WEBVTT
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Think about the place you call home. What does your
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home look like? What does it feel like? Is it
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comfy and cozy? Welcoming and warm? We're about to meet
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some animals whose home is none of those things. So
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they decide to settle someplace new. Little do they know,
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but they'll have a whale of a time getting there.
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I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime
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happens all the time. Today, our story is called Over
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the Sea. It comes from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia,
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who have lived on this continent between the Pacific and
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Indian Oceans for over 50,000 years. Some really great people
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came together to bring you our version of this folktale,
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including actress, singer, and producer Tatiana Ali from The Fresh
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Prince of Bel-Air and Abbott Elementary. As part of Scholastic's
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Rising Voices series, she's written a new children's book called
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Ossie and the Octopus. So circle around, everyone, for Over
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the Sea.
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Over the Sea.
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Long ago, in the world's earliest days, the animals that
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you'll find in what we now call Australia lived somewhere
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else entirely. Koala, kangaroo, platypus, and all the rest resided
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in a distant land across the sea. It was a flat,
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wind-blown place, desolate and barren. So it wasn't exactly home
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sweet home. Then, One day, Eagle came gliding down from
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the sky with an announcement.
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Listen up, everyone.
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Today, I flew far, far across the sea, farther than
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I've ever flown before.
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And guess what?
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I found us a new home, and it's amazing.
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What does it look like, Eagle?
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It's beautiful, Koala.
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It has grassy plains and dazzling beaches, red deserts and
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lush rainforests. It also has majestic mountains, winding rivers, and
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the most crystal clear lakes you ever did see.
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So, if we moved to this new land, there would
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be plenty of food for us to eat?
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Gobs of it, Kangaroo. This land is as fertile as
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can be.
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But how do we get there?
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Well, Platypus, that's where we're in a bit of a pickle.
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This land is very far across the sea. If we
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all wish to travel together, I have no idea how
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we'll make the trip.
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There was a moment of silence as the animals pondered
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this dilemma, until... How about we float? All eyes turned
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to Starfish. Back when our story takes place, the arms
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radiating from Starfish's body were straight and smooth, not curved
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and bumpy like they are today, and she wiggled all
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of them with excitement.
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We could cross the sea in a canoe. And you
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know who has a big bark canoe that could fit
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all of us inside it, right?
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Whale!
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The animals traded an uneasy glance. They all knew about
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Whale's legendary canoe. They also knew about Whale's legendary selfishness.
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The big, bossy sea mammal never shared anything with anyone.
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Oh, we appreciate the suggestion, Starfish.
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But you know how stingy Whale is.
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He's the most tight-fisted among us. Not that he technically
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has fists.
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Not once has he ever let that canoe out of
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his sight. He would never lend it to us.
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But it wouldn't hurt to ask, would it? I'll simply
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say that all of us animals are moving to a
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new land across the sea. So could he please lend
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us his canoe? He may very well be into it.
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Unfortunately, when Starfish went and made her proposal... Good day, whale.
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All of us animals are moving to a new land
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across the sea. So could you please lend us your canoe?
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Whale was not into it.
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Not a chance, starfish. Nuh-uh. No way.
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Whale gave his head a shake. Back in those early days,
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his head was smooth and flat with no blowhole on top.
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But it was every bit as gigantic. So when he
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shook it from side to side, he nearly caused a
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tidal wave.
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My canoe is my treasure. My jewel. My pride and joy.
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Just look at her.
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He motioned toward a sleek vessel tethered to a jagged
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rock near the shore. The canoe was crafted from a
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long sheet of bark, folded and tied at the ends
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with rope.
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Isn't she a beaut? I would never let you borrow her, starfish. Never.
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Never? Ever?
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Never, ever, ever.
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Never, ever, ever, ever?
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Never, ever, ever, ever, ever. Now leave me alone before
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I lose count of evers.
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Starfish knew she couldn't win this debate, so she turned
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and shuffled away. Her many arms slumped in defeat.
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Well, that was a whale of a rejection. The other
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animals were right. Whale is too selfish to share with us.
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But I would give my right arm to use that
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canoe of his. And my upper right arm. And my
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left arm. And my upper left arm.
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Crikey.
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I would give all my arms.
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That's it.
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Starfish gave her arms a flex.
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Whale may be up in arms about sharing his canoe.
