WEBVTT
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Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston.
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When is the last time you wanted more of something?
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Maybe you wanted more books or more toys. Perhaps you
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just wanted more time to stay up before bed. In
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a moment, we'll meet a greedy man who always wants more, more, more. Until,
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in the end, he gets way more than he bargained for.
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I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where story
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time happens all the time. Today our story is called
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The Enchanted Paintbrush. Versions of this folktale come from China.
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Some really great people came together to bring you our
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adaptation of this tale, including Philippa Su and Stacey Keech.
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Philippa Soo starred in the original Broadway production of Hamilton
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and earned a Tony Award nomination. Stacey Keech is a
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veteran of the stage and screen who stars in the
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CBS comedy Man with a Plan, as well as CNBC's
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American Greed. So, circle around, everyone, for the enchanted paintbrush.
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Once upon a time, there was a powerful... Emperor. The
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mighty ruler wore the most luxurious clothing, ate the most
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sumptuous food, and lived in a grand palace with so
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many rooms, floors, and hallways, his hundreds of guards and
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servants often got lost. So, given everything the emperor had,
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you'd think he was content, right? Satisfied? Nope. You see,
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the emperor was greedy. Very greedy. Very greedy. In fact,
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can you guess what his favorite word was?
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More.
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I want more.
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More. More.
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More.
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The emperor was always brainstorming ways to get more riches
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and more power. One day, as he lounged on his
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towering gold throne encrusted with jade and pearls, he had
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an idea.
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I know. To bring even more money to my coffers,
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I'll raise taxes. One hundred percent!
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From here on out, taxes will be doubled for every
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single person in the land, no matter how rich or
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how poor.
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That meant that every farmer, every fisher, every single person
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in all the land had to give more of their
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earnings to the emperor, whether they could afford to or not. So,
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as you can imagine, it was a hard time for
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many people, including a young woman named Liang. Liang lived
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on her own in a small village by the sea.
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To support herself, each morning she walked along the beach
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and collected pieces of wood that had drifted ashore. Then
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she hauled the wood to the marketplace to sell.
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Firewood!
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Get your firewood here!
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Liang made just enough money to keep a roof over
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her head and food in her belly. Of course, that
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roof was patched together and often leaked, and that food
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was usually nothing more than a small bowl of rice.
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But Liang was content. Satisfied. Mostly. You see, for as
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long as Liang could remember, she dreamed of being a painter.
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But she couldn't scrape together the funds to buy a
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paintbrush of her own. So every day, while she was
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on the beach collecting wood, she would hunt for the straightest,
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skinniest stick she could find and drop it in her knapsack. Then,
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after work, she'd run back to the shore and use
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her stick to draw pictures in the sand. Liang drew everything. Animals, flowers, landscapes.
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And the more she drew... The more real her pictures
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began to look, the more lifelike. Soon, her fellow villagers
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began to notice.
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My goodness, Liang, it's like that butterfly of yours could
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leap right off the sand and flutter into the air.
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And that dog, I swear, he's about to open his
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mouth and bark. How about that cascading waterfall? Can't you
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just hear the roar and feel the spray? Absolutely.
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I absolutely get it.
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Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.
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One night, Liang stayed up especially late drawing her pictures
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in the sand. The moon was full, and its shimmering
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glow lit up the empty beach. Suddenly, Liang heard a voice.
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Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say that when
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the sun comes up, that rooster you're drawing will start
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crowing its head off.
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Liang dropped her stick and looked up. Standing before her
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was an old woman with flowing white hair.
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Thank you for the kind words, ma'am. I love making
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art more than anything else in the world. It makes
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me feel so wonderful, so alive. You know, if I could,
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I'd spend the whole day painting. But alas, I can't
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even afford a real paintbrush.
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Is that so?
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Just then, a cloud passed over the moon and everything
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went dark. When the moon shone its light again, Liang
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saw that her straight, skinny stick had vanished. In its
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place was a sparkling silver paintbrush.
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This, Liang, is an enchanted paintbrush. Anything you paint with
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it will become real, just like that. But heed my words.
