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WBUR Podcasts, Boston. Hi, Rebecca Shear here. If you've been
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listening to Circle Round lately, then you know we've been
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taking time off as we gear up for our WBUR
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Podcasts ninth season, featuring dozens of folktales from around the
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globe and an exciting lineup of live episode recordings across
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the U.S., We'll be back with one of those live episodes,
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recorded at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
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next week. For now, we're pleased to present a special
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encore edition of the podcast, a fantastic folktale you may
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have missed the first time around.
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Enjoy!
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An author, poet, and playwright named Oscar Wilde once said,
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Ordinary riches can be stolen. Real riches cannot. What did
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he mean by that? Well, ordinary riches are things you
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can buy with money, like jewels, cars, and fancy clothes.
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And riches like that could be taken away. But real
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riches are the ones that can't be taken, because they're
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what you have on the inside. Things like kindness, honesty,
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and compassion. And as we'll hear in today's story, those
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riches are truly priceless riches. I'm Rebecca Scheer, and welcome
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to Circle Round, where story time happens all the time.
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Today our story is called The Unselfish Shellfish. Versions of
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this tale come from Indonesia, a country consisting of thousands
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of islands that lie between the Pacific and Indian oceans.
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Some really great people came together to bring you our
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adaptation of this folktale, including Eric Bauza and Harry Shum, Jr.,
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Eric Bauza is one of Mel Blanc's successors as the
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voice of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird,
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and Daffy Duck. Eric does a ton of other voices, too,
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including Fozzie Bear in Muppet Babies and the Beagle Boys
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in Duck Tales. Harry Shum Jr. appears in the feature
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films Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
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Watch for Harry in Grey's Anatomy, which returns to ABC
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on February 23rd. So, circle around, everyone. For the unselfish shellfish.
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In a snug little house in the middle of an island,
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there lived a farmer and his daughter. The farmer and
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his daughter worked hard, but times were even harder. And
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before long, they found themselves scratching and scraping to get by.
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Father, I've searched the kitchen high and low. And all
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I can find is one last cup of rice.
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Just one cup of rice? How are we going to survive?
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Well, obviously farming hasn't been supporting us very well. So
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what if we tried some other line of work?
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Something other than farming? What do you have in mind?
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Well, back at school, I had a friend whose father
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was an oyster man. He harvested oysters by the sea.
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He'd go out to the seaside when the tide was low.
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Then he would dig up oysters from the sand or
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collect them from the rocky caves by the water's edge.
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From what I recall, he made a pretty good living.
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So maybe you and I could go to the seaside
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and harvest oysters too. Then we'll either eat them or
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sell them at the market.
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That's a very clever idea, daughter. But I must go
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to the seaside alone.
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How come?
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Because it's too dangerous. You know how temperamental the Queen
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of the South Sea can be? She rules all the
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waters surrounding this island. And if you get on her
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bad side, you'd better watch out. She'll create waves that
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are stronger and fiercer than anything you can imagine. She'll
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swallow you right up.
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But if you get on her good side, she'll keep
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you safe, right?
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Yes, but to get on her good side, you must
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bring her a gift. An offering of peace in exchange
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for your safety. And look around you, daughter. What could
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we possibly offer the Queen of the South Sea? You
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and I have nothing.
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Well, Not exactly nothing.
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The farmer's daughter took out their last cup of rice.
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You may go to the seaside alone, but you must
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bring this rice.
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We'll cook it up.
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Then you can leave it as an offering on the beach.
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But daughter, if I take this rice, you will have
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nothing to eat.
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I'll manage, father.
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And here, she untied a colorful scarf from her hair.
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Wrap the rice in this scarf. Then offer that to
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the queen, too. We don't have a fancy silver platter
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or anything, so this will have to do.
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You know I can't do that, daughter. That's your favorite
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scarf in the world.
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And you're my favorite person in the world. I believe
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in you, father.
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And I believe in you, daughter. Thank you.
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The farmer and his daughter cooked up the rice and
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wrapped it in the scarf. Then the farmer packed the
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offering in his knapsack and set off down the long
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road to the sea. His stomach grumbled as he walked,
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but he knew better than to reach inside his knapsack
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and eat the rice. It was intended for the queen.
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He just hoped she would be pleased with such a
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modest gift. Soon it began to rain, and when the
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farmer reached the seaside, he was approached by a well-dressed
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fellow carrying a shiny leather satchel and a wide umbrella.
