December 15, 2025 • 19 mins
How many of you love to dream? And how many of you drag out bedtime because you’re
afraid of a scary one? Well, Doug gets it! He even tried sleeping with one eye open. But
when he started looking a little frazzled from no sleep, Doug got some great advice that
turned his whole view of dreams upside down. Now he can’t WAIT for bedtime—because
when Doug learns to take control of his dreams, the sky’s the limit!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Cancel to paper.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Sketching you art on this page. What kind of journey
will this drawing bring to life? Today?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Another adventure waits for you.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
A ro scout and Layla.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
My comment wong to It's imagination time.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
And Curiosity cold Curiosity came, It's a magical place.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Come Troup, Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
To Adventures of Curiosity.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Cald Hello, and welcome back to season three of Adventures
of Curiosity.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Cod It's meet Ella the.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Curious and whether you're joining us for the first time
or coming back for more adventures, I'm so thrilled to
have you here. This season, we'll dive into brand new
adventures from my treehouse. Think cozy beanbags, fluffy pillows, and
of course my favorite stuffy row right by my side.
It's peaceful, almost like my mom just used her relaxing
(01:29):
dreams pray. Perfect for story time. So what are we
waiting for? Let's dive in Doug's Dreams, Part one.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
Doug's Dreams. How many of you are dreamers? How many
of you are afraid of your dreams? And how many
of you can't wait to jump into bed just to
start dreaming again. Well, this story is about Doug Deeter.
Doug loved to dream. He couldn't wait to pull up
the covers, close his eye, and dive into the wild, wacky,
(02:02):
and wonderful worlds waiting for him in his sleep. But
it wasn't always like this. Just a few years ago,
Doug hated bedtime. He'd stall, protest, push his limits. He
was always the last one to bed and often the
first one awake. His parents couldn't figure it out. Why
(02:26):
was Doug always dragging his feet at night but then
falling asleep during the day, Even at age ten, They
caught him more than once under the covers with a
flashlight in a book because screen time after five pm
was absolutely forbidden. Something seemed off.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Honey, Are you sure there's nothing wrong. You just seem
like you're having trouble sleeping lately.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Nope, everything's great. Sometimes I'm just so excited for the
next day that I have a hard time falling asleep. Well,
you know, if you got better sleep, you'd actually enjoy
all the excitement even more. You'd be the best version
of you, ready for anything the day throws at you. Hmm, thanks, dad,
(03:13):
that makes sense. Doug's mom and dad didn't know what
else to do except love him. Through whatever this no
sleep phase was. He seemed happy and full of energy,
but his body was telling a different story. Dark circles
had settled under his eyes. He started forgetting homework assignments,
losing his train of thought mid sentence, and even blanking
(03:35):
on simple words. It was clear the lack of sleep
was starting to effect more than just his energy. It
was taking a toll on his brain. One afternoon at
football practice, Doug was tossing the ball around with his
best friend Nick when the topic came up, so think
we could beat the Tigers this weekend? Doug looked at
(03:57):
Nick with a concerned look. That's this weekend? Are you
kidding me, dude? When Nick saw he wasn't kidding, he said, Doug,
what's going on with you lately? You look tired all
the time and you're always forgetting things. Are you all right?
Doug was tired of pretending everything was okay when it wasn't.
(04:18):
It was exhausting always having to come up with a
fib when people asked if he was all right, And besides,
Nick was his best friend, he could tell him anything.
I just haven't been sleeping much lately, well, for like
a few months. How are you not sleeping after all
these brutal practices in the sun. Well, it's gonna sound
(04:42):
really dumb, but I had this awful dream a few
months ago and it felt so real I've been scared
to go back to sleep ever since. Why is that dumb?
Every kid our age has had tons of terrible dreams
by now. I had one last night. Actually, whoa. Nick
shudders at the memory of his own dream. But you
(05:04):
know what I do. I lie in bed and do
this breathing thing my dad taught me. He's a scuba diver.
