January 9, 2025 • 14 mins
Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Positive Affirmations And Audio Stories podcast. For this episode’s sleep story, we’ve got a heartfelt classic tale by Oscar Wilde – “The Selfish Giant”.
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Visit my Bandcamp page for more inspiration affirmations, meditations and stories for purchase and sample. Helping you live the positive lifestyle that you deserve.
https://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com
__________
And for the children, do check out our other podcast "The Classic Children's Story Podcast ".
Also, have a look at our YouTube channel of stories, affirmations, songs and more for kids:
www.youtube.com/@SleepStoriesandFairyTales4U
There’s more! The website to accompany the you tube channel is here – www.sleepstoriesandfairytales4kids.com
Coffee fuels us up ... donations keep us going... please pop over to ko-fi for a coffee donation if you'd like to financially support our work. If you would like to get more inspiration and motivation, there are lots of inspirational positive videos, messages and artwork over there.
https://ko-fi.com/happythoughts
Many thanks, your listens, likes, subscribes and support mean the world to us.
This podcast is available on Spreaker, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio and most podcast platforms and apps. If you like what you hear please feel free to share and to leave a review on your site of choice.
Our Supporters Club via Spreaker :
spreaker.com/podcast/positive-affirmations-and-audio-stories--1338752/support
Visit my Bandcamp page for more inspiration affirmations, meditations and stories for purchase and sample. Helping you live the positive lifestyle that you deserve.
https://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com
__________
And for the children, do check out our other podcast "The Classic Children's Story Podcast ".
Also, have a look at our YouTube channel of stories, affirmations, songs and more for kids:
www.youtube.com/@SleepStoriesandFairyTales4U
There’s more! The website to accompany the you tube channel is here – www.sleepstoriesandfairytales4kids.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, this is Stefana over at positive affirmations and audio
stories bringing you happy thoughts, inspiration, motivation and entertainment to
start your day or send you off into a relaxing,
healing sleep. With our sleep stories, we used the power
of positive words to help you live the positive, uplifting
(00:24):
lifestyle that you deserve. And now our story The Selfish
Giant by Oscar Wilde The Selfish Giant. Every afternoon, as
they were coming from school, the children used to go
and play in the Giant's garden. It was a large,
lovely garden with soft green grass here and there. Over
(00:49):
the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, And there were
twelve peach trees that in the springtime broke out into
delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn
bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and
sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their
(01:09):
games in order to listen to them. How happy we
are here, they cried to each other. One day the
Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend,
the Cornish Ogre, and had stayed with them for seven years.
After seven years were over, he had said all that
(01:30):
he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and
he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived,
he saw the children playing in the garden. What are
you doing here, he cried in a very gruff voice,
and the children ran away. My garden is my own garden,
(01:53):
said the giant. Any one can understand that, and I
will allow nobody to play in it but myself. So
he built a high wall all round it and put
up a noticeboard dress pressers will be prosecuted. He was
a very selfish giant. The poor children now had nowhere
(02:17):
to play. They tried to play on the road, but
the road was very dusty and full of hard stones,
and they did not like it. They used to wander
round the high wall when their lessons were over and
talk about the beautiful garden inside. How happy we were
in there, they said to each other. Then spring came
(02:42):
and all over the country there were little blossoms and
little birds. Only in the garden of the selfish Giant
it was still winter. The birds did not care to
sing in there, as there were no children, and the
trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put his
(03:02):
head out from the grass, but when it saw the noticeboard.
It was so sorry for the children that it slipped back,
entered the ground again, and went off to sleep. The
only people who were pleased were the snow and the frost.
Spring has forgotten this garden, they cried, So we will
(03:24):
live here all year round. The snow covered up the
grass with her great white cloak, and the frost painted
all tree silver. Then they invited the north wind to
stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs,
and he roared all day about the garden and blew
(03:45):
the chimney pots down. Tis is a delightful spot, he said.
We must ask the hail on a visit. So the
hail came every day for three He rattled on the
roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates,
and then he ran round and round the garden as
(04:08):
fast as he could go. He was dressed in gray,
and his breath was like ice.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Oh, I cannot understand why the spring is so late
in coming, said the selfish giant, as he sat at
the window and looked out at his cold white garden.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I hope there will be a change in the weather.
