สำเนาบทสนทนา 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:02.910
We'll start today's show with a riddle.
2
00:00:03.350 --> 00:00:03.750
Okay, ready?
3
00:00:04.530 --> 00:00:10.960
What has hands but cannot clap? Any idea? A clock!
4
00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:14.699
Riddles can be a lot of fun. They twist your
5
00:00:14.740 --> 00:00:17.660
brain in all sorts of ways. And in today's story,
6
00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:21.399
we'll meet a woman who's all about solving riddles. The trickier,
7
00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:28.280
the better. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round.
8
00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.219
where story time happens all the time. You'll hear different
9
00:00:32.259 --> 00:00:35.859
versions of today's story in many countries, from Poland to
10
00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:39.259
Germany to India. The version we're sharing comes from a
11
00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:43.340
country in Europe once known as Czechoslovakia. The tale is
12
00:00:43.399 --> 00:00:46.700
called Clever Manka. Manka, as you'll learn, is a very
13
00:00:46.780 --> 00:00:50.909
important character in our folktale. Some terrific people came together
14
00:00:50.969 --> 00:00:54.420
to help bring you this story, including Bridget Moynihan. If
15
00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:56.979
you're a grown-up listening right now, you might recognize her
16
00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:01.240
from the hit CBS drama Blue Bloods. So circle around, everyone,
17
00:01:02.859 --> 00:01:10.760
for Clever Monka. There once was a man who owned
18
00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:14.840
a small inn. That's another name for a hotel. The
19
00:01:14.909 --> 00:01:21.049
innkeeper was very wealthy and very proud and very greedy.
20
00:01:21.790 --> 00:01:25.629
The wealthy, proud, and greedy innkeeper often hired people to
21
00:01:25.670 --> 00:01:28.450
do odd jobs at his inn. One day, he brought
22
00:01:28.489 --> 00:01:31.790
in a tailor to mend the tablecloths and curtains. The
23
00:01:31.829 --> 00:01:34.450
tailor was a humble man whose only delight in the
24
00:01:34.569 --> 00:01:40.549
whole wide world was his very kind and very clever daughter, Manka. Now,
25
00:01:40.750 --> 00:01:43.569
as a reward for helping with the mending, the innkeeper
26
00:01:43.609 --> 00:01:47.170
had promised the tailor a lovely brown cow. But when
27
00:01:47.189 --> 00:01:50.609
the time came, the innkeeper refused to give it to him.
28
00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:53.269
I never said I'd give you a brown cow.
29
00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:54.390
Yes, you did.
30
00:01:54.689 --> 00:01:55.709
No, I didn't.
31
00:01:55.909 --> 00:01:56.829
Yes, you did.
32
00:01:57.109 --> 00:02:00.469
The two men argued like this for a while until Monka,
33
00:02:00.730 --> 00:02:05.209
the tailor's kind, clever daughter, stepped in. Listen, listen.
34
00:02:05.829 --> 00:02:09.689
Instead of fighting, how about visiting the judge of the town?
35
00:02:10.210 --> 00:02:12.560
He's a young man and he's new to the job,
36
00:02:12.620 --> 00:02:15.939
but word has it he's a very fair judge. He
37
00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:17.919
may have an answer to this problem.
38
00:02:18.590 --> 00:02:21.430
So the innkeeper and the tailor walked to the town
39
00:02:21.469 --> 00:02:24.090
hall to meet with the judge. Manka went with them.
40
00:02:24.590 --> 00:02:27.289
Hello, good sirs and good lady. What can I do
41
00:02:27.349 --> 00:02:27.909
for you today?
42
00:02:28.189 --> 00:02:31.469
The innkeeper and the tailor explained their situation to the judge.
43
00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:33.340
All right, all right.
44
00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:37.699
Here's what we're going to do. Instead of deciding this case,
45
00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:40.680
I will ask both of you a series of riddles.
46
00:02:41.300 --> 00:02:43.979
Whoever gives me the best answer, he's the one who
47
00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:45.199
gets the lovely brown cow.
48
00:02:45.219 --> 00:02:45.620
Sound good?
