most travelers do it within the first ten minutes. Oliver

369
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:07,039
nodded sleepily. That sounds reassuring, he said. They floated onward

370
00:40:07,159 --> 00:40:13,159
for a while in companionable quiet. The water made a

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00:40:13,199 --> 00:40:17,480
soft brushing sound against the sides of the boat, like

372
00:40:17,599 --> 00:40:23,559
someone gently turning pages in a large, peaceful book. Oliver

373
00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:29,760
watched the sky carefully. The stars above were beginning to

374
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:35,960
arrange themselves into neat, thoughtful patterns, as though rehearsing their

375
00:40:36,039 --> 00:40:42,320
evening performance before the night fully arrived. Do they really practice,

376
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:51,239
Oliver asked quietly the stars, Oh, yes, said the boat.

377
00:40:52,599 --> 00:40:58,800
They take their work quite seriously. One cannot simply appear

378
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:04,679
every night with a little preparation. Oliver felt that was

379
00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:10,559
very responsible of them. Soon the river curved around a

380
00:41:10,599 --> 00:41:15,400
bend where the air became pleasantly misty, and the lantern

381
00:41:15,519 --> 00:41:20,039
light turned the fog into slow drifting Ribbons of gold

382
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:28,440
shapes appeared ahead. Small islands floated on the water, each

383
00:41:28,639 --> 00:41:34,719
carrying a single object. One island held a rocking chair,

384
00:41:35,079 --> 00:41:42,360
gently rocking all by itself. Another carried a teacup that

385
00:41:42,519 --> 00:41:48,360
occasionally released a polite puff of steam. A third island

386
00:41:48,599 --> 00:41:52,519
held a large sleeping cat who appeared to be dreaming

387
00:41:52,599 --> 00:42:01,320
about something extremely important. Oliver leaned forward slightly. What are those,

388
00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:10,360
he asked. Lantern islands, said the boat. They collect quiet

389
00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:16,519
moments that wander away from busy places. Oliver watched the

390
00:42:16,639 --> 00:42:22,880
rocking chair sway gently. That seems like a nice job,

391
00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:29,320
he murmured. They drifted past, slowly so as not to

392
00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:34,800
disturb the sleeping cat. The cat twitched one whisker in

393
00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:40,519
its dream, and then settled again. The river widened once more,

394
00:42:42,039 --> 00:42:46,800
the fog thinned, and ahead of them rose a cluster

395
00:42:47,039 --> 00:42:51,320
of tall reeds that whispered softly to one another. As

396
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:58,320
the boat approached. From somewhere within the reeds came a low, thoughtful,

397
00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:06,280
humming sound. Oliver listened carefully. It sounded like someone humming

398
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:10,920
while trying to remember where they had put something. As

399
00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:17,119
the boat glided closer, a turtle appeared between the reeds.

400
00:43:17,599 --> 00:43:22,000
He was wearing round spectacles and holding a tiny note book.

401
00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:30,760
He looked up slowly, which turtles are particularly good at doing? Evening,

402
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:40,639
said the turtle, evening, said the boat, routine voyage. The

403
00:43:40,679 --> 00:43:46,559
turtle made a careful note in his note book. Passenger,

404
00:43:47,079 --> 00:43:55,039
he asked. The boat nodded slightly toward Oliver. Tired fox,

405
00:43:55,480 --> 00:44:03,519
it said. Excellent, said the turtle. Tired passengers make the

406
00:44:03,639 --> 00:44:11,760
calmest journeys. Oliver felt proud of this qualification. The turtle

407
00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:18,159
adjusted his spectacles and studied Oliver for a moment. Remember,

408
00:44:18,639 --> 00:44:25,119
he said, kindly, The river travels fastest when nobody notices.

