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Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios and is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and Premium members. If you'd like to listen ad free and access weekly bonus episodes, extra long stories and our entire back catalogue, you can try out Premium free for seven days by following the link in the episode notes. Now a quick word from our sponsors. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. The burden of financial stress affects far more than our bank accounts. It can take a serious toll on mental health and relationships. Unless we've been incredibly lucky in a financial sense, it's something we've all felt and encountered in our lives. Money worries often bring anxiety, sleep disruption and even depression, and are one of the leading sources of conflict for couples. That's why this month we want to normalize the emotional weight of financial stress and remind people that struggling with money doesn't mean they've failed. Sometimes it's just about accessing the right kind of support. Therapy can help people unpack their relationship with money, build healthier coping strategies, and feel less alone in the process. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com getsleepy that's betterhelp.com getsleepy. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas and I'm your host. Thanks so much for being here. This evening's story was written by Frankie and will be read by Elizabeth, host of our sister podcast, the Sleepy Bookshelf. It's lovely to have Elizabeth feature here on Get Sleepy again. Be sure to check out the classic novels she's read over on the Sleepy Bookshelf as well. You can find it on all the traditional podcast platforms. Throughout history, there have been stories of children raised by animals. Tarzan and Mowgli are two of the most well known, but Atalanta, a character from ancient Greek mythology, was the first. Tonight we'll learn about Atalanta's childhood in the wilderness. Raised by both wolves and bears will then follow her integration into civilization and her devotion to the goddess Artemis. Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, so let's take a few moments to infuse ourselves with the calming energy of that celestial body. Ensure you're nice and comfortable, and then close your eyes. Imagine a cool silvery light spread gently over your body like a soft blanket. Where it touches you, tension evaporates from your muscles, leaving only a deep sense of peace and relaxation. As your body is being cleansed by the light of the moon, bring your mind to a state of tranquility. The moon controls the tides, so imagine a moonlit shore. The same silvery light reflects off the water as it gently laps against the beach. Allow the ebb and flow of the tide to wash away any worries. Your mind is quieter now, ready for an adventure. Slowly allow the beach to dissolve and imagine a sun dappled glade deep in a green forest. Forests and the wilderness are also sacred to the goddess Artemis. She watches over a very special bundle of blankets in a woven basket sitting in the long grass. This is where our story begins.
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The forest is in Greece, or rather the land that will one day become Greece as we know it many hundreds of years earlier. Before the various city states of this land will come together as one united country, there is this wild and untamed forest. The ancient world is filled with beasts like dragons, the fearsome Chimera and the legendary Sphinx. It is a land where great bulls burst forth from the sea and huge bull boars run wild across fields and farms. It is a place where truly incredible things happen. Now the calm of the forest is broken by the strange sounds made by an even stranger creature. The animals of this forest are perplexed and wary of the little creature in the basket. Birds take flight suddenly and a pair of rabbits make a hasty getaway upon sensing the presence of this new, new arrival. The story of this remarkable being might have ended here if a she bear had not taken this very moment to wander into the glade. She is on the search for sustenance. After a long hibernation, the bear sniffles around in the undergrowth at the edge of the glade for several long moments. Finally, a loud coo from the basket draws her attention. She whips her head towards the woven rain reed basket With a curious grunt, the bear approaches cautiously, sniffing the air heavily. With each careful step, a small hand grasps the edge of the basket. Taking the bear by surprise. She regains her courage quickly. However, whatever this strange creature is, she surely need not be afraid. It is obviously very small after all. Poking her brown snout over the edge of the basket, the bear comes face to face with a baby girl. The girl blinks up at the bear before bursting into a cascade of laughter and giggles. The bear, unsure how to respond, sniffs the baby intently. It's rare to see a human this deep into the wilderness. Again. The little girl giggles at her new friend. The bear, her investigation complete, tries to pull her head out of the basket the baby, however, has other plans. She reaches out two soft hands and grasps the bear by its velvety ears with a firm but gentle grip. The warm brown eyes of the bear meet the green