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But I have a plan. And if it works... I'll
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get my hands on that canoe using my arms.
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What is starfish planning? What might you plan if you
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were starfish? We'll hear what happens after a quick break.
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100 years from now in a land far, far away.
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Hang on.
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It's not so far away at all, actually.
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Hey, Circle Round families.
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We're here to share a new listening experience from WBUR,
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The Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast adventure for kids
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8 and up. Time-traveling, problem-solving, laughs in danger, it's here.
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Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring your goggles
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and boots. That's The Midnight Rebellion. In your feed or
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wherever you get podcasts.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round. Today our
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story is called Over the Sea. Before the break, the
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animals were desperate to leave their cold, barren country and
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move to a new land across the sea. When Starfish
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asked Whale if she and her friends could borrow his
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canoe for the trip, The supersized and super-selfish sea creature
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said no. So Starfish cooked up a plan B. She
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gathered eagle, koala, kangaroo, and platypus together and laid out
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her plot.
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You were right, everybody. Asking Whale for his canoe got
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me nowhere. That's why you are going to take it.
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The animal's beaks, jaws, and bills dropped open.
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Starfish!
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How are we supposed to take Whale's canoe when he
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never lets it out of his sight?
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Eagle's right. He's always guarding over it.
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He sure is, Koala. If he sees us trying to
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steal it away, we're toast.
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Worse than that, Kangaroo. We're burnt toast.
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Look, friends. I can assure you, Whale will not see
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you making off with his canoe, because I'm going to
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distract him. Keep him occupied. When I give you the signal,
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you hop into the boat and start paddling.
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Okay?
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The animals reluctantly agreed, and Starfish, wearing her most winning smile,
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headed back to the coast quickly. As usual, there was Whale,
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with his big bark canoe moored to its jagged rock.
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Hi there, Whale. I've come to do you a favor.
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Whale rolled his grapefruit-sized eyes.
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A favor, you say?
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And does this favor have anything to do with my canoe?
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Actually, it has something to do with your lice.
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My what? Your lice.
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Those pesky little critters crawling all over your head.
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Whale gave his smooth, flat head a twitch.
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Now that I think about it, my head is kind
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of itchy.
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But I don't see any lice.
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That's because the lice are so tiny. Though technically they're
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not really lice. They're small crustaceans known as siamates who
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live and feast on the skin of whales and other
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marine mammals.
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Ew!
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Gross!
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I know! And that's why I'm here. to help you
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chase those pesky parasites away.
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And how might you do that, Starfish? Easy.
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With these.
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Starfish stuck out her smooth, straight arms.
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I'll use my arms to pluck off all your lice.
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You'll be much comfier and cleaner when I'm done.
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Whale thought for a moment.
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All right, fine. But make it quick.
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He lowered his smooth head so Starfish could clamber on.
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Once she was in place, she put her many arms
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to work, plucking off the lice one by one.
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Crikey!
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There are more of these buggers than I thought. There
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must be thousands of them. Millions, even. This could take
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a while.
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How long?
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Long enough that you might just want to... Close your eyes.
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Take a nap. It'll make the time go faster.
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Whale mulls the notion over.
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Actually, that's not a bad idea.
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Promise me you'll wake me up when you're done?
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Of course I will.
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Then I'll just nod off then. Good night.
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Whale's eyes fluttered shut. He grew very still. The moment
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Starfish was certain he was out cold, she waved her
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arms toward the shore. Okay, team!
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Time to jump into action!
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In a flash, Eagle, Koala, Kangaroo, and Platypus popped out
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from behind a boulder. They bustled to the jagged rock
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and began untying the canoe. As they did, they were
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joined by a bunch of other animals, Wombat and Echidna,
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Wallaby and Emu, all of them worked together to undo
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the knots and push Whale's canoe into the sea. But
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the moment they hopped in and started paddling, do you
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know what happened? Whale woke up.
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What was that? Did I just hear paddles in the water?
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Is somebody riding my canoe?
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Starfish put on her most reassuring face.
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Huh? Your canoe is just fine, Whale. You must be
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hearing things. After all, your ears are crawling with lice.
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Don't you worry, though. I'll fix that in a jiffy.
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She set to work scratching around Whale's ears in hopes
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of silencing the splash of canoe paddles as the animals
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floated away.
