WEBVTT
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Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston. Hi, Rebecca Shear here.
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Can you believe it? It's practically the end of 2020.
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And here at Circle Round, we're hard at work producing
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a bunch more episodes for you to enjoy in 2021.
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So this week, we're presenting a favorite Circle Round episode
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from Season 2. We'll be back with a brand new
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episode next week. Till then, we wish you and yours
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a happy, healthy, and hopeful new year. When it comes
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to leaders, people who are in charge, we want them
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to have certain qualities. Like wisdom, honesty, fairness. You can
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probably name a whole bunch more. In today's story... We'll
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hear about a wise, honest, and fair leader who's ready
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to step down, and to the contest he holds to
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decide who will take his place. I'm Rebecca Shear, and
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welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today,
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our story is called The Emperor's Challenge. Versions of this
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tale originally come from China. Some really great people came
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together to bring you our telling of this folktale, including
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Christine Toy Johnson and Nikki Suhu. Christine's currently in the
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national tour of the hit Broadway musical, Come From Away.
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You grown-ups might also recognize her from Marvel's Iron Fist
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on Netflix. And kids, you may know Nikki Suhu from
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Star Wars Resistance on the Disney Channel and Shimmer and
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Shine on Nickelodeon. So circle around, everyone. For the Emperor's Challenge.
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There once was a young woman named May. And May
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had a very, very green thumb. Her actual thumb wasn't green,
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of course. No, having a green thumb means having a talent,
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a gift, for making plants grow. The plants May loved
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to grow most were flowers. Fragrant lilacs, fluffy peonies, glistening tulips.
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She grew all those and more in a tiny garden
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behind the cozy cottage she shared with her grandmother. Monday
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through Friday, May would wake up with the sun and
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spend hours tending her beloved garden. Then she'd gather flowers
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to sell for her stall at the marketplace. When the
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work week was over, May and her grandmother would pack
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a picnic and visit another garden at the Royal Palace.
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You see, the highest ruler in all the land was
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the emperor. And guess what? He had a green thumb, too.
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Years ago, the emperor had planted a massive garden next
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to the palace. Every Saturday and Sunday, he opened his
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garden to the public so his subjects could enjoy the
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vibrant colors and delicious scents of his fabulous flowers. Whenever
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May and her grandmother strolled through the royal garden, the
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young woman would gaze wistfully at the rows and rows
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of flowers and sigh.
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Oh, grandmother, have you ever seen roses so ravishing? Or
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dahlias so dazzling? Not to mention those marvelous magnolias. If
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only I could care for a garden as grand as
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the emperor's.
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I'm sure it would be wonderful, May. But this garden
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is a thousand times bigger than our patch of earth
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behind the cottage. The emperor must plant a million flowers
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a year. Do you think you're up to the task?
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Every time Grandmother asked this question, May felt deep in
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her heart that yes, she would be up to the task.
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She loved the idea of nurturing those precious plants and
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doing her best to help them reach their greatest potential.
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It would take a lot of work and a lot
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of time. But May knew she'd be happy, and the
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flowers would be happy too. One Monday morning, as she
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always did, May awoke at sunrise. She ate her breakfast,
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then grabbed her rake, shovel, and watering can, and spent
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hours weeding, planting, and watering her garden. She even sang
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to her flowers. After that, she filled several baskets with
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blooms and carried them to the marketplace. May's flower stall
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always attracted a long line of customers. But on this
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particular morning, as May flipped her closed sign to open,
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she noticed the line snaked around the entire market. It
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was as if every customer who usually visited throughout the
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day had shown up all at once.
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Well, good morning, everyone. What brings you all here so
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bright and early?
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The customer's eyes sparkled.
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Oh, May!
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Haven't you heard the news?
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It's big. It's huge.
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It's enormous.
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May shook her head.
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No, I'm afraid I haven't heard the news. I've been
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gardening all morning.
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What's happening? The customers proceeded to tell May that the emperor,
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the highest ruler in the land, was looking... To retire.
