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Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston.
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Hi, Rebecca Shear here. This summer we are hard at
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work whipping up a bunch of new episodes for you
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to enjoy. And today we're bringing you one of those episodes.
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A magical tale about knowing when to say when. We
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officially launch Circle Round's fifth season in September. Till then.
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We'll have more new episodes for you sprinkled throughout the summer.
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So enjoy this brand new story and stay tuned for
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more new stories in the coming weeks. Close your eyes
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and picture a buffet. A long table piled high with
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all your favorite foods. Now picture yourself taking a big
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heaping scoop of everything and digging in. You eat and eat,
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but soon you fill up. There's still plenty of food
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on your plate, but no room in your belly. Because,
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as many of us do from time to time, you
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took what you wanted and not what you needed. In
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today's tale, we'll meet one character who takes only what
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she needs, and another character who does not. I'm Rebecca Sheer,
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and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
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Today our story is called The Mountain Guardian. Versions of
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this tale come from the Tibetan people of East Asia.
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Some really great people came together to bring you our
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telling of this tale, including Alonzo Bowden and Audrey Shea. Grown-ups,
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you may recognize Alonzo Bowden from NBC's Last Comic Standing,
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NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, as well as the
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podcast Who's Paying Attention. And you can see Audrey Shea
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in the new feature film Here Today, starring Billy Crystal
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and Tiffany Haddish. So circle around, everyone, for the Mountain Guardian.
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Out in the valley, beneath a towering mountain covered with trees,
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there lived a young shepherdess. The shepherdess shared a ramshackle
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hut with her grandmother. a frail old woman who had
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raised the shepherdess from the time she was a baby.
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One winter, the temperatures dropped especially low, and the snow
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fell especially fast. By spring, the shepherdess had lost every
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sheep in her flock. The poor creatures all had vanished
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in the deep and frosty snowdrifts.
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I can't believe this. All my beloved sheep, gone. And
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with them, my livelihood. How will I ever get by now?
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and provide for Grandmother. I suppose I could ask my
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uncle for help. His business in the capital city is
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always booming.
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So the shepherdess set off for the capital city to
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see her uncle, a well-to-do businessman who resided in a
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magnificent mansion. His sizable yard was brimming with orchards and gardens,
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and his spacious house was bustling with butlers and maids.
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But when the shepherdess reached the palatial mansion and began
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explaining her woes, Uncle didn't even let her finish her sentence.
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Okay, niece, I'm just going to stop you right there. Look,
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I'm really sorry you lost your sheep, but honestly, what
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does any of this have to do with me? Was
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it my fault it snowed so hard this winter? Was
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I the one who told you and your grandmother to
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live out in the boonies? There's nothing I can do
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for you, kid.
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The shepherdess's face was pinched with sorrow as she trudged
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back to the valley. Standing outside her hut and gazing
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at the mountains, She noticed how the harsh winter winds
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had knocked many branches from the trees that grew up
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and down the slope. As a result, the ground was
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littered with sturdy boughs of all sizes. And that's when
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the shepherdess had an idea.
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I know what I'll do. I'll collect some of those
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fallen branches from the mountainside and sell them at the market.
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As firewood. That should bring in enough money for me
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and Grandmother to get by for a little while longer anyway.
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Now, you may be wondering, why wouldn't the shepherdess chop
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down an entire tree and sell that? After all, wasn't
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the towering mountain covered with strong leafy trees? Well,
Load full transcript
you see,
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ever since the shepherdess was a little girl, her grandmother
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had told her countless stories about the mountain guardian.
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My child, you must remember, in this land, each and
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every mountain.
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has a guardian, a powerful spirit, a protector.
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So everything on the mountain is sacred because it belongs
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to the guardian.
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The plants, the animals, the trees, everything. So, with Grandmother's
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words etched into her memory, the shepherdess found a big
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basket and started up the mountainside to collect branches. Before long,
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she had gathered a nice bundle, which she sold at
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the market the following morning. This is terrific!
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I've made enough money for Grandmother and me to get
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by for at least one more month. Thank you, Mountain Guardian.
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The next month, the shepherdess climbed higher up the mountain
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and found even more fallen wood, which, again, she promptly
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sold at the market.
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Thank you, Mountain Guardian.
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The next month, she climbed even higher. Thank you, Mountain Guardian.
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Thank you, Mountain Guardian.
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The next month, she climbed even higher.
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Thank you, Mountain Guardian.
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And then, one fine summer day, she found herself at
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the very top. Wow, check out this view.
