UDSKRIFT 🔗
WEBVTT
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Produced by the iLab at WBUR, Boston.
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Hi, Rebecca Shear here. This summer, we are working hard
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to create a whole new batch of Circle Round stories
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for you. While we hunker down in the studio, today
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we're bringing you a favorite Circle Round tale from the archives.
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We'll be sprinkling our feed with some new episodes throughout
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the summer before officially launching our fifth season in September.
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Till then, enjoy this listener favorite and stay tuned for
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new stories in the coming weeks. Think of something that
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makes you happy. Maybe it's a sunny day, a favorite story,
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or the chance to hang out with someone you love.
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In today's story, two characters argue about what truly makes
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people happy, and they're both convinced they have the answer.
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I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where story
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time happens all the time. Today our story is called
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Sir Luck and Mr. Riches. Versions of this tale come
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from parts of Europe, including Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and the
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modern-day Czech Republic. You'll also hear variations from the Dominican
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Republic in the Caribbean Sea. Some really great people came
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together to bring you our adaptation of this story, including
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David Wayne and Michael Ian Black. Grown-ups, you might know writer, director,
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and actor David Wayne from the movies Wet Hot American
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Summer and Role Models and the TV shows Stella and
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the State, which he created with Michael Ian Black. Michael
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Ian Black has also written a bunch of children's books,
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including Chicken Cheeks, The Purple Kangaroo, and the very fun
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trilogy I'm Bored, I'm Sad, and I'm Worried. So circle around, everyone.
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For Sir Luck and Mr. Riches. One bright sunny morning,
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not so long ago, if you had passed a certain
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bench in a certain park on a certain edge of
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a certain town, you would have come across a certain
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pair of men having a certain look.
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For crying out loud, how many times do I have
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to tell you? I am more important than you are.
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Oh, give me a break. Everybody knows that I am
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way more important than you are.
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One of the men was Sir Luck.
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Look, without me, people would be wandering into poison ivy
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patches and getting struck by lightning all the time. Their
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fortunes would be terrible.
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And the other... was Mr.
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Riches.
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Well, without me, people wouldn't have any fortune at all. Money-wise,
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no cash, no bread, no dough. They'd be penniless!
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Now, here's the thing about Sir Luck and Mr. Riches.
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They may have looked like two regular guys, but it
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was all a disguise. Sir Luck and Mr. Riches were
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actually supernatural beings in charge of the very things they
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were named for. So Sir Luck was responsible for, you
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guessed it, luck. He determined what strokes of good fortune
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or bad fortune came to people like you and me.
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And Mr. Riches was in charge of, you guessed it again, riches.
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He decided how much money people had, you know, who
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was prosperous and who was not.
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Okay, I don't even know what to say anymore. There's
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no way you're more important than me.
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And as Sir Luck and Mr. Riches sat on that
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bench in that park on the edge of that town.
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You are out of your mind.
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And quibbled about which one of them was more important,
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they were interrupted.
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Good morning, gentlemen.
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By Madam Wisdom. Madam Wisdom was a colleague of Sir
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Luck and Mr. Riches, and I'll bet you can guess
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what she was in charge of. That's right.
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Wisdom.
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Madam Wisdom decided she had listened to enough quarreling between
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Sir Luck and Mr.
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Riches.
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And given her vast knowledge and insight, she knew exactly
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what to do.
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Listen, you two. Squabbling won't get you any closer to
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settling your debate. But it just so
Load full transcript
happens that I
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have an idea.
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She pointed to a man who was striding through the park.
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The fellow was dressed in ragged overalls and shabby work boots.
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He was carrying an axe and whistling a merry tune.
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See that woodcutter over there? He's on his way to
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cut down trees in the forest. He works hard every
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single day to support his family, and they don't have
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very much. Why not take turns giving him your gifts?
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Madam Wisdom nodded at Mr. Riches.
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First.
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You provide the woodcutter with riches, but no luck.
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Then she nodded at Sir Luck.
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Next, you grant him luck, but no riches. In the end,
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you can see which one of you makes the woodcutter happier.
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What do you say?
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For the first time in a long time, Mr. Riches
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and Sir Luck actually agreed on something.
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We're in!
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Very well, then. Let me know how it goes.
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Madam Wisdom sauntered away, and Mr. Riches hopped up from
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his seat and ran over to the woodcutter.
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Good morning, friend.
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The woodcutter stopped walking and whistling and turned toward Mr.
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Riches.