49
00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:49.129
The innkeeper and the tailor nodded. Manka sat to the
50
00:02:49.189 --> 00:02:52.750
side and watched with interest, her eyes shining brightly.
51
00:02:53.939 --> 00:02:57.719
Well then, gentlemen, here are my riddles. Now listen carefully.
52
00:02:58.939 --> 00:03:03.879
The first riddle is, What is the fastest thing in
53
00:03:03.939 --> 00:03:10.360
the world? The second riddle is, What is the sweetest
54
00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:16.219
thing in the world? And the third riddle is, What
55
00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:19.159
is the richest thing in the world.
56
00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:23.180
Now, you may remember that the innkeeper was a very wealthy,
57
00:03:23.419 --> 00:03:27.479
very proud, and very greedy man. He immediately jumped out
58
00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:28.599
of his chair to answer.
59
00:03:29.020 --> 00:03:31.939
Your Honor, these riddles of yours are ridiculously easy.
60
00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:33.020
Are they?
61
00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:34.180
Of course.
62
00:03:34.860 --> 00:03:38.340
The fastest thing in the world is my strong black horse,
63
00:03:38.699 --> 00:03:42.960
for nothing can ride more swiftly than she. The sweetest
64
00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:45.159
thing in the world is the honey I get from
65
00:03:45.219 --> 00:03:49.569
my beautiful beehives. And the richest thing in the world
66
00:03:50.030 --> 00:03:52.629
is the chest of gold coins I've been saving in
67
00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:56.979
the barn behind my house. Those are the answers to
68
00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:57.900
your riddles.
69
00:03:58.580 --> 00:04:01.699
The innkeeper crossed his arms and laughed. He was so
70
00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:05.870
pleased with himself that he didn't notice Manka, the tailor's kind,
71
00:04:06.009 --> 00:04:09.870
clever daughter, whisper something in her father's ear. The tailor
72
00:04:09.990 --> 00:04:10.870
stepped forward.
73
00:04:11.310 --> 00:04:14.250
Now it is my turn to answer your riddles, your honor.
74
00:04:15.569 --> 00:04:18.060
The fastest thing in the world are thoughts, we think,
75
Load full transcript
00:04:18.899 --> 00:04:21.199
for they can run any distance in no time at all.
76
00:04:22.420 --> 00:04:25.819
The sweetest thing in the world is sleep, for when
77
00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:30.730
we are tired, nothing could be sweeter. And the richest
78
00:04:30.790 --> 00:04:35.589
thing in the world is the earth, for it is
79
00:04:35.709 --> 00:04:39.600
from the earth that we get all the world's riches.
80
00:04:40.180 --> 00:04:43.399
The judge reached out and patted the tailor on the shoulder.
81
00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:48.060
Well done, man. What fine, fine answers. The lovely brown
82
00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:49.139
cow is yours.
83
00:04:49.610 --> 00:04:53.490
The wealthy, proud, and greedy innkeeper was disappointed that he'd
84
00:04:53.529 --> 00:04:55.029
been bested by the tailor.
85
00:04:55.449 --> 00:04:55.670
What?
86
00:04:56.610 --> 00:05:02.529
Seriously? Guess I have no choice. I've lost, so I'll
87
00:05:02.569 --> 00:05:04.889
go home now and get that cow for you.
88
00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:09.360
After the innkeeper trudged away, the judge pulled the tailor aside.
89
00:05:09.730 --> 00:05:12.310
Tell me, my friend, how did you know the answers
90
00:05:12.329 --> 00:05:14.209
to my riddles? Did you really think them up all
91
00:05:14.250 --> 00:05:14.769
by yourself?
92
00:05:15.189 --> 00:05:18.209
The tailor was a very honest man, so he motioned
93
00:05:18.329 --> 00:05:21.329
to his kind and clever daughter, Manka. She got up
94
00:05:21.370 --> 00:05:23.500
from her chair and walked over to the two men.
95
00:05:23.899 --> 00:05:26.279
It was I who thought up the answers, Your Honor.
96
00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:28.779
When you asked your riddles, they just came to me
97
00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:30.379
in the twinkling of an eye.