And after that, think of something super awesome I'd want
to do, like swimming with dolphins in the open ocean. Ooh,
one time, I imagine flying through the clouds with Zeus
and then we started playing guitar in a rock band
and that became my dream. You should totally try it out. Whoa,
(05:28):
that's amazing. What's the breathing thing? Oh, it's simple. You
breathe in for account of four, then exhale super slowly
for a count of eight. Just keep repeating that. The
counting helps keep my mind from spinning. I just focus
on how the air feels coming in and out, and
(05:50):
then you end up jamming with Zeus. Well not every night.
That Zeu's thing was just one dream. Most nights, I
just picked the coolest thing I saw that day. Like
one time I saw someone doing a trick on a
jet ski, so that night I imagined I was on
a jet ski. In my dream, I became a pro
jet skier, doing flips and winning medals and stuff. Man,
(06:11):
so jealous. Sounds like all your dreams are awesome. Not
all of them. One time I was skateboarding and doing
tricks when this huge, scary guy with really rotten teeth
started chasing me. I couldn't kick fast enough, and just
when he was about to grab me, bam, I woke up. Yeah,
(06:33):
that happens to me all the time. Oh, and don't
eat sugar before bed? Why not? I always have a
snack before bed. Don't do it, Doug. I'm telling you,
every time I eat sugar before bed, I have crazy dreams,
like really weird ones. He eat a pear or some
(06:55):
berries or a banana or something. Trust me. Oh okay, Anyway,
I think you're so focused on not having scary dreams
that it turns into a self fulfilling prophecy. What's a
self fulfilling prophecy. Oh, so my dad explained it to me.
It's pretty simple. Whatever you think will happen is more
(07:15):
likely to actually happen. Like if I'm going out for
a pass in football and I keep saying, ah, I'm
gonna drop it, I'm gonna drop it, then I probably
will drop it. I've psyched myself out. But if I
don't think about it, or even better, I say I'm
gonna catch this and actually believe it, then I'm way
more likely to catch it. So I can't just say
(07:39):
I'll have good dreams. I have to actually believe it. Yep,
that's the trick. You gotta mean it. You already believe
you'll have bad dreams, right, so your brain just runs
with it. But saying out loud what you want helps
you start believing it. Huh Okay. So if I believe
(08:02):
I'm gonna have a good dream, I probably will. But
if I just say it and don't believe it, then
I'm still stuck bingo, self fulfilling prophecy, Man, how do
you know all this? Honestly, my parents I used to
think they didn't know anything, but then my uncle told
(08:23):
me they used to be our age which totally blew
my mind. So I started asking them stuff. Now we
talk about everything. Turns out parents are actually pretty smart. Huh,
never thought of it like that. Yep, Look, you've got
(08:44):
the power. A lot of pro athletes imagine themselves winning
the game before they even step onto the field. But hey,
sometimes you don't win or you get a weird result.
That's okay, it just happens. Doesn't mean you stop trying.
Just keep thinking the best water breaks over. Back to drills.
(09:05):
All right, game faced eater, let's go. Nick and Doug
run out to the field. Later that night, at dinner,
Doug is scarfing down his chicken and cauliflower when his
dad asks, so, how's football going? You ready for the Tigers? Oh? Man,
I totally forgot about the Tigers game this weekend until
(09:27):
Nick told me you forgot about the Tigers game? Yeah silly,
I know. Well, actually, I uh just haven't been sleeping
well lately. Oh no, tell us more. Well, I think
(09:51):
it was like in March, I had this really awful
dream and it really scared me, and since then I
just get really scared before going to bed.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Why didn't you tell us, honey?
Speaker 5 (10:03):
I just thought you guys would think I was being
a scaredy cat. I'm a scaredy cat. Sometimes. Your mom
had to kill a spider for me. The other night
it was hanging on our ceiling, right above my side
of the bed. Doug laughs. You gotta tell us, Bud.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
If you don't, we can't help you through it.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
Well, I wanted to try to be tough so you
guys would be proud of me. Being tough isn't what
makes us proud of you. Being the great human with
a great heart is why we're always proud of you, Doug.
So how can we help? Well, Nick gave me some
really good advice. Oh yeah, he taught me a breathing technique.