409
00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:33,000
Oliver thought that was very wise advice. The boat drifted

410
00:44:33,039 --> 00:44:37,480
on through the reeds, leaving the turtle quietly writing in

411
00:44:37,559 --> 00:44:42,920
his notebook again. For a while, the river became very

412
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:49,880
smooth and very quiet. The lantern dimmed slightly, as if

413
00:44:50,039 --> 00:44:58,840
encouraging softer thoughts. Oliver felt his eyelids growing heavier. The

414
00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:02,559
gentle movement of the boat made the world feel like

415
00:45:02,639 --> 00:45:09,079
a cradle being rocked by an extremely patient giant. Just

416
00:45:09,119 --> 00:45:13,039
as Oliver was about to drift into a small, comfortable doze,

417
00:45:13,599 --> 00:45:18,760
the hat beside the suitcase suddenly cleared its throat. Oliver

418
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:25,880
looked down in surprise. Oh, he said, I forgot about you.

419
00:45:28,159 --> 00:45:35,400
Most people do, said the hat cheerfully. I'm Harold. Oliver

420
00:45:35,519 --> 00:45:44,199
nodded politely. Oliver, he replied, yes, I know, said Harold.

421
00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:50,960
The boat mentioned it earlier. Oliver had not noticed the

422
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:55,719
boat mentioning it, but he decided not to argue. The

423
00:45:55,800 --> 00:46:03,679
hat shifted slightly on the seat first voyage. Harold asked, yes,

424
00:46:04,599 --> 00:46:09,239
said Oliver, I was planning to sleep in my moss

425
00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:17,679
patch instead. A common beginning, said Harold wisely, But travelers

426
00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:22,079
often discover that sleep is even better when the river

427
00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:30,880
carries it along. Oliver found that idea extremely appealing. They

428
00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:38,800
continued drifting quietly. Soon the sky deepened into a deeper blue,

429
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:43,320
the kind that only appears when night is fully considering

430
00:46:43,559 --> 00:46:52,159
its arrival. The stars above grew brighter and steadier. Somewhere

431
00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:57,119
far away, an owl called once, and then decided that

432
00:46:57,480 --> 00:47:02,719
was quite enough talking for the evening. The river curved

433
00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:08,639
again ahead. Oliver could see a stretch of water so

434
00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:14,039
calm that the lantern light rested on it without moving.

435
00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:21,239
The boat slowed slightly. This part is called the floating quiet,

436
00:47:21,559 --> 00:47:29,880
it said softly. Most passengers fall asleep here. Oliver felt

437
00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:36,079
his tail curl comfortably around his paws. The lantern glow

438
00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:42,440
warmed the wooden seat, the water whispered softly beneath them.

439
00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:49,920
He leaned back against the suitcase. This is very pleasant,

440
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:57,800
he murmured, exactly, said the boat. Oliver watched the sky

441
00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:04,360
one last time. A few late stars drifted into their places,

442
00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:11,559
like careful musicians joining an orchestra, just before the music begins.

443
00:48:12,079 --> 00:48:17,760
The river carried them gently forward. The lantern dimmed to

444
00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:23,960
a soft, sleepy glow, and somewhere between one slow ripple

445
00:48:24,039 --> 00:48:28,360
and the next, the very sleepy fox closed his eyes

446
00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:35,159
and drifted into the quietest nap of the entire peculiar voyage.

447
00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:41,920
The boat continued sailing softly beneath the patient stars, carrying

448
00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:46,599
its passenger deeper along the river of quiet journeys, where

449
00:48:46,679 --> 00:49:14,840
many more peaceful curiosities waited. Further downstream the peculiar voyage

450
00:49:14,880 --> 00:49:20,559
of the sleepy Fox. In a small meadow where the

451
00:49:20,639 --> 00:49:24,880
grass leaned lazily in whichever direction the wind happened to

452
00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:30,119
be thinking about, there lived a fox named Oliver, who was,

453
00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:35,880
by all reliable accounts, extremely sleepy most of the time.

454
00:49:37,519 --> 00:49:42,760
Oliver was not lazy exactly. He simply believed that the

455
00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:47,440
world worked better when one approached it gently, with regular

456
00:49:47,519 --> 00:49:52,880
pauses for tea, thoughtful staring at clouds, and the occasional

457
00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:58,880
nap taken with professional dedication. His burrow sat beneath an

458
00:49:58,960 --> 00:50:04,559
elderly willowed tree whose branches drooped so comfortably that birds

459
00:50:04,679 --> 00:50:08,920
often forgot why they had started flying and settled down

460
00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:13,159
for a while. It was the sort of place where

461
00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:19,440
afternoons stretched politely and evenings arrived like a quiet guest

462
00:50:20,119 --> 00:50:25,280
removing their shoes at the door. Oliver liked it very much.