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The brush's powers must be used carefully and wisely and
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for good.
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Only for good. Then another cloud drifted across the moon,
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and the sky went black. When the moon reappeared, the
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old woman was gone. But the silver paintbrush was still there.
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Eager to test it out, Liang raced home and swept
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the brush through the air, as if she were painting
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a peacock. And there, before her very eyes.
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Wow!
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Was an actual peacock, a glossy green bird with a
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magnificent red, gold, and blue tail. The bird flapped its wings,
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then soared through the kitchen window and up into the sky. Oh,
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that was amazing. But wait. Liang hadn't eaten all day,
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and her stomach was growling.
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If anything I paint will become real, I think it's
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time for a dinner break.
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As usual, Liang's cupboards were bare. So, can you guess
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what she did? She twirled the paintbrush over the table,
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as if she were painting a bowl of noodle soup.
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Sure enough, a real bowl of soup appeared, with fragrant
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wisps of steam curling off the top.
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This is unbelievable! But I have to remember what the
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old woman said. The brush's powers must be used carefully
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and wisely and for good. Only for good.
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Liang sipped her soup and drummed her fingers on the table. Suddenly,
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her eyes lit up.
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I know. The Emperor's taxes have been so hard on
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this village. I'll take the paintbrush to the marketplace and
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help my neighbors. Anything they need, I'll paint it for them.
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If that isn't using the brush's powers for good... I
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don't know what is.
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So the next morning, Liang strolled through the crowd at
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the marketplace, offering to paint for anyone who was down
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on their luck. She found a poor farmer who'd lost
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his one and only workhorse.
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Here you go, friend. I've painted you a strong black.
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Steed, plus a harness and plow. She met a little
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boy who had torn his one and only coat.
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How about a warm new jacket, kiddo? plus a colorful scarf.
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And she came across a musician who was so hungry,
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he had sold all of his instruments for food.
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How about if I paint you a brand new flute, sir?
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Plus a drum. And bamboo drumsticks?
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Word of Liang's enchanted paintbrush spread, and over the weeks
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that followed, she used the brush to paint for anyone
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in the village who was struggling. But it wasn't long
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before the news reached the ears of someone who definitely
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was not struggling. The Emperor. Remember him? The one who
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always wanted more, more, more?
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My, my, my.
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Just think of the things I could do. with that
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silver paintbrush. Why, I could take over the entire world.
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I must have it for myself.
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Then he called for his guards and sent them to
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Liang's village with orders to bring back the young woman
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and her enchanted silver paintbrush. What do you think will
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happen next? 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. It's not so far away at all, actually. Hey,
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Circle Round families. We're here to share a new listening
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experience from WBUR. The Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast
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adventure for kids 8 and up. Time-traveling, problem-solving, laughs in danger,
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it's here. Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring
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your goggles and boots. That's The Midnight Rebellion. In your
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feed or wherever you get podcasts.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round. Today our
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story is called The Enchanted Paintbrush.
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The Enchanted Paintbrush.
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When we left off, the rich and powerful emperor ordered
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his guards to go to the village and bring back
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Liang and her magical silver paintbrush. An old woman had
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given it to her on the beach, and anything Liang
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painted with it immediately became real. The guards led Liang
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to the emperor's throne room. When the high and mighty
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ruler spotted the brush, his greedy eyes gleamed.
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Young lady, I've heard about this enchanted paintbrush of yours.
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It seems to have wondrous.
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Powers, but I won't believe it until I see it.
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How about you use it to paint me a brick
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of gold?
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Liang knew it was her duty to obey the emperor's
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orders and use her paintbrush to paint whatever the powerful
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man wanted, but she couldn't get the old woman's words
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out of her head.
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The brush's powers must be used carefully.
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And wisely. And for good. Only for good.
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Well, what are you waiting for? I said use that
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paintbrush of yours to paint me a brick of gold.
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On second thought, paint me a thousand bricks of gold.
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One for each room in my palace.
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Liang looked the emperor right in the eye.
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I can't do that, your majesty.