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From this lofty summit, I can see for miles and
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miles and.
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Who are you?
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The shepherdess gasped and spun around. Sitting before her was
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a lion. A large, fierce lion carved from smooth, gray
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stone like a statue. And yet, before the shepherdess's very eyes,
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the stone lion opened its mouth and proceeded to speak.
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All right. If you won't introduce yourself, I'll get the
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ball rolling. I am the guardian of the mountain. I
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look after everything that lives here. The plants, the animals,
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the trees. So I ask again. Who are you?
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It took a moment for the shepherdess to find her voice.
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Me?
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Well, I'm just a humble shepherdess who lost her flock.
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I lost everything. So now I'm gathering wood from the mountainside.
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From your mountainside. So I may sell it at the
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market and buy some food and clothing for me and
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my grandmother.
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I see.
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The lion's stone eyes seemed to glitter.
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But what are you doing way up here, where so
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few dare to tread? There are plenty of hail and
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healthy trees much farther down the mountain. Chop just one
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of those beauties down, and its wood will bring you
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a pretty penny.
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I know that, mountain guardian. But those hail and healthy
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trees of which you speak, they aren't mine to chop down.
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They belong to you, and you alone. So I only
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gather dead wood. branches and boughs that have been brought
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down by wind and storms. And for that dead wood,
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I thank you, mountain guardian, from the bottom of my heart.
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The lion was silent for a moment. Then his stone
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mouth curled into a grin.
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Your answer pleases me, shepherdess, and I would like to
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reward you for your care and compassion. Come, empty your basket.
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Place it below my mouth and I will fill it
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with gold coins. But take heed. The moment the basket
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is full, you must tell me. Not one piece of
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gold can land on the ground. Do you understand?
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I understand. The shepherdess did as she was told and
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held her empty basket below the lion's mouth. A moment later.
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The lion opened its jaws wide and let out a
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mighty roar.
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Roar!
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And as he did, a cascade of gold coins came
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tumbling out, each one glinting in the sunlight and landing
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in the shepherdess' basket with a clink. The shepherdess kept
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her eyes glued to the waterfall of coins. Once the
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basket was nearly full, she held up a hand and cried, Stop!
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And just like that, The stream of coins ceased, like
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someone had turned off a spigot.
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Very good, shepherdess. Now, take your newfound riches and use
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them wisely. But promise me one thing. You will continue
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taking care of my mountain, respecting my trees, and my land.
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Of course, mountain guardian. I promise.
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The shepherdess got to her knees and bowed to the ground.
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When she stood back up, she saw the lion had
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frozen up again, like a statue. You would never know
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he had spoken at all, but the shepherdess had a
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basket of gold to prove it. And the shepherdess used
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that gold wisely. buying seeds to grow crops, tools to
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fix up her hut, and a whole new flock of glossy,
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woolly sheep. Before long, the shepherdess was prospering. And when
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word of her good fortune reached her uncle in the city,
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the businessman was perplexed.
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How is my niece suddenly living so high on the hog?
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A new farm, a new flock of sheep.
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Last I saw her, she was down to her last
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penny and her final crust of bread. I must discover
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the secret of her riches and use it for myself.
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What do you think Uncle will do next? We'll find
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out what happens after a quick break. Welcome back to
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Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today, our story is called
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The Mountain Guardian.
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The Mountain Guardian.
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Before the break, a good-hearted shepherdess was collecting dead branches
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for firewood when she met the guardian of the mountain.
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In exchange for sparing the trees that grew on the hillside,
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the talking stone lion gifted the shepherdess with gold coins.
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When the shepherdess's rich uncle learned of his niece's prosperity,
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he was overcome with jealousy. Determined to learn the shepherdess's secret,
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He mounted his horse and galloped from his mansion in
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the city to his niece's house in the countryside.
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Well, hello there, Uncle. I'm surprised to see you traveling
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around these parts. You did say that Grandmother and I
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live out in the boonies, after all.
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Oh, did I say that?
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Uncle batted his eyelashes.
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I don't know what I was talking about. I mean,
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look how beautiful it is out here. This rolling valley...
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this tree-covered mountain, not to mention this fancy new farm
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of yours, and those magnificent sheep. Tell me, niece, how
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is it you're faring so well?
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So the shepherdess told Uncle the story of the guardian
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of the mountain. She told him how she had collected
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fallen branches and boughs for firewood, and how pleased the
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mountain guardian had been.