463
00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:31,440
Each morning, he would wake slowly, stretch each pore with

464
00:50:31,519 --> 00:50:36,280
the seriousness of a philosopher considering a difficult question, and

465
00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:40,960
wander outside to see whether anything interesting had happened overnight.

466
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:50,480
Usually it had not. Sometimes a mushroom appeared, once a

467
00:50:50,559 --> 00:50:56,320
hedgehog attempted to invent a hat. On one memorable Tuesday,

468
00:50:56,559 --> 00:51:00,199
a cloud looked very much like a kettle, which Oliver

469
00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:05,840
felt was a promising sign for Tea. But mostly the

470
00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:14,360
meadow remained peacefully, undecided about doing anything dramatic. This suited

471
00:51:14,440 --> 00:51:22,000
Oliver perfectly. Unfortunately, the universe has a long and mischievous

472
00:51:22,079 --> 00:51:26,840
history of disturbing creatures who are trying to be comfortable.

473
00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:32,840
One evening, just as the sky had turned the color

474
00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:37,000
of soft peaches, and the crickets were clearing their throats

475
00:51:37,039 --> 00:51:41,280
for the night shift. Oliver was settling into his favorite

476
00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:46,079
patch of moss to begin what he called his preliminary nap,

477
00:51:46,480 --> 00:51:53,119
before the proper nap. He had just closed one eye,

478
00:51:53,159 --> 00:51:58,440
then the other, then opened one eye again because something

479
00:51:58,559 --> 00:52:03,960
unusual had floated passed his nose. It was a boat.

480
00:52:05,519 --> 00:52:09,239
This might not sound terribly strange if one lives beside

481
00:52:09,239 --> 00:52:14,519
a river, but Oliver did not live beside a river.

482
00:52:16,159 --> 00:52:20,920
He lived in a meadow, and this boat was drifting

483
00:52:21,039 --> 00:52:24,840
slowly through the tall grass, as if the meadow had

484
00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:29,000
temporarily decided to become an ocean but had forgotten to

485
00:52:29,079 --> 00:52:36,480
inform anyone. Oliver sat up. The boat was small, wooden,

486
00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:41,119
slightly crooked, and carrying what appeared to be a suitcase,

487
00:52:41,440 --> 00:52:45,679
a lantern, and a hat that looked deeply suspicious of

488
00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:52,000
its surroundings. The boat drifted gently until it stopped beside

489
00:52:52,079 --> 00:52:56,079
Oliver's moss patch, with the soft bump of someone politely

490
00:52:56,199 --> 00:53:01,719
arriving somewhere they had never meant to visit. Oliver stared

491
00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:06,239
at it for a while. The boat stared back in

492
00:53:06,360 --> 00:53:13,639
the quiet, dignified way boats have. Finally, Oliver cleared his throat.

493
00:53:15,119 --> 00:53:20,639
Good evening, he said, because politeness remains useful even when

494
00:53:20,639 --> 00:53:28,480
addressing mysterious meadow boats. The lantern flickered, the hat twitched,

495
00:53:30,039 --> 00:53:33,639
and the boat said, in a creaky voice that sounded

496
00:53:33,760 --> 00:53:41,800
like old floorboards, remembering things. Ah good a fox, Oliver

497
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:50,679
blinked slowly. A boat that talks, He murmured. Yes, Yes,

498
00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:58,079
said the boat. Nothing to worry about happens occasionally on Thursdays.

499
00:53:59,119 --> 00:54:02,000
Oliver looked up at the sky to check whether it

500
00:54:02,079 --> 00:54:10,320
was Thursday. The sky did not answer, It's Wednesday, Oliver said.