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What?
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The great ruler's jaw dropped all the way down to
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his embroidered satin robe.
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You would dare defy an order.
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From the highest sovereign in all the land? Very well, then.
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I'll paint the gold bricks myself.
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He snapped his bejeweled fingers, and his guards snatched Liang's
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silver paintbrush right out of her fingers. Ah, hey! The
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emperor took the brush and held it up admiringly.
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Then.
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He began swishing it around in front of him. Instantly,
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what should appear floating in midair, but a glittering gold brick.
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Ha ha ha ha!
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It works!
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But then, the glittering gold brick transformed into a regular
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clay brick. What? And plummeted to the ground, landing right
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on the emperor's big toe.
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Ow!
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Liang lowered her eyes and tried not to giggle. The
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red-faced emperor clenched his fists.
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This isn't how the silver paintbrush is supposed to work.
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I'll try something else.
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So the emperor painted a dazzling necklace, a thick gold
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chain strung with emeralds and rubies and diamonds. But just
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as he reached out to grab it.
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Come here, my precious.
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The dazzling necklace turned into a snake and slithered out
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of the room.
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Oh.
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The emperor's hands were trembling and his big toe was throbbing,
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but he was determined to make the enchanted silver paintbrush work.
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So he clenched his teeth and flashed Liang a smile
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as sweet as sugar.
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Young lady, it's clear.
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That you alone possess the power to use this silver paintbrush.
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What can I give you so that you'll paint for me?
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Jewels?
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Silks, delicious food. Anything you want, it's yours.
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Liang took a deep breath.
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Well, since you're offering, you can lower the taxes that
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have been bleeding my neighbors dry. We're humble people, and
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we can't afford to pay such costly dues.
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The emperor leaned back and crossed his arms.
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Lower the taxes, eh? Oh, very well then.
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I'll lower the taxes. But first, you must paint whatever
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I ask.
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Come with me.
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Liang followed the emperor and his guards out of the
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palace and down to the seashore. There wasn't a cloud
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in the sky, and when they reached the water, its
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clear blue surface was smooth as a mirror.
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All right, young lady. I want you to paint me
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a boat.
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A big Beautiful sailboat, twice the size of the vessels
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I already have.
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Liang nodded, then lifted her brush and swept it through
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the air. She painted a grand sailboat with carved wooden
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sides and bright crimson sails. The emperor looked the vessel
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up and down, then climbed aboard.
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Splendid. Now, I want you to paint me more guards.
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At least twice as many men as I have now.
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Liang was puzzled, but she did as the emperor requested.
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She painted hundreds of guards, all of them standing straight
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and tall in their matching uniforms. The emperor clapped his hands,
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and every one of his guards, old and new, marched
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on to the ship.
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Marvelous, marvelous.
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Now I want you to paint me some wind.
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A great blast of wind that will whisk me and
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my guards out to sea.
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Liang cocked her head. But wait!
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Before you go, you'll lower those taxes, right?
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The emperor narrowed his eyes.
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Actually, no.
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I've changed my mind.
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You see, now that I have this magnificent boat and
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all these strapping brave guards, we are going to sail
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across the sea To foreign lands.
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And we are going to conquer each and every one
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of those foreign lands and expand my empire across the
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entire earth. Then all the riches of the world will
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be mine.
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All mine.
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Liang could hardly believe her ears. She knew the emperor
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was hungry for more, more, more. But she never realized
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just how hungry he was.
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So, young lady, get to it. Paint me a nice,
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big gust of wind.
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Now!
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Liang hesitated. But then she lifted her paintbrush and painted
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a few gentle strokes. Immediately, ripples formed on the water.
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The crimson sails puffed up with air, and the boat
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began floating out to sea. But the greedy emperor was
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not satisfied.
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Oh, come now, you call that wind?
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I can breathe harder than that.
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Liang lifted the paintbrush and slashed it through the air.
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The wind picked up, and the emperor's guards held onto
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their hats as the sea rumbled and frothy waves thrashed
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the boat this way and that. But still, the greedy
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emperor was not satisfied.