98
00:05:30.939 --> 00:05:34.060
The judge was impressed and intrigued.
99
00:05:34.459 --> 00:05:36.920
I'd like to see whether you're really as clever as
100
00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:40.459
you seem, Manka. Please, come back and see me tomorrow.
101
00:05:41.500 --> 00:05:45.279
But here are the rules. You must not come by
102
00:05:45.379 --> 00:05:50.310
day or by night. You must not be riding or walking.
103
00:05:51.970 --> 00:05:55.089
And you must not be dressed or undressed.
104
00:05:55.649 --> 00:05:59.470
Manka's father was perplexed. Under his breath, he whispered to
105
00:05:59.529 --> 00:05:59.949
his daughter.
106
00:06:00.269 --> 00:06:03.889
Manka, do you have any idea what he's talking about?
107
00:06:04.149 --> 00:06:06.339
This man is talking nonsense.
108
00:06:06.899 --> 00:06:11.259
But Manka just smiled. All right, I will come back tomorrow.
109
00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:14.560
I must not come by day or by night. I
110
00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:17.670
must not be riding or walking, and I must not
111
00:06:17.730 --> 00:06:24.410
be dressed or undressed. Your Honor, you have yourself a deal.
112
00:06:27.149 --> 00:06:30.750
That's quite a riddle, the judge handed Clever Manka.
What
113
00:06:30.790 --> 00:06:33.449
do you think she will do? We'll find out after
114
00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:46.319
a quick break. Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear.
115
00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:56.810
Today our story is called Clever Manka. When we left off,
116
00:06:57.029 --> 00:07:00.509
the judge had given the tailor's kind, clever daughter, Manka,
117
00:07:00.870 --> 00:07:03.670
a riddle. She must come back and see him at
118
00:07:03.709 --> 00:07:07.060
the town hall. Only she must not come by day
119
00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:10.699
or by night. She must not be riding or walking anywhere.
120
00:07:11.180 --> 00:07:15.560
And she must not be dressed or undressed. So, do
121
00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:18.480
you know what she did? She went to the fisherwoman
122
00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:21.730
next door and asked to borrow her fishnet. Then she
123
00:07:21.769 --> 00:07:24.310
went to the shepherd across the street and asked to
124
00:07:24.329 --> 00:07:27.009
borrow one of his goats. She then went to bed
125
00:07:27.329 --> 00:07:30.769
and awoke at dawn. She took the large fishnet and
126
00:07:30.870 --> 00:07:34.800
draped it over herself. Then she tossed one foot over
127
00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:37.819
the goat's back and kept the other foot on the ground.
128
00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:40.639
And that's how she returned to the judge at the
129
00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:45.230
town hall. So now, I ask you, did Manka go
130
00:07:45.290 --> 00:07:49.149
by day or by night? Neither. It was dawn, when
131
00:07:49.189 --> 00:07:51.329
the night is not yet over and the day has
132
00:07:51.410 --> 00:07:54.550
not yet begun. Was she riding or walking?
133
00:07:55.110 --> 00:07:55.529
Neither.
134
00:07:56.029 --> 00:07:58.009
She had one foot on the ground and the other
135
00:07:58.050 --> 00:08:04.370
foot over a goat's back. And was she dressed or undressed? Again, neither.
136
00:08:04.990 --> 00:08:07.920
After all, wasn't she covered with a big old fishnet?
137
00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:11.399
When Manka reached the town hall, she called out to
138
00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:11.850
the judge.
139
00:08:12.269 --> 00:08:16.149
Your Honor, Your Honor, it is I, Manka. I've come
140
00:08:16.230 --> 00:08:20.670
neither by day nor by night, neither riding nor walking,
141
00:08:21.170 --> 00:08:23.860
neither dressed nor undressed.
142
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:30.180
The judge was delighted. A most brilliant solution, Manka. Clearly
143
00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:34.100
you and I share a gift for cleverness. I suspect
144
00:08:34.179 --> 00:08:37.330
we could talk and Tell riddles the rest of our lives.
