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WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
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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. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to
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Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today, our
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story is called The Unselfish Shellfish. Versions of this tale
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come from Indonesia, a country consisting of thousands of islands
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that lie between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Some really
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great people came together to bring you our adaptation of
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this folktale, including Eric Bauza and Harry Shum Jr. Eric
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Bauza is one of Mel Blanc's successors as the voice
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of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, and
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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.
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So, circle around, everyone, for.
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The unselfish shellfish. In a snug little house in the
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middle of an island, there lived a farmer and his daughter.
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The farmer and his daughter worked hard, but times were
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even harder. And before long, they found themselves scratching and
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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. Because it's too dangerous. You know
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how temperamental the queen of the South Sea can be?
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She rules all the waters surrounding this island. And if
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you get on her bad side, you'd better watch out.
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She'll create waves that are stronger and fiercer than anything
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you can imagine. She'll swallow you right up.
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But if you get on her good side, she'll keep you.
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Safe, right?
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Yes, but.
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Get on her good side. You must bring her a gift.
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An offering of peace in exchange for your safety. And
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look around you, daughter. What could we possibly offer the
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Queen of the South Sea? You 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. We'll cook it up. Then you can
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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. And here. She untied a colorful scarf
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from her hair. Wrap the rice in this scarf. Then
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offer that to the queen, too. We don't have a
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fancy silver platter or anything. So this will.
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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.
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Thank you. The farmer and his daughter cooked up the
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rice and wrapped it in the scarf. Then the farmer
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packed the offering in his knapsack and set off down
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the long road to the sea. His stomach grumbled as
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he walked, but he knew better than to reach inside
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his knapsack and eat the rice. It was intended for
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the queen. He just hoped she would be pleased with
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such a modest gift. Soon it began to rain, and
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when the farmer reached the seaside, he was approached by
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a well-dressed fellow carrying a shiny leather satchel and a
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wide umbrella.
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Well, hello there. Have you come to harvest oysters?
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Uh, yes.
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I've come to harvest oysters. It's my 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. You see, I'm a
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trader by profession, and I'm always looking for new ways
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to trade goods and rake it in. But for now,
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I'm going to break.
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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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Mmm, 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.
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I'm a working man, and a working man has got
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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.
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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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Then 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!
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Look at all these oysters!
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And such big ones, too! Each one is the size
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of my shoe! I will gather them, but I won't
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sell them. I will bring them home to my daughter.
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She must be 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.
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The End Who.
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Do you think spoke just now? And how will they
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change the 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 eight and up. Time traveling, problem solving, laughs
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and danger.
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It's here.
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Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring your goggles
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and boots. That's the Midnight Rebellion in your feed or
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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 Unselfishness. Shellfish. Before the break, a
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poor hungry farmer made a humble offering to the Queen
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of the South Sea. Then, Just as he discovered a
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heap of oysters inside a cave by the water's edge,
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he heard a mysterious voice call 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 horizons.
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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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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 trader'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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Ugh. Well, so much for our plan. The market is
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about to close. But good thing I gave father all
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that food for the queen of the South Sea this morning.
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May she give us a fortune as great as my
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father's offering was.
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Now, we know the truth about the trader'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 trader's son
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had no idea. He also had no idea that when
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the trader 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!
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Help me!
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Help you? And why should anyone help you?
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The trader flicked his head round in fear.
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Who are you?
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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?
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The traitor felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
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Oh, Queen of.
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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.
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Now go back home, and I promise.
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You will have everything your son asked for. And with that,
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the sea calmed and the trader clambered out of the cave,
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breathless with excitement about whatever great fortune his son's prayer
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would bring.
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That son of mine is one smart cookie. So surely
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he prayed for something fine. A boatload of money, perhaps.
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Or a new house, one even grander and more spacious
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than the abode we 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?
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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.
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Father?
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Quite the opposite. Our house has been flooded, and the
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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 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 trader 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. Oh, father, you're back.
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I was so worried that I called out to the
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queen of the South Sea and asked her to bring
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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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Yes, please. So they picked up an oyster and pried
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open its shell. But when they looked inside, they found
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a wonderful surprise. A bright, glistening pearl shell. the farmer
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and his daughter opened another oyster. And another. And another.