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Ooh, that scratching feels nice. Is it helping, Starfish?
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It sure is, Whale. It's more helpful than you know.
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Now why don't you close your eyes again and get
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some rest?
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Nah, I'm feeling all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed now. And besides,
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I don't want to miss out on this heavenly scratching.
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Any chance you can go to my other end and
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give my tail a scuff?
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Whale turned his head and gestured toward his flukes. But
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the moment he did, his grapefruit-sized eyes grew as big
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as watermelons.
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What on earth? My canoe is gone. Somebody made off
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with my canoe.
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He peered out to the horizon, and that's when he
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saw it, the vanishing shape of his beloved canoe, chock
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full of paddling animals.
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I've been tricked, conned, sucked in.
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You were trying to distract me, Starfish, so that your
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friends could steal my canoe.
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Starfish trembled with indignation. Steal?
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It wasn't so much steal as borrow. Like I told you, Whale,
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we found this incredible new home across the sea. And
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the only way to get there was to.
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To swipe my canoe? Nick it? Pinch it?
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Well, I'm about to give you a swipe, nick, and
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pinch you'll never forget.
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Whale gritted his teeth and plunged under the waves. Then
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he heaved his massive body up and out of the sea,
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spiraling in midair before landing again and sending the water churning.
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Starfish dug her arms into Whale's head and held on tight.
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So tight, in fact, that she actually punctured the skin
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and broke right through. Left behind was a gaping hole.
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And all of a sudden, what should come blowing out
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of that hole but a spurt of water.
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Whoa!
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What in the world was that? What happened to my head?
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It was an accident, Whale. I just, I, I.
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But Starfish could say no more. because at that moment,
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Whale reached again, leaping out of the water and propelling
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himself even higher. Starfish tried to maintain her grip, but
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it was no use. Her little body was tossed way
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up toward the sky.
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Whoa!
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She went sailing through the air, soaring in a big
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arc before landing on a rock, the same jagged rock
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where Whale once tied his canoe.
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Ow!
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Starfish ached all over. When she was finally able to
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lift an arm, she let out a gasp. Because what
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was once a straight, smooth appendage was now curved and bumpy.
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Thanks to her fall, all of her arms were curved
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and curly and covered in tiny spines, just like they
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are today. Meanwhile, as Starfish was beholding her accidental makeover,
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Whale was pursuing the canoe. The steamed-up sea mammal streamed
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through the waves, squirting water through his blowhole. The animals
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dug their paddles into the sea, straining every muscle to
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make the canoe go faster. Eagle was at the helm.
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Whale is gaining on his friends. If he catches us,
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we'll be drowned. We have to pick up the pace.
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I'm doing my best, Eagle, but my arms are too short.
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I'm with Kangaroo. As a platypus, I barely even have arms.
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Can you help, Koala?
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Well, my arms are nice and long. Maybe they can
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paddle us to safety. What Koala said was true. Her
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arms were long, but in those early days of the world,
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they were also skinny and scrawny. But she tightened her
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grip and began paddling as hard as she could. And
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guess what? Within moments, the canoe picked up speed. Koala
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worked the paddle with so much force that her skinny,
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scrawny arms grew strong and muscular, just like they are today.
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In no time flat, the animals reached their new home,
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the beautiful, fertile land we now call Australia. They were
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eventually joined by starfish, but she didn't choose to live
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with them on land. Instead, she made her home on
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the bottom of the sea. That way, she could stay
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hidden from whale, who, to this day, swims up and
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down the Australian coast, searching for the starfish who put
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the blowhole on his head and pulled the wool over
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his eyes. Now it's your turn. Think about a time
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you helped a friend or family member solve a problem.
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Maybe you offered helpful advice or lent a hand when
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something broke around the house. Draw a picture of how
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you helped someone get out of a bind. Then draw
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a picture of how you and they felt afterwards. Helping
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and being helped can feel amazing. And as Starfish showed us,
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we all can be helpers, no matter how big or
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small we happen to be. This week's episode, Over the Sea,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Dean Russell. Our original music and sound design is by
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Eric Shimalonis. Eric's featured instrument this week is the didgeridoo.