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Paint me more wind.
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More!
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Liang swung the brush all over the place. The sea
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roared like a dragon, and the angry waves crashed higher
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and higher, drenching the emperor and his guards from head
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to toe. But still... More!
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More!
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More!
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As the ship was tossed farther and farther out to sea,
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Liang could hear the greedy emperor's cries grow quieter... More!
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And quieter... More! More! And quieter... until at last his
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voice was lost, and the boat was too. Liang stood
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on the shore, gazing at the enchanted silver paintbrush, and
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knew exactly what she would do. She gripped the brush
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and swirled it up, down, and around, until she had
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painted a brand new emperor, a kind, generous leader who
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would rule the people with fairness and compassion. and use
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his powers carefully, wisely, and yes, for good. Only for good.
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That was the last time. Liang used the enchanted paintbrush.
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Some say she hid it away in her house. Others
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say she flung it out into the sea. Either way,
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Liang saved up her pennies and bought a regular wooden brush,
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just like she'd always wanted. And she spent the rest
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of her days making art, and selling her paintings in
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the marketplace. And she didn't need anything more than that.
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Now it's your turn. If you had Liang's magic paintbrush
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and wanted to use it for good, only good, what
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would you paint? Find some paper and draw a picture
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of what you would create with your enchanted brush. Then
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share that picture with someone you love. And if you'd like,
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have a grown-up share it with us on Instagram. Our
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Instagram handle is at CircleRoundPodcast. This week's story, The Enchanted Paintbrush,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Virginia Marshall. CircleRound's executive producer is Catherine Brewer. CircleRound's original
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music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. Love the
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00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:11.829
music you hear on Circle Round? Check out the music
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00:21:11.849 --> 00:21:15.369
of Circle Round Volume 1, Eric's compilation of music from
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Season 1 of the podcast. To learn how to get
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your very own digital or hard copy, visit our website, wbur.org
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slash circleround, and click on Soundtrack and Coloring Pages. While
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you're there, you can find a bunch of black and
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white illustrations by Circle Round's artist, Sabina Han. She's created
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a picture for every Circle Round story, and you can
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color them in. Special thanks to this week's actors, Amy Brentano,
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Laura Gardner, Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Stacey Keech, and Philippa Su.
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Philippa is a Broadway star who originated leading roles in Hamilton,
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The Parisian Woman, and Amelie. Grown-ups look for Philippa in
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the upcoming feature film, The Broken Heart Gallery. And kids
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listen for her in The One and Only Ivan, Disney's
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00:22:05.170 --> 00:22:09.579
animated movie coming out in 2021. Stacey Keech stars in
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CBS's Man with a Plan, as well as CNBC's American Greed.
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Look for him on stage in select cities in the
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upcoming one-man show Pamplona, where he portrays legendary author Ernest Hemingway.
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The featured instrument in today's story was the pipa. You
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can read about this stringed instrument from China and see
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a picture on our website. Again, that's wbur.org slash circle round.
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Have you subscribed to Circle Round yet? Find us on
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Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast app your grown-ups use. And
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00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:43.579
please write us a review. It helps other families find
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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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00:23:00.940 --> 00:23:04.950
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's Oscar, and I live in Canada. And my
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favorite story is the rice cakes on the Odie. My
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00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:28.680
name is Sammy, and I'm from Kauai. And my favorite
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story is Dollars and Cents.
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If you're a grown-up listening right now, you can help
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us keep these wonderful stories going by giving a donation
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to WBUR. Visit wbur.org slash color and help support another
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year of Circle Round. Give $ 15 or more and you'll
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get a beautiful Circle Round coloring book. Give $ 30 or
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more and get an adorable kid-sized Circle Round t-shirt. Again,
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that's wbur.org slash color.
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00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:00.640
Thanks!
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Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston.
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00:00:08.500 --> 00:00:12.500
When is the last time you wanted more of something?
