WEBVTT
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Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston. This summer, Circle
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Round is partnering with the Grammy Award winning Boston Symphony
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Orchestra to bring you four special episodes featuring musicians from
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the BSO. We'll continue our BSO series next week. In
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the meantime, here's a favorite Circle Round episode from the archives.
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starring a fantastic performer whose face and voice have been
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everywhere lately since she stars in the new Hamilton movie.
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Enjoy the story, and we'll be back with a brand
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new one and a brand new Boston Symphony Orchestra musician
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on July 21st. When is the last time.
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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 Soo 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. In fact, can you
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guess what his favorite word was?
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More. I want more.
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More, more, 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.
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It's like that butterfly of yours could leap right off
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the sand and flutter into the air.
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And that dog.
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I swear, he's about to open his mouth and bark.
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How about that cascading waterfall?
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Can't you just hear the roar and feel the spray?
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Absolutely. Yes, he has.
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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. Only for good.
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Then another cloud drifted across the moon and the sky
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went black. When the moon reappeared, the old woman was gone.
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But the silver paintbrush was still there, eager to test
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it out. Liang raced home and swept the brush through
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the air, as if she were painting a peacock. And there,
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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.
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Oh, that was amazing!
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But wait... Liang hadn't eaten all day, and her stomach
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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!
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But I have to remember what the old woman said.
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The brush's powers must be used carefully and wisely and
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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.
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The emperor's taxes have been so hard on this village.
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I'll take the paintbrush to the marketplace and help my neighbors.
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Anything they need, I'll paint it for them. If that
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isn't using the brush's powers for good, I don't know
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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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She met a little boy who had torn his one
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and only coat. And she came across a musician who was.
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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 paint 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. I'm
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Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round. Today our story
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is called The Enchanted Paintbrush. When we left off, the
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rich and powerful emperor ordered his guards to go to
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the village and bring back Liang and her magical silver paintbrush.
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An old woman had given it to her on the beach.
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And anything Liang painted with it immediately became real. The
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guards led Liang to the emperor's throne room. When the
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high and mighty 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 powers. But I won't believe
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it until I see it. How about you use it
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to paint me.
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A brick 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 and wisely and
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for good.
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Only for good.
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Well, what are you waiting for?
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I said, use that paintbrush of yours to paint me
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a brick of gold. On second thought, paint me a
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thousand bricks of gold, 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?
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Very well, then. 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.
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Ah, hey!
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The emperor took the brush and held it up admiringly.
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Then 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.
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What?
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And plummeted to the ground, landing right on the emperor's
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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. The emperor's hands were trembling and his
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big toe was throbbing, but he was determined to make
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the enchanted silver paintbrush work.
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So.
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He clenched his teeth and flashed Liang a smile as
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sweet as sugar.
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Young lady, it's.
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Clear that you alone possess the power to use this
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silver paintbrush.
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What can I give you so that you'll paint for me?
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Jewels? Silks? Delicious food? Anything you want, it's yours.
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Liang took a deep breath.
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Well?
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Since your offering, you can lower the taxes that have
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been bleeding my neighbors dry. We're humble people, and we
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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?
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Oh, very well then.
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I'll lower the taxes. But first, you must pay 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, a big, beautiful sailboat twice the size of
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the vessels 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 pay 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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Liane cocked her head.
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But wait! Before you go, you'll lower those taxes, right? What?
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The emperor narrowed his eyes.
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Actually, no.
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I've changed my mind. You see, now that I have
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this magnificent boat and all these strapping brave guards, we
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are going to sail 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. 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.
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Paint me a nice, big gust of wind. 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, as the ship was tossed farther
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and farther out to sea, Liang could hear the greedy
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emperor's cries grow quieter and quieter and quieter. Until, at last,
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his voice was lost. And the boat was, too. Liang
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stood on the shore. gazing at the enchanted silver paintbrush,
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and knew exactly what she would do. She gripped the
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brush and swirled it up, down, and around until she
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had painted a brand new emperor, a kind, generous leader
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who would rule the people with fairness and compassion. and
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use his powers carefully, wisely, and yes, for good. Only
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for good. That was the last time Liang used the
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enchanted paintbrush. Some say she hid it away in her house.
