-THE WINGS OF A BUTTERFLY Relaxing Storytelling & Guided Relaxation for Sleep.

Welcome to your bedtime story. I hope that as you listen, you will feel relaxed and be able to fall asleep. So before we begin, take a moment and settle in, and when you're ready, take a slow deep breath in, and as you exhale, close your eyes, and begin to relax. It's time to let go of your day now, and to welcome the night. It's time to let go of tension, and to welcome relaxation. Imagine, feel, or sense a soft white cloud slowly floating down from the ceiling towards you. The cloud is like a soft warm dry mist, gently floating down and over you. Feel or sense the softness of this mist as it lightly wraps around you, lightly touching your skin, bringing comfort into your body, relaxing you from head to toe. Imagine now, if you can, the sensation of this comforting and gentle mist as it lightly touches the top of your scalp, creating a pleasant feeling of relaxation there, lightly touching your face, flowing down into your neck, flowing across your shoulders, cascading now down your arms, down into your hands, all the way down into your fingers. This peaceful mist slowly swirls down and around your spine, flowing into your back, warm and soothing, and now lightly falling down into your hips, into your legs, into your feet, all the way down into your toes. Feeling very relaxed, wrapped up in this comforting mist of peace, feeling completely at ease. As we now begin our story, The Wings of the Butterfly, a tale of the Amazon forest. On the banks of the Amazon River, in a clearing in the forest, there once lived a girl named Chimichua. She dwelt with her family and relatives in a big pavilion house called a maloca. All the boys of the maloca fished and hunted with them there. Chimichua and the other girls helped the women with household chores, or in the farm plots nearby. Like the other girls, Chimichua never stepped far into the forest. She knew how full it was of fierce animals and harmful spirits, and how easy it was to get lost in. Still, she would listen, wide-eyed, and the elders told stories about that other world. And sometimes, she would go just a little way in, gazing among the giant trees, and wondering what she might find farther on. One day, as Chimichua was making a basket, she looked up and saw a big morphle butterfly hovering right before her. Sunlight danced on its shimmering blue wings. You are the most magical creature in the world, Chimichua said dreamily. I wish I could be like you. The butterfly dipped as if in answer, then flew toward the edge of the clearing. Chimichua set down her basket and started after it, imitating its lazy flight. Among the trees she followed, swooping and circling and flapping her arms. She played like this for a long time, until the butterfly passed between some vines and disappeared. Suddenly, Chimichua realized she had gone too far into the forest. There was no path, and the leaves of the tall trees made a canopy that hid the sun. She could not tell which way she had come. Mother. Father. Anyone, she shouted. But no one came. Oh no, she said softly. How will I find my way back? Chimichua wandered anxiously about, hoping to find a path. After a while, she heard a tap, tap, tapping. Someone must be working in the forest, she said hopefully, and she followed the sound. But when she got close, she saw it was just a woodpecker. Chimichua sadly shook her head. Only you were human, she said. You could show me the way home. Why would I have to be human? asked the woodpecker. I could just show you as I am. Startled but glad to hear it talk, Chimichua said eagerly. Oh, would you? Can't you see I'm busy? said the woodpecker. You humans are so conceited. You think everyone else is here to serve you. But in the forest, a woodpecker is just as important as a human. And it flew off. I didn't mean anything bad, said Chimichua to herself. I just want to go home. More uneasy than ever, Chimichua walked farther. All at once she came upon a maloca. And sitting within it was a woman weaving a hammock. Oh, grandmother, cried Chimichua joyfully, addressing the woman with the term prophet or an elder. I'm so glad to find someone here. I was afraid I would die in the forest. But just as she stepped into the maloca, the roof began to flap, and the maloca and the woman together rose into the air. Then Chimichua saw it was really a tinamine bird that had taken a magical form. It flew to a branch above. Don't you grandmother me, screeched the bird. How many of my people have your relatives hunted and killed? How many have you cooked and eaten? Don't you dare ask me for my help. And it too flew away. The animals here all seem to hate me, said Chimichua sorely. But I can't help being human. Chimichua wandered on, feeling more and more hopeless and hungry now as well. Suddenly a sore buff boot dropped to the ground. She picked it up and ate it greedily. Then another dropped nearby. Chimichua looked up and saw why. A band of spider monkeys was feeding in the forest canopy high above. And now and then, food would slip from your hands. I'll just follow the monkeys, Chimichua told herself. Then at least I won't starve. And for the rest of that day, she walked along beneath them, eating any food they dropped. But her fears grew fresh as daylight faded