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Well, hello there. Have you come to harvest oysters?
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Uh, yes. I have come to harvest oysters. It's my
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very first time.
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Mine, too.
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I heard there's a lot of money in this business,
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so I simply could not resist.
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You see, I'm a trader by profession.
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And I'm always looking for new ways to trade goods
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and rake it in. But for now, I'm going to
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break for a snack.
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The trader opened his satchel. The moment he did, scrumptious
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smells wafted out from inside.
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Ooh, this morning my son sent me off with all
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these delectable foods.
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Let's see.
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Fresh baked bread, roasted chicken, ripe bananas.
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The farmer peered into the satchel and took a whiff.
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Hmm.
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Your son is quite the cook.
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Well, to be honest, he told me I shouldn't actually
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eat this food. He said something about offering it to
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the queen of the South Sea.
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But come on. I'm a working man, and a working
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man has got to eat.
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The trader pulled out a hunk of bread and shoved
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it in his mouth.
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This is so good. So good.
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The trader proceeded to stuff his face with all of
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the bread, chicken, and bananas his son had packed. Before long,
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all that remained was a smattering of crumbs and a
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mess of chicken bones and banana peels, which the trader
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carelessly dumped on the wet sand. The farmer, meanwhile, was
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hungrier than ever, but he knew what he had to do.
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He left the trader and walked to the water's edge.
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And he reached into his knapsack, took out the rice
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in the scarf, and held it out toward the sea.
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Oh, Queen of the South Sea, this humble offering is
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for you. I know it isn't much, but times have
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been hard, and it's the best I can do. May
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it be to your liking, and may you grant me
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safety along these shores.
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The farmer placed the offering on the beach. Then he
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turned toward the rocky caves tucked along the water's edge.
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My daughter said her friend's father found oysters inside these caves.
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I'll head inside one to see what I can find,
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and to take shelter from this rain.
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As the farmer climbed into a craggy cavern and looked around,
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what should he spy but a heaping pile of oysters?
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Oh my goodness! Look at all these oysters! And such
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big ones, too! Each one is the size of my shoe!
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I will gather them, but I won't sell them. I
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will bring them home to my daughter. She must be
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starving by now.
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Yes, good farmer.
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Bring the oysters home to your daughter.
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The farmer gasped and swiveled his head around. As far
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as he could see, he was all alone. But as
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he would soon learn, he wasn't alone at all. Someone
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had been watching his every move. and was about to
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change his fortune in an almighty way. Who do you
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think spoke just now? And how will they change the
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farmer's fortune? We'll find out after a quick break.
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100 years from now in a land far, far away.
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Hang on.
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It's not so far away at all, actually. Hey, Circle
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Round families. We're here to share a new listening experience
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from WBUR, The Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast adventure
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for kids 8 and up. Time-traveling, problem-solving, laughs in danger,
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it's here. Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring
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your goggles and boots. That's The Midnight Rebellion. In your
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feed or wherever you get podcasts.
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Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our
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story is called The Unselfish Shellfish.
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The Unselfish Shellfish.
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Before the break, the poor hungry farmer made a humble
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offering to the Queen of the South Sea. Then, just
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as he discovered a heap of oysters inside a cave
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by the water's edge, he heard a mysterious voice call
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out to him.
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Who was it that spoke to me just now? I
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don't see anyone else in this cave.
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It is I, the Queen of the South Sea, calling
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out to you from the waters.
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The queen of the South Sea?
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The farmer dropped to his knees.
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Oh, great and mighty queen, I am honored. But why
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are you calling out to me?
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Because you called out to me. I heard your plea,
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good farmer, and I saw your humble offering. You gave
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me your last bit of rice and your daughter's favorite scarf.
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You have shown true sacrifice. So please, take the oysters.
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Consider them your reward.
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And with that, the cave went silent. Without wasting a minute,
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the farmer stuffed his knapsack full of oysters, then began
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the long walk back to his snug little house, where,
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unbeknownst to him, his daughter was worried sick.
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Oh, it's getting so late, and father isn't home yet.
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I hope he's safe.
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She went to the window and gazed toward the distant
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sea on the horizon.
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Oh, great and mighty queen of the South Sea, if
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you can hear me, please let me see my father again.
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I don't care if he comes home with any oysters
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or Just please bring him back to me, safe and sound.
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Please.
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Now, it just so happens that in yet another spot
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on the island, someone else was wondering about their father, too.