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You can learn more about this ancient Australian act aboriginal
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wind instrument and see a photo of Eric playing one
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on our website, wbur.org slash circle round. Circle Round's artist
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is Sabina Han. Sabina has created a black and white
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coloring page for all 300 plus Circle Round stories, and
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you can print them out and color them in. Grown-ups,
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you can download all of our coloring pages at wbur.org
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00:20:11.650 --> 00:20:16.119
slash circleround. Special thanks to this week's actors, Theodore Chin,
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00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:20.259
Susanna Mars, Jessica Rao, and Tatiana Ali from The Fresh
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00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:23.779
Prince of Bel-Air and Abbott Elementary. As part of Scholastic's
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00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:27.480
Rising Voices series, Tatiana has written a new children's book
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00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:30.880
called Ossie and the Octopus. She also has a line
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00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:34.819
of handmade baby quilts called Baby Yams. 100% of the
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00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:38.920
proceeds go to Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas. If
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00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.039
you love Circle Round and want to circle round with
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00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:44.460
us in even more ways while also supporting public media,
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00:20:44.819 --> 00:20:47.559
join the Circle Round Club. As thanks for your support,
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00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:52.210
we'll send you exclusive swag, an ad-free feed, bonus bedtime stories,
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00:20:52.509 --> 00:20:55.710
weekly emails from me, and audio features from Eric about
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00:20:55.769 --> 00:20:58.529
our musical instruments. You can also add on goodies like
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00:20:58.609 --> 00:21:02.529
our snuggly lion stuffy, fun yellow t-shirts, and a personalized
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00:21:02.630 --> 00:21:05.930
birthday message recorded by me. Sign up for the Circle
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00:21:05.970 --> 00:21:09.750
Round Club and show your love for public media at wbur.org
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00:21:09.769 --> 00:21:14.049
slash circleround. Grown-ups, if you enjoy Circle Round, please spread
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00:21:14.069 --> 00:21:16.599
the word. And if you can, please leave us a
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00:21:16.740 --> 00:21:20.299
five-star rating or review on whatever podcast app you're using
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00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:23.500
right now. It helps other listeners find the show so
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00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.380
we can keep circling round with you for years to come.
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Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR. I'm
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Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round with us. Now that
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you've made it to the end of this Circle Round episode,
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we want to know, what's your favorite Circle Round story?
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Thousands of fans just like you have been telling us
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00:21:49.130 --> 00:21:52.299
about the Circle Round stories they like best. Take a listen.
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Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours, too.
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My name is Sutani, and I'm from Kigali, Rwanda.
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00:22:00.539 --> 00:22:04.200
And my favorite story It's a tree of love, like
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00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:08.740
the power that they turn into trees. My name is Dahlia,
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and I live in California.
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And my favorite circle round story is the nine sticks,
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because I like stories with beer balls in it.
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My name is Claire from Indianapolis, Indiana.
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00:22:22.349 --> 00:22:25.410
And my favorite story is the bright yellow hat. My
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00:22:25.470 --> 00:22:31.710
name is Marie. And I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana, and my
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00:22:31.789 --> 00:22:35.880
favorite story is The Blizzard Wizard. I like the part
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00:22:36.210 --> 00:22:39.460
when the sun gives her the arrows. My name is
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Mary Eloise, and I'm from Merida, Georgia, and my favorite.
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00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:46.519
Episode is Diamonds in the Sky. I like the part
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where the god says, what must be done must be done,
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and the two sisters fly into the air with their diamonds.
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My name is Louisa, and I live in Dallas, Texas,
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and my favorite Circle Round story is the Salmon Famine.
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00:23:01.369 --> 00:23:05.170
I like the part where a coyote says, Coo! My
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00:23:05.190 --> 00:23:09.740
name is August. I live in Chicago, Illinois. My favorite
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00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:12.380
Circle Round is the Great Ball Game. I like the
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part where a bear says, I might have missed out
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for Broccoli Fist. Hi, my name is Alina. I live
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in Newcastle, Washington. My favorite Circle Round story is Long
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Hair and the Waterfall. And my favorite part is when
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Long Hair tricks the mountain spirit.
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Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry. Grown-ups,
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00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:36.480
you can find all of our Circle Round stories, plus
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00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:39.640
links to the Circle Round Club, picture books, coloring pages,
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00:23:39.779 --> 00:23:44.470
and oh so much more on our website, wbur.org slash circleround.
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Thank you.