But spring never came, nor the summer. The autumn gave
golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden
she gave none. He is too selfish, she said. So
it was always winter there, and the north wind and
(04:53):
the hail, and the frost and the snow danced about
through the trees. One morning, the Giant was lying awake
in bed when he heard lovely music. It sounded so
sweet to his ears that he thought it must be
the king's musicians passing by. It was really only a
(05:16):
little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so
long since he had heard a bird sing in his
garden that it seemed to him to be the most
beautiful music in the world. Then the hail stopped dancing
over his head, and the north wind ceased rowing, and
(05:38):
a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement.
I believe Springer's comet lost, said the giant, and he
jumped out of bed and looked out. What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole
in the wall. The children had crept in, and they
(06:01):
were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every
tree that he could see, there was a little child,
and the trees were so glad to have the children
megican that they had covered themselves with blossoms and were
waving their arms gently above the children's heads. The birds
were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers
(06:23):
were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It
was a lovely scene, only only in one corner it
was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden,
and in it was standing a little boy. He was
so small that he could not reach up to the
(06:45):
branches of the tree, and he wandered all around and
crying bitterly. The poor tree was still quite covered with
frost and snow, and the north wind was blowing and
roaring above it. Clim up, little boy, said the tree,
and it bent his bretches down as low as it could,
(07:07):
But the boy was too tiny, and the giant's heart
mounted as he looked out. How silver sha I have been?
He said, No, I know why the spring would not
come here. I will put that poor little boy on
the top of the tree, and then I will knock
down that wall, and my garden shall be the children's
(07:29):
playground forever and ever. He was really very sorry for
what he had done, so, he crept downstairs and opened
the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden.
But when the children saw him, they were so frightened
that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again.
(07:51):
Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes
were so full of tears that he did not see
the giant coming. And the giant stole up behind him
and took him gently in his hand and put him
up into the tree. And the tree broke at once
(08:13):
into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it.
And the little boy stretched out his two arms and
flung them round the giant's neck and kissed him, and
the other children, when they saw that the giant was
not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them
came the spring. It is your garden now, little children,
(08:36):
said the giant, And he took a great axe and
knocked down the wall. And when people were going to
market at twelve o'clock they found the giant playing with
the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they
came to the giant to bid him good bye. But
(09:01):
where is your little companion, he said, the boy I
put up into the tree. The giant loved him the
best because he had kissed him. We don't know, answered
the children. He has gone away. You must tell him
to be sure and come here to morrow, said the giant.
(09:23):
But the children said they did not know where he
lived and had never seen him before, and the giant
felt very sad. Every afternoon, when school was over, the
children came and played with the giant, but the little
boy whom the giant loved, was never seen again. The
(09:46):
giant was very kind to all the children, yet he
longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. Oh,
I would like to see him, he used to say.
Years went over, and the giant grew very old and feeble.
(10:09):
He could not play about any more. So he sat
in a huge arm chair and watched the children at
their games and admired his garden. I have many beautiful flowers,
he said, but the children are the most beautiful flowers
of all. One winter morning, he looked out of his
(10:35):
window as he was dressing. He did not hate winter now,
for he knew that there was merely the spring asleep,
and that the flowers were resting Suddenly he rubbed his
eyes in wonder, and looked, and looked. It was quite
a marvelous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden
(10:59):
was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. His
branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them,
and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved. Downstairs,
ran the giant in great joy, and out into the garden.
He hastened across the grass and came near to the child.
(11:20):
And when he came quite close, his face grew red
with anger, and he said, who hath dared to wound thee?
For on the palms of the child's hands were the
prince of two nails, and the prince of two nails
were on the little feet. Who will dare to warn thee?
(11:40):
Cried the giant. Tell me that I may take my
big sword and slay him. Nay, answered the child, But
these are the wounds of love. Who art thou? Said
the giant, And a strange awe fell on him, and
he knelt before the little child. And the child smiled
(12:02):
on the giant and said to him, you let me
play once in your garden. To day you shall come
with me to my garden, which is paradise. And when
the children ran in that afternoon they found the giant
lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.