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And inside each and every shell was a pearl, a
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bright glistening gift from the all-powerful queen of the South Sea. Well,
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as you can probably guess, never again did the farmer
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and his daughter have to scratch and scrape to get by.
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With their newfound treasure, They were able to get back
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on their feet and share their good fortune with others.
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Because the two of them weren't just rich in wealth.
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They were rich in generosity, too. Now it's your turn.
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As we heard in today's story, when we respect nature,
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everybody wins. So what are three ways you can show
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love and care for the environment? Maybe you can recycle.
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items like glass and plastic and paper. Maybe you can
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turn off the lights when you're not using them or
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turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth. Perhaps
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you can bring reusable bags to the grocery store or
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donate your outgrown clothing and toys. Find a grown-up and
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make a list of three eco-friendly things you can do.
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Draw a picture of yourself doing these tasks, then hang
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the picture somewhere you can see it to remind yourself
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how easy and rewarding it can be to show a
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little love to our planet. This week's story, The Unselfish Shellfish,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Nora Sachs. Our original music and sound design is by
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Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has drawn
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a black and white coloring page for every Circle Round story,
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and you can color them in while you listen. Grown-ups,
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visit our website, wbur.org slash circleround, and click on Coloring Pages.
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And while you're at wbur.org slash circleround, you can find
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a link to our Circle Round picture books, adapted from
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some of your favorite episodes. Just click on Books. Special
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thanks to this week's actors, Ryan DeLusong, Jessica Rao, Erica Rose,
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Eric Bauza, and Harry Shum Jr. Eric Bauza is one
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of Mel Blanc's successors as the voice of Looney Tunes
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characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, and Daffy Duck. He
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does a ton of other voices, too, including Fozzie Bear
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in Muppet Babies and the Beagle Boys in Duck Tales.
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Watch for Harry Shum Jr. in Grey's Anatomy Season 19,
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which returns to ABC for its mid-season premiere on February 23rd.
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Harry can also be heard starring in the grown-up mystery
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podcast Echo Park and seen in the Oscar-nominated film Everything
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Everywhere All at Once. Coming up, Harry will reprise his
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role of Charlie Wu in the much-anticipated spin-off of Crazy
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Rich Asians. Our featured instrument this week was a collection
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of instruments known as gamelan. To learn more about this
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percussion-based ensemble type found in Indonesia, and to see a photo,
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visit our website. Again, that's wbur.org slash circleround. Grownups, if
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you enjoy what you hear on Circle Round, please write
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us a five-star review on your favorite podcast app. And
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please tell your friends about the show. It'll help us
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keep circling around with you for years to come. Circle
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Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us. Circle
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Round One of the best things about creating Circle Round
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is hearing from listeners like you. Circle Round fans have
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been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories, and
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we're excited to share some of their voices with you.
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My name is Colin. I live in Shelburne, Vermont. My
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favorite Circle Round story is The Princess and the Bee,
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because I like the part when the queen says to
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the princess, I'll give you one test.
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No, three tests.
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My name is Beatrice and I live in Minnesota. My
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favorite circle round story is the little blue pebble and
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my favorite part is when the woman changes into all
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the animals. Hi, my name is Aussie.
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I'm from Pennsylvania.
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My favorite story is banana split and my favorite part
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is when the tortoise drops down in his shell to
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win the race.
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My name is Benjamin, and I'm three years old, and
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I live in Philadelphia. And my favorite story is the
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wolf one with the nice shepherd. And I like the
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part that the shepherd gives the wolf some pieces for
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leftover to eat.
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My name is Matt.
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I live in Portland, Maine. My favorite story is the
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basilisk story.
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There.
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I like the part when the basket stirs with the stone.
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My name is Deli, and I live in Moab, Utah,
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and my favorite Circle Round story is the scholar's reward.
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I like when the scholar gets his reward, and it's
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just a bunch of rice.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem! You
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can find every single Circle Round story on our website,
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That's WBUR.org slash CircleRound, or wherever you and your grown-ups
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get your podcasts.