(10:43):
And then imagine myself doing something totally cool and it
will turn into a dream. Well, your mom's the expert
in breathing, but I can tell you from experience. Then
when I go to bed thinking about how to fix
my old nineteen seventy one barracuda, I usually end up
fixing it in my so great advice to think about
cool things before bed.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Breathing exercises are amazing. They help calm your nerves, curb anxiety.
They can even help a digestion.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Really, how can breathing help you digest food?
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Oh, it's miraculous.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Next time you have an upset tummy, try sitting or
laying in a comfy position and breathing deep, slow inhales,
then slowly exhaling. Breath work is all about imagining the
oxygen that you breathe in is healing your body. It
can help with so many difficulties.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Wow, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
So do you feel more confident about getting some sleep tonight.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
I'm a little nervous, but excited to try this new technique.
I think I'm gonna try it too.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
I've been practicing breathwork before bed ever since I had you.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
That night, Doug's mom and dad tucked him into bed,
and his dad opened up Doug's favorite book series, the
one about young wizards who could fly into the night,
cast spells and conquer monsters. Doug's eyes lit up. He
hung on every word like he was hearing it for
the very first time, And when his dad finished the chapter,
(12:19):
kissed him good night and quietly closed the door, Doug
sat straight up in bed. Doug, the answer was there
all along. His dad had been reading his book series
every night, and every night Doug wished he could be
in the story. He wanted so badly to be a
(12:39):
wizard with powers, but somehow, when his dad turned off
the light and left the room, the magic would fade.
That's when his monstrous imagination took over. Kids, you can
use this trick to every one of you has a
magical imagination and a monstrous imagination. And if the monstrous
(13:00):
imagination starts creeping in at the wrong time, just say,
monstrous imagination, get behind me. It's magical imagination's turn. And
that's exactly what Doug did that night. He lay in
bed and started breathing deeply, just like Nick taught him. Inhale,
(13:23):
exhale again and again, and to his chest felt light
and floaty. He smiled, and then he began to imagine
what would I do if I were a wizard. He
pictured himself holding a wand just as the dream began
to take shape, boom, that same scary monster from before
(13:46):
came crashing into his thoughts. Doug couldn't stop picturing its
awful teeth, its bulging eyes, how real it all felt.
But instead of trying to block it out, Doug did
something new. He added to the story this time he
was the powerful wizard. He gripped his wand tight and
(14:08):
pointed it at the monster. The monster flew off the ground,
it slammed back down. Doug waved his wand side to side,
and the monster started shaking in mid air, moaning and
begging him to stopoo e stop. And with one final
whip of the wand, the monster shot up into the
(14:29):
sky and disappeared into the stars. Doug let out a
deep sigh. Oh that was way easier than I expected,
he thought, smiling. Then he spotted it leaning against the wall.
The broom. Not just any broom, the broom from the book.
(14:53):
Doug knew it could fly. He jumped on and shot
into the night sky, soaring through the clouds and streaks
of stars. He took huge dips like a rollercoaster, then
zoom straight up, laughing. Kids, Doug doesn't even know it yet,
but he's already asleep and dreaming. That's how fast it happens.
(15:16):
One moment you're thinking your thoughts, and the next boom,
you're in a dream. Up, Up, Up. He flew wind
in his hair, stars in his fingertips, when suddenly a
few familiar faces joined him in the sky friends from school,
characters from the book, and one in particular, duck It,
(15:37):
the adventurous boy from his dad's bedtime stories. They were
soaring above a giant, fluffy cloud when Duckett turned towards
Doug and shouted over here. Doug turned towards the sound
and spotted duck Itt zipping downward, pointing below the clouds.
As Doug followed, the mist began to glow, first gold,
(15:58):
then pink, then green, until the fog itself seemed to
pulse with color. Music drifted up through the haze, tinkling tunes,
deep drum rolls, whistles, and the distant roar of something animal.
As they broke through the cloud layer, Dug gasped. Below
(16:19):
them sprawled a carnival, huge, colorful and buzzing with life.