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It was the traitor's son, the same fellow who had
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packed up all the delicious bread, chicken, and bananas as
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a peace offering for the Queen of the South Sea.
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Where on earth is father? The plan was for him
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to come home with the oysters, and I would take
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them to the market to trade for something even better,
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so I could help us make a fortune.
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He turned his eyes toward the clock.
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Well, so much for our plan. The market is about
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to close. But good thing I gave Father all that
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food for the Queen of the South Sea this morning.
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May she give us a fortune today. as great as
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my father's offering was.
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Now, we know the truth about the traitor's offering, right?
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He hadn't actually offered it to the queen at all. Instead,
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what did he do? That's right, he ate it all
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up and left nothing but breadcrumbs and chicken bones and
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banana peels scattered on the beach. But the traitor's son
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had no idea. He also had no idea that when
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the traitor was done with his feast... He didn't even
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collect any oysters. Instead, he was so groggy from his
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feast that he had taken shelter in one of the
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seaside caves and fallen fast asleep. As the trader dozed,
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the drizzle of the rain outside turned into a downpour.
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Thunder rumbled and streaks of lightning lit up the sky.
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The waves on the sea grew stronger and stronger and
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higher and higher. But the trader slept right through it,
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until a colossal whitecap came crashing into his cave and
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jolted him awake.
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What's happening?
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The trader leaped to his feet and clawed at the
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cave's walls, trying to escape the rising water.
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Oh no!
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Oh no!
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Somebody help me! Help me!
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Help you?
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And why should anyone help you? The traitor flicked his
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head round in fear.
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Who are you? Who said that?
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It is I, the Queen of the South Sea, calling
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out to you from the waters. And you are nothing
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but a greedy glutton who devoured the offering that was
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meant for me.
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Why did you do it?
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Why? The traitor felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
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Oh, Queen of the South Sea, I can explain everything.
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I can.
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You see, I ate all that food because I was hungry.
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And truth be told, I didn't even know you were real. Please,
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please forgive me.
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Have some pity.
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You deserve neither forgiveness nor pity. However, I have heard
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the words of your son. He called out to me
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and made a little prayer.
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He did?
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I listened to his words and have decided I will
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answer his prayer. Now go back home, and I promise
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you will have everything your son asked for.
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And with that, the sea calmed and the trader clambered
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out of the cave, breathless with excitement about whatever great
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fortune his son's prayer would bring.
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Oh, that son of mine is one smart cookie. So
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surely he prayed for something fine.
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A boatload of money, perhaps. Or a new house.
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One even grander and more spacious than the abode we
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already have.
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But as the trader neared his grand and spacious abode,
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he was surprised to see his son come running toward
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him with his eyes full of tears.
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My son, why are you crying? Oh, let me guess.
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They are tears of joy because the queen of the
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South Sea has brought us great fortune.
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No, father, quite the opposite. Our house has been flooded
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and the rushing waters have carried all of our belongings away.
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I don't understand.
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The queen of the South Sea said she would answer
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your prayer and give us what you asked for.
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Did you wish for.
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Us to be struck by disaster?
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Of course I didn't.
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The young man sniffed and wiped his eyes.
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I wished for her to bring us a fortune as
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great as the offering you gave her.
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The traitor froze. His blood ran cold. The offering... Of course.
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His son had no way of knowing that he didn't
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give the queen a great offering at all. Instead, he
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devoured all the food and left nothing but crumbs and
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bones and banana peels. It was a most unfortunate offering.
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Hence his misfortune now. Well, while the traitor felt his
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heart flood with regret... Elsewhere on the island, the farmer
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was all smiles as he returned to his snug little house.
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When he stepped through the door, his daughter ran into
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his arms.
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Oh, father, you're back. I was so worried that I
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called out to the queen of the South Sea and
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asked her to bring you home safely. She must have listened.
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Oh, she did more than that, my dear. Take a look.
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The farmer threw open his knapsack. His daughter let out
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a gasp.
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Oh, my goodness! So many oysters and so huge! Each
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one is the size of your shoe!
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That's what I said! What do you say we open
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one up and have a taste?
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Mmm!
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Yes, please! So they picked up an oyster and pried
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open its shell. But when they looked inside... Oh! they
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found a wonderful surprise. A bright, glistening pearl.
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Wow!
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The farmer and his daughter opened another oyster. And another.
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And another. And inside each and every shell was a pearl.