(12:42):
That's our story for to day. It's quite a sweet one.
We'll be back again very soon with more stories. Stories
by Oscar Wilde, stories by other authors, mysteries, good variety.
(13:05):
So be sure to come back so you don't miss anything,
and be sure to tell your family, your friends, everybody
about the podcast. It's available on all major podcasts, apps
and platforms. And if you're looking for a little inspiration
(13:27):
in between episodes, feel free to visit our coffee page.
That url is in the show notes. Over there you
can find stories and other instorrational things, artwork, all kinds
of stuff. Have a look. And that's all for now.
(13:48):
We'll see you again very very soon. By for nowt
Speaker 2 (14:02):
To axe in a pot.
Hi, this is Stefana over at positive affirmations and audio
stories bringing you happy thoughts, inspiration, motivation and entertainment to
start your day or send you off into a relaxing,
healing sleep. With our sleep stories, we used the power
of positive words to help you live the positive, uplifting
(00:24):
lifestyle that you deserve. And now our story The Selfish
Giant by Oscar Wilde The Selfish Giant. Every afternoon, as
they were coming from school, the children used to go
and play in the Giant's garden. It was a large,
lovely garden with soft green grass here and there. Over
(00:49):
the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, And there were
twelve peach trees that in the springtime broke out into
delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn
bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and
sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their
(01:09):
games in order to listen to them. How happy we
are here, they cried to each other. One day the
Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend,
the Cornish Ogre, and had stayed with them for seven years.
After seven years were over, he had said all that
(01:30):
he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and
he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived,
he saw the children playing in the garden. What are
you doing here, he cried in a very gruff voice,
and the children ran away. My garden is my own garden,
(01:53):
said the giant. Any one can understand that, and I
will allow nobody to play in it but myself. So
he built a high wall all round it and put
up a noticeboard dress pressers will be prosecuted. He was
a very selfish giant. The poor children now had nowhere
(02:17):
to play. They tried to play on the road, but
the road was very dusty and full of hard stones,
and they did not like it. They used to wander
round the high wall when their lessons were over and
talk about the beautiful garden inside. How happy we were
in there, they said to each other. Then spring came
(02:42):
and all over the country there were little blossoms and
little birds. Only in the garden of the selfish Giant
it was still winter. The birds did not care to
sing in there, as there were no children, and the
trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put his
(03:02):
head out from the grass, but when it saw the noticeboard.
It was so sorry for the children that it slipped back,
entered the ground again, and went off to sleep. The
only people who were pleased were the snow and the frost.
Spring has forgotten this garden, they cried, So we will
(03:24):
live here all year round. The snow covered up the
grass with her great white cloak, and the frost painted
all tree silver. Then they invited the north wind to
stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs,
and he roared all day about the garden and blew
(03:45):
the chimney pots down. Tis is a delightful spot, he said.
We must ask the hail on a visit. So the
hail came every day for three He rattled on the
roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates,
and then he ran round and round the garden as
(04:08):
fast as he could go. He was dressed in gray,
and his breath was like ice.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Oh, I cannot understand why the spring is so late
in coming, said the selfish giant, as he sat at
the window and looked out at his cold white garden.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I hope there will be a change in the weather.
But spring never came, nor the summer. The autumn gave
golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden
she gave none. He is too selfish, she said. So
it was always winter there, and the north wind and
(04:53):
the hail, and the frost and the snow danced about
through the trees. One morning, the Giant was lying awake
in bed when he heard lovely music. It sounded so
sweet to his ears that he thought it must be
the king's musicians passing by. It was really only a
(05:16):
little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so
long since he had heard a bird sing in his
garden that it seemed to him to be the most
beautiful music in the world. Then the hail stopped dancing
over his head, and the north wind ceased rowing, and
(05:38):
a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement.
