Good evening. Welcome to the Just Sleep podcast. I'm Tasia, your host.

Every week, I will read you an old story to help you relax

of the stressful day behind you and drift off to sleep.

Occasionally, we will run ads in order to cover the costs of the production of the podcast.

Rest assured, there will be no ads during or after the story.

If you prefer an ad-free and intro-free show, you can join Just Sleep Premium.

Visit Just Sleeppodcast.com slash support for more information.

Tonight, I will be reading another story from the Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung.

Gentlemen and players.

So lie down, close your eyes, and let me read you a story.

Old raffles may or may not have been an exceptional criminal, but as a cricketer, I dare

swear he was unique.

Himself a dangerous bat, a brilliant field, and perhaps the very finest slow bowler of his

decade, he took incredibly little interest in the game at large. He never went up to

lords without his cricket bag, or showed the slightest interest in the result of a match in which

he was not himself engaged. Nor was this mere hateful egotism on his part. He professed to have

lost all enthusiasm for the game, and to keep it up only from the very lowest motives.

Cricket, said Raffles, like everything else, is good enough sport until you discover a

better.

As a source of excitement, it isn't in it with other things you want of money.

And the involuntary comparison becomes a bore.

What's the satisfaction of taking a man to wicket when you want his spoons?

...