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00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:17.039
Maybe you wanted more books or more toys. Perhaps you
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00:00:17.059 --> 00:00:20.320
just wanted more time to stay up before bed. In
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00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:26.890
a moment, we'll meet a greedy man who always wants more, more, more. Until,
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00:00:27.070 --> 00:00:30.449
in the end, he gets way more than he bargained for.
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00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:40.179
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where story
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00:00:40.219 --> 00:00:43.700
time happens all the time. Today our story is called
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00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:48.250
The Enchanted Paintbrush. Versions of this folktale come from China.
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00:00:53.530 --> 00:00:55.570
Some really great people came together to bring you our
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adaptation of this tale, including Philippa Su and Stacey Keech.
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00:01:00.869 --> 00:01:04.430
Philippa Soo starred in the original Broadway production of Hamilton
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00:01:04.650 --> 00:01:07.930
and earned a Tony Award nomination. Stacey Keech is a
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00:01:07.969 --> 00:01:10.409
veteran of the stage and screen who stars in the
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00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:14.049
CBS comedy Man with a Plan, as well as CNBC's
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00:01:14.370 --> 00:01:22.560
American Greed. So, circle around, everyone, for the enchanted paintbrush.
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Once upon a time, there was a powerful... Emperor. The
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mighty ruler wore the most luxurious clothing, ate the most
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sumptuous food, and lived in a grand palace with so
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many rooms, floors, and hallways, his hundreds of guards and
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servants often got lost. So, given everything the emperor had,
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you'd think he was content, right? Satisfied? Nope. You see,
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the emperor was greedy. Very greedy. Very greedy. In fact,
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can you guess what his favorite word was?
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More.
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I want more.
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More. More.
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More.
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The emperor was always brainstorming ways to get more riches
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and more power. One day, as he lounged on his
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towering gold throne encrusted with jade and pearls, he had
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an idea.
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I know. To bring even more money to my coffers,
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I'll raise taxes. One hundred percent!
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From here on out, taxes will be doubled for every
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single person in the land, no matter how rich or
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how poor.
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That meant that every farmer, every fisher, every single person
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in all the land had to give more of their
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earnings to the emperor, whether they could afford to or not. So,
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as you can imagine, it was a hard time for
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many people, including a young woman named Liang. Liang lived
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on her own in a small village by the sea.
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To support herself, each morning she walked along the beach
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and collected pieces of wood that had drifted ashore. Then
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she hauled the wood to the marketplace to sell.
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Firewood!
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Get your firewood here!
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Liang made just enough money to keep a roof over
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her head and food in her belly. Of course, that
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roof was patched together and often leaked, and that food
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was usually nothing more than a small bowl of rice.
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But Liang was content. Satisfied. Mostly. You see, for as
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long as Liang could remember, she dreamed of being a painter.
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But she couldn't scrape together the funds to buy a
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paintbrush of her own. So every day, while she was
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on the beach collecting wood, she would hunt for the straightest,
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skinniest stick she could find and drop it in her knapsack. Then,
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after work, she'd run back to the shore and use
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her stick to draw pictures in the sand. Liang drew everything. Animals, flowers, landscapes.
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And the more she drew... The more real her pictures
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began to look, the more lifelike. Soon, her fellow villagers
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began to notice.
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My goodness, Liang, it's like that butterfly of yours could
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leap right off the sand and flutter into the air.
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And that dog, I swear, he's about to open his
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mouth and bark. How about that cascading waterfall? Can't you
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just hear the roar and feel the spray? Absolutely.
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I absolutely get it.
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Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.
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One night, Liang stayed up especially late drawing her pictures
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in the sand. The moon was full, and its shimmering
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glow lit up the empty beach. Suddenly, Liang heard a voice.
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Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say that when
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the sun comes up, that rooster you're drawing will start
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crowing its head off.
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Liang dropped her stick and looked up. Standing before her
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was an old woman with flowing white hair.
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Thank you for the kind words, ma'am. I love making
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art more than anything else in the world. It makes
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me feel so wonderful, so alive. You know, if I could,
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I'd spend the whole day painting. But alas, I can't
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even afford a real paintbrush.
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Is that so?