brown gaze of the baby and something magical passes between them. Perhaps it is the goddess Artemis who has a hand in their connection. Or maybe it is simply the awakening of a strong maternal instinct in the bear, brought on by the realization that this little being needs a mother. Either way, the bear makes up her mind immediately. She curls herself around her new charge, allowing the little human to run her hands through her soft fur, cooing in happiness. The bear helps the baby wrestle free of the basket and the blanket that is woven around her, allowing the little girl to crawl freely in the grass. She smiles and giggles at nearly everything. The way the grass waves in the breeze, the fluttering of butterflies, even the flight of birds across the blue sky brings her joy. She crawls on all fours, stopping often to inspect a flower or the feeling of grass beneath her hands. The bear waits patiently for her strange little cub, allowing her the freedom to get to know her new home. Like any good mother, however, her thoughts soon turn to food. It is early spring in the forest and the surrounding area is still damp from a series of showers. Dandelions, raspberries, rhubarb and strawberries grow in patches in the surrounding forest. The bear gently nuzzles the baby towards a patch of early spring strawberries and shows her how to eat the little red fruits. The child watches intently before delicately plucking a berry and holding it up to her face. She keeps her gaze on her new mother as she puts the fruit to her lips and gnaws on it. Her eyes light up with joy as she tastes the tart juice. Soon enough, the berries are all gone from this patch and the child is covered in a snake sticky pink mess, which the bear takes great pleasure in licking off her. The baby laughs as the bear's big tongue cleans her. Then the bear takes her little cub foraging, showing by example and cleaning as they go, desiring something slightly more filling than fruit and leaves. The bear leads the child to a fallen tree. It is covered with an array of large mushrooms, freshly sprung after the recent rain. There are white puffball mushrooms nearly the size of the child herself, waxy yellow chicken of the woods, and beige oyster mushrooms growing in huddled groups. The bear threw grunts and soft nudges shows the child which mushrooms are good to eat and which should be avoided. The girl watches her mother with wide eyes and a knowing that seems far beyond her years. Their feast now finished, the girl shows signs of sleep. Sleepiness. Her hazel eyes droop with tiredness and she yawns. The bear takes her to her warm den nearby. Under the roots of a great tree with a bed of soft leaves and moss. The bear and her cub curl up together for a nap. The girl smiles to herself and she snuggles into the bear's brown fur. The bear gently licks the child as she falls asleep. Before long, they both drift off into the land of dreams. Spring and summer pass in the forest. With each day, the toddler becomes braver, smarter and more agile. The bear has never seen another human baby and thus has nothing to compare her to. But the child is already much stronger and more coordinated than any other child of the same age. She mostly crawls from here to there. But she has also started pulling herself up on rocks and logs after seeing her mother bear stand on two feet to itch her back on a tree. The little human is a never ending source of curiosity and laughter. She inspects everything she comes across, as if her thirst for life cannot be quenched. Within a few short months, she has become as natural a part of of the forest as any plant or animal. The other creatures of the forest have become accustomed to the child's presence. She chases the baby bunnies around the meadow, attempting to replicate their bouncing and jumping. She babbles at the ravens, laughing at their cawing responses. As if she knows what the birds are saying. One of her favorite evening occupations is to mimic the sounds of the frogs in the creek nearby as they release their croaky serenades to the sun set set sky. Autumn draws near, prompting the bear to spend more time finding food and preparing for a long hibernation. She suspects, however, that her tiny charge does not seem sleep all winter the same way she does. This preys on her mind as she watches the child play and eat and laugh her way through the last days of summer. It is not until a chance meeting with another forest resident that the bear comes comes up with a solution for her strange cub. At the foot of a nearby hill lives a small wolf pack. The bear has a friendly and respectful relationship with her neighbors. But now she needs a favour from them. She leaves the little girl under the watchful eye of a family of foxes. Then she makes her way to the cave where the wolves are raising their litter of pups. The wolf parents greet the bear with friendly grunts. They have four puppies running, wrestling and playing in the bushes near the cave entrance. The energetic pups rush up to the bear, full of curiosity and the desire for a new playmate. Meanwhile, the adults talk, a conversation that only those of the animal kingdom would understand. However, by the end, the wolves agree to take care of the small human for winter. The bear returns to her cub with a spring in her step. She can smell the coming of autumn and she