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Others 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. Circle Round's executive producer is Catherine Brewer. Circle
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Round's original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
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Love the music you hear on Circle Round? Check out
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the music of Circle Round Volume 1, Eric's compilation of
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music from Season 1 of the podcast. To learn how
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to get your very own digital or hard copy, visit
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our website at wbur.org slash circleround and click on soundtrack
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and coloring pages. While you're there, you can find a
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bunch of black and white illustrations by Circle Round's artist,
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Sabina Han. She's created a picture for every Circle Round story,
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and you can color them in. Special thanks to this
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week's actors, Amy Brentano, Laura Gardner, Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Stacey Keech,
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and Philippa Suh. Philippa is a Broadway star who originated
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leading roles in Hamilton, The Parisian Woman, and Amelie. Grown-ups
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look for Philippa in the upcoming feature film The Broken
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Heart Gallery. And kids listen for her in The One
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and Only Ivan, Disney's animated movie coming out in 2020.
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Stacey Keech stars in CBS's Man with a Plan, as
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well as CNBC's American Greed. Look for him on stage
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in select cities in the upcoming one-man show Pamplona. where
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he portrays legendary author Ernest Hemingway. The featured instrument in
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today's story was the pipa. You can read about this
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stringed instrument from China and see a picture on our website. Again,
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that's wbur.org slash Circle Round. Have you subscribed to Circle
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Round yet? Find us on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast
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app your grown-ups use, and please write us a review.
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It helps other families find the show. Circle Round is
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a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear.
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Thanks for circling around with us. One of the best
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things about creating Circle Round is hearing from listeners like you.
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Circle Round fans have been telling us about their favorite
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Circle Round stories, and we're excited to share some of
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their voices with you.
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Hi, my name is Flynn, and I'm from San Diego.
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My favorite circle round story is the unwelcome guest, and
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my favorite part of it is where he goes to
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the party. Hi, my name is Kira, and I live
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in Arlington, Massachusetts, and my favorite episode is The Nine
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Snakes because Beer Ball is so clever.
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My name is Phoenix.
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I live in St. Louis, Missouri. My favorite episode is
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The Lion's Wesker. I like your show.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem. You
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can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
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That's WBUR.org slash Circle Round or wherever you and your
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grown-ups get your podcasts.
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00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:13.560
Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston. This summer, Circle
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00:00:13.619 --> 00:00:17.000
Round is partnering with the Grammy Award winning Boston Symphony
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00:00:17.079 --> 00:00:21.199
Orchestra to bring you four special episodes featuring musicians from
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00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:25.719
the BSO. We'll continue our BSO series next week. In
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00:00:25.739 --> 00:00:28.600
the meantime, here's a favorite Circle Round episode from the archives.
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00:00:29.140 --> 00:00:32.420
starring a fantastic performer whose face and voice have been
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00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:36.179
everywhere lately since she stars in the new Hamilton movie.
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00:00:36.859 --> 00:00:39.100
Enjoy the story, and we'll be back with a brand
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00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:42.549
new one and a brand new Boston Symphony Orchestra musician
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00:00:42.829 --> 00:00:44.390
on July 21st. When is the last time.
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You wanted more of something?
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Maybe you wanted more books or more toys. Perhaps you
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00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:03.179
just wanted more time to stay up before bed. In
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00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:09.739
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 Soo 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. In fact, can you
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guess what his favorite word was?
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More. I want more.
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More, more, 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.
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It's like that butterfly of yours could leap right off
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the sand and flutter into the air.
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And that dog.
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I swear, he's about to open his mouth and bark.
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How about that cascading waterfall?
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Can't you just hear the roar and feel the spray?
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Absolutely. Yes, he has.
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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. Only for good.
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Then another cloud drifted across the moon and the sky
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went black. When the moon reappeared, the old woman was gone.
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But the silver paintbrush was still there, eager to test
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it out. Liang raced home and swept the brush through
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the air, as if she were painting a peacock. And there,
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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.
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Oh, that was amazing!
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But wait... Liang hadn't eaten all day, and her stomach
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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!
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But I have to remember what the old woman said.
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The brush's powers must be used carefully and wisely and
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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.
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The emperor's taxes have been so hard on this village.
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I'll take the paintbrush to the marketplace and help my neighbors.
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Anything they need, I'll paint it for them. If that
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isn't using the brush's powers for good, I don't know
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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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She met a little boy who had torn his one
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and only coat. And she came across a musician who was.
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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 paint 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. I'm
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Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round. Today our story
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is called The Enchanted Paintbrush. When we left off, the
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rich and powerful emperor ordered his guards to go to
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the village and bring back Liang and her magical silver paintbrush.
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An old woman had given it to her on the beach.