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So he offered me a reward. He told me if
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I placed my basket below his mouth, He would fill
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it with gold coins. And when the basket was nearly full,
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all I had to do was tell him.
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Gold coins, you say?
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Uncle rubbed his hands together.
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A big stone lion gave you gold coins just for
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collecting firewood?
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Well, not just any firewood, Uncle. He was rewarding me
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because the trees are like his children. And instead of
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chopping them down, I.
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Yes, yes, yes. Whatever.
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And all you had to do was put a basket
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underneath his mouth.
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Well, like I was trying to tell you, Uncle. I
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had to tell him when the basket was nearly.
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But that's all Uncle heard. He had already hopped back
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on his horse and galloped off toward the city. The
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next morning, Uncle rummaged through his gardener's shed for a
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great big basket and sturdy axe. He loaded these items
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onto his horse and trotted to the mountain where the
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shepherdess had collected her wood.
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Okay, with all these hardy trees growing on the hillside...
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I should have no trouble chopping enough firewood for the
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mountain guardian. Better get to work.
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As Uncle made his way up the mountain, he chopped
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down one tree, then another, and before he knew it,
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his basket was filled with firewood. Firewood from living trees.
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Now remember, the shepherdess had tried telling Uncle what Grandmother
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had told her. how sacred the trees were, how they
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were like the mountain guardian's children. But he hadn't listened,
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had he? So now he took his enormous basket full
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of wood and lugged it to the mountaintop, where the large,
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fierce-looking stone lion was waiting.
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Hmm.
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My niece told me this was a talking lion, but
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it looks just like a statue to me.
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Uncle made a fist and knocked on the lion's side.
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Um, hello?
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Lion?
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Wake up! Wake up!
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To Uncle's delight, the lion sprang to life, its massive
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stone jaw opening and closing.
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Who are you? And what are you doing way up here,
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where so few dare to tread?
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With visions of gold coins dancing in his head, Uncle
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flashed the lion a grin.
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Why, I am none other than the beloved uncle of
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the young shepherdess who visited you a few months ago.
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The one you rewarded with all those gold coins? I've
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brought you this great big basket of firewood. I chopped
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it all myself, you know.
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The lion narrowed his eyes.
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Oh, did you now? I did.
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Just a few hacks of my trusty axe and I
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must have cut down half a dozen trees.
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Just like that. It was like timber, timber, timber. Yes. Yes,
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I see. Half a dozen trees.
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The lion clenched his jaw.
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And now I assume you're expecting the same reward I
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gave your niece. Very well, then. Come, empty your basket.
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Place it below my mouth, and I will fill it
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with gold coins. But take heed. The moment the basket
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is full, you must tell me. Not one piece of gold. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Look, can we just get started here?
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I haven't got all day.
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Uncle turned his basket over and dumped out all the wood.
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And he held the empty basket below the lion's mouth.
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The lion paused, fixed Uncle with its round stone eyes,
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then let out that mighty roar.
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Roar!
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And just like that, a stream of gold coins began
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tumbling into the basket.
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Oh my gosh, it's true.
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I'll be rich. Or richer, anyway.
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The coins plinked, clinked, and plunked, filling the basket higher
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and higher. But when they finally reached the top, do
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you know what Uncle did? Or what he didn't do, rather?
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You guessed it. He didn't say stop. Instead, the pile
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of coins grew so high that, at last, a glistening
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piece of gold teetered off the top of the heap
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and went plummeting to the ground. Immediately, the lion's cascade
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of coins came to a halt.
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Um, lion, what's going on? Why'd you stop? I want
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my coins.
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The lion shook its head and let out a little cough.
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I'm sorry. It's just the rest of your coins must
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be stuck in my throat. Please, put your hand in
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my mouth and help me pull them out.
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Uncle did as he was told. He dropped the basket
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of coins and thrust his hand deep into the lion's mouth.
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But the second his fingers were inside, do you know
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what happened? The lion's mighty jaws clamped together and trapped
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Uncle's hand in their unyielding grip.
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Hey!
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What'd you do that for?
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Now I'm stuck.
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Let go, lion. Please let go.
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But the lion would not let go. He couldn't. The
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creature had become a motionless statue again. staring straight ahead
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with round, vacant eyes of stone. Uncle wiggled and wriggled
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his arm, trying to set it free.
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Oh, man, what am I going to do? I've got
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this big, beautiful basket of gold coins, and now that
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00:18:19.539
I'm stuck, there's no way I can take it back
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to the city and.