A massive ferris wheel lit up the sky like a
moon made of moving color. Roller coasters looped and twisted
through the air, with riders screaming joyfully. There were tents
and every color red, gold, midnight blue, and they looked
(16:39):
like they had been stitched together from pieces of starlight
and old circus posters. They landed in a grassy field
just outside the entrance, where A large sign arched over
the gate. It was made of glowing letters that shifted
color slowly. The stardust carnival and the lights sparkled like
(16:59):
some and It's hidden fireworks inside the balls. Standing at
the front was a tall man with a striped hat
maybe two feet high, and a sharp blue coat with
silver buttons. His pants were just as bold, and his shoes, well,
they were shiny enough to reflect the ferris wheel behind him.
His voice had a showman's boom to it, like he
(17:21):
could be heard across the entire park. Well, come, well, come, welcome.
You've arrived at the most incredible carnival your dreams could
ever imagine. Games of skill, rides of Wanda, prize is
beyond your belief. Come one, come all. He looked right
at Doug and winked, and especially you, Doug. We've been
(17:44):
waiting for you.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I want to go to bed right now, Doug definitely
maybe want to actually sleep when my mom says it's time,
and not try to drive the conversations out.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
But out they go tonight. I hope you enjoyed our
podcast story as much as I did. Today.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Boy was I come fee and cozy and all tuned in.
If you loved what you listened to, please leave us
a five star review, but only if you.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Really mean it. We love hearing your feedback.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
It helps us grow so we can continue to bring
stories to you In all our curious listeners, you.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Never know you might even get a shout out from
me here in the Cove.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
I'd like to give a shout out to Brooks, Aristotle,
and Langston. I heard your big fans of Elle the Curious,
and I'm a big fan of you guys.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
All right, I need a snack, so I'm headed back home.
Until next time. Friends, we never say goodbye. It's always
see you later. Adventures of Curiosity Cove was created by
Tika Sumter and Nicholas Muscarella.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Written by Nicholas James Muscarella.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
Adventures of Curiosity Coves theme song was written and composed
by Matty Limb and sung by Laura Saraphine. Engineered by
Robert Aultchuler, sound effects by Command Creative Studios. Ella the
Curious is an original story series created by Tika Sumter.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
At Curiosity, Come, Curiosity, Come get some magical place, Come Up.
Welcome to Acdentures Up. Curiosity, Come This is a Fort
(19:42):
Sumter production
Cancel to paper.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Sketching you art on this page. What kind of journey
will this drawing bring to life? Today?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Another adventure waits for you.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
A ro scout and Layla.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
My comment wong to It's imagination time.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
And Curiosity cold Curiosity came, It's a magical place.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Come Troup, Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
To Adventures of Curiosity.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Cald Hello, and welcome back to season three of Adventures
of Curiosity.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Cod It's meet Ella the.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Curious and whether you're joining us for the first time
or coming back for more adventures, I'm so thrilled to
have you here. This season, we'll dive into brand new
adventures from my treehouse. Think cozy beanbags, fluffy pillows, and
of course my favorite stuffy row right by my side.
It's peaceful, almost like my mom just used her relaxing
(01:29):
dreams pray. Perfect for story time. So what are we
waiting for? Let's dive in Doug's Dreams, Part one.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
Doug's Dreams. How many of you are dreamers? How many
of you are afraid of your dreams? And how many
of you can't wait to jump into bed just to
start dreaming again. Well, this story is about Doug Deeter.