and night came to the forest. In the deepening darkness, Chimichua saw the monkeys start to climb down and she hid herself to watch. To her amazement, as the monkeys reached the ground, each one changed to the form of a human. Chimichua could not help but gasp. And within a moment, the monkey people had surrounded her. Why? It's Chimichua, said a monkey man with a friendly voice. What are you doing here? Chimichua stammered. I followed a butterfly into the forest and I can't find my way home. You poor girl, said a monkey woman. Don't worry, we'll bring you there tomorrow. Oh, thank you, cried Chimichua. But where will I stay tonight? Why don't you come with us to the festival, asked the monkey man. We've been invited by the lord of the monkeys. They soon arrived at a big maloca. When the monkey lord saw Chimichua, he demanded. Human, why have you come uninvited? We found her and brought her along, the monkey woman told him. The monkey lord grunted and said nothing more. But he eyed the girl in a way that made her shiver. Many more monkey people had arrived, all in human form. Some wore animal costumes of bark cloth with wooden masks. Others had designs painted on their faces with black jennifer dye. Everyone drank from gourds full of manioc beer. Then some of the monkey people rose to begin the dance. With the monkey lord at their head, they marched in torchlight around the inside of the maloca, beating drums and shaking rattle sticks. Others sang softly or played bone flutes. Chimichua watched it all in wonder. She told her friend the monkey woman, this is just like the festivals of my own people. Late that night, when all had retired to their hammocks, Chimichua was kept awake by the snoring of the monkey lord. After a while, something about it caught her ear. That's strange, she told herself. It sounds almost like words. The girl listened carefully and heard, I will devour Chimichua. I will devour Chimichua. Grandfather, she cried in terror. What? Who's that? Said the monkey lord, startled from his sleep. It's Chimichua, said the girl. You said in your sleep you would devour me. How could I say that, he demanded. Monkeys don't eat people. No, that was just foolish talk of this mouth of mine. Pay no attention. He took a long swig of money up the ear and went back to sleep. Soon the girl heard again, I will devour Chimichua. I will devour Chimichua. But this time the snores were more like growls. Chimichua looked over at the monkey lord's hammock. To her horror, she saw not a human form, but a powerful animal with black spots. The lord of monkeys was not a monkey at all. He was a jaguar. Chimichua's heart beat wildly. As quietly as she could, she slipped from her hammock and grabbed a torch. Then she ran headlong through the night. When Chimichua stopped at last to rest, daylight had begun to filter through the forest canopy. She sat down among the root buttresses of a kapok tree and began to cry. I hate this forest, she said fiercely. Nothing here makes sense. Are you sure, asked a tiny voice. Quickly wiping her eyes, Chimichua looked up. On a branch of the kapok was a morphle butterfly, the largest she had ever seen. It waved at her with brilliant blue wings. Oh grandmother, said Chimichua. Nothing here is what it seems. Everything changes into something else. Dear Chimichua, said the butterfly gently. That is the way of the forest. Among your own people, things change slowly and are mostly what they seem. But your human world is a tiny one. All around lies a much larger world, and you can't expect it to behave the same. But if I can't understand the forest, cried Chimichua, how will I ever get home? I will lead you there myself, said the butterfly. Oh grandmother, will you, said Chimichua. Certainly, said the butterfly. Just follow me. It wasn't long till they came to the banks of the Amazon. Then Chimichua saw with astonishment that the boat landing of her people was on the other side. I crossed the river without knowing it, she cried. But that's impossible. Impossible? said the butterfly. I mean, said Chimichua carefully. I don't understand how it happened. But now how will I get back across? That's simple, said the mother. I'll change you to a butterfly. And it began to chant over and over. Wings of blue, drinks the dew. Wings of blue, drinks the dew. Wings of blue, drinks the dew. Chimichua felt herself grow smaller, while her arms grew wide and thin. Soon she was fluttering and hovering beside the other. I'm a butterfly, she cried. They started across the wide water. Their wings glistening in the sun. I feel so light and graceful, said Chimichua. I wish this would never end. Before long, they reached the landing. For a path to the maloca, led into the forest. The instant Chimichua touched the ground, she was changed back to human form. I will leave you here, said the butterfly. Farewell, Chimichua. Oh grandmother, cried the girl. Take me with you. I want to be a butterfly forever. That would not be right, said the butterfly. You belong with your people, who love you and care for you. But never mind, Chimichua. Now that you have been one of us, you will always have something of the forest within you. The girl waved as the butterfly flew off. Goodbye, grandmother. Then Chimichua turned home, with a heart that had wings of a butterfly.