501
00:54:12,039 --> 00:54:16,599
The boat sighed heavily, the way boats sigh when their

502
00:54:16,639 --> 00:54:23,599
schedules have gone badly wrong. Well, that explains the navigation problem,

503
00:54:24,079 --> 00:54:34,280
it said. Oliver leaned forward, slightly. Navigation problem, he repeated, Yes,

504
00:54:34,880 --> 00:54:39,360
said the boat. I was meant to be sailing along

505
00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:43,320
the river of quiet journeys, but I appeared to have

506
00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:49,880
drifted into a meadow instead. Oliver considered this information with

507
00:54:49,960 --> 00:54:54,400
the careful calm of someone who had once accidentally fallen

508
00:54:54,440 --> 00:54:58,360
asleep in a wheelbarrow, and therefore tried not to judge

509
00:54:58,440 --> 00:55:08,400
situations too quickly. That does sound inconvenient he said extremely,

510
00:55:08,880 --> 00:55:14,840
said the boat, particularly because my passenger has not arrived yet.

511
00:55:16,519 --> 00:55:23,840
Oliver looked into the boat. There was the suitcase, the lantern,

512
00:55:25,679 --> 00:55:32,559
the suspicious hat, but no passenger. I don't see anyone,

513
00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:40,639
Oliver said, that's the trouble, said the boat, you're the passenger.

514
00:55:42,320 --> 00:55:49,840
Oliver paused. He checked behind him. There was still only meadow.

515
00:55:51,320 --> 00:55:57,280
He checked the willow tree. It was still a tree.

516
00:55:57,599 --> 00:56:02,199
Then he looked back at the boat. I think there

517
00:56:02,239 --> 00:56:08,440
has been a mistake, Oliver said politely. I'm very busy

518
00:56:08,480 --> 00:56:17,599
this evening. The boat tilted slightly, busy doing what it asked.

519
00:56:18,599 --> 00:56:25,400
Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it again. I was

520
00:56:25,480 --> 00:56:32,840
planning to sleep, he admitted, a noble activity, said the boat.

521
00:56:34,960 --> 00:56:41,840
But this voyage is particularly suitable for sleepy individuals. Oliver

522
00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:48,960
scratched behind one ear thoughtfully. What sort of voyage, he asked,

523
00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:56,199
A quiet one, said the boat. The river of quiet

524
00:56:56,320 --> 00:57:03,880
journeys flows through places where the world slows down, lantern islands,

525
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:12,559
drifting fog gardens, fields where the stars practice shining before

526
00:57:12,679 --> 00:57:20,320
nighttime officially begins. Oliver's ears twitched slightly at that last part.

527
00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:28,280
He had always wondered where stars practiced still a sensible

528
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:33,639
fox avoids unnecessary voyages when moss patches and naps are

529
00:57:33,719 --> 00:57:42,719
readily available. I appreciate the invitation, Oliver said, carefully, but

530
00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:49,639
I am quite comfortable here. The boat rocked gently. Yes,

531
00:57:50,199 --> 00:57:58,679
it said, that is exactly why you must come. Oliver frowned.

532
00:58:00,679 --> 00:58:09,119
That reasoning seems suspicious. Not suspicious, said the boat traditional.

533
00:58:11,119 --> 00:58:15,480
The river of quiet journeys only appears for travelers who

534
00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:21,760
were already good at resting. Otherwise everyone would rush around

535
00:58:21,800 --> 00:58:27,320
on it and ruin the atmosphere. Oliver had to admit

536
00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:33,639
that made a certain kind of sense. Before he could respond,

537
00:58:34,079 --> 00:58:40,679
the lanterns suddenly glowed brighter. The air in the meadow changed.

538
00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:46,559
The tall grass began to sway in long, slow waves,

539
00:58:47,159 --> 00:58:53,159
as if remembering something ancient and watery. Then, with the

540
00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:56,880
quiet sound of distant tide pulling at the edges of

541
00:58:56,920 --> 00:59:02,199
the world, a narrow ribbon of shimmering water appeared between

542
00:59:02,239 --> 00:59:07,920
the blades of grass. It curved gently through the meadow,

543
00:59:08,719 --> 00:59:17,639
like a path made from moonlight and patient ideas. Oliver stared, well,

544
00:59:18,280 --> 00:59:25,320
he said, softly, that is new. The boat looked pleased

545
00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:33,039
with itself. There we are, it said, right on schedule.