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A bright, glistening gift from the all-powerful queen of the
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South Sea. Well, as you can probably guess, Never again
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did the farmer and his daughter have to... scratch and
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scrape to get by. With their newfound treasure, they were
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able to get back on their feet and share their
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good fortune with others. Because the two of them weren't
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just rich in wealth. They were rich in generosity, too.
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Now it's your turn. As we heard in today's story,
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when we respect nature, everybody wins. So what are three
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ways you can show love and care for the environment?
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Maybe you can recycle items like glass and plastic and paper.
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Maybe you can turn off the lights when you're not
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using them, or turn off the water when you're brushing
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your teeth. Perhaps you can bring reusable bags to the
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grocery store, or donate your outgrown clothing and toys. Find
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a grown-up and make a list of three eco-friendly things
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you can do. Draw a picture of yourself doing these tasks,
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then hang the picture somewhere you can see it to
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remind yourself how easy and rewarding it can be to
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show a little love to our planet. This week's story,
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The Unselfish Shellfish, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It
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was edited by Nora Sachs. Our original music and sound
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design is by Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Han.
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Sabina has drawn a black and white coloring page for
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every Circle Round story, and you can color them in
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while you listen. Grown-ups, visit our website, wbur.org slash Circle Round,
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and click on Coloring Pages. And while you're at wbur.org
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slash Circle Round, you can find a link to our
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Circle Round picture books, adapted from some of your favorite episodes.
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Just click on Books.com. Special thanks to this week's actors,
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Ryan DeLusong, Jessica Rau, Erica Rose, Eric Bauza, and Harry
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Shum Jr. Eric Bauza is one of Mel Blanc's successors
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00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:55.119
as the voice of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny,
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Tweety Bird, and Daffy Duck. He does a ton of
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other voices, too, including Fozzie Bear in Muppet Babies and
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the Beagle Boys in Duck Tales. Watch for Harry Shum Jr.
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in Grey's Anatomy Season 19, which returns to ABC for
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its mid-season premiere on February 23rd. Harry can also be
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heard starring in the grown-up mystery podcast Echo Park and
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seen in the Oscar-nominated film Everything Everywhere All at Once.
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Coming up, Harry will reprise his role of Charlie Woo
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in the much-anticipated spin-off of Crazy Rich Asians. Our featured
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instrument this week was a collection of instruments known as gamelan.
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To learn more about this percussion-based ensemble type found in
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Indonesia and to see a photo, visit our website... Again,
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that's WBUR.org slash CircleRound. Grownups, if you enjoy what you
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hear on CircleRound, please write us a five-star review on
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00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.920
your favorite podcast app. And please tell your friends about
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the show. It'll help us keep circling around with you
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for years to come. CircleRound is a production of WBUR,
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Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling
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around with us. Music Now that you've made it to
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the end of this Circle Round episode, we want to know,
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what's your favorite Circle Round story? Thousands of fans just
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like you have been telling us about the Circle Round
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stories they like best. Take a listen. Maybe one of
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their favorites is one of yours, too.
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Hi, my name is Vivi, and I live in Halliburton, Ontario,
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and my favorite circle round is Friends in High Places,
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and I like the part when Rhino says that the
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leafs are dying.
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Hi, my name is Louis. I'm from Vineland, New Jersey,
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and my favorite episode of Circle Round is Thunder and Lightning.
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My name is Ade.
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I live in Massachusetts, and my favorite circle round story
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is The lion's whiskers. And my favorite part is where
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the lion winks.
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At the kids.
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My name is Juniper.
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I live in Colorado.
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My favorite story is the Tenderloin Dory 2. I like
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it because when the robot is wheezing, he does a rattle.
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My name is Jasper.
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And I live in Colorado, and my favorite circle around
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story is The Peach of Life, and my favorite part
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is when the wizard says.
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Good day!
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Hi, my name is Brooks. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina,
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and my favorite story is Giant Footsteps.
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My name is Luke, and I'm from Longmont, Colorado, and
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my favorite circle around story is the chameleons contest. My
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favorite part is when chameleon says, I challenge you to
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a fashion contest.
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Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry. Grownups,
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you can find all of our circle around stories, plus
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links to the circle around club, picture books, coloring pages,
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and oh so much more on our website, wbur.org slash circleround.