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Think about the place you call home. What does your
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home look like? What does it feel like? Is it
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comfy and cozy? Welcoming and warm? We're about to meet
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00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.730
some animals whose home is none of those things. So
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00:00:24.750 --> 00:00:28.079
they decide to settle someplace new. Little do they know,
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00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.260
but they'll have a whale of a time getting there.
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00:00:38.890 --> 00:00:42.409
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime
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00:00:42.490 --> 00:00:46.289
happens all the time. Today, our story is called Over
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00:00:46.450 --> 00:00:49.469
the Sea. It comes from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia,
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who have lived on this continent between the Pacific and
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00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:57.359
Indian Oceans for over 50,000 years. Some really great people
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00:00:57.420 --> 00:00:59.840
came together to bring you our version of this folktale,
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00:01:00.219 --> 00:01:04.420
including actress, singer, and producer Tatiana Ali from The Fresh
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00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:08.400
Prince of Bel-Air and Abbott Elementary. As part of Scholastic's
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00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:11.859
Rising Voices series, she's written a new children's book called
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Ossie and the Octopus. So circle around, everyone, for Over
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the Sea.
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Over the Sea.
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Long ago, in the world's earliest days, the animals that
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you'll find in what we now call Australia lived somewhere
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else entirely. Koala, kangaroo, platypus, and all the rest resided
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in a distant land across the sea. It was a flat,
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wind-blown place, desolate and barren. So it wasn't exactly home
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sweet home. Then, One day, Eagle came gliding down from
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the sky with an announcement.
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Listen up, everyone.
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Today, I flew far, far across the sea, farther than
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I've ever flown before.
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And guess what?
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I found us a new home, and it's amazing.
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What does it look like, Eagle?
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It's beautiful, Koala.
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It has grassy plains and dazzling beaches, red deserts and
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lush rainforests. It also has majestic mountains, winding rivers, and
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the most crystal clear lakes you ever did see.
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So, if we moved to this new land, there would
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be plenty of food for us to eat?
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Gobs of it, Kangaroo. This land is as fertile as
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can be.
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But how do we get there?
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Well, Platypus, that's where we're in a bit of a pickle.
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This land is very far across the sea. If we
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all wish to travel together, I have no idea how
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we'll make the trip.
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There was a moment of silence as the animals pondered
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this dilemma, until... How about we float? All eyes turned
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to Starfish. Back when our story takes place, the arms
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radiating from Starfish's body were straight and smooth, not curved
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and bumpy like they are today, and she wiggled all
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of them with excitement.
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We could cross the sea in a canoe. And you
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know who has a big bark canoe that could fit
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all of us inside it, right?
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Whale!
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The animals traded an uneasy glance. They all knew about
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Whale's legendary canoe. They also knew about Whale's legendary selfishness.
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The big, bossy sea mammal never shared anything with anyone.
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Oh, we appreciate the suggestion, Starfish.
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But you know how stingy Whale is.
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He's the most tight-fisted among us. Not that he technically
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has fists.
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Not once has he ever let that canoe out of
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his sight. He would never lend it to us.
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But it wouldn't hurt to ask, would it? I'll simply
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say that all of us animals are moving to a
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new land across the sea. So could he please lend
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us his canoe? He may very well be into it.
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Unfortunately, when Starfish went and made her proposal... Good day, whale.
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All of us animals are moving to a new land
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across the sea. So could you please lend us your canoe?
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Whale was not into it.
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Not a chance, starfish. Nuh-uh. No way.
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Whale gave his head a shake. Back in those early days,
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his head was smooth and flat with no blowhole on top.
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But it was every bit as gigantic. So when he
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shook it from side to side, he nearly caused a
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tidal wave.
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My canoe is my treasure. My jewel. My pride and joy.
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Just look at her.
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He motioned toward a sleek vessel tethered to a jagged
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rock near the shore. The canoe was crafted from a
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long sheet of bark, folded and tied at the ends
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with rope.
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Isn't she a beaut? I would never let you borrow her, starfish. Never.
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Never? Ever?
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Never, ever, ever.
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Never, ever, ever, ever?
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Never, ever, ever, ever, ever. Now leave me alone before
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I lose count of evers.
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Starfish knew she couldn't win this debate, so she turned
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and shuffled away. Her many arms slumped in defeat.