can feel the slightly cooler temperature of the wind. A few leaves have already begun to turn that light shade of green that precedes the yellows and oranges of autumn. The following day, the wolves come down to the glade with their four pups in tow. The little girl is nearly as excited as the wolf puppies to meet new friends and playmates. She shrieks with laughter as the four little wolves sniff every inch of her in fascination. The little girl and the wolf puppies become fast friends, devising games that no adult of any species would understand. The three adult animals look on in satisfaction as the sound of playful yips and joyful giggling fills the air. The transitional weeks between summer and autumn seem to pass all too fast for the mother bear's liking. Like every mother, she wants to stop time and enjoy every every precious moment with her child. Alas, the cold chill in the air and the constant shower of brightly colored leaves spark an urge inside her that is millennia old. On a bright, crisp autumn morning, she leads her cub to the cave of the wolves. The puffy cotton clouds crawl across the sky at a slightly faster pace than the child across the forest floor. But the bear does not mind taking her time. When they arrive at the cave, the bear wraps herself around her strange cub, licking and sniffing her affectionately, as if the child knows what is happening. She holds on tightly to her adoptive mother for a long time. Finally, the bear releases the child and begins to make her way to her den for the winter. The girl babbles in farewell, smiling. The bear has just one long sleep until she sees her cub again. The winter the child spends in the wolves cave is warm and comfortable. She sleeps in a pile of puppies. And as quickly as she adapted to being a bear cub, she becomes a wolf pup. Her days are spread, spent running and wrestling with her wolf siblings. Play takes up most of their time. Just as the wolf pups use this time to become strong and agile, the little girl also develops. Her coordination and strength grow nearly as quickly as she does. She becomes accustomed to the elements, rejoicing in the blanket of first snow that falls over the forest. Her senses of smell, hearing and sight nearly rival those of the wolves. As she comes to appreciate the Olfactory symphony of the forest. Winter passes swiftly into spring, and the bear stirs in her den once again. It has been a year since she came across her beloved foundling. And now she makes her way to the wolf den with haste to collect her cub. The girl smells her mother before she makes her way through the bushes to the cave. The bear has barely a glance of hazel eyes and auburn hair rushing towards her before her human cub catapults into her like a whirlwind of love. In the few short months that have passed, the child has gone from a few tottering steps to running. Mother, bear and human cub mother cuddle one another for a long while. The bear breathes in the scent of her beloved child. She smells like the pine trees, the spring breeze, the first wildflowers and wolf cubs. This little one definitely needs a good bath. The girl waves goodbye cheerfully to her foster family and follows her mother back home. The years pass by in this happy manner. Soon it is apparent that the girl's wild upbringing is helping her to become a remarkable child. She can run as fast, jump as far and howl as loud as the wolves. They howl together under the moon, sending up their primal prayers to Artemis, the wild goddess of the hunt and the moon. She knows how to communicate with every animal in the forest. The girl grows up tall, hardy and powerful. Nothing brings her greater joy than running as fast as her legs can carry her. With the wind whipping her red hair. Nearly a dozen summers go by before she encounters another human being. She has no sense that she is any different from the animals around her. She has learned to run and walk with incredible grace, running nearly as swiftly on all fours as she does on two legs. It is as she is running through a meadow of tall wildflowers that she is first spotted by another human being. A hunter from a village on the edge of the forest has ventured deeper into the woods than he has ever gone before. He waits under the trees, observing this untouched wilderness. A flash of red catches his eye as the girl races into his line of vision. She is as graceful as any doe, and she leaps and runs with unbridled joy, sending a spray of flower petals in her wake. The hunter watches in amazement as the girl passes, unsure whether she is a real human or some unknown demigod. He doesn't dare to blink in case she disappears like a mirage. Before he can call out, she has spotted him with her keen eyes and paused. She is as perplexed by him as he is by her. What is this strange creature? It looks something like the hamadriads that live in the trees or like the satires who play their silly games on the slopes of the mountain. She stares at him and he feels pinned to the spot by this strange child. He calls out to her, but she does not respond. She merely continues to stare. He resolves to approach her just as she takes off again and disappears into the woods. The girl puts the strange creature from her mind, deciding that it must have been another forest spirit. The hunter, however, upon his return home, tells anyone who