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WBUR Podcasts, Boston. Hi, Rebecca Shear here. If you've been
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00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:16.489
listening to Circle Round lately, then you know we've been
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00:00:16.530 --> 00:00:19.269
taking time off as we gear up for our WBUR
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00:00:19.309 --> 00:00:23.449
Podcasts ninth season, featuring dozens of folktales from around the
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globe and an exciting lineup of live episode recordings across
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00:00:27.710 --> 00:00:31.179
the U.S., We'll be back with one of those live episodes,
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00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:34.859
recorded at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
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00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:38.479
next week. For now, we're pleased to present a special
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00:00:38.659 --> 00:00:42.039
encore edition of the podcast, a fantastic folktale you may
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have missed the first time around.
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Enjoy!
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An author, poet, and playwright named Oscar Wilde once said,
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Ordinary riches can be stolen. Real riches cannot. What did
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he mean by that? Well, ordinary riches are things you
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can buy with money, like jewels, cars, and fancy clothes.
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And riches like that could be taken away. But real
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riches are the ones that can't be taken, because they're
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what you have on the inside. Things like kindness, honesty,
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and compassion. And as we'll hear in today's story, those
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riches are truly priceless riches. I'm Rebecca Scheer, and welcome
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to Circle Round, where story time happens all the time.
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Today our story is called The Unselfish Shellfish. Versions of
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this tale come from Indonesia, a country consisting of thousands
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of islands that lie between the Pacific and Indian oceans.
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Some really great people came together to bring you our
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adaptation of this folktale, including Eric Bauza and Harry Shum, Jr.,
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Eric Bauza is one of Mel Blanc's successors as the
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voice of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird,
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00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.319
and Daffy Duck. Eric does a ton of other voices, too,
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00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:10.710
including Fozzie Bear in Muppet Babies and the Beagle Boys
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00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:14.389
in Duck Tales. Harry Shum Jr. appears in the feature
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films Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
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Watch for Harry in Grey's Anatomy, which returns to ABC
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on February 23rd. So, circle around, everyone. For the unselfish shellfish.
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In a snug little house in the middle of an island,
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there lived a farmer and his daughter. The farmer and
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his daughter worked hard, but times were even harder. And
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before long, they found themselves scratching and scraping to get by.
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Father, I've searched the kitchen high and low. And all
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I can find is one last cup of rice.
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Just one cup of rice? How are we going to survive?
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Well, obviously farming hasn't been supporting us very well. So
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what if we tried some other line of work?
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Something other than farming? What do you have in mind?
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Well, back at school, I had a friend whose father
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was an oyster man. He harvested oysters by the sea.
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He'd go out to the seaside when the tide was low.
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Then he would dig up oysters from the sand or
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collect them from the rocky caves by the water's edge.
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From what I recall, he made a pretty good living.
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So maybe you and I could go to the seaside
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and harvest oysters too. Then we'll either eat them or
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sell them at the market.
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That's a very clever idea, daughter. But I must go
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to the seaside alone.
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How come?
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Because it's too dangerous. You know how temperamental the Queen
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of the South Sea can be? She rules all the
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waters surrounding this island. And if you get on her
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bad side, you'd better watch out. She'll create waves that
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are stronger and fiercer than anything you can imagine. She'll
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swallow you right up.
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But if you get on her good side, she'll keep
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you safe, right?
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Yes, but to get on her good side, you must
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bring her a gift. An offering of peace in exchange
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for your safety. And look around you, daughter. What could
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we possibly offer the Queen of the South Sea? You
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and I have nothing.
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Well, Not exactly nothing.
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The farmer's daughter took out their last cup of rice.
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You may go to the seaside alone, but you must
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bring this rice.
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We'll cook it up.
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Then you can leave it as an offering on the beach.
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But daughter, if I take this rice, you will have
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nothing to eat.
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I'll manage, father.
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And here, she untied a colorful scarf from her hair.
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Wrap the rice in this scarf. Then offer that to
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the queen, too. We don't have a fancy silver platter
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or anything, so this will have to do.
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You know I can't do that, daughter. That's your favorite
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scarf in the world.
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And you're my favorite person in the world. I believe
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in you, father.
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And I believe in you, daughter. Thank you.
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The farmer and his daughter cooked up the rice and
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wrapped it in the scarf. Then the farmer packed the
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offering in his knapsack and set off down the long
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road to the sea. His stomach grumbled as he walked,
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but he knew better than to reach inside his knapsack
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and eat the rice. It was intended for the queen.