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Well, that was a whale of a rejection. The other
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animals were right. Whale is too selfish to share with us.
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But I would give my right arm to use that
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canoe of his. And my upper right arm. And my
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left arm. And my upper left arm.
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Crikey.
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I would give all my arms.
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That's it.
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Starfish gave her arms a flex.
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Whale may be up in arms about sharing his canoe.
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But I have a plan. And if it works... I'll
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get my hands on that canoe using my arms.
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What is starfish planning? What might you plan if you
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were starfish? We'll hear what happens after a quick break.
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100 years from now in a land far, far away.
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Hang on.
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It's not so far away at all, actually.
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Hey, Circle Round families.
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We're here to share a new listening experience from WBUR,
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The Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast adventure for kids
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8 and up. Time-traveling, problem-solving, laughs in danger, it's here.
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Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring your goggles
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00:07:34.589 --> 00:07:37.879
and boots. That's The Midnight Rebellion. In your feed or
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00:07:37.939 --> 00:07:39.379
wherever you get podcasts.
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00:07:44.149 --> 00:07:47.850
I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round. Today our
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story is called Over the Sea. Before the break, the
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00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:03.040
animals were desperate to leave their cold, barren country and
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00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:06.819
move to a new land across the sea. When Starfish
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00:08:06.980 --> 00:08:09.670
asked Whale if she and her friends could borrow his
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canoe for the trip, The supersized and super-selfish sea creature
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00:08:14.829 --> 00:08:19.490
said no. So Starfish cooked up a plan B. She
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gathered eagle, koala, kangaroo, and platypus together and laid out
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her plot.
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You were right, everybody. Asking Whale for his canoe got
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me nowhere. That's why you are going to take it.
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The animal's beaks, jaws, and bills dropped open.
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Starfish!
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How are we supposed to take Whale's canoe when he
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never lets it out of his sight?
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Eagle's right. He's always guarding over it.
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He sure is, Koala. If he sees us trying to
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steal it away, we're toast.
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Worse than that, Kangaroo. We're burnt toast.
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Look, friends. I can assure you, Whale will not see
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you making off with his canoe, because I'm going to
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distract him. Keep him occupied. When I give you the signal,
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you hop into the boat and start paddling.
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Okay?
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The animals reluctantly agreed, and Starfish, wearing her most winning smile,
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headed back to the coast quickly. As usual, there was Whale,
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with his big bark canoe moored to its jagged rock.
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Hi there, Whale. I've come to do you a favor.
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Whale rolled his grapefruit-sized eyes.
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A favor, you say?
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And does this favor have anything to do with my canoe?
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Actually, it has something to do with your lice.
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My what? Your lice.
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Those pesky little critters crawling all over your head.
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Whale gave his smooth, flat head a twitch.
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Now that I think about it, my head is kind
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of itchy.
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But I don't see any lice.
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That's because the lice are so tiny. Though technically they're
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not really lice. They're small crustaceans known as siamates who
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live and feast on the skin of whales and other
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marine mammals.
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Ew!
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Gross!
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I know! And that's why I'm here. to help you
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chase those pesky parasites away.
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And how might you do that, Starfish? Easy.
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With these.
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Starfish stuck out her smooth, straight arms.
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I'll use my arms to pluck off all your lice.
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You'll be much comfier and cleaner when I'm done.
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Whale thought for a moment.
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All right, fine. But make it quick.
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He lowered his smooth head so Starfish could clamber on.
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Once she was in place, she put her many arms
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to work, plucking off the lice one by one.
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Crikey!
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There are more of these buggers than I thought. There
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must be thousands of them. Millions, even. This could take
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a while.
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How long?
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Long enough that you might just want to... Close your eyes.
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Take a nap. It'll make the time go faster.
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Whale mulls the notion over.
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Actually, that's not a bad idea.
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Promise me you'll wake me up when you're done?
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Of course I will.
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Then I'll just nod off then. Good night.
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Whale's eyes fluttered shut. He grew very still. The moment
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Starfish was certain he was out cold, she waved her
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arms toward the shore. Okay, team!
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Time to jump into action!