Doug loved to dream. He couldn't wait to pull up
the covers, close his eye, and dive into the wild, wacky,
(02:02):
and wonderful worlds waiting for him in his sleep. But
it wasn't always like this. Just a few years ago,
Doug hated bedtime. He'd stall, protest, push his limits. He
was always the last one to bed and often the
first one awake. His parents couldn't figure it out. Why
(02:26):
was Doug always dragging his feet at night but then
falling asleep during the day, Even at age ten, They
caught him more than once under the covers with a
flashlight in a book because screen time after five pm
was absolutely forbidden. Something seemed off.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Honey, Are you sure there's nothing wrong. You just seem
like you're having trouble sleeping lately.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Nope, everything's great. Sometimes I'm just so excited for the
next day that I have a hard time falling asleep. Well,
you know, if you got better sleep, you'd actually enjoy
all the excitement even more. You'd be the best version
of you, ready for anything the day throws at you. Hmm, thanks, dad,
(03:13):
that makes sense. Doug's mom and dad didn't know what
else to do except love him. Through whatever this no
sleep phase was. He seemed happy and full of energy,
but his body was telling a different story. Dark circles
had settled under his eyes. He started forgetting homework assignments,
losing his train of thought mid sentence, and even blanking
(03:35):
on simple words. It was clear the lack of sleep
was starting to effect more than just his energy. It
was taking a toll on his brain. One afternoon at
football practice, Doug was tossing the ball around with his
best friend Nick when the topic came up, so think
we could beat the Tigers this weekend? Doug looked at
(03:57):
Nick with a concerned look. That's this weekend? Are you
kidding me, dude? When Nick saw he wasn't kidding, he said, Doug,
what's going on with you lately? You look tired all
the time and you're always forgetting things. Are you all right?
Doug was tired of pretending everything was okay when it wasn't.
(04:18):
It was exhausting always having to come up with a
fib when people asked if he was all right, And besides,
Nick was his best friend, he could tell him anything.
I just haven't been sleeping much lately, well, for like
a few months. How are you not sleeping after all
these brutal practices in the sun. Well, it's gonna sound
(04:42):
really dumb, but I had this awful dream a few
months ago and it felt so real I've been scared
to go back to sleep ever since. Why is that dumb?
Every kid our age has had tons of terrible dreams
by now. I had one last night. Actually, whoa. Nick
shudders at the memory of his own dream. But you
(05:04):
know what I do. I lie in bed and do
this breathing thing my dad taught me. He's a scuba diver.
And after that, think of something super awesome I'd want
to do, like swimming with dolphins in the open ocean. Ooh,
one time, I imagine flying through the clouds with Zeus
and then we started playing guitar in a rock band
and that became my dream. You should totally try it out. Whoa,
(05:28):
that's amazing. What's the breathing thing? Oh, it's simple. You
breathe in for account of four, then exhale super slowly
for a count of eight. Just keep repeating that. The
counting helps keep my mind from spinning. I just focus
on how the air feels coming in and out, and
(05:50):
then you end up jamming with Zeus. Well not every night.
That Zeu's thing was just one dream. Most nights, I
just picked the coolest thing I saw that day. Like
one time I saw someone doing a trick on a
jet ski, so that night I imagined I was on
a jet ski. In my dream, I became a pro
jet skier, doing flips and winning medals and stuff. Man,
(06:11):
so jealous. Sounds like all your dreams are awesome. Not
all of them. One time I was skateboarding and doing
tricks when this huge, scary guy with really rotten teeth
started chasing me. I couldn't kick fast enough, and just
when he was about to grab me, bam, I woke up. Yeah,
(06:33):
that happens to me all the time. Oh, and don't
eat sugar before bed? Why not? I always have a
snack before bed. Don't do it, Doug. I'm telling you,
every time I eat sugar before bed, I have crazy dreams,
like really weird ones. He eat a pear or some
(06:55):
berries or a banana or something. Trust me. Oh okay, Anyway,
I think you're so focused on not having scary dreams
that it turns into a self fulfilling prophecy. What's a
self fulfilling prophecy. Oh, so my dad explained it to me.
It's pretty simple. Whatever you think will happen is more
(07:15):
likely to actually happen. Like if I'm going out for
a pass in football and I keep saying, ah, I'm
gonna drop it, I'm gonna drop it, then I probably
will drop it. I've psyched myself out. But if I
don't think about it, or even better, I say I'm
gonna catch this and actually believe it, then I'm way
more likely to catch it. So I can't just say
(07:39):
I'll have good dreams. I have to actually believe it. Yep,
that's the trick. You gotta mean it. You already believe
you'll have bad dreams, right, so your brain just runs
with it. But saying out loud what you want helps
you start believing it. Huh Okay. So if I believe
(08:02):
I'm gonna have a good dream, I probably will. But
if I just say it and don't believe it, then
I'm still stuck bingo, self fulfilling prophecy, Man, how do
you know all this? Honestly, my parents I used to
think they didn't know anything, but then my uncle told
(08:23):
me they used to be our age which totally blew
my mind. So I started asking them stuff. Now we
talk about everything. Turns out parents are actually pretty smart. Huh,
never thought of it like that. Yep, Look, you've got
(08:44):
the power. A lot of pro athletes imagine themselves winning
the game before they even step onto the field. But hey,
sometimes you don't win or you get a weird result.