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To move on.
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To step down from his throne.
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Forever.
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May smiled.
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Well. The emperor has been such a wonderful ruler, so
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honest and wise. I'm sorry to see him go, but
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everyone knows he's getting quite old and quite tired. No
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wonder he's ready to move on.
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The customers exchanged a look. Yes, May, but here's the thing.
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The emperor doesn't have any children.
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So?
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He doesn't have any natural successors.
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So to decide who will replace him, he's holding a contest.
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May was impressed.
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Wow, how creative. Of course, we always knew the Emperor
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was a clever man with a brilliant mind. But why
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did you want to tell me about this contest?
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As it turns out, the customers had a very good reason.
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Because the contest to become the next emperor... Is a
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seed-growing contest. The emperor is requiring every young person in
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the land to compete.
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And you are a shoo-in, May.
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You're destined to win. After all, who around here knows
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more about growing seeds.
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Than you!
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That was Monday. The contest began on Friday. And on
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that morning... May found herself among the throngs of young
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men and women who flocked to the emperor's palace. The
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air was buzzing and humming with excited chatter until the
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great ruler appeared on the palace balcony.
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My good people, thank you for coming here today. It
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has been an honor serving you all these years. But
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just as winter turns to spring and new green sprouts
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emerge from the once barren barren earth. It is time
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for me to move on.
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So, the emperor swept his hand across the crowd.
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One of you will inherit my throne. As for which
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one of you, well, that remains to be seen.
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The emperor gestured toward the palace's entrance. Suddenly, hundreds of
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servants streamed through the archway. Each one was pushing a
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piled high with flower pots.
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Inside each of these flower pots is a pouch. Inside
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each pouch is a very special seed. Each one of
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you will take a pot and seed home and see
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what you can grow. After six months' time, you will
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come back to the palace and show me the fruits
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of your labors. I will choose the next emperor based
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on what you bring back.
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May's heart beat faster than a bumblebee's wings as a
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palace servant handed her a pot and seed. May wrapped
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them in an extra soft blanket, tucked them into her knapsack,
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and made her way back home. Inside the cottage, May
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told Grandmother everything the emperor had said. Then May took
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the pouch, loosened its drawstrings, and tipped it over. As
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the tiny seed dropped into May's palm, she looked at
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Grandmother with wide eyes.
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Grandmother, do you really think I have what it takes
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to replace the Emperor?
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Grandmother's eyes twinkled.
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I do, my child.
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I do.
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But it isn't up to me.
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Now?
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She tilted her head toward the seed. It's up to you.
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The End.
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What will happen when May plants the emperor's seed? We'll
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find out after a quick break. Welcome back to Circle Round.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called The Emperor's Challenge.
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When we left off, the emperor was about to retire.
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To choose his successor, he gave a flowerpot and seed
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to every young person in the empire. After six months,
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they were to come back and show the emperor what
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they had grown a young woman named may was especially
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fond of growing things and especially gifted she tended a
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garden at home and her flower stall at the marketplace
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drew long lines of admiring customers So May took the
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emperor's flower pot and seed and got to work. First,
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she gathered some pebbles.
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These will help the pot drain properly. I'll just lay
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them across the bottom like so.
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Next, she scooped in some rich, dark soil.
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Mmm, I love that earthy smell. Now the seed will
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have all sorts of yummy nutrients.
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After that, May pressed her thumb into the soil.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Laid the seed.
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Inside, There you go!
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And sprinkled even more soil on top, making sure that
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the seed disappeared from view.
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Voila! Now, my little seed, it's time to help you grow.
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May tended her seed with the same loving care she
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gave all of her flowers. She watered it, she gave
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it sun, she even sang to it each day. And yet,
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every time May checked to see what had popped through
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the soil... There was nothing there. Not even a little
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green sprout.
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Hmm. What could I be doing wrong? Oh, I know.
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Maybe I'm giving it too much water.