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Just then, a cloud passed over the moon and everything
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went dark. When the moon shone its light again, Liang
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saw that her straight, skinny stick had vanished. In its
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place was a sparkling silver paintbrush.
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This, Liang, is an enchanted paintbrush. Anything you paint with
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it will become real, just like that. But heed my words.
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The brush's powers must be used carefully and wisely and
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for good.
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Only for good. Then another cloud drifted across the moon,
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and the sky went black. When the moon reappeared, the
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old woman was gone. But the silver paintbrush was still there.
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Eager to test it out, Liang raced home and swept
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the brush through the air, as if she were painting
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a peacock. And there, before her very eyes.
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Wow!
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Was an actual peacock, a glossy green bird with a
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magnificent red, gold, and blue tail. The bird flapped its wings,
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then soared through the kitchen window and up into the sky. Oh,
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that was amazing. But wait. Liang hadn't eaten all day,
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and her stomach was growling.
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If anything I paint will become real, I think it's
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time for a dinner break.
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As usual, Liang's cupboards were bare. So, can you guess
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what she did? She twirled the paintbrush over the table,
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as if she were painting a bowl of noodle soup.
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Sure enough, a real bowl of soup appeared, with fragrant
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wisps of steam curling off the top.
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This is unbelievable! But I have to remember what the
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old woman said. The brush's powers must be used carefully
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and wisely and for good. Only for good.
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Liang sipped her soup and drummed her fingers on the table. Suddenly,
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her eyes lit up.
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I know. The Emperor's taxes have been so hard on
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this village. I'll take the paintbrush to the marketplace and
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help my neighbors. Anything they need, I'll paint it for them.
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If that isn't using the brush's powers for good... I
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don't know what is.
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So the next morning, Liang strolled through the crowd at
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the marketplace, offering to paint for anyone who was down
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on their luck. She found a poor farmer who'd lost
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his one and only workhorse.
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Here you go, friend. I've painted you a strong black.
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Steed, plus a harness and plow. She met a little
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boy who had torn his one and only coat.
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How about a warm new jacket, kiddo? plus a colorful scarf.
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And she came across a musician who was so hungry,
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he had sold all of his instruments for food.
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How about if I paint you a brand new flute, sir?
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Plus a drum. And bamboo drumsticks?
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Word of Liang's enchanted paintbrush spread, and over the weeks
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that followed, she used the brush to paint for anyone
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in the village who was struggling. But it wasn't long
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before the news reached the ears of someone who definitely
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was not struggling. The Emperor. Remember him? The one who
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always wanted more, more, more?
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My, my, my.
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Just think of the things I could do. with that
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silver paintbrush. Why, I could take over the entire world.
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I must have it for myself.
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Then he called for his guards and sent them to
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Liang's village with orders to bring back the young woman
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and her enchanted silver paintbrush. What do you think will
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happen next? 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. It's not so far away at all, actually. Hey,
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Circle Round families. We're here to share a new listening
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experience from WBUR. The Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast
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adventure for kids 8 and up. Time-traveling, problem-solving, laughs in danger,
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it's here. Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring
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your goggles and boots. That's The Midnight Rebellion. In your
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feed or wherever you get podcasts.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round. Today our
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story is called The Enchanted Paintbrush.
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The Enchanted Paintbrush.
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When we left off, the rich and powerful emperor ordered
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his guards to go to the village and bring back
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Liang and her magical silver paintbrush. An old woman had
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given it to her on the beach, and anything Liang
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painted with it immediately became real. The guards led Liang
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to the emperor's throne room. When the high and mighty
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ruler spotted the brush, his greedy eyes gleamed.
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Young lady, I've heard about this enchanted paintbrush of yours.
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It seems to have wondrous.
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Powers, but I won't believe it until I see it.
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How about you use it to paint me a brick
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of gold?
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Liang knew it was her duty to obey the emperor's
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orders and use her paintbrush to paint whatever the powerful
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man wanted, but she couldn't get the old woman's words
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out of her head.
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The brush's powers must be used carefully.
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And wisely. And for good. Only for good.