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Sorry to bother you, but I'd like to give you this.
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Mr.
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Riches reached into his pocket and pulled out a glittering
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gold coin. A gold coin?
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For me?
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For what?
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Well, a humble woodcutter like you works so hard chopping
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in that forest every single day. Why not take the
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day off for once? Go to the market and buy
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something nice.
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Some bread, some cheese, some wine.
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The woodcutter blushed.
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Well, the truth is, I really like chopping in that forest.
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You see, my dad was a woodcutter. So was my grandpa.
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None of us have ever been rich, but we've always
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been content.
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Very content.
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Since your offering, though, I'll take your gold coin.
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Thank you. You're welcome. You know, I'd say it's your
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lucky day, but trust me.
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Mr.
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Riches shot Sir Luck a withering glance.
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Luck has nothing to do with it.
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What do you think will happen next? Will Mr. Riches
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prove Sir Luck wrong? We'll find out after a quick break.
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Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our
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story is called Sir Luck and Mr.
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Riches. Sir Luck and Mr.
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Riches When we left off, Sir Luck and Mr. Riches
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were bickering about which one of them was more important.
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So Madam Wisdom suggested they take turns giving their gifts
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to a humble woodcutter, then see whether Luck or Riches
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made the man happier.
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Mr.
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Riches went first. He gave the woodcutter a glittering gold
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coin to spend at the market. When the woodcutter arrived,
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it was the height of the morning rush. and the
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place was buzzing and humming with customers. As the woodcutter
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wove his way through the noisy crowd, he bought a
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loaf of fresh bread, a wheel of cheese, and a
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bottle of wine. But just as he was elbowing his
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way toward the door, another throng of customers came swarming in.
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The woodcutter felt someone bump his shoulder, and before he
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knew what was happening, his groceries went flying out of
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his arms and came crashing to the ground. The woodcutter
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watched as his bottle of wine shattered and splattered, and
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his bread and cheese were trampled by hundreds of pairs
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of feet. So, carrying nothing but his trusty axe, the
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woodcutter left the jam-packed market and headed back across the park.
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toward the forest.
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Hey there, woodcutter. You're not going back to work, are you?
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Where are your groceries?
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The woodcutter sighed and told Mr. Riches what had happened.
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Well, that's unfortunate.
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From the corner of
his eye, Mr. Riches could see
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Sir Luck smirking.
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But no matter. I can offer you a whole different
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kind of fortune.
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This time, when Mr. Riches reached into his pocket, he
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pulled out a polka-dotted drawstring bracelet.
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Purse.
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This purse is filled to the brim with gold coins.
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Go back to the market and buy something else. The
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morning rush should be over by now.
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So the woodcutter thanked Mr. Riches and took the polka-dotted
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drawstring purse to the market. But just as he was
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stepping inside, a falcon with long pointed wings swooped down
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from the sky, seized the drawstring purse and its talons,
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and flew away. So once again, Carrying nothing but his
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faithful axe, the woodcutter headed back across the park toward
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the forest.
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Woodcutter, I told you to take that purse and buy things.
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Nice things, but here you are empty-handed and going back
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to work.
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What gives?
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Once again. the woodcutter sighed and told Mr. Riches what
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had happened.
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I see. Not catching many lucky breaks today, are you?
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Mr.
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Riches heard Sir Luck chuckling.
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But not to worry.
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Mr.
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Riches snapped his fingers and a giant gray stallion came
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galloping across the park. The steed's massive hooves were fitted
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with diamond-studded horseshoes, and his brown leather saddlebag was bursting
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with gold coins.
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Forget about work, friend, and forget about the market. Take
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this horse and bring him and all this money.
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Home with you.
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The woodcutter thanked Mr. Riches and began leading the stallion home.
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But soon after they left the park, a deer came
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bounding across the road and startled the gray stallion. The
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horse jerked his reins out of the woodcutter's hands, then
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bolted away on his big, diamond-studded horseshoes before disappearing into
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a stand of trees. So, yet again, carrying nothing but
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his faithful axe, the woodcutter headed back across the park
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toward the forest. When Mr. Riches spotted the woodcutter returning,
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he frowned. Sir Luck, on the other hand, grinned.
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Well, pardon the expression, but isn't this rich? Three times
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you tried giving riches to that woodcutter, and three times
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he's come back carrying nothing but that axe.
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I suppose you think you can do better.
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Oh, I don't think it.
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Sir Luck hopped up from the bench.