I believe Springer's comet lost, said the giant, and he
jumped out of bed and looked out. What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole
in the wall. The children had crept in, and they
(06:01):
were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every
tree that he could see, there was a little child,
and the trees were so glad to have the children
megican that they had covered themselves with blossoms and were
waving their arms gently above the children's heads. The birds
were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers
(06:23):
were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It
was a lovely scene, only only in one corner it
was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden,
and in it was standing a little boy. He was
so small that he could not reach up to the
(06:45):
branches of the tree, and he wandered all around and
crying bitterly. The poor tree was still quite covered with
frost and snow, and the north wind was blowing and
roaring above it. Clim up, little boy, said the tree,
and it bent his bretches down as low as it could,
(07:07):
But the boy was too tiny, and the giant's heart
mounted as he looked out. How silver sha I have been?
He said, No, I know why the spring would not
come here. I will put that poor little boy on
the top of the tree, and then I will knock
down that wall, and my garden shall be the children's
(07:29):
playground forever and ever. He was really very sorry for
what he had done, so, he crept downstairs and opened
the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden.
But when the children saw him, they were so frightened
that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again.
(07:51):
Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes
were so full of tears that he did not see
the giant coming. And the giant stole up behind him
and took him gently in his hand and put him
up into the tree. And the tree broke at once
(08:13):
into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it.
And the little boy stretched out his two arms and
flung them round the giant's neck and kissed him, and
the other children, when they saw that the giant was
not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them
came the spring. It is your garden now, little children,
(08:36):
said the giant, And he took a great axe and
knocked down the wall. And when people were going to
market at twelve o'clock they found the giant playing with
the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they
came to the giant to bid him good bye. But
(09:01):
where is your little companion, he said, the boy I
put up into the tree. The giant loved him the
best because he had kissed him. We don't know, answered
the children. He has gone away. You must tell him
to be sure and come here to morrow, said the giant.
(09:23):
But the children said they did not know where he
lived and had never seen him before, and the giant
felt very sad. Every afternoon, when school was over, the
children came and played with the giant, but the little
boy whom the giant loved, was never seen again. The
(09:46):
giant was very kind to all the children, yet he
longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. Oh,
I would like to see him, he used to say.
Years went over, and the giant grew very old and feeble.
(10:09):
He could not play about any more. So he sat
in a huge arm chair and watched the children at
their games and admired his garden. I have many beautiful flowers,
he said, but the children are the most beautiful flowers
of all. One winter morning, he looked out of his
(10:35):
window as he was dressing. He did not hate winter now,
for he knew that there was merely the spring asleep,
and that the flowers were resting Suddenly he rubbed his
eyes in wonder, and looked, and looked. It was quite
a marvelous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden
(10:59):
was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. His
branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them,
and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved. Downstairs,
ran the giant in great joy, and out into the garden.
He hastened across the grass and came near to the child.
(11:20):
And when he came quite close, his face grew red
with anger, and he said, who hath dared to wound thee?
For on the palms of the child's hands were the
prince of two nails, and the prince of two nails
were on the little feet. Who will dare to warn thee?
(11:40):
Cried the giant. Tell me that I may take my
big sword and slay him. Nay, answered the child, But
these are the wounds of love. Who art thou? Said
the giant, And a strange awe fell on him, and
he knelt before the little child. And the child smiled
(12:02):
on the giant and said to him, you let me
play once in your garden. To day you shall come
with me to my garden, which is paradise. And when
the children ran in that afternoon they found the giant
lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.
(12:42):
That's our story for to day. It's quite a sweet one.
We'll be back again very soon with more stories. Stories
by Oscar Wilde, stories by other authors, mysteries, good variety.
(13:05):
So be sure to come back so you don't miss anything,
and be sure to tell your family, your friends, everybody
about the podcast. It's available on all major podcasts, apps
and platforms. And if you're looking for a little inspiration
(13:27):
in between episodes, feel free to visit our coffee page.
That url is in the show notes. Over there you
can find stories and other instorrational things, artwork, all kinds
of stuff. Have a look. And that's all for now.
(13:48):
We'll see you again very very soon. By for nowt
Speaker 2 (14:02):
To axe in a pot.
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