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So May stopped watering the pot. She made sure it
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was in a nice dry room, sealed off from any fog, mist,
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or rain. And yet, after a few days, when she
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checked to see what had popped through the soil... There's
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nothing there. Not even a little green sprout.
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Hmm. Well, this is a mystery.
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I know.
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Maybe I'm giving it too much sun.
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So May moved the pot into a darker space. She
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cleared the jars and cans out of a cupboard and
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placed the pot inside. And yet, when she checked to
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see what had popped through the soil.
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There's nothing there!
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Not even a little green sprout.
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Now I'm just plain confused. I know. Maybe I'm not
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singing to it enough. You are my sunshine.
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So May spent hours each day singing.
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When skies are gray.
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She sang every song she knew. And when she ran out,
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she started making songs up.
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Little plant.
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Grow, grow, grow.
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Little plant.
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And yet, every time she checked to see what had
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popped through the soil.
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There's nothing there.
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Not even, you guessed it, a little green sprout. Meanwhile,
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at the marketplace, all May's customers could talk about was
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the emperor's contest. How's your seed doing, May? We bet
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it's amazing.
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And have you heard?
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Everyone who received a pot... has grown a flower already.
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Each one bigger and more beautiful than the next.
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Hmm.
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Big, beautiful flowers, you say? Well, isn't that wonderful?
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Soon, the six months came to an end. The night before,
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the emperor was expecting everyone back at the palace. Grandmother
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cooked May a dinner full of her favorite foods. But
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before May could take her first bite... She began to cry.
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Oh, Grandmother, I was foolish to think I could care
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for a garden as grand as the Emperor's. I couldn't
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even get this silly little seed to grow.
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Grandmother smiled.
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But my dear, what matters most is that you tried.
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You watered, you sunned, you sang. You gave your heart
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and soul to this silly little seed. You've done your
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best to make. And that's all any of us can do.
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Our best.
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But don't you see? My best wasn't good enough, Grandmother.
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My pot is empty. I can't face the Emperor now.
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I'm so ashamed.
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Grandmother lifted a wrinkled hand and wiped away May's tears.
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My child, your efforts have been true. It's your duty
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to be humble and brave and show the Emperor your truth.
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There's no shame in that.
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So, the next morning, May took her empty pot back
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to the palace. Much to her dismay, she saw that
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her customers were indeed correct. All the other young men
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and women had grown magnificent flowers, each one bigger and
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more beautiful than the next. They all beamed proudly as
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they lined up with their bursting flowerpots. May stood in
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the very back, off to the side. She stared at
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the palace balcony. her heart heavy with dread. Just then,
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a murmur rippled through the crowd. All eyes turned to
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the palace's main entrance, as who should stride through the
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archway but the emperor himself. His embroidered silk robe flowed
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behind him, and rows of elegant beads swung from his
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tall rectangular hat. The emperor wore a serious look as
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he paced up and down the rows of young men
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and women. He peered at each of their pots with
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piercing eyes.
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Oh, look at that.
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At last, the emperor reached May. With trembling hands, she
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held out her pot.
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And what do we have here? An empty pot.
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May hung her head.
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Yes, your majesty. I have brought an empty pot.
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The emperor arched an eyebrow. His head cocked to one side.
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But where is your flower? Everyone else has brought me
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a magnificent flower, each one bigger and more beautiful than
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the next.
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May lifted her head.
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Your Majesty, the truth is, I cared for my seed
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with all my heart and soul. I watered it. I
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sunned it. I sang countless songs. But, as you can see...
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I wasn't able to grow a flower for you. I'm sorry.
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May expected the emperor to get angry, his face growing
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redder than a begonia. But instead, the great ruler smiled.
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Young woman, please tell me, what is your name?
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May gulped.
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May? May, please come with me.
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The emperor took May's hand and guided her to the
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front of the crowd, where one of the palace servants
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had set up a platform. The emperor led May up
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the stairs, then turned to the mass of young men
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and women.
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Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present your new empress, May.
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An even bigger murmur rippled through the crowd. May was
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so shocked she almost dropped her pot.