145
00:08:37.690 --> 00:08:40.889
Well, that day, Manka and the judge talked and told
146
00:08:40.970 --> 00:08:44.850
riddles for hours and hours. After that, they began spending
147
00:08:44.929 --> 00:08:48.230
more and more time together. Soon, they fell in love,
148
00:08:48.350 --> 00:08:51.379
and then they were married. The day after
the wedding,
149
00:08:51.669 --> 00:08:54.139
the judge asked Manka to come sit with him at
150
00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:54.580
the table.
151
00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:58.440
My dear Manka, being with you is such a joy.
152
00:08:59.100 --> 00:09:02.000
I learn something new every day. But I have to
153
00:09:02.059 --> 00:09:06.669
tell you, You must never use your cleverness in any
154
00:09:06.710 --> 00:09:10.110
of the cases I am judging. You must leave those
155
00:09:10.190 --> 00:09:13.909
cases up to me. If you ever give advice to
156
00:09:14.070 --> 00:09:17.320
anyone who comes to me for judgment, I will put
157
00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:19.860
you out of my house at once and send you
158
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:23.460
home to your father's cottage. Do you understand?
159
00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.980
Manka had a rich, full life of her own and
160
00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:30.279
saw no reason to get involved with her husband's job.
161
00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:34.759
Of course, my dear, I understand. I must never give
162
00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.639
advice to anyone who comes to you for judgment.
163
00:09:38.139 --> 00:09:42.100
And she stayed true to her word. Until one day
164
00:09:42.259 --> 00:09:45.100
when she spied a man coming out of the town hall.
165
00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:48.019
The man wore a frown on his face and was
166
00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.370
hunched over with sadness. Manka's kind heart went out to him.
167
00:09:52.750 --> 00:09:55.809
Sir, good sir, you look so upset.
168
00:09:56.590 --> 00:09:59.590
Did something happen to you inside the town hall? The
169
00:09:59.610 --> 00:10:02.850
man looked up at Manka, his eyes glistening with tears.
170
00:10:03.269 --> 00:10:05.509
Oh, I was just telling my problem to the town judge.
171
00:10:06.110 --> 00:10:09.009
You see, I'm a farmer. I once owned a horse
172
00:10:09.029 --> 00:10:12.679
who had a colt, an adorable baby horse, right in
173
00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:15.720
the middle of the marketplace. The little creature was born
174
00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:18.919
right then and there. The little colt's legs were shaky.
175
00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:21.940
He had, after all, just come into this world. But
176
00:10:21.980 --> 00:10:25.779
he immediately ran under the wagon of another farmer. After that,
177
00:10:25.820 --> 00:10:27.659
the other farmer claimed the colt was his.
178
00:10:28.299 --> 00:10:31.659
So did the judge make sure you got your colt back?
179
00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:34.620
No. He said, the man who found the colt under
180
00:10:34.679 --> 00:10:37.240
his wagon is, of course, the owner of the colt.
181
00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:40.019
He sided with the other farmer. Can you believe it?
182
00:10:40.379 --> 00:10:43.279
Manka was sad that the farmer had lost his colt.
183
00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:46.250
And she was angry that her husband, the judge, had
184
00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:47.889
made such a foolish decision.
185
00:10:48.929 --> 00:10:51.860
All right, friend. Here's what you must do. Tell me,
186
00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:53.720
do you have a fishing pole?
187
00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:54.549
I do.
188
00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.399
Good. Go home, fetch your fishing pole, and come back
189
00:10:58.500 --> 00:11:01.720
to this very spot. Then I will tell you how
190
00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:02.919
to get your colt back.
191
00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:06.830
So the farmer ran home and returned with his fishing pole.
192
00:11:07.370 --> 00:11:10.070
He and Manka strolled around the town square as she
193
00:11:10.149 --> 00:11:13.169
told him her plan. When she was finished, she made
194
00:11:13.210 --> 00:11:15.070
the farmer promise one thing.
195
00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:17.919
You must not tell the judge that I thought of
196
00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:18.539
this plan.
197
00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:19.879
Do you promise?
198
00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:21.080
I promise.