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He just hoped she would be pleased with such a
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modest gift. Soon it began to rain, and when the
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farmer reached the seaside, he was approached by a well-dressed
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fellow carrying a shiny leather satchel and a wide umbrella.
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Well, hello there. Have you come to harvest oysters?
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Uh, yes. I have come to harvest oysters. It's my
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very first time.
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Mine, too.
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I heard there's a lot of money in this business,
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so I simply could not resist.
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You see, I'm a trader by profession.
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And I'm always looking for new ways to trade goods
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and rake it in. But for now, I'm going to
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break for a snack.
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The trader opened his satchel. The moment he did, scrumptious
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smells wafted out from inside.
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Ooh, this morning my son sent me off with all
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these delectable foods.
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Let's see.
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Fresh baked bread, roasted chicken, ripe bananas.
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The farmer peered into the satchel and took a whiff.
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Hmm.
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Your son is quite the cook.
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Well, to be honest, he told me I shouldn't actually
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eat this food. He said something about offering it to
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the queen of the South Sea.
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But come on. I'm a working man, and a working
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man has got to eat.
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The trader pulled out a hunk of bread and shoved
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it in his mouth.
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This is so good. So good.
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The trader proceeded to stuff his face with all of
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the bread, chicken, and bananas his son had packed. Before long,
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all that remained was a smattering of crumbs and a
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mess of chicken bones and banana peels, which the trader
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carelessly dumped on the wet sand. The farmer, meanwhile, was
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hungrier than ever, but he knew what he had to do.
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He left the trader and walked to the water's edge.
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And he reached into his knapsack, took out the rice
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in the scarf, and held it out toward the sea.
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Oh, Queen of the South Sea, this humble offering is
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for you. I know it isn't much, but times have
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been hard, and it's the best I can do. May
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it be to your liking, and may you grant me
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safety along these shores.
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The farmer placed the offering on the beach. Then he
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turned toward the rocky caves tucked along the water's edge.
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My daughter said her friend's father found oysters inside these caves.
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I'll head inside one to see what I can find,
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and to take shelter from this rain.
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As the farmer climbed into a craggy cavern and looked around,
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what should he spy but a heaping pile of oysters?
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Oh my goodness! Look at all these oysters! And such
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big ones, too! Each one is the size of my shoe!
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I will gather them, but I won't sell them. I
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will bring them home to my daughter. She must be
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starving by now.
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Yes, good farmer.
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Bring the oysters home to your daughter.
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The farmer gasped and swiveled his head around. As far
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as he could see, he was all alone. But as
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he would soon learn, he wasn't alone at all. Someone
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had been watching his every move. and was about to
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change his fortune in an almighty way. Who do you
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think spoke just now? And how will they change the
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farmer's fortune? We'll find out after a quick break.
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100 years from now in a land far, far away.
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Hang on.
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It's not so far away at all, actually. Hey, Circle
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Round families. We're here to share a new listening experience
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from WBUR, The Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast adventure
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for kids 8 and up. Time-traveling, problem-solving, laughs in danger,
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it's here. Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring
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your goggles and boots. That's The Midnight Rebellion. In your
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feed or wherever you get podcasts.
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Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our
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story is called The Unselfish Shellfish.
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The Unselfish Shellfish.
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Before the break, the poor hungry farmer made a humble
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offering to the Queen of the South Sea. Then, just
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as he discovered a heap of oysters inside a cave
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by the water's edge, he heard a mysterious voice call
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out to him.
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Who was it that spoke to me just now? I
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don't see anyone else in this cave.
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It is I, the Queen of the South Sea, calling
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out to you from the waters.
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The queen of the South Sea?
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The farmer dropped to his knees.
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Oh, great and mighty queen, I am honored. But why
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are you calling out to me?
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Because you called out to me. I heard your plea,
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good farmer, and I saw your humble offering. You gave
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me your last bit of rice and your daughter's favorite scarf.
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You have shown true sacrifice. So please, take the oysters.
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Consider them your reward.
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And with that, the cave went silent. Without wasting a minute,
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the farmer stuffed his knapsack full of oysters, then began
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the long walk back to his snug little house, where,
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unbeknownst to him, his daughter was worried sick.
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Oh, it's getting so late, and father isn't home yet.
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I hope he's safe.
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She went to the window and gazed toward the distant
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sea on the horizon.
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Oh, great and mighty queen of the South Sea, if
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you can hear me, please let me see my father again.