546
00:59:33,199 --> 00:59:38,159
After all. Oliver walked around the edge of the water ribbon.

547
00:59:39,840 --> 00:59:44,039
The surface reflected the sky, even though the sky was

548
00:59:44,079 --> 00:59:48,719
still above it, which Oliver felt was slightly unfair to gravity.

549
00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:58,000
The lantern flickered again, the suitcase shifted politely, and the

550
00:59:58,079 --> 01:00:02,480
hat gave Oliver what could only be described as a

551
01:00:02,639 --> 01:00:08,519
very encouraging nod. Oliver sighed the long sigh of a

552
01:00:08,559 --> 01:00:15,199
creature whose evening has clearly changed direction. If I come,

553
01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:24,320
he said, slowly, will the voyage be very energetic? Absolutely not,

554
01:00:24,840 --> 01:00:31,239
said the boat. In fact, we strongly discourage energetic behavior.

555
01:00:32,880 --> 01:00:39,800
Oliver climbed into the boat. It felt surprisingly comfortable, like

556
01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:46,239
sitting inside a well organized thought. The moment he settled down,

557
01:00:46,960 --> 01:00:52,639
the lantern dimmed to a soft golden glow, The water

558
01:00:52,800 --> 01:00:59,280
ribbon widened slightly, and the boat began drifting forward with

559
01:00:59,400 --> 01:01:04,840
the quiet confidence of something that knew exactly where naps belonged.

560
01:01:06,719 --> 01:01:12,360
Oliver curled his tail around his paws. The meadow began

561
01:01:12,599 --> 01:01:18,480
sliding gently away behind them, and as the first curious

562
01:01:18,519 --> 01:01:24,199
stars appeared above the drifting river, the sleepy fox discovered

563
01:01:24,639 --> 01:01:30,559
that sometimes the most peculiar voyages begins simply because it

564
01:01:30,679 --> 01:01:36,960
seemed rude to refuse a talking boat. The little boat

565
01:01:37,159 --> 01:01:42,159
drifted forward with the unhurried confidence of something that had

566
01:01:42,199 --> 01:01:47,119
traveled this river many times before and had no intention

567
01:01:47,280 --> 01:01:55,719
of rushing, simply because the world outside tended to do so.

568
01:01:55,960 --> 01:01:59,920
Oliver settled deeper into the wooden seat and watched the

569
01:02:00,199 --> 01:02:04,880
meadows slowly dissolved behind them into a gentle haze of

570
01:02:05,000 --> 01:02:12,760
grass and fireflies. It did not vanish suddenly, it faded,

571
01:02:12,880 --> 01:02:17,480
the way a memory fades when one becomes pleasantly distracted

572
01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:24,159
by something new and slightly mysterious. The ribbon of water

573
01:02:24,360 --> 01:02:27,880
widened as they moved, until it was no longer a

574
01:02:27,960 --> 01:02:32,199
ribbon at all, but a narrow, quiet river that seemed

575
01:02:32,199 --> 01:02:35,960
to flow not through the meadow, but slightly beside it,

576
01:02:37,280 --> 01:02:40,760
as if the river preferred its own version of geography.

577
01:02:42,800 --> 01:02:48,079
The lantern at the bow glowed softly, painting warm circles

578
01:02:48,119 --> 01:02:51,880
of light on the water that drifted away behind them

579
01:02:52,400 --> 01:03:01,039
like floating thoughts. Oliver yawned. Excuse me, he said, politely,

580
01:03:01,119 --> 01:03:06,519
to the lantern. The lantern flickered in a forgiving sort

581
01:03:06,559 --> 01:03:12,119
of way. You'll find yawning is very common on this river,

582
01:03:12,719 --> 01:03:18,079
said the boat, in its creaky voice. Most travelers do

583
01:03:18,159 --> 01:03:25,039
it within the first ten minutes. Oliver nodded sleepily. That

584
01:03:25,320 --> 01:03:31,159
sounds reassuring, he said. They floated onward for a while

585
01:03:31,840 --> 01:03:38,079
in companionable quiet. The water made a soft brushing sound

586
01:03:38,480 --> 01:03:42,559
against the sides of the boat, like someone gently turning

587
01:03:42,639 --> 01:03:50,199
pages in a large, peaceful book. Oliver watched the sky carefully.