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But, your majesty, I brought you an empty pot. I failed.
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No, May, you didn't fail. On the contrary, you are
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the only one who succeeded.
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The emperor gazed out into the crowd.
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Six months ago, I gave everyone here a seed. I
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told you all to take the seed home and see
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what you could grow. But what I didn't tell you
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is that those seeds I gave you were boiled. None
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of them could grow, not even a little green sprout.
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Everyone gasped, including May.
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And yet, despite those seeds being boiled, after six months,
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you've all brought magnificent flowers, some of which rival the
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blooms in my own royal garden. But the seeds you
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planted were not the seeds I gave you. They most
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definitely weren't the seeds of an emperor. No, it is
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clear that you swapped them for seeds of dishonesty, pride,
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and cowardice.
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The emperor took May's pot and held it up for
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all to see.
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The seed May planted was the seed of an empress.
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A seed of truth, persistence, and courage. And that seed
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will grow trust. greatness, and leadership. Congratulations, May. You have
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won the contest.
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So, much to May's delight and surprise, she became the
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next Empress. But while the old Emperor did retire, he
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didn't disappear. Upon May's request, he stayed on as the
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official royal gardener. He taught the new Empress everything he
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knew about growing plants, and she taught him a few
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things as well. May was a young ruler, but a
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wise one. She tended her empire like she tended her garden.
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She nurtured her precious citizens and did her best to
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help them reach their greatest potential. It took a lot
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of work and a lot of time, but May was happy,
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and her citizens were happy too. And when those citizens
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visited May's royal garden, a handful of them would notice
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something new among the ravishing roses, dazzling dahlias, and marvelous magnolias.
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In the very back, off to the side, was an
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empty flowerpot, a true, persistent, and courageous reminder that In
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the end, we always reap what we sow. Now it's
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your turn. Imagine you are the emperor or empress, and
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it's time to choose someone to replace you. What are
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the three most important qualities you'd look for in a successor?
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Think about what those qualities might be, then describe them
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to a family member or friend. After that, have them
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tell you what three qualities they'd want to see in
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the next leader. This week's story, The Emperor's Challenge, was
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adapted by me, Rebecca Shear, and edited by Circle Round's
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executive producer, Jessica Alpert. Original music and sound designs by
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Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Han. Sabina has drawn
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a black and white picture for every Circle Round story,
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and you can color them in. Visit our website, wbur.org
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slash circleround, and click on Coloring Pages. Special thanks to
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this week's actors. Check out Christine in the national tour
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of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away. And grown-ups,
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look for her on Marvel's Iron Fist on Netflix. Grown-ups
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00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:41.069
can also see Nikki Suhu on Paramount Network's Heathers, as
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00:21:41.109 --> 00:21:44.869
well as The Resident on Fox. And kids, listen for
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Nikki's voice on Star Wars Resistance on the Disney Channel
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and Shimmer and Shine on Nickelodeon. This week's featured instrument
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was the pipa. You can learn more about this ancient
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stringed instrument from China on our website. Again, that's wbur.org
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slash circle round. And hey, have you subscribed to Circle
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Round yet? If you haven't, find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher,
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or wherever you get your podcasts. And please write us
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a review. We'd love to hear what you think of
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the show. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's
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NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round
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with us. One of the best things about creating Circle
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Round is hearing from listeners like you. Circle Round fans
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have been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories,
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and we're excited to share some of their voices with you.
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My name is Maya, and I live in London. And
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my favorite story is the Enchanted Paintbrush, and my favorite
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part is when she paints everyone what they want.
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My name is.
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Miriam, and I'm from San Jose, California, and my favorite
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story is Satan's Tower. Hi, my name is Hope. My
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favorite circle-round story is the final other side of the world.
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I like when the spider says.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem. You
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00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:25.880
can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
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That's WBUR.org slash Circle Round, or wherever you and your
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grown-ups get your podcasts.
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Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston. Hi, Rebecca Shear here.
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00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:17.300
Can you believe it? It's practically the end of 2020.
