The City of Sleep

Once upon a time, there was a city named ‘The City of Sleep’. In one part of the Sleep City, those who sleep a lot live, while in another part, those who cannot sleep reside, experiencing nights plagued by insomnia. The ones who sleep a lot live in  Slumberers Town, and those who cannot sleep reside in Insomnıacs Town. 

 

Though everyone in Slumberers Town leads an ordinary life, they’re happy with their lives.  Everyone sleeps for twelve hours a day, no one gets up early, and most importantly, nobody in this place knows what is happening in the outside world. The people living here barely know what evil or war is. They don’t worry about anything. Their only concerns are insignificant ones, like “I hope it’s sunny today.” They all share breakfast after waking from their twelve-hour sleep. After breakfast, kids go to school while adults tend to their gardens. There are no stressful activities in their schools, such as homework or tests. Slumberers Town doesn’t use money. To be honest, not even the existence of money is known to anyone. There is no ill will among them; everyone shares everything. These people go to bed in the evening stress-free, guaranteeing a good night’s rest because they live happy lives every day.

 

The opposite is true in Insomnıacs Town, though. Nearly nobody is happy; there is always a kind of issue. Everyone living here knows about what is happening in the outside world, unlike the Slumberers Town. Everyone is aware of wars, oppression, and other incidents. People in Insomnıacs Town have problems falling asleep at night and are constantly disturbed by something that keeps them awake. While one person considers global conflicts, another focuses on economic matters. In the Insomnıacs Town, money is used, and most people deal with personal financial issues in addition to global issues. Exams, homework, and other school-related issues cause children in this town to worry, which conflicts with their ability to sleep. 

As a result, everyone in the Insomnıacs Town tries to get a good night’s sleep, even though, similar to the people of the Slumberers Town, they could have slept peacefully if they were unaware of everything. Instead, they worry about issues affecting the globe or struggle with personal issues. A teenager from Slumberers Town comes to the Insomnıacs Town on New Year’s Day every year, followed by a messenger. The child’s name is Yaren this year. Yaren travels with the messenger as they explore every inch of the Sleepless Town. Yaren sees for the first time the problems of the outer world and learns that money exists. Yaren tells the messenger, “I’m glad I live in the Slumberers Town; everyone is happy there, and everyone can sleep peacefully,” as he is unhappy with the problems and insomnia of the people here. It’s a good thing nobody there has any knowledge of the outside world. The messenger agrees with Yaren and says, “You’re right; it’s good that almost no one there knows anything, and they all sleep happily and peacefully. Knowledge makes people unhappy.” They then return to the Slumberers Town.



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