588
01:03:50,920 --> 01:03:55,440
The stars above were beginning to arrange themselves into neat,

589
01:03:55,920 --> 01:04:01,440
thoughtful patterns, as though rehearsing their evening performanths before the

590
01:04:01,559 --> 01:04:07,480
night fully arrived. Do they really practice, Oliver asked quietly.

591
01:04:09,199 --> 01:04:16,719
The stars, Oh, yes, said the boat. They take their

592
01:04:16,760 --> 01:04:23,599
work quite seriously. One cannot simply appear every night without

593
01:04:23,639 --> 01:04:31,480
a little preparation. Oliver felt that was very responsible of them.

594
01:04:31,760 --> 01:04:35,440
Soon the river curved around a bend where the air

595
01:04:35,599 --> 01:04:40,159
became pleasantly misty, and the lantern light turned the fog

596
01:04:40,599 --> 01:04:48,760
into slow drifting ribbons of gold shapes appeared ahead. Small

597
01:04:48,920 --> 01:04:54,440
islands floated on the water, each carrying a single object.

598
01:04:55,840 --> 01:05:00,239
One island held a rocking chair, gently rocking or all

599
01:05:00,320 --> 01:05:07,239
by itself. Another carried a teacup that occasionally released a

600
01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:12,960
polite puff of steam. A third island held a large

601
01:05:13,039 --> 01:05:18,400
sleeping cat who appeared to be dreaming about something extremely important.

602
01:05:20,039 --> 01:05:29,079
Oliver leaned forward slightly. What are those, he asked. Lantern islands,

603
01:05:29,719 --> 01:05:35,480
said the boat. They collect quiet moments that wander away

604
01:05:35,639 --> 01:05:41,760
from busy places. Oliver watched the rocking chair sway gently.

605
01:05:44,159 --> 01:05:51,239
That seems like a nice job, he murmured. They drifted past, slowly,

606
01:05:51,960 --> 01:05:56,639
so as not to disturb the sleeping cat. The cat

607
01:05:56,679 --> 01:06:00,400
twitched one whisker in its dream, and then settled again.

608
01:06:01,920 --> 01:06:08,599
The river widened once more, the fog thinned, and ahead

609
01:06:08,599 --> 01:06:13,000
of them rose a cluster of tall reeds that whispered

610
01:06:13,079 --> 01:06:18,719
softly to one another. As the boat approached. From somewhere

611
01:06:18,719 --> 01:06:24,599
within the reeds came a low, thoughtful humming sound. Oliver

612
01:06:24,719 --> 01:06:30,559
listened carefully. It sounded like someone humming while trying to

613
01:06:30,599 --> 01:06:36,000
remember where they had put something. As the boat glided closer,

614
01:06:36,760 --> 01:06:42,320
a turtle appeared between the reeds. He was wearing round

615
01:06:42,360 --> 01:06:48,119
spectacles and holding a tiny note book. He looked up slowly.

616
01:06:48,960 --> 01:06:55,519
Which turtles are particularly good at doing. Evening, said the turtle.

617
01:06:57,400 --> 01:07:05,119
Evening said the boat, routine voyage. The turtle made a

618
01:07:05,239 --> 01:07:13,360
careful note in his notebook. Passenger, he asked, the boat

619
01:07:13,599 --> 01:07:22,440
nodded slightly toward Oliver. Tired fox, it said. Excellent, said

620
01:07:22,480 --> 01:07:31,119
the turtle. Tired passengers make the calmest journeys. Oliver felt

621
01:07:31,159 --> 01:07:37,360
proud of this qualification. The turtle adjusted his spectacles and

622
01:07:37,480 --> 01:07:45,280
studied Oliver for a moment. Remember, he said, kindly, the

623
01:07:45,400 --> 01:07:52,079
river travels fastest when nobody notices. Oliver thought that was

624
01:07:52,280 --> 01:07:57,679
very wise advice. The boat drifted on through the reeds,

625
01:07:58,360 --> 01:08:04,159
leaving the turtle quiet, writing in his notebook again. For

626
01:08:04,199 --> 01:08:09,000
a while, the river became very smooth and very quiet.