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I know it.
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Sir Luck pulled a copper coin from his pocket.
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Hello there, sir.
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How's it going?
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Listen... I'd like to give you this copper coin.
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The woodcutter scratched his head.
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Um, thanks for the offer, sir, but I really should
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get to my chopping.
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Not so fast.
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Sir Luck laid a hand on the woodcutter's shoulder.
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Listen, this copper coin may not look like much, but
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it might lead to very great things. All I ask
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is that you don't do any work today. Instead, go home,
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and on the way, Spend this copper coin on the
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very first thing you see. Whatever it is, if it's
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for sale and you can afford it, buy it.
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The woodcutter thought for a moment.
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All right then, I'll take your copper coin and spend
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it on the first thing I see.
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Thank you.
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As the woodcutter headed home, he came upon a traveling
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merchant who was selling all sorts of goods. Silks, spices,
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exotic fruits and vegetables. But the only item that cost
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less than one copper coin was... A rod?
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Not just any rod, sir.
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Tell me, do you like olives? I do.
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Well, we all know how time-consuming it can be to
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pick olives by hand, right? With this rod, all you
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have to do is find an olive tree,
give the
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tree a good whack... And the plumpest and juiciest olives
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will pop right off, just like that.
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So the woodcutter traded his one copper coin for one rod,
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then resumed his trip back home. On the way, he
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passed an olive grove and spotted a tree that was
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practically exploding with olives. So he picked up his rod
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and gave the tree a good whack. And sure enough,
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dozens of plump, juicy olives fell to the ground. But
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that's not all. Something else had fallen out of the tree, too.
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Something much larger than an olive. And this something was
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polka-dotted with a drawstring and filled to the brim with
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gold coins.
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Whoa!
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It's the drawstring purse! The one that man gave me
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before the falcon swiped it out of my hands.
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What good luck! Gripping the purse extra tight, the woodcutter
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continued on his way. But then he spied something on
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the ground.
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Horse tracks?
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And they're enormous!
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The only horse I've seen that could leave tracks that
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massive is that gray stallion.
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That huge one that ran away when.
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Of course!
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The woodcutter followed the horse tracks to an apple orchard.
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And guess who was standing by a tree, nibbling all
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the apples? I'll give you a hint. He was wearing
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massive diamond-studded horseshoes and carrying a brown leather saddlebag bursting
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with gold coins.
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Well, looks like we've found each other again, buddy.
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Now, little did the woodcutter know, but as he led
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the gray horse back toward his house, he was being
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followed by Sir Luck and Mr.
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Riches. You see, thanks to my good luck, the woodcutter
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bought that rod. And thanks to that rod, he whacked
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that olive tree and found the drawstring purse, plus the
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horse and the saddlebag. And now he's taking them home,
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and he'll never have to chop wood another day in
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his life. Score one for luck.
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Okay, I hear you.
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But tell me, whose money was inside that drawstring purse
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and that saddlebag?
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Those gold coins were mine. Thank you very much.
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I'm the reason the guy never has to chop wood again.
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Score one for Riches!
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By the time they reached the woodcutter's street, both Sir
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Luck and Mr. Riches were convinced that they had won.
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But then something happened that made them scratch their heads.
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The woodcutter led the gray stallion past his own house
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and over to the home of his neighbor. The woodcutter's
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house was a humble cottage, A bit of peeling paint here,
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a missing shutter there. But his neighbor's house was a
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different story altogether. It was no bigger than a woodshed,
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with cracked windows and crumbling walls on the verge of
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caving in. The woodcutter tied the stallion to his neighbor's
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rusty gate. Then he knocked on the front door and
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went inside.
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What's he doing in there? I don't know.
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Bragging about his newfound riches, maybe?
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His newfound luck, you mean?
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A few minutes later, the woodcutter came out again. He
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was no longer holding the polka-dotted drawstring purse. And when
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he left his neighbor's yard, he left the giant gray
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stallion and the brown leather saddlebag filled with coins tied
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to his neighbor's gate. Then he crossed into his own
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yard and shut his front door. Sir Luck and Mr.
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Riches were trying to figure out what had just happened when...
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All of a sudden.
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Hello again, gentlemen.
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They heard a familiar voice. It was Madam Wisdom, accompanied
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by two other women.
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So, it seems our little challenge worked, eh?
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Mr.
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Riches and Sir Luck exchanged a look.
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What do you mean, the challenge worked?
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The woodcutter rejected
our gifts.