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Oh, no! Uncle's face fell as he stared at the
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basket he had dropped on the ground. A few seconds ago,
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it had been brimming with coins, but to his dismay...
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he saw it was now brimming with something else entirely.
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Stones?
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It was true. Each and every glittering piece of money
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had transformed into a nugget of rock, as smooth and
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gray as the lion himself.
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Oh!
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Uncle clenched his teeth as he jostled and jiggled his
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arm in hopes of prying it loose.
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Come on.
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He jostled and jiggled all morning.
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Almost got it. No.
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No, no.
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He jostled and jiggled all afternoon.
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Gotta get free.
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Gotta get free.
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And by nighttime, he was downright exhausted. He was also ashamed.
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Slumping against the lion's smooth, cool body, Uncle lowered his
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head and let out a sob.
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Oh, what a fool I've been. I never should have
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tried to deceive you, Mountain Guardian. You gave my good-hearted
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niece exactly what she deserved. And now I suppose you're
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giving me what I deserve, too.
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I am sorry, Mountain Guardian.
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So, so sorry.
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The moment Uncle uttered his heartrending, apology, can you guess
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what happened? Just like that, the lion's jaws sprang open.
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Then the stone creature threw back its head and began
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to laugh. It laughed and it laughed, its deep, cackling
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rumble echoing all the way across the valley. Uncle didn't
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waste a minute. Now that his hand was free from
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the lion's mouth, he sprinted down the mountainside as fast
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as his legs could carry him and vowed never again
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to let his greed get the better of him. Once
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Uncle was gone, the lion quieted down again. It closed
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its mighty mouth, straightened its majestic head, then
froze again.
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its body turning back into smooth, cool stone, its eyes
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fixed on the mountain, it would do anything to protect.
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Now it's your turn. Have you ever thought about the
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difference between a need and a want? A need is
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something we must have to survive, like Food, water, and shelter.
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A want is something that's fun to have, but we
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can live without, like a chocolate bar or a new scooter.
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Find a piece of paper and draw a chart with
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two columns. Label one of the columns needs and the
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other one wants. Talk with a grown-up about things you
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have in your home and whether they would count as
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needs or wants. Then either write those items in the
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columns on your chart or draw a picture. And once
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you've filled out your entire chart, you can make a
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new one. If you want. This week's story, The Mountain Guardian,
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was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by
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Circle Round's supervising producer, Amory Sievertson. Circle Round's original music
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and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is
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Sabina Han. Sabina has created a black and white illustration
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for every single Circle Round story, and you can print
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them out and color them in. Ask a grown-up to
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visit wbur.org slash Circle Round, then click on Soundtrack and
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Coloring Pages. And while you're at wbur.org slash Circle Round,
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you can find a link to the latest Circle Round
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coloring book, the Circle Round soundtrack, and a transcript for
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each and every Circle Round tale. Special thanks to this
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week's actors, Theodore Chin, Faith Saley, Alonzo Bowden, and Audrey Shea.
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Look for Audrey Shea in the new comedy here today,
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as well as Netflix's upcoming music-driven film, Mixtape. And to
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listen for Alonzo Bowden on the podcast, Who's Paying Attention?
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and the NPR quiz show, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Grown-ups,
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you can see Alonzo's fourth stand-up comedy special, Alonzo Bowden, Heavy, Lightweight,
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on Amazon Prime Video. Our featured instrument this week was
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the dronyen. You can learn more about this six-stringed Tibetan
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lute and see a photo on our website. Again, that's wbur.org
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slash circleround. Want to keep the Circle Round experience going
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all week long? Join our communities on Facebook and Instagram.
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Our handle is at Circle Round Podcast. 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, I'm Liv, and my favorite Circle Round story is
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the lion's whisker.
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I like when they get the lion's whisker.
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Hi, my name's Cassie, and my favorite Circle Round story
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is Nilsa and the Troll, because I like the part
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where the troll gets a smile on Ace's face.
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And he gives her strawberries.
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My name's Keith.
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And my favorite circle round story is Chief Know-It-All. And
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my favorite part is when the chief doesn't win and
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the new soldier wins. My name is Opa. I live
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in Sneebrook Springs, Colorado. My favorite story is the free
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rugged pop.
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Hello, my name is Neil, and I live in Birmingham,
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and my favorite stories are Bess and his dear and
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a baker's daughter.
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Hi, my name is Quinn, and I live in Bellingham, Washington,
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and my favorite stories are the three-legged pot and the
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lute player.
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Did someone mention an episode you missed?
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No problem.
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You 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.