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Well, what are you waiting for? I said use that
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paintbrush of yours to paint me a brick of gold.
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On second thought, paint me a thousand bricks of gold.
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One for each room in my palace.
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Liang looked the emperor right in the eye.
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I can't do that, your majesty.
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What?
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The great ruler's jaw dropped all the way down to
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his embroidered satin robe.
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You would dare defy an order.
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From the highest sovereign in all the land? Very well, then.
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I'll paint the gold bricks myself.
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He snapped his bejeweled fingers, and his guards snatched Liang's
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silver paintbrush right out of her fingers. Ah, hey! The
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emperor took the brush and held it up admiringly.
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Then.
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He began swishing it around in front of him. Instantly,
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what should appear floating in midair, but a glittering gold brick.
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Ha ha ha ha!
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It works!
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But then, the glittering gold brick transformed into a regular
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clay brick. What? And plummeted to the ground, landing right
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on the emperor's big toe.
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Ow!
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Liang lowered her eyes and tried not to giggle. The
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red-faced emperor clenched his fists.
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This isn't how the silver paintbrush is supposed to work.
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I'll try something else.
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So the emperor painted a dazzling necklace, a thick gold
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chain strung with emeralds and rubies and diamonds. But just
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as he reached out to grab it.
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Come here, my precious.
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The dazzling necklace turned into a snake and slithered out
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of the room.
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Oh.
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The emperor's hands were trembling and his big toe was throbbing,
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but he was determined to make the enchanted silver paintbrush work.
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So he clenched his teeth and flashed Liang a smile
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as sweet as sugar.
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Young lady, it's clear.
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That you alone possess the power to use this silver paintbrush.
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What can I give you so that you'll paint for me?
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Jewels?
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Silks, delicious food. Anything you want, it's yours.
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Liang took a deep breath.
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Well, since you're offering, you can lower the taxes that
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have been bleeding my neighbors dry. We're humble people, and
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we can't afford to pay such costly dues.
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The emperor leaned back and crossed his arms.
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Lower the taxes, eh? Oh, very well then.
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I'll lower the taxes. But first, you must paint whatever
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I ask.
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Come with me.
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Liang followed the emperor and his guards out of the
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palace and down to the seashore. There wasn't a cloud
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in the sky, and when they reached the water, its
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clear blue surface was smooth as a mirror.
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All right, young lady. I want you to paint me
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a boat.
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A big Beautiful sailboat, twice the size of the vessels
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I already have.
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Liang nodded, then lifted her brush and swept it through
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the air. She painted a grand sailboat with carved wooden
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sides and bright crimson sails. The emperor looked the vessel
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up and down, then climbed aboard.
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Splendid. Now, I want you to paint me more guards.
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At least twice as many men as I have now.
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Liang was puzzled, but she did as the emperor requested.
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She painted hundreds of guards, all of them standing straight
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and tall in their matching uniforms. The emperor clapped his hands,
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and every one of his guards, old and new, marched
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on to the ship.
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Marvelous, marvelous.
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Now I want you to paint me some wind.
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A great blast of wind that will whisk me and
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my guards out to sea.
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Liang cocked her head. But wait!
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Before you go, you'll lower those taxes, right?
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The emperor narrowed his eyes.
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Actually, no.
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I've changed my mind.
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You see, now that I have this magnificent boat and
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all these strapping brave guards, we are going to sail
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across the sea To foreign lands.
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And we are going to conquer each and every one
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of those foreign lands and expand my empire across the
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entire earth. Then all the riches of the world will
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be mine.
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All mine.
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Liang could hardly believe her ears. She knew the emperor
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was hungry for more, more, more. But she never realized
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just how hungry he was.
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So, young lady, get to it. Paint me a nice,
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big gust of wind.
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Now!
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Liang hesitated. But then she lifted her paintbrush and painted
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a few gentle strokes. Immediately, ripples formed on the water.
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The crimson sails puffed up with air, and the boat
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began floating out to sea. But the greedy emperor was
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not satisfied.