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And here at Circle Round, we're hard at work producing
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00:00:21.300 --> 00:00:25.550
a bunch more episodes for you to enjoy in 2021.
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00:00:25.550 --> 00:00:28.030
So this week, we're presenting a favorite Circle Round episode
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00:00:28.070 --> 00:00:30.679
from Season 2. We'll be back with a brand new
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00:00:30.699 --> 00:00:33.799
episode next week. Till then, we wish you and yours
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a happy, healthy, and hopeful new year. When it comes
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to leaders, people who are in charge, we want them
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to have certain qualities. Like wisdom, honesty, fairness. You can
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probably name a whole bunch more. In today's story... We'll
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hear about a wise, honest, and fair leader who's ready
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to step down, and to the contest he holds to
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decide who will take his place. I'm Rebecca Shear, and
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welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today,
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our story is called The Emperor's Challenge. Versions of this
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tale originally come from China. Some really great people came
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together to bring you our telling of this folktale, including
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Christine Toy Johnson and Nikki Suhu. Christine's currently in the
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00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.480
national tour of the hit Broadway musical, Come From Away.
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00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:43.620
You grown-ups might also recognize her from Marvel's Iron Fist
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00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:47.310
on Netflix. And kids, you may know Nikki Suhu from
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Star Wars Resistance on the Disney Channel and Shimmer and
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Shine on Nickelodeon. So circle around, everyone. For the Emperor's Challenge.
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There once was a young woman named May. And May
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had a very, very green thumb. Her actual thumb wasn't green,
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of course. No, having a green thumb means having a talent,
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a gift, for making plants grow. The plants May loved
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to grow most were flowers. Fragrant lilacs, fluffy peonies, glistening tulips.
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She grew all those and more in a tiny garden
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behind the cozy cottage she shared with her grandmother. Monday
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through Friday, May would wake up with the sun and
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spend hours tending her beloved garden. Then she'd gather flowers
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to sell for her stall at the marketplace. When the
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work week was over, May and her grandmother would pack
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a picnic and visit another garden at the Royal Palace.
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You see, the highest ruler in all the land was
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the emperor. And guess what? He had a green thumb, too.
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Years ago, the emperor had planted a massive garden next
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to the palace. Every Saturday and Sunday, he opened his
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garden to the public so his subjects could enjoy the
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vibrant colors and delicious scents of his fabulous flowers. Whenever
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May and her grandmother strolled through the royal garden, the
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young woman would gaze wistfully at the rows and rows
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of flowers and sigh.
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Oh, grandmother, have you ever seen roses so ravishing? Or
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dahlias so dazzling? Not to mention those marvelous magnolias. If
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only I could care for a garden as grand as
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the emperor's.
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I'm sure it would be wonderful, May. But this garden
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is a thousand times bigger than our patch of earth
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behind the cottage. The emperor must plant a million flowers
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a year. Do you think you're up to the task?
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Every time Grandmother asked this question, May felt deep in
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her heart that yes, she would be up to the task.
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She loved the idea of nurturing those precious plants and
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doing her best to help them reach their greatest potential.
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It would take a lot of work and a lot
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of time. But May knew she'd be happy, and the
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flowers would be happy too. One Monday morning, as she
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always did, May awoke at sunrise. She ate her breakfast,
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then grabbed her rake, shovel, and watering can, and spent
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hours weeding, planting, and watering her garden. She even sang
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to her flowers. After that, she filled several baskets with
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blooms and carried them to the marketplace. May's flower stall
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always attracted a long line of customers. But on this
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particular morning, as May flipped her closed sign to open,
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she noticed the line snaked around the entire market. It
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was as if every customer who usually visited throughout the
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day had shown up all at once.
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Well, good morning, everyone. What brings you all here so
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bright and early?
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The customer's eyes sparkled.
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Oh, May!
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Haven't you heard the news?
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It's big. It's huge.
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It's enormous.
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May shook her head.
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No, I'm afraid I haven't heard the news. I've been
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gardening all morning.