will listen about the strange child in the woods. It is not long before there is a meeting of the village leaders to discuss this discovery. They question the hunter in detail and decide it is their duty to find this girl. A childhood in the wilderness is all very well, but as she grows into adulthood, she needs to be in the company of her own kind. They discuss the matter late into the night and decide to send an expedition, including the hunter and several women from the village. The priestess from the local temple of Artemis volunteers to go, having heard a voice in her head urging her to take part. The villagers disperse after the evening's meeting, pouring from the village square into their various homes. The priestess of Artemis walks by herself towards the temple, which sits on the little hill overlooking the village. It is tucked into a grove of cypress trees on the edge of the forest. As she walks, the full moon bursts forth from behind a few wispy clouds and covers her in its pure light. She turns her face up to the heavens and breathes deeply. She has been a priestess for her entire life and she knows the voice in her head earlier was that of her goddess, Artemis. She wonders what the future holds for this wild child. The priestess reaches the steps of her temple and turns back to look at the village. It is a good place, filled with devout people. They have a strong respect for the forest, which makes them favored by Artemis. The priestess has no doubt that it will be a good place for this child to grow into womanhood and learn of her own kind. She smiles to herself as she inspects the night sky. The wisps of clouds are painted silver by the moon's light. They drift across the royal purple sky, punctuated by the bright points of the stars. The priestess takes a few moments to appreciate the glory of the moon shining down upon her before she turns into her temple. She knows that tomorrow will be a remarkable day. In the morning, the girl in the forest wakes up with the sun. She lives like the animals do, sleeping some hours at night and some hours during the hottest parts of the day. She snuggles closer to her bear mother, who grunts sleepily. The girl then climbs out of their den and sniffs the air. She smells the wolves in the cave, not yet up. She smells the foxes, rabbits, quail and other residents of the forest. The girl also senses something in the air. A change is imminent, but she cannot tell what it is, so she turns her attention to finding breakfast. She enjoys a snack of fresh berries before picking a handful of honeysuckle. She sucks out the sweet juices from the flowers as she wanders through the sun dappled forest. Looking up at the canopy, she admires the way the trees gently sway in the wind. Something about their graceful movement reminds her of breathing. She is a child of the wilderness and she knows that every piece of it is alive. The girl leaps over a clear stream with its musical bubbling. She stoops to watch the tadpoles dart here and there in the shallows out of the main force of the water's flow. She smiles as she dips a finger into the cool water and they speed away into secret hiding spots. The girl continues on her journey, following a mysterious urge inside her. It leads her to a grassy clearing. The herd of deer in the clearing all turn their heads to stare at her with their soft eyes as she appears through the trees. They have no fear of her, for she has run with them many times before. She runs a hand over the flanks of a particularly beautiful doe. The mane stag, resplendent in his antlers, starts to move on and the herd finds follows. He starts off with a soft trot before slowly building into a run. The girl and the herd follow his lead. Before long, she is at the front of the group with the stag leading the rest of the herd. She has no direction in mind, but simply savors the joy and the challenge of the run. Here, once again, Artemis plays a hand. She guides the deer to a spot near a fast river where the group of villagers are taking a break from their searching. While the hunter and the other women busy themselves with passing around bread and cheese, the priestess turns her eyes to the forest. She watches, waiting for a sign from her goddess. Suddenly, the herd and the girl burst from the forest. Farther up the river, the villagers watch in amazement as they all cross the river with a single graceful leap. Before the animals and the child can disappear, the priestess calls out, drawing the attention of the she allows the deer to continue on without her stopping dead in her tracks to inspect the strangers. There are more of these beings than she thought, having never seen herself except in the rippling reflection of running water. She does not know that they are more like her than the deer. Her eyes fall on the priestess and she feels herself drawn to the woman. The other villagers, sensing their place, stay back and silent. As the child approaches the priestess, she stops before her and stares at her in obvious curiosity. The priestess smiles down at the wild child, who smiles back and laughs. The priestess reaches out a hand, which the girl inspects. She holds out her own, suddenly realizing that they are the same. This child has been raised by animals. So she sniffs the priestess. The woman smells like lavender and a host of other things