The Selfish Giant & The Devoted Friend 🌸 | Cozy Tales for Sleep by Oscar Wilde

Tonight on Chapter & Pillow, we settle in with two classic fairy tales by Oscar Wilde, beginning with The Selfish Giant. The story follows a towering figure who builds a high wall around his beautiful garden to keep the local children out, only to discover that springtime refuses to return to his land until he lets kindness back in. Afterward, we move into The Devoted Friend, a thoughtful story about a humble gardener and a wealthy miller that gently looks at what it truly means to be a loyal friend to someone. Both of these 1888 tales are wrapped in Wilde's signature charm, offering you a peaceful, comforting space for a busy evening. This soft, ad-free narration features slow pacing to help you quiet your thoughts, let go of the day, and drift off naturally. Behind the Story: Oscar Wilde is famous for his sharp, witty plays for adults, but he wrote these specific fairy tales for his own two young sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. He used to sit by their bedsides in London and weep while reading The Selfish Giant aloud to them. When his sons asked him why he was crying, he told them it was because truly beautiful things always make us feel a little bit vulnerable, a lovely reminder of how deeply he poured his heart into these bedtime stories. Send us Fan Mail Support the show About Chapter & Pillow Chapter & Pillow: Where Stories Drift Into Sleep brings you classic bedtime stories that I carefully select to help you leave your day behind and drift peacefully to sleep. No AI-just calm stories by a human voice. 💌 Stay in touch: Have a public-domain story request, suggestion, or just want to say hello? Write anytime at [email protected]. ⭐ Enjoying the show? A rating or review is a simple way to help other listeners discover Chapter & Pillow, and I would be so grateful for your support.. Thank you for spending part of your night with me. So close your eyes, settle in, and have the sweetest of dreams. I'll “see” you next time. Kathleen 🌙