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Oh, come now, you call that wind?
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I can breathe harder than that.
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Liang lifted the paintbrush and slashed it through the air.
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The wind picked up, and the emperor's guards held onto
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their hats as the sea rumbled and frothy waves thrashed
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the boat this way and that. But still, the greedy
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emperor was not satisfied.
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Paint me more wind.
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More!
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Liang swung the brush all over the place. The sea
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roared like a dragon, and the angry waves crashed higher
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and higher, drenching the emperor and his guards from head
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to toe. But still... More!
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More!
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More!
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As the ship was tossed farther and farther out to sea,
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Liang could hear the greedy emperor's cries grow quieter... More!
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And quieter... More! More! And quieter... until at last his
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voice was lost, and the boat was too. Liang stood
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on the shore, gazing at the enchanted silver paintbrush, and
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knew exactly what she would do. She gripped the brush
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and swirled it up, down, and around, until she had
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painted a brand new emperor, a kind, generous leader who
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would rule the people with fairness and compassion. and use
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his powers carefully, wisely, and yes, for good. Only for good.
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That was the last time. Liang used the enchanted paintbrush.
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Some say she hid it away in her house. Others
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say she flung it out into the sea. Either way,
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Liang saved up her pennies and bought a regular wooden brush,
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just like she'd always wanted. And she spent the rest
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of her days making art, and selling her paintings in
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the marketplace. And she didn't need anything more than that.
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Now it's your turn. If you had Liang's magic paintbrush
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and wanted to use it for good, only good, what
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would you paint? Find some paper and draw a picture
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of what you would create with your enchanted brush. Then
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share that picture with someone you love. And if you'd like,
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have a grown-up share it with us on Instagram. Our
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Instagram handle is at CircleRoundPodcast. This week's story, The Enchanted Paintbrush,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Virginia Marshall. CircleRound's executive producer is Catherine Brewer. CircleRound's original
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music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. Love the
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music you hear on Circle Round? Check out the music
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of Circle Round Volume 1, Eric's compilation of music from
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Season 1 of the podcast. To learn how to get
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your very own digital or hard copy, visit our website, wbur.org
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slash circleround, and click on Soundtrack and Coloring Pages. While
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you're there, you can find a bunch of black and
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white illustrations by Circle Round's artist, Sabina Han. She's created
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a picture for every Circle Round story, and you can
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color them in. Special thanks to this week's actors, Amy Brentano,
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Laura Gardner, Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Stacey Keech, and Philippa Su.
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Philippa is a Broadway star who originated leading roles in Hamilton,
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The Parisian Woman, and Amelie. Grown-ups look for Philippa in
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the upcoming feature film, The Broken Heart Gallery. And kids
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listen for her in The One and Only Ivan, Disney's
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animated movie coming out in 2021. Stacey Keech stars in
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CBS's Man with a Plan, as well as CNBC's American Greed.
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Look for him on stage in select cities in the
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upcoming one-man show Pamplona, where he portrays legendary author Ernest Hemingway.
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The featured instrument in today's story was the pipa. You
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can read about this stringed instrument from China and see
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a picture on our website. Again, that's wbur.org slash circle round.
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Have you subscribed to Circle Round yet? Find us on
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Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast app your grown-ups use. And
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please write us a review. It helps other families find
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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's Oscar, and I live in Canada. And my
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favorite story is the rice cakes on the Odie. My
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name is Sammy, and I'm from Kauai. And my favorite
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story is Dollars and Cents.
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If you're a grown-up listening right now, you can help
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us keep these wonderful stories going by giving a donation
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00:23:37.990 --> 00:23:44.309
to WBUR. Visit wbur.org slash color and help support another
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00:23:44.369 --> 00:23:48.369
year of Circle Round. Give $ 15 or more and you'll
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00:23:48.390 --> 00:23:51.690
get a beautiful Circle Round coloring book. Give $ 30 or
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00:23:51.849 --> 00:23:56.470
more and get an adorable kid-sized Circle Round t-shirt. Again,
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that's wbur.org slash color.
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Thanks!