That's okay, it just happens. Doesn't mean you stop trying.
Just keep thinking the best water breaks over. Back to drills.
(09:05):
All right, game faced eater, let's go. Nick and Doug
run out to the field. Later that night, at dinner,
Doug is scarfing down his chicken and cauliflower when his
dad asks, so, how's football going? You ready for the Tigers? Oh? Man,
I totally forgot about the Tigers game this weekend until
(09:27):
Nick told me you forgot about the Tigers game? Yeah silly,
I know. Well, actually, I uh just haven't been sleeping
well lately. Oh no, tell us more. Well, I think
(09:51):
it was like in March, I had this really awful
dream and it really scared me, and since then I
just get really scared before going to bed.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Why didn't you tell us, honey?
Speaker 5 (10:03):
I just thought you guys would think I was being
a scaredy cat. I'm a scaredy cat. Sometimes. Your mom
had to kill a spider for me. The other night
it was hanging on our ceiling, right above my side
of the bed. Doug laughs. You gotta tell us, Bud.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
If you don't, we can't help you through it.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
Well, I wanted to try to be tough so you
guys would be proud of me. Being tough isn't what
makes us proud of you. Being the great human with
a great heart is why we're always proud of you, Doug.
So how can we help? Well, Nick gave me some
really good advice. Oh yeah, he taught me a breathing technique.
(10:43):
And then imagine myself doing something totally cool and it
will turn into a dream. Well, your mom's the expert
in breathing, but I can tell you from experience. Then
when I go to bed thinking about how to fix
my old nineteen seventy one barracuda, I usually end up
fixing it in my so great advice to think about
cool things before bed.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Breathing exercises are amazing. They help calm your nerves, curb anxiety.
They can even help a digestion.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Really, how can breathing help you digest food?
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Oh, it's miraculous.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Next time you have an upset tummy, try sitting or
laying in a comfy position and breathing deep, slow inhales,
then slowly exhaling. Breath work is all about imagining the
oxygen that you breathe in is healing your body. It
can help with so many difficulties.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Wow, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
So do you feel more confident about getting some sleep tonight.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
I'm a little nervous, but excited to try this new technique.
I think I'm gonna try it too.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
I've been practicing breathwork before bed ever since I had you.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
That night, Doug's mom and dad tucked him into bed,
and his dad opened up Doug's favorite book series, the
one about young wizards who could fly into the night,
cast spells and conquer monsters. Doug's eyes lit up. He
hung on every word like he was hearing it for
the very first time, And when his dad finished the chapter,
(12:19):
kissed him good night and quietly closed the door, Doug
sat straight up in bed. Doug, the answer was there
all along. His dad had been reading his book series
every night, and every night Doug wished he could be
in the story. He wanted so badly to be a
(12:39):
wizard with powers, but somehow, when his dad turned off
the light and left the room, the magic would fade.
That's when his monstrous imagination took over. Kids, you can
use this trick to every one of you has a
magical imagination and a monstrous imagination. And if the monstrous
(13:00):
imagination starts creeping in at the wrong time, just say,
monstrous imagination, get behind me. It's magical imagination's turn. And
that's exactly what Doug did that night. He lay in
bed and started breathing deeply, just like Nick taught him. Inhale,
(13:23):
exhale again and again, and to his chest felt light
and floaty. He smiled, and then he began to imagine
what would I do if I were a wizard. He
pictured himself holding a wand just as the dream began
to take shape, boom, that same scary monster from before
(13:46):
came crashing into his thoughts. Doug couldn't stop picturing its
awful teeth, its bulging eyes, how real it all felt.