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In a flash, Eagle, Koala, Kangaroo, and Platypus popped out
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from behind a boulder. They bustled to the jagged rock
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and began untying the canoe. As they did, they were
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joined by a bunch of other animals, Wombat and Echidna,
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Wallaby and Emu, all of them worked together to undo
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the knots and push Whale's canoe into the sea. But
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the moment they hopped in and started paddling, do you
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know what happened? Whale woke up.
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What was that? Did I just hear paddles in the water?
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Is somebody riding my canoe?
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Starfish put on her most reassuring face.
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Huh? Your canoe is just fine, Whale. You must be
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hearing things. After all, your ears are crawling with lice.
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Don't you worry, though. I'll fix that in a jiffy.
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She set to work scratching around Whale's ears in hopes
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of silencing the splash of canoe paddles as the animals
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floated away.
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Ooh, that scratching feels nice. Is it helping, Starfish?
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It sure is, Whale. It's more helpful than you know.
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Now why don't you close your eyes again and get
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some rest?
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Nah, I'm feeling all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed now. And besides,
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I don't want to miss out on this heavenly scratching.
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Any chance you can go to my other end and
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give my tail a scuff?
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Whale turned his head and gestured toward his flukes. But
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the moment he did, his grapefruit-sized eyes grew as big
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as watermelons.
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What on earth? My canoe is gone. Somebody made off
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with my canoe.
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He peered out to the horizon, and that's when he
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saw it, the vanishing shape of his beloved canoe, chock
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full of paddling animals.
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I've been tricked, conned, sucked in.
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You were trying to distract me, Starfish, so that your
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friends could steal my canoe.
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Starfish trembled with indignation. Steal?
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It wasn't so much steal as borrow. Like I told you, Whale,
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we found this incredible new home across the sea. And
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the only way to get there was to.
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To swipe my canoe? Nick it? Pinch it?
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Well, I'm about to give you a swipe, nick, and
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pinch you'll never forget.
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Whale gritted his teeth and plunged under the waves. Then
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he heaved his massive body up and out of the sea,
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spiraling in midair before landing again and sending the water churning.
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Starfish dug her arms into Whale's head and held on tight.
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So tight, in fact, that she actually punctured the skin
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and broke right through. Left behind was a gaping hole.
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And all of a sudden, what should come blowing out
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of that hole but a spurt of water.
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Whoa!
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What in the world was that? What happened to my head?
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It was an accident, Whale. I just, I, I.
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But Starfish could say no more. because at that moment,
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Whale reached again, leaping out of the water and propelling
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himself even higher. Starfish tried to maintain her grip, but
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it was no use. Her little body was tossed way
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up toward the sky.
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Whoa!
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She went sailing through the air, soaring in a big
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arc before landing on a rock, the same jagged rock
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where Whale once tied his canoe.
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Ow!
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Starfish ached all over. When she was finally able to
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lift an arm, she let out a gasp. Because what
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was once a straight, smooth appendage was now curved and bumpy.
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Thanks to her fall, all of her arms were curved
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and curly and covered in tiny spines, just like they
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are today. Meanwhile, as Starfish was beholding her accidental makeover,
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Whale was pursuing the canoe. The steamed-up sea mammal streamed
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through the waves, squirting water through his blowhole. The animals
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dug their paddles into the sea, straining every muscle to
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make the canoe go faster. Eagle was at the helm.
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Whale is gaining on his friends. If he catches us,
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we'll be drowned. We have to pick up the pace.
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I'm doing my best, Eagle, but my arms are too short.
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I'm with Kangaroo. As a platypus, I barely even have arms.
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Can you help, Koala?
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Well, my arms are nice and long. Maybe they can
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paddle us to safety. What Koala said was true. Her
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arms were long, but in those early days of the world,
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they were also skinny and scrawny. But she tightened her
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grip and began paddling as hard as she could. And
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guess what? Within moments, the canoe picked up speed. Koala
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worked the paddle with so much force that her skinny,
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scrawny arms grew strong and muscular, just like they are today.
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In no time flat, the animals reached their new home,
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the beautiful, fertile land we now call Australia. They were
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eventually joined by starfish, but she didn't choose to live
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with them on land. Instead, she made her home on
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the bottom of the sea. That way, she could stay
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hidden from whale, who, to this day, swims up and
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down the Australian coast, searching for the starfish who put
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the blowhole on his head and pulled the wool over
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his eyes. Now it's your turn. Think about a time
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you helped a friend or family member solve a problem.