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And anything Liang painted with it immediately became real. The
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guards led Liang to the emperor's throne room. When the
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high and mighty 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 powers. But I won't believe
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it until I see it. How about you use it
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to paint me.
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A brick 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 and wisely and
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for good.
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Only for good.
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Well, what are you waiting for?
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I said, use that paintbrush of yours to paint me
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a brick of gold. On second thought, paint me a
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thousand bricks of gold, 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?
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Very well, then. 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.
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Ah, hey!
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The emperor took the brush and held it up admiringly.
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Then 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.
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What?
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And plummeted to the ground, landing right on the emperor's
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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. The emperor's hands were trembling and his
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big toe was throbbing, but he was determined to make
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the enchanted silver paintbrush work.
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So.
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He clenched his teeth and flashed Liang a smile as
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sweet as sugar.
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Young lady, it's.
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Clear that you alone possess the power to use this
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silver paintbrush.
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What can I give you so that you'll paint for me?
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Jewels? Silks? Delicious food? Anything you want, it's yours.
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Liang took a deep breath.
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Well?
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Since your offering, you can lower the taxes that have
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been bleeding my neighbors dry. We're humble people, and we
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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?
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Oh, very well then.
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I'll lower the taxes. But first, you must pay 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, a big, beautiful sailboat twice the size of
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the vessels 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 pay 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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Liane cocked her head.
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But wait! Before you go, you'll lower those taxes, right? What?
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The emperor narrowed his eyes.
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Actually, no.
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I've changed my mind. You see, now that I have
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this magnificent boat and all these strapping brave guards, we
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are going to sail 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. 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.
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Paint me a nice, big gust of wind. 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, as the ship was tossed farther
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and farther out to sea, Liang could hear the greedy
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emperor's cries grow quieter and quieter and quieter. Until, at last,
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his voice was lost. And the boat was, too. Liang
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stood on the shore. gazing at the enchanted silver paintbrush,
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and knew exactly what she would do. She gripped the
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brush and swirled it up, down, and around until she
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had painted a brand new emperor, a kind, generous leader
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who would rule the people with fairness and compassion. and
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use his powers carefully, wisely, and yes, for good. Only
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for good. That was the last time Liang used the
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enchanted paintbrush. Some say she hid it away in her house.
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Others 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. Circle Round's executive producer is Catherine Brewer. Circle
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Round's original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
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Love the music you hear on Circle Round? Check out
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the music of Circle Round Volume 1, Eric's compilation of
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music from Season 1 of the podcast. To learn how
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to get your very own digital or hard copy, visit
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our website at wbur.org slash circleround and click on soundtrack
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and coloring pages. While you're there, you can find a
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bunch of black and white illustrations by Circle Round's artist,
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Sabina Han. She's created a picture for every Circle Round story,
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and you can color them in. Special thanks to this
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week's actors, Amy Brentano, Laura Gardner, Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Stacey Keech,
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and Philippa Suh. Philippa is a Broadway star who originated
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leading roles in Hamilton, The Parisian Woman, and Amelie. Grown-ups
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look for Philippa in the upcoming feature film The Broken
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Heart Gallery. And kids listen for her in The One
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and Only Ivan, Disney's animated movie coming out in 2020.
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Stacey Keech stars in CBS's Man with a Plan, as
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well as CNBC's American Greed. Look for him on stage
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in select cities in the upcoming one-man show Pamplona. where
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he portrays legendary author Ernest Hemingway. The featured instrument in
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today's story was the pipa. You can read about this
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stringed instrument from China and see a picture on our website. Again,
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that's wbur.org slash Circle Round. Have you subscribed to Circle
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Round yet? Find us on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast
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app your grown-ups use, and please write us a review.
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It helps other families find the show. Circle Round is
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a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear.
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Thanks for circling around with us. One of the best
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things about creating Circle Round is hearing from listeners like you.
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Circle Round fans have been telling us about their favorite
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Circle Round stories, and we're excited to share some of
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their voices with you.
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Hi, my name is Flynn, and I'm from San Diego.
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My favorite circle round story is the unwelcome guest, and
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my favorite part of it is where he goes to
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the party. Hi, my name is Kira, and I live
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in Arlington, Massachusetts, and my favorite episode is The Nine
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Snakes because Beer Ball is so clever.
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My name is Phoenix.
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I live in St. Louis, Missouri. My favorite episode is
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The Lion's Wesker. I like your show.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem. You
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can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
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That's WBUR.org slash Circle Round or wherever you and your
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grown-ups get your podcasts.