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What's happening? The customers proceeded to tell May that the emperor,
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the highest ruler in the land, was looking... To retire.
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To move on.
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To step down from his throne.
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Forever.
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May smiled.
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Well. The emperor has been such a wonderful ruler, so
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honest and wise. I'm sorry to see him go, but
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everyone knows he's getting quite old and quite tired. No
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wonder he's ready to move on.
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The customers exchanged a look. Yes, May, but here's the thing.
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The emperor doesn't have any children.
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So?
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He doesn't have any natural successors.
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So to decide who will replace him, he's holding a contest.
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May was impressed.
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Wow, how creative. Of course, we always knew the Emperor
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was a clever man with a brilliant mind. But why
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did you want to tell me about this contest?
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As it turns out, the customers had a very good reason.
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Because the contest to become the next emperor... Is a
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seed-growing contest. The emperor is requiring every young person in
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the land to compete.
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And you are a shoo-in, May.
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You're destined to win. After all, who around here knows
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more about growing seeds.
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Than you!
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That was Monday. The contest began on Friday. And on
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that morning... May found herself among the throngs of young
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men and women who flocked to the emperor's palace. The
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air was buzzing and humming with excited chatter until the
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great ruler appeared on the palace balcony.
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My good people, thank you for coming here today. It
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has been an honor serving you all these years. But
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just as winter turns to spring and new green sprouts
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emerge from the once barren barren earth. It is time
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for me to move on.
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So, the emperor swept his hand across the crowd.
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One of you will inherit my throne. As for which
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one of you, well, that remains to be seen.
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The emperor gestured toward the palace's entrance. Suddenly, hundreds of
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servants streamed through the archway. Each one was pushing a
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piled high with flower pots.
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Inside each of these flower pots is a pouch. Inside
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each pouch is a very special seed. Each one of
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you will take a pot and seed home and see
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what you can grow. After six months' time, you will
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come back to the palace and show me the fruits
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of your labors. I will choose the next emperor based
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on what you bring back.
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May's heart beat faster than a bumblebee's wings as a
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palace servant handed her a pot and seed. May wrapped
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them in an extra soft blanket, tucked them into her knapsack,
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and made her way back home. Inside the cottage, May
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told Grandmother everything the emperor had said. Then May took
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the pouch, loosened its drawstrings, and tipped it over. As
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the tiny seed dropped into May's palm, she looked at
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Grandmother with wide eyes.
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Grandmother, do you really think I have what it takes
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to replace the Emperor?
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Grandmother's eyes twinkled.
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I do, my child.
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I do.
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But it isn't up to me.
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Now?
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She tilted her head toward the seed. It's up to you.
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The End.
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What will happen when May plants the emperor's seed? We'll
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find out after a quick break. Welcome back to Circle Round.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called The Emperor's Challenge.
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When we left off, the emperor was about to retire.
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To choose his successor, he gave a flowerpot and seed
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to every young person in the empire. After six months,
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they were to come back and show the emperor what
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they had grown a young woman named may was especially
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fond of growing things and especially gifted she tended a
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garden at home and her flower stall at the marketplace
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drew long lines of admiring customers So May took the
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emperor's flower pot and seed and got to work. First,
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she gathered some pebbles.
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These will help the pot drain properly. I'll just lay
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them across the bottom like so.
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Next, she scooped in some rich, dark soil.
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Mmm, I love that earthy smell. Now the seed will
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have all sorts of yummy nutrients.
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After that, May pressed her thumb into the soil.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Laid the seed.
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Inside, There you go!
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And sprinkled even more soil on top, making sure that
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the seed disappeared from view.
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Voila! Now, my little seed, it's time to help you grow.
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May tended her seed with the same loving care she
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gave all of her flowers. She watered it, she gave
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it sun, she even sang to it each day. And yet,
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every time May checked to see what had popped through
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the soil... There was nothing there. Not even a little
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green sprout.
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Hmm. What could I be doing wrong? Oh, I know.
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Maybe I'm giving it too much water.