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Exactly. Let me explain. You see, just like the woodcutter
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tried telling you, He's always been content with his life. Friends,
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allow me to introduce.
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She pointed to the woman on her left.
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Ms.
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Contentment.
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Pleased to make your acquaintance.
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Thanks to Ms. Contentment here, the woodcutter is satisfied with
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his work and his life. So he appreciates everything he has,
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no matter how little. And because of that... He's able
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to be generous. Sir Luck, Mr. Riches.
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She pointed to the woman on her right.
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Meet Dame Generosity. How do you do? Thanks to our
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dear Dame Generosity, the woodcutter is unselfish and willing and
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able to share with others. And that's what you saw
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him do just now. Share with his very own neighbor.
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Mr.
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Riches and Sir Luck. were speechless. This whole time, each
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one of them had been tripping all over himself, convinced
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that he could make the woodcutter happier with either riches
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or luck. And yet, this whole time, all the humble
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woodcutter wanted to do was share his bounty with someone
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who needed it far more.
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Than he did.
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In this case, a neighbor who had fallen on hard times. So,
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all of a sudden, Mr. Riches and Sir Luck realized,
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when it all comes down to it, riches weren't the
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most important thing, nor was luck. No, the most important things,
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the things that truly matter, were standing right there in
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front of them. Contentment, generosity, and the wisdom to find
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a place in your heart for both. Now it's your turn.
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Think about one thing you can do this week to
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show generosity. Maybe you can donate books or toys to
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a charity or split your sandwich with a friend. Whatever
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it is, tell a grown-up your generosity plan then once
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you've followed through come back to that grown-up and tell
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them how it felt to share with others this week's
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story sir luck and mr riches was adapted by me
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rebecca sheer It was edited by Virginia Marshall. Circle Round's
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executive producer is Catherine Brewer. Circle Round's original music and
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sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. If you like Eric's music,
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you will love the music of Circle Round Volume 1,
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our soundtrack from our first season. To get your copy,
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visit our website, wbur.org slash circleround, and click on Soundtrack
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and Coloring Pages. While you're there, you can find a
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bunch of black and white illustrations by Circle Round's artist
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Sabina Hahn. She's created a picture for every single Circle
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Round story, and you can color them in. Special thanks
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to this week's actors. John Bell, Emily DiPietro, Hannah Kenney,
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Dolores King-Williams, Maurice Emanuel Parent, David Wayne, and Michael Ian Black.
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David Wayne directed and co-wrote Wet Hot American Summer, First
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Day of Camp, a prequel to his earlier film, Wet
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Hot American Summer. Grown-up's Keep an eye out for David's
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new comedy, Medical Police, coming to Netflix. And Michael Ian
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Black has starred in numerous films and TV series, written
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and or directed several films, and has published a bunch
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of books for kids, including A Pig Parade is a
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Terrible Idea, Cock-a-doodle-doo-bop, and the very fun trilogy I'm Bored,
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I'm Sad, and I'm Worried. This week's featured instrument was
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the chromatic button accordion. You can learn more about this
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reed instrument and see a picture by visiting our website. Again,
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that's WBUR.org slash Circle Round. Circle Round is a production
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of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks
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for circling round with us. One of the best things
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about creating Circle Round is hearing from listeners like you.
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Circle Round fans have been telling us about their favorite
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Circle Round stories. And we're excited to share some of
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their voices with you.
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Hi, my name is Erin. I live in Berkeley, California.
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And my favorite circle round story is the three-legged putt
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because I like the part when the three-legged putt skips
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on three short legs. Hello, my name is Maisie, and
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I live in Oakland. My favorite story is when Ariana's music,
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and my favorite part is when she gets lift off
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by the whale.
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Hi, I'm Ben.
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I live in Indianapolis, and my favorite circle around is
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the fishermen's leftovers.
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I'm Marcelo.
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I live in California. My favorite story is... The Dream Wishes.
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I liked it because the old lady ate all the cheese. Hi,
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my name is Ida. I live in Minnesota. And my
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favorite circle around is the horse of a different color.
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And I like about it is that it has a
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rainbow horse. I'm Amada. And my favorite circle around story
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is Mashup and Grandfather's End. I like it when Masha
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catches Grandfather's son.
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In the net. Did someone mention an episode you missed?
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No problem. You can find every single Circle Round story
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on our website. That's wbur.org slash circleround or wherever you
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and your grown-ups get your podcasts.