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I don't care if he comes home with any oysters
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or Just please bring him back to me, safe and sound.
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Please.
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Now, it just so happens that in yet another spot
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on the island, someone else was wondering about their father, too.
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It was the traitor's son, the same fellow who had
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packed up all the delicious bread, chicken, and bananas as
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a peace offering for the Queen of the South Sea.
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Where on earth is father? The plan was for him
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to come home with the oysters, and I would take
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them to the market to trade for something even better,
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so I could help us make a fortune.
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He turned his eyes toward the clock.
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Well, so much for our plan. The market is about
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to close. But good thing I gave Father all that
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food for the Queen of the South Sea this morning.
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May she give us a fortune today. as great as
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my father's offering was.
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Now, we know the truth about the traitor's offering, right?
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He hadn't actually offered it to the queen at all. Instead,
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what did he do? That's right, he ate it all
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up and left nothing but breadcrumbs and chicken bones and
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banana peels scattered on the beach. But the traitor's son
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had no idea. He also had no idea that when
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the traitor was done with his feast... He didn't even
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collect any oysters. Instead, he was so groggy from his
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feast that he had taken shelter in one of the
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seaside caves and fallen fast asleep. As the trader dozed,
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the drizzle of the rain outside turned into a downpour.
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Thunder rumbled and streaks of lightning lit up the sky.
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The waves on the sea grew stronger and stronger and
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higher and higher. But the trader slept right through it,
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until a colossal whitecap came crashing into his cave and
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jolted him awake.
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What's happening?
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The trader leaped to his feet and clawed at the
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cave's walls, trying to escape the rising water.
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Oh no!
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Oh no!
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Somebody help me! Help me!
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Help you?
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And why should anyone help you? The traitor flicked his
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head round in fear.
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Who are you? Who said that?
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It is I, the Queen of the South Sea, calling
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out to you from the waters. And you are nothing
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but a greedy glutton who devoured the offering that was
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meant for me.
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Why did you do it?
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Why? The traitor felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
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Oh, Queen of the South Sea, I can explain everything.
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I can.
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You see, I ate all that food because I was hungry.
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And truth be told, I didn't even know you were real. Please,
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please forgive me.
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Have some pity.
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You deserve neither forgiveness nor pity. However, I have heard
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the words of your son. He called out to me
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and made a little prayer.
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He did?
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I listened to his words and have decided I will
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answer his prayer. Now go back home, and I promise
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you will have everything your son asked for.
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And with that, the sea calmed and the trader clambered
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out of the cave, breathless with excitement about whatever great
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fortune his son's prayer would bring.
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Oh, that son of mine is one smart cookie. So
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surely he prayed for something fine.
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A boatload of money, perhaps. Or a new house.
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One even grander and more spacious than the abode we
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already have.
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But as the trader neared his grand and spacious abode,
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he was surprised to see his son come running toward
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him with his eyes full of tears.
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My son, why are you crying? Oh, let me guess.
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They are tears of joy because the queen of the
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South Sea has brought us great fortune.
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No, father, quite the opposite. Our house has been flooded
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and the rushing waters have carried all of our belongings away.
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I don't understand.
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The queen of the South Sea said she would answer
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your prayer and give us what you asked for.
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Did you wish for.
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Us to be struck by disaster?
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Of course I didn't.
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The young man sniffed and wiped his eyes.
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I wished for her to bring us a fortune as
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great as the offering you gave her.
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The traitor froze. His blood ran cold. The offering... Of course.
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His son had no way of knowing that he didn't
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give the queen a great offering at all. Instead, he
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devoured all the food and left nothing but crumbs and
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bones and banana peels. It was a most unfortunate offering.
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Hence his misfortune now. Well, while the traitor felt his
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heart flood with regret... Elsewhere on the island, the farmer
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was all smiles as he returned to his snug little house.
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When he stepped through the door, his daughter ran into
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his arms.
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Oh, father, you're back. I was so worried that I
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called out to the queen of the South Sea and
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asked her to bring you home safely. She must have listened.
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Oh, she did more than that, my dear. Take a look.
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The farmer threw open his knapsack. His daughter let out
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a gasp.
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Oh, my goodness! So many oysters and so huge! Each
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one is the size of your shoe!
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That's what I said! What do you say we open
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one up and have a taste?
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Mmm!
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Yes, please! So they picked up an oyster and pried
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open its shell. But when they looked inside... Oh! they
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found a wonderful surprise. A bright, glistening pearl.