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So May stopped watering the pot. She made sure it
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was in a nice dry room, sealed off from any fog, mist,
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or rain. And yet, after a few days, when she
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checked to see what had popped through the soil... There's
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nothing there. Not even a little green sprout.
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Hmm. Well, this is a mystery.
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I know.
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Maybe I'm giving it too much sun.
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So May moved the pot into a darker space. She
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cleared the jars and cans out of a cupboard and
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placed the pot inside. And yet, when she checked to
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see what had popped through the soil.
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There's nothing there!
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Not even a little green sprout.
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Now I'm just plain confused. I know. Maybe I'm not
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singing to it enough. You are my sunshine.
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So May spent hours each day singing.
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When skies are gray.
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She sang every song she knew. And when she ran out,
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she started making songs up.
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Little plant.
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Grow, grow, grow.
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Little plant.
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And yet, every time she checked to see what had
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popped through the soil.
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There's nothing there.
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Not even, you guessed it, a little green sprout. Meanwhile,
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at the marketplace, all May's customers could talk about was
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the emperor's contest. How's your seed doing, May? We bet
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it's amazing.
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And have you heard?
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Everyone who received a pot... has grown a flower already.
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Each one bigger and more beautiful than the next.
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Hmm.
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Big, beautiful flowers, you say? Well, isn't that wonderful?
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Soon, the six months came to an end. The night before,
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the emperor was expecting everyone back at the palace. Grandmother
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cooked May a dinner full of her favorite foods. But
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before May could take her first bite... She began to cry.
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Oh, Grandmother, I was foolish to think I could care
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for a garden as grand as the Emperor's. I couldn't
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even get this silly little seed to grow.
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Grandmother smiled.
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But my dear, what matters most is that you tried.
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You watered, you sunned, you sang. You gave your heart
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and soul to this silly little seed. You've done your
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best to make. And that's all any of us can do.
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Our best.
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But don't you see? My best wasn't good enough, Grandmother.
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My pot is empty. I can't face the Emperor now.
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I'm so ashamed.
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Grandmother lifted a wrinkled hand and wiped away May's tears.
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My child, your efforts have been true. It's your duty
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to be humble and brave and show the Emperor your truth.
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There's no shame in that.
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So, the next morning, May took her empty pot back
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to the palace. Much to her dismay, she saw that
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her customers were indeed correct. All the other young men
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and women had grown magnificent flowers, each one bigger and
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more beautiful than the next. They all beamed proudly as
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they lined up with their bursting flowerpots. May stood in
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the very back, off to the side. She stared at
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the palace balcony. her heart heavy with dread. Just then,
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a murmur rippled through the crowd. All eyes turned to
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the palace's main entrance, as who should stride through the
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archway but the emperor himself. His embroidered silk robe flowed
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behind him, and rows of elegant beads swung from his
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tall rectangular hat. The emperor wore a serious look as
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he paced up and down the rows of young men
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and women. He peered at each of their pots with
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piercing eyes.
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Oh, look at that.
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At last, the emperor reached May. With trembling hands, she
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held out her pot.
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And what do we have here? An empty pot.
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May hung her head.
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Yes, your majesty. I have brought an empty pot.
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The emperor arched an eyebrow. His head cocked to one side.
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But where is your flower? Everyone else has brought me
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a magnificent flower, each one bigger and more beautiful than
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the next.
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May lifted her head.
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Your Majesty, the truth is, I cared for my seed
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with all my heart and soul. I watered it. I
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sunned it. I sang countless songs. But, as you can see...
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I wasn't able to grow a flower for you. I'm sorry.
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May expected the emperor to get angry, his face growing
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redder than a begonia. But instead, the great ruler smiled.
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Young woman, please tell me, what is your name?
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May gulped.
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May? May, please come with me.
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The emperor took May's hand and guided her to the
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front of the crowd, where one of the palace servants
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had set up a platform. The emperor led May up
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the stairs, then turned to the mass of young men
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and women.
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Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present your new empress, May.