she does not know. Like the smoke of a fireplace and freshly baked bread. From deep inside, the girl feels the urge to go with these people. She has never not followed an urge before. But this time she hesitates. She suspects that to go with these new beings would mean leaving everything she has ever known. The girl turns back to look at the forest. She tries to commit every detail of her childhood home to memory. The sounds, the smells and vast array of colors overwhelm her senses. Her eyes fall on a brown shape near the edge of the woods and she knows it is her bear mother. The hunter spots the bear as well and rushes to raise his bow. But then the girl turns her gaze to him and. And he freezes. He places his bow on the ground, though he doesn't know why. The girl turns back to the forest and races to her bear. She throws herself into the warm brown fur that has guarded, loved and raised her for years. The bear, for her part, always knew this day would come. Her strange cub is nearly grown and must go out on her own. It is the way of all young creatures. She licks the girl's face and nudges her back towards the villagers. They lock eyes one last time before the girl turns towards her new life. The villagers and the priestess discuss what to call the girl as they make their way back home. They are as curious about her as she is about them. She is tall and muscular, standing taller than many boys her age in the village. The villagers land on the name Atalanta. The priestess says the name slowly, rolling the sounds over her tongue so the girl can repeat it. Atalanta tastes her name the way she tastes the wind on a crisp autumn morning. She smiles and repeats it over again. Atalanta. Upon arriving in the village, the other residents get gather to greet Atalanta. They give her gifts such as clothes, food and trinkets. Though she does not understand the uses of many of their gifts, she is immediately filled with the warm Glow of belonging. The villagers grasp her hand or shoulder in welcome, smiling and greeting her. She repeats her name back to each one. Atalanta. The priestess has been chosen to look after Atalanta. Once the welcomes have died down. She leads her away from the main square towards the temple. She can see that while Atalanta is excited by the new experience, it is becoming slightly overwhelming. The temple is a place of quiet repose and peace. As they walk towards the marble building, Atalanta is overcome by with a new feeling. Once again. She becomes aware of the voice in her head drawing her up the stairs and through the building. She marvels at the statues and mosaics of a strong female figure. The woman is always portrayed in the wilds, with animals running at her side and a full moon above her head. The priestess watches Atalanta as the girl traces her fingers lightly over a mosaic of Artemis running with a herd of deer. The priestess smiles, knowing she has helped the goddess's plan come to fruition. The following years are the strangest Atalanta has ever experienced. The priestess teaches her how to read, write and speak. She learns about the customs of human beings and the history of her own kind. The most important part of civilization she is introduced to is the worship of Artemis. Now a young woman, Atalanta devotes herself entirely to the goddess. She becomes the guardian of the wild places and their residents. In return, the goddess watches over her and blesses her. Atalanta is known throughout the Greek world as the fastest mortal alive. Her life is prime to be, full of adventures. And yet her greatest joy is still those moments when she can slip away from the world of humans and back into the wild. She always waits until night, when the moon is the only witness to her freedom. She slips through the town to the edge of the forest, as silent as a cat. Once she reaches the trees, she slips off her sandals and takes a moment to let her feet reconnect with the Earth. She has learned over the years that the Earth is called Gaia and that she is the mother of everything in existence. Atalanta closes her eyes and focuses on the cool earth beneath her. She breathes deeply, inhaling the scents of the wild world and allowing them to paint her mind like a colorful tapestry. The wolves are out tonight. She can smell them. And there is another scent on the wind, one that's comforting and strong. Atalanta sets off at a run. Her powerful legs drive her through the forest. Though she makes almost no noise. Her body becomes dappled in silver moonlight. As the moon shines through the canopy. With every footfall, the warm bubbling of joy rises in her chest. At the edge of a clearing, she catches a blur beside her and notices the wolf pack keeping pace. She laughs out loud and howls a greeting to them. Atalanta runs with them often, but tonight she has a special visit in mind. She urges her body to go faster, following the scent on the wind. Atalanta skids to a halt in a glade filled with wildflowers, sending a spray of leaves up around her. From the corner of the glade, an old brown bear lifts her head to look at the young woman. The bear grunts in greeting, but before she can get to her feet, Atalanta crosses the space between them and throws her arms around her adoptive mother. Woman and bear sit curled around one another, bathed in the light of the moon and basking in shared love.