199
00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:24.620
That afternoon, when the judge left the town hall to
200
00:11:24.659 --> 00:11:27.690
head home for the day, he spotted the farmer. Though
201
00:11:27.750 --> 00:11:30.230
he didn't recognize him as the same man who'd come
202
00:11:30.269 --> 00:11:33.649
in earlier, asking for his colt back. Because you see,
203
00:11:33.990 --> 00:11:37.429
now the farmer was sitting outside the town hall, on
204
00:11:37.470 --> 00:11:40.610
the ground, with a fishing pole. And he appeared to
205
00:11:40.649 --> 00:11:43.769
be casting his fishing line on the hard pavement of
206
00:11:43.809 --> 00:11:44.549
the town square.
207
00:11:44.570 --> 00:11:44.629
Oh.
208
00:11:46.009 --> 00:11:48.700
Excuse me, sir. What do you think you're doing?
209
00:11:49.220 --> 00:11:52.000
The farmer kept flicking his fishing line onto the pavement,
210
00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.600
where it kept landing with a tap, tap, tap.
211
00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:57.960
What am I doing? Why, I'm fishing, of course.
212
00:11:58.220 --> 00:12:02.610
For a moment, the judge was speechless. His eyes grew wide. Fishing?
213
00:12:03.710 --> 00:12:04.009
Here?
214
00:12:04.970 --> 00:12:06.830
What in the world are you thinking? You'll never catch
215
00:12:06.870 --> 00:12:08.070
a fish on the hard pavement.
216
00:12:08.370 --> 00:12:12.169
The farmer smiled and said exactly what Clever Monka had
217
00:12:12.269 --> 00:12:13.129
told him to say.
218
00:12:13.620 --> 00:12:16.480
Well, your honor... It's just as easy for me to
219
00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:19.299
catch a fish on the hard pavement as it is
220
00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:21.279
for a wagon to give birth to a colt.
221
00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:26.169
Suddenly, the judge recognized the man as the farmer from before,
222
00:12:26.850 --> 00:12:29.450
and he realized that the decision he had made about
223
00:12:29.490 --> 00:12:31.830
the colt, it had been all wrong.
224
00:12:32.450 --> 00:12:35.889
I am so, so sorry, my friend. Of course that
225
00:12:35.950 --> 00:12:38.450
colt belongs
to you, and I'll make sure you get
226
00:12:38.490 --> 00:12:42.080
him back. But tell me, did you think of this
227
00:12:42.139 --> 00:12:43.539
clever plan all by yourself?
228
00:12:44.250 --> 00:12:47.210
The farmer was so excited about getting his colt back
229
00:12:47.610 --> 00:12:50.269
that he forgot his promise to Manka.
230
00:12:50.570 --> 00:12:53.730
Why, no, Your Honor. I am not nearly so smart.
231
00:12:54.350 --> 00:12:57.049
A most kind and clever woman told me what to do.
232
00:12:57.700 --> 00:12:59.769
Her name is Manka.
233
00:13:00.169 --> 00:13:03.100
As soon as he heard his wife's name, the judge
234
00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:07.759
became very angry. After all, Manka had promised she wouldn't
235
00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:10.440
get involved in any of his cases. And here she
236
00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:13.620
was meddling in this one. When he got home that night,
237
00:13:14.090 --> 00:13:16.230
he asked her to sit down with him at the table.
238
00:13:16.710 --> 00:13:21.370
My darling, darling Manka, do you remember what I told
239
00:13:21.409 --> 00:13:23.429
you about giving advice to those who come to me?
240
00:13:24.490 --> 00:13:28.649
By talking to that farmer today, you have broken your promise. Now,
241
00:13:29.090 --> 00:13:31.330
you must go back home to your father, the tailor.
242
00:13:32.409 --> 00:13:34.669
But I won't have people going around saying I treated
243
00:13:34.690 --> 00:13:38.649
you poorly. So when you go, you may take one
244
00:13:38.769 --> 00:13:42.350
thing with you, the one thing that you like best
245
00:13:42.529 --> 00:13:43.490
in this whole house.
246
00:13:44.090 --> 00:13:47.409
To the judge's surprise