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An even bigger murmur rippled through the crowd. May was
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so shocked she almost dropped her pot.
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But, your majesty, I brought you an empty pot. I failed.
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No, May, you didn't fail. On the contrary, you are
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the only one who succeeded.
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The emperor gazed out into the crowd.
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Six months ago, I gave everyone here a seed. I
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told you all to take the seed home and see
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what you could grow. But what I didn't tell you
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is that those seeds I gave you were boiled. None
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of them could grow, not even a little green sprout.
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Everyone gasped, including May.
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And yet, despite those seeds being boiled, after six months,
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you've all brought magnificent flowers, some of which rival the
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blooms in my own royal garden. But the seeds you
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planted were not the seeds I gave you. They most
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definitely weren't the seeds of an emperor. No, it is
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clear that you swapped them for seeds of dishonesty, pride,
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and cowardice.
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The emperor took May's pot and held it up for
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all to see.
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The seed May planted was the seed of an empress.
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A seed of truth, persistence, and courage. And that seed
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will grow trust. greatness, and leadership. Congratulations, May. You have
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won the contest.
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So, much to May's delight and surprise, she became the
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next Empress. But while the old Emperor did retire, he
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didn't disappear. Upon May's request, he stayed on as the
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official royal gardener. He taught the new Empress everything he
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knew about growing plants, and she taught him a few
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things as well. May was a young ruler, but a
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wise one. She tended her empire like she tended her garden.
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She nurtured her precious citizens and did her best to
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help them reach their greatest potential. It took a lot
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of work and a lot of time, but May was happy,
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and her citizens were happy too. And when those citizens
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visited May's royal garden, a handful of them would notice
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something new among the ravishing roses, dazzling dahlias, and marvelous magnolias.
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In the very back, off to the side, was an
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empty flowerpot, a true, persistent, and courageous reminder that In
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the end, we always reap what we sow. Now it's
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your turn. Imagine you are the emperor or empress, and
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it's time to choose someone to replace you. What are
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the three most important qualities you'd look for in a successor?
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Think about what those qualities might be, then describe them
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to a family member or friend. After that, have them
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tell you what three qualities they'd want to see in
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the next leader. This week's story, The Emperor's Challenge, was
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adapted by me, Rebecca Shear, and edited by Circle Round's
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executive producer, Jessica Alpert. Original music and sound designs by
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Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Han. Sabina has drawn
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a black and white picture for every Circle Round story,
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and you can color them in. Visit our website, wbur.org
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slash circleround, and click on Coloring Pages. Special thanks to
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this week's actors. Check out Christine in the national tour
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of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away. And grown-ups,
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look for her on Marvel's Iron Fist on Netflix. Grown-ups
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00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:41.069
can also see Nikki Suhu on Paramount Network's Heathers, as
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well as The Resident on Fox. And kids, listen for
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Nikki's voice on Star Wars Resistance on the Disney Channel
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and Shimmer and Shine on Nickelodeon. This week's featured instrument
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was the pipa. You can learn more about this ancient
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stringed instrument from China on our website. Again, that's wbur.org
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slash circle round. And hey, have you subscribed to Circle
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Round yet? If you haven't, find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher,
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00:22:08.579 --> 00:22:11.460
or wherever you get your podcasts. And please write us
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a review. We'd love to hear what you think of
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the show. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's
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NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round
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with us. One of the best things about creating Circle
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Round is hearing from listeners like you. Circle Round fans
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have been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories,
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and we're excited to share some of their voices with you.
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My name is Maya, and I live in London. And
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my favorite story is the Enchanted Paintbrush, and my favorite
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part is when she paints everyone what they want.
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My name is.
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Miriam, and I'm from San Jose, California, and my favorite
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story is Satan's Tower. Hi, my name is Hope. My
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favorite circle-round story is the final other side of the world.
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I like when the spider says.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem. You
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00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:25.880
can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
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That's WBUR.org slash Circle Round, or wherever you and your
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grown-ups get your podcasts.