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Wow!
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The farmer and his daughter opened another oyster. And another.
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And another. And inside each and every shell was a pearl.
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A bright, glistening gift from the all-powerful queen of the
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South Sea. Well, as you can probably guess, Never again
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did the farmer and his daughter have to... scratch and
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scrape to get by. With their newfound treasure, they were
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able to get back on their feet and share their
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good fortune with others. Because the two of them weren't
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just rich in wealth. They were rich in generosity, too.
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Now it's your turn. As we heard in today's story,
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when we respect nature, everybody wins. So what are three
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ways you can show love and care for the environment?
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Maybe you can recycle items like glass and plastic and paper.
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Maybe you can turn off the lights when you're not
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using them, or turn off the water when you're brushing
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your teeth. Perhaps you can bring reusable bags to the
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grocery store, or donate your outgrown clothing and toys. Find
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a grown-up and make a list of three eco-friendly things
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you can do. Draw a picture of yourself doing these tasks,
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then hang the picture somewhere you can see it to
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remind yourself how easy and rewarding it can be to
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show a little love to our planet. This week's story,
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The Unselfish Shellfish, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It
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was edited by Nora Sachs. Our original music and sound
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design is by Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Han.
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Sabina has drawn a black and white coloring page for
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every Circle Round story, and you can color them in
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while you listen. Grown-ups, visit our website, wbur.org slash Circle Round,
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and click on Coloring Pages. And while you're at wbur.org
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slash Circle Round, you can find a link to our
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Circle Round picture books, adapted from some of your favorite episodes.
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Just click on Books.com. Special thanks to this week's actors,
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Ryan DeLusong, Jessica Rau, Erica Rose, Eric Bauza, and Harry
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Shum Jr. Eric Bauza is one of Mel Blanc's successors
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as the voice of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny,
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Tweety Bird, and Daffy Duck. He does a ton of
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other voices, too, including Fozzie Bear in Muppet Babies and
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the Beagle Boys in Duck Tales. Watch for Harry Shum Jr.
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in Grey's Anatomy Season 19, which returns to ABC for
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its mid-season premiere on February 23rd. Harry can also be
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heard starring in the grown-up mystery podcast Echo Park and
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seen in the Oscar-nominated film Everything Everywhere All at Once.
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Coming up, Harry will reprise his role of Charlie Woo
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in the much-anticipated spin-off of Crazy Rich Asians. Our featured
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instrument this week was a collection of instruments known as gamelan.
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To learn more about this percussion-based ensemble type found in
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Indonesia and to see a photo, visit our website... Again,
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that's WBUR.org slash CircleRound. Grownups, if you enjoy what you
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hear on CircleRound, please write us a five-star review on
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your favorite podcast app. And please tell your friends about
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the show. It'll help us keep circling around with you
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for years to come. CircleRound is a production of WBUR,
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Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling
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around with us. Music Now that you've made it to
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the end of this Circle Round episode, we want to know,
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what's your favorite Circle Round story? Thousands of fans just
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like you have been telling us about the Circle Round
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stories they like best. Take a listen. Maybe one of
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their favorites is one of yours, too.
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Hi, my name is Vivi, and I live in Halliburton, Ontario,
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and my favorite circle round is Friends in High Places,
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and I like the part when Rhino says that the
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leafs are dying.
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Hi, my name is Louis. I'm from Vineland, New Jersey,
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and my favorite episode of Circle Round is Thunder and Lightning.
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My name is Ade.
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I live in Massachusetts, and my favorite circle round story
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is The lion's whiskers. And my favorite part is where
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the lion winks.
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At the kids.
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My name is Juniper.
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I live in Colorado.
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My favorite story is the Tenderloin Dory 2. I like
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it because when the robot is wheezing, he does a rattle.
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My name is Jasper.
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And I live in Colorado, and my favorite circle around
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story is The Peach of Life, and my favorite part
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is when the wizard says.
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Good day!
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Hi, my name is Brooks. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina,
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and my favorite story is Giant Footsteps.
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My name is Luke, and I'm from Longmont, Colorado, and
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my favorite circle around story is the chameleons contest. My
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favorite part is when chameleon says, I challenge you to
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a fashion contest.
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Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry. Grownups,
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you can find all of our circle around stories, plus
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links to the circle around club, picture books, coloring pages,
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and oh so much more on our website, wbur.org slash circleround.