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Maybe you offered helpful advice or lent a hand when
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something broke around the house. Draw a picture of how
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you helped someone get out of a bind. Then draw
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a picture of how you and they felt afterwards. Helping
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and being helped can feel amazing. And as Starfish showed us,
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we all can be helpers, no matter how big or
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small we happen to be. This week's episode, Over the Sea,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Dean Russell. Our original music and sound design is by
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Eric Shimalonis. Eric's featured instrument this week is the didgeridoo.
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You can learn more about this ancient Australian act aboriginal
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wind instrument and see a photo of Eric playing one
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on our website, wbur.org slash circle round. Circle Round's artist
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is Sabina Han. Sabina has created a black and white
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coloring page for all 300 plus Circle Round stories, and
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you can print them out and color them in. Grown-ups,
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you can download all of our coloring pages at wbur.org
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00:20:11.650 --> 00:20:16.119
slash circleround. Special thanks to this week's actors, Theodore Chin,
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Susanna Mars, Jessica Rao, and Tatiana Ali from The Fresh
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00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:23.779
Prince of Bel-Air and Abbott Elementary. As part of Scholastic's
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Rising Voices series, Tatiana has written a new children's book
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called Ossie and the Octopus. She also has a line
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of handmade baby quilts called Baby Yams. 100% of the
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00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:38.920
proceeds go to Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas. If
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00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.039
you love Circle Round and want to circle round with
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00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:44.460
us in even more ways while also supporting public media,
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join the Circle Round Club. As thanks for your support,
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we'll send you exclusive swag, an ad-free feed, bonus bedtime stories,
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weekly emails from me, and audio features from Eric about
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00:20:55.769 --> 00:20:58.529
our musical instruments. You can also add on goodies like
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00:20:58.609 --> 00:21:02.529
our snuggly lion stuffy, fun yellow t-shirts, and a personalized
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00:21:02.630 --> 00:21:05.930
birthday message recorded by me. Sign up for the Circle
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00:21:05.970 --> 00:21:09.750
Round Club and show your love for public media at wbur.org
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00:21:09.769 --> 00:21:14.049
slash circleround. Grown-ups, if you enjoy Circle Round, please spread
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00:21:14.069 --> 00:21:16.599
the word. And if you can, please leave us a
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00:21:16.740 --> 00:21:20.299
five-star rating or review on whatever podcast app you're using
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00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:23.500
right now. It helps other listeners find the show so
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00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.380
we can keep circling round with you for years to come.
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Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR. I'm
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Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round with us. Now that
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you've made it to the end of this Circle Round episode,
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we want to know, what's your favorite Circle Round story?
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Thousands of fans just like you have been telling us
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about the Circle Round stories they like best. Take a listen.
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Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours, too.
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My name is Sutani, and I'm from Kigali, Rwanda.
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And my favorite story It's a tree of love, like
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the power that they turn into trees. My name is Dahlia,
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and I live in California.
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And my favorite circle round story is the nine sticks,
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because I like stories with beer balls in it.
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My name is Claire from Indianapolis, Indiana.
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00:22:22.349 --> 00:22:25.410
And my favorite story is the bright yellow hat. My
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name is Marie. And I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana, and my
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favorite story is The Blizzard Wizard. I like the part
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when the sun gives her the arrows. My name is
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Mary Eloise, and I'm from Merida, Georgia, and my favorite.
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Episode is Diamonds in the Sky. I like the part
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where the god says, what must be done must be done,
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and the two sisters fly into the air with their diamonds.
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My name is Louisa, and I live in Dallas, Texas,
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and my favorite Circle Round story is the Salmon Famine.
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I like the part where a coyote says, Coo! My
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name is August. I live in Chicago, Illinois. My favorite
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Circle Round is the Great Ball Game. I like the
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part where a bear says, I might have missed out
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for Broccoli Fist. Hi, my name is Alina. I live
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in Newcastle, Washington. My favorite Circle Round story is Long
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Hair and the Waterfall. And my favorite part is when
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Long Hair tricks the mountain spirit.
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Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry. Grown-ups,
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you can find all of our Circle Round stories, plus
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links to the Circle Round Club, picture books, coloring pages,
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00:23:39.779 --> 00:23:44.470
and oh so much more on our website, wbur.org slash circleround.
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Thank you.