But instead of trying to block it out, Doug did
something new. He added to the story this time he
was the powerful wizard. He gripped his wand tight and
(14:08):
pointed it at the monster. The monster flew off the ground,
it slammed back down. Doug waved his wand side to side,
and the monster started shaking in mid air, moaning and
begging him to stopoo e stop. And with one final
whip of the wand, the monster shot up into the
(14:29):
sky and disappeared into the stars. Doug let out a
deep sigh. Oh that was way easier than I expected,
he thought, smiling. Then he spotted it leaning against the wall.
The broom. Not just any broom, the broom from the book.
(14:53):
Doug knew it could fly. He jumped on and shot
into the night sky, soaring through the clouds and streaks
of stars. He took huge dips like a rollercoaster, then
zoom straight up, laughing. Kids, Doug doesn't even know it yet,
but he's already asleep and dreaming. That's how fast it happens.
(15:16):
One moment you're thinking your thoughts, and the next boom,
you're in a dream. Up, Up, Up. He flew wind
in his hair, stars in his fingertips, when suddenly a
few familiar faces joined him in the sky friends from school,
characters from the book, and one in particular, duck It,
(15:37):
the adventurous boy from his dad's bedtime stories. They were
soaring above a giant, fluffy cloud when Duckett turned towards
Doug and shouted over here. Doug turned towards the sound
and spotted duck Itt zipping downward, pointing below the clouds.
As Doug followed, the mist began to glow, first gold,
(15:58):
then pink, then green, until the fog itself seemed to
pulse with color. Music drifted up through the haze, tinkling tunes,
deep drum rolls, whistles, and the distant roar of something animal.
As they broke through the cloud layer, Dug gasped. Below
(16:19):
them sprawled a carnival, huge, colorful and buzzing with life.
A massive ferris wheel lit up the sky like a
moon made of moving color. Roller coasters looped and twisted
through the air, with riders screaming joyfully. There were tents
and every color red, gold, midnight blue, and they looked
(16:39):
like they had been stitched together from pieces of starlight
and old circus posters. They landed in a grassy field
just outside the entrance, where A large sign arched over
the gate. It was made of glowing letters that shifted
color slowly. The stardust carnival and the lights sparkled like
(16:59):
some and It's hidden fireworks inside the balls. Standing at
the front was a tall man with a striped hat
maybe two feet high, and a sharp blue coat with
silver buttons. His pants were just as bold, and his shoes, well,
they were shiny enough to reflect the ferris wheel behind him.
His voice had a showman's boom to it, like he
(17:21):
could be heard across the entire park. Well, come, well, come, welcome.
You've arrived at the most incredible carnival your dreams could
ever imagine. Games of skill, rides of Wanda, prize is
beyond your belief. Come one, come all. He looked right
at Doug and winked, and especially you, Doug. We've been
(17:44):
waiting for you.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I want to go to bed right now, Doug definitely
maybe want to actually sleep when my mom says it's time,
and not try to drive the conversations out.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
But out they go tonight. I hope you enjoyed our
podcast story as much as I did. Today.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Boy was I come fee and cozy and all tuned in.
If you loved what you listened to, please leave us
a five star review, but only if you.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Really mean it. We love hearing your feedback.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
It helps us grow so we can continue to bring
stories to you In all our curious listeners, you.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Never know you might even get a shout out from
me here in the Cove.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
I'd like to give a shout out to Brooks, Aristotle,
and Langston. I heard your big fans of Elle the Curious,
and I'm a big fan of you guys.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
All right, I need a snack, so I'm headed back home.
Until next time. Friends, we never say goodbye. It's always
see you later. Adventures of Curiosity Cove was created by
Tika Sumter and Nicholas Muscarella.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Written by Nicholas James Muscarella.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
Adventures of Curiosity Coves theme song was written and composed
by Matty Limb and sung by Laura Saraphine. Engineered by
Robert Aultchuler, sound effects by Command Creative Studios. Ella the
Curious is an original story series created by Tika Sumter.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
At Curiosity, Come, Curiosity, Come get some magical place, Come Up.
Welcome to Acdentures Up. Curiosity, Come This is a Fort
(19:42):
Sumter production
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