627
01:08:10,440 --> 01:08:17,760
The lantern dimmed slightly, as if encouraging softer thoughts. Oliver

628
01:08:17,920 --> 01:08:23,520
felt his eyelids growing heavier. The gentle movement of the

629
01:08:23,520 --> 01:08:27,640
boat made the world feel like a cradle being rocked

630
01:08:27,720 --> 01:08:33,720
by an extremely patient giant. Just as Oliver was about

631
01:08:33,720 --> 01:08:37,920
to drift into a small, comfortable doze, the hat beside

632
01:08:37,920 --> 01:08:45,760
the suitcase suddenly cleared its throat. Oliver looked down in surprise. Oh,

633
01:08:46,199 --> 01:08:53,640
he said, I forgot about you. Most people do, said

634
01:08:53,640 --> 01:09:05,520
the hat cheerfully. I'm Harold, Oliver nodded politely. Oliver. He replied, yes,

635
01:09:05,800 --> 01:09:13,199
I know, said Harold. The boat mentioned it earlier. Oliver

636
01:09:13,279 --> 01:09:16,520
had not noticed the boat mentioning it, but he decided

637
01:09:16,560 --> 01:09:21,199
not to argue. The hat shifted slightly on the seat.

638
01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:31,239
First voyage, Harold asked, yes, said Oliver, I was planning

639
01:09:31,279 --> 01:09:36,520
to sleep in my moss patch instead. A common beginning,

640
01:09:37,159 --> 01:09:43,640
said Harold wisely. But travelers often discover that sleep is

641
01:09:43,800 --> 01:09:49,560
even better when the river carries it along. Oliver found

642
01:09:49,560 --> 01:09:59,119
that idea extremely appealing. They continued drifting quietly. Soon the

643
01:09:59,199 --> 01:10:03,560
sky deem into a deeper blue, the kind that only

644
01:10:03,600 --> 01:10:10,279
appears when night is fully considering its arrival. The stars

645
01:10:10,319 --> 01:10:17,359
above grew brighter and steadier. Somewhere far away, an owl

646
01:10:17,560 --> 01:10:22,359
cooled once, and then decided that was quite enough talking

647
01:10:22,520 --> 01:10:30,000
for the evening. The river curved again ahead. Oliver could

648
01:10:30,079 --> 01:10:33,960
see a stretch of water so calm that the lantern

649
01:10:34,079 --> 01:10:39,920
light rested on it without moving. The boat slowed slightly.

650
01:10:42,399 --> 01:10:45,880
This part is called the floating quiet, it said softly.

651
01:10:47,960 --> 01:10:54,359
Most passengers fall asleep here. Oliver felt his tail curl

652
01:10:54,479 --> 01:11:02,479
comfortably around his paws. The lantern glow warm the wooden seat,

653
01:11:03,239 --> 01:11:09,039
The water whispered softly beneath them. He leaned back against

654
01:11:09,039 --> 01:11:17,680
the suitcase. This is very pleasant, he murmured, exactly said

655
01:11:17,680 --> 01:11:24,760
the boat. Oliver watched the sky one last time. A

656
01:11:24,800 --> 01:11:29,840
few late stars drifted into their places, like careful musicians

657
01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:35,920
joining an orchestra just before the music begins. The river

658
01:11:36,159 --> 01:11:41,840
carried them gently forward. The lantern dimmed to a soft,

659
01:11:42,079 --> 01:11:48,800
sleepy glow, and somewhere between one slow ripple and the next,

660
01:11:48,840 --> 01:11:53,399
the very sleepy fox closed his eyes and drifted into

661
01:11:53,439 --> 01:11:59,720
the quietest nap of the entire peculiar voyage. The boat

662
01:12:00,000 --> 01:12:06,239
continued sailing softly beneath the patient stars, carrying its passenger

663
01:12:06,439 --> 01:12:10,680
deeper along the River of quiet Journeys, where many more

664
01:12:10,920 --> 01:13:12,279
peaceful curiosities waited further downstream, includ