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WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
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00:00:09.490 --> 00:00:13.390
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. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to
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Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today, our
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story is called The Unselfish Shellfish. Versions of this tale
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come from Indonesia, a country consisting of thousands of islands
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that lie between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Some really
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great people came together to bring you our adaptation of
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this folktale, including Eric Bauza and Harry Shum Jr. Eric
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Bauza is one of Mel Blanc's successors as the voice
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of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, and
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Daffy Duck. Eric does a ton of other voices, too,
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00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:29.500
including Fozzie Bear in Muppet Babies and the Beagle Boys
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00:01:29.659 --> 00:01:33.200
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.
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So, circle around, everyone, for.
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The unselfish shellfish. In a snug little house in the
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middle of an island, there lived a farmer and his daughter.
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The farmer and his daughter worked hard, but times were
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even harder. And before long, they found themselves scratching and
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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. Because it's too dangerous. You know
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how temperamental the queen of the South Sea can be?
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She rules all the waters surrounding this island. And if
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you get on her bad side, you'd better watch out.
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She'll create waves that are stronger and fiercer than anything
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you can imagine. She'll swallow you right up.
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But if you get on her good side, she'll keep you.
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Safe, right?
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Yes, but.
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Get on her good side. You must bring her a gift.
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An offering of peace in exchange for your safety. And
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look around you, daughter. What could we possibly offer the
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Queen of the South Sea? You 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. We'll cook it up. Then you can
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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. And here. She untied a colorful scarf
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from her hair. Wrap the rice in this scarf. Then
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offer that to the queen, too. We don't have a
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fancy silver platter or anything. So this will.
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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.
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Thank you. The farmer and his daughter cooked up the
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rice and wrapped it in the scarf. Then the farmer
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packed the offering in his knapsack and set off down
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the long road to the sea. His stomach grumbled as
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he walked, but he knew better than to reach inside
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his knapsack and eat the rice. It was intended for
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the queen. He just hoped she would be pleased with
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such a modest gift. Soon it began to rain, and
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when the farmer reached the seaside, he was approached by
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a well-dressed fellow carrying a shiny leather satchel and a
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wide umbrella.
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Well, hello there. Have you come to harvest oysters?
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Uh, yes.
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I've come to harvest oysters. It's my 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. You see, I'm a
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trader by profession, and I'm always looking for new ways
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to trade goods and rake it in. But for now,
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I'm going to break.
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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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Mmm, 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.
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I'm a working man, and a working man has got
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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.
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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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Then 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!
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Look at all these oysters!
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And such big ones, too! Each one is the size
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of my shoe! I will gather them, but I won't
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sell them. I will bring them home to my daughter.
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She must be 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.
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The End Who.
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Do you think spoke just now? And how will they
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change the 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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00:09:37.419 --> 00:09:40.480
for kids eight and up. Time traveling, problem solving, laughs
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and danger.
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It's here.
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Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring your goggles
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00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.659
and boots. That's the Midnight Rebellion in your feed or
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00:09:48.700 --> 00:09:50.179
wherever you get podcasts.
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00:09:54.429 --> 00:09:58.149
Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today, our
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story is called The Unselfishness. Shellfish. Before the break, a
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poor hungry farmer made a humble offering to the Queen
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of the South Sea. Then, Just as he discovered a
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heap of oysters inside a cave by the water's edge,
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he heard a mysterious voice call 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 horizons.
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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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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 trader'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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Ugh. Well, so much for our plan. The market is
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about to close. But good thing I gave father all
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that food for the queen of the South Sea this morning.
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May she give us a fortune as great as my
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father's offering was.
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Now, we know the truth about the trader'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 trader's son
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had no idea. He also had no idea that when
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the trader 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!
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Help me!
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Help you? And why should anyone help you?
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The trader flicked his head round in fear.
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Who are you?
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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?
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The traitor felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
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Oh, Queen of.
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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.
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Now go back home, and I promise.
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You will have everything your son asked for. And with that,
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the sea calmed and the trader clambered out of the cave,
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breathless with excitement about whatever great fortune his son's prayer
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would bring.
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That son of mine is one smart cookie. So surely
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he prayed for something fine. A boatload of money, perhaps.
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Or a new house, one even grander and more spacious
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than the abode we 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?
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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.
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Father?
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Quite the opposite. Our house has been flooded, and the
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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 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 trader 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. Oh, father, you're back.
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I was so worried that I called out to the
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queen of the South Sea and asked her to bring
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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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Yes, please. So they picked up an oyster and pried
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open its shell. But when they looked inside, they found
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a wonderful surprise. A bright, glistening pearl shell. the farmer
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and his daughter opened another oyster. And another. And another.
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And inside each and every shell was a pearl, a
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bright glistening gift from the all-powerful queen of the South Sea. Well,
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as you can probably guess, never again did the farmer
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and his daughter have to scratch and scrape to get by.
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With their newfound treasure, They were able to get back
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on their feet and share their good fortune with others.
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Because the two of them weren't just rich in wealth.
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They were rich in generosity, too. Now it's your turn.
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As we heard in today's story, when we respect nature,
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everybody wins. So what are three ways you can show
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love and care for the environment? Maybe you can recycle.
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items like glass and plastic and paper. Maybe you can
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turn off the lights when you're not using them or
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turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth. Perhaps
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you can bring reusable bags to the grocery store or
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donate your outgrown clothing and toys. Find a grown-up and
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make a list of three eco-friendly things you can do.
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Draw a picture of yourself doing these tasks, then hang
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the picture somewhere you can see it to remind yourself
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how easy and rewarding it can be to show a
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little love to our planet. This week's story, The Unselfish Shellfish,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Nora Sachs. Our original music and sound design is by
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Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has drawn
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a black and white coloring page for every Circle Round story,
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and you can color them in while you listen. Grown-ups,
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visit our website, wbur.org slash circleround, and click on Coloring Pages.
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And while you're at wbur.org slash circleround, you can find
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a link to our Circle Round picture books, adapted from
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some of your favorite episodes. Just click on Books. Special
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thanks to this week's actors, Ryan DeLusong, Jessica Rao, Erica Rose,
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Eric Bauza, and Harry Shum Jr. Eric Bauza is one
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of Mel Blanc's successors as the voice of Looney Tunes
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characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, and Daffy Duck. He
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does a ton of other voices, too, including Fozzie Bear
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in Muppet Babies and the Beagle Boys in Duck Tales.
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Watch for Harry Shum Jr. in Grey's Anatomy Season 19,
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which returns to ABC for its mid-season premiere on February 23rd.
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Harry can also be heard starring in the grown-up mystery
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podcast Echo Park and seen in the Oscar-nominated film Everything
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Everywhere All at Once. Coming up, Harry will reprise his
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role of Charlie Wu in the much-anticipated spin-off of Crazy
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Rich Asians. Our featured instrument this week was a collection
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of instruments known as gamelan. To learn more about this
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percussion-based ensemble type found in Indonesia, and to see a photo,
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visit our website. Again, that's wbur.org slash circleround. Grownups, if
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you enjoy what you hear on Circle Round, please write
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us a five-star review on your favorite podcast app. And
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please tell your friends about the show. It'll help us
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keep circling around with you for years to come. Circle
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Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us. Circle
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Round One of the best things about creating Circle Round
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is hearing from listeners like you. Circle Round fans have
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been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories, and
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we're excited to share some of their voices with you.
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My name is Colin. I live in Shelburne, Vermont. My
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favorite Circle Round story is The Princess and the Bee,
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because I like the part when the queen says to
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the princess, I'll give you one test.
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No, three tests.
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My name is Beatrice and I live in Minnesota. My
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favorite circle round story is the little blue pebble and
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my favorite part is when the woman changes into all
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the animals. Hi, my name is Aussie.
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I'm from Pennsylvania.
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My favorite story is banana split and my favorite part
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is when the tortoise drops down in his shell to
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win the race.
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My name is Benjamin, and I'm three years old, and
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I live in Philadelphia. And my favorite story is the
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wolf one with the nice shepherd. And I like the
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part that the shepherd gives the wolf some pieces for
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leftover to eat.
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My name is Matt.
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I live in Portland, Maine. My favorite story is the
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basilisk story.
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There.
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I like the part when the basket stirs with the stone.
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My name is Deli, and I live in Moab, Utah,
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and my favorite Circle Round story is the scholar's reward.
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I like when the scholar gets his reward, and it's
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just a bunch of rice.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem! You
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can find every single Circle Round story on our website,
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That's WBUR.org slash CircleRound, or wherever you and your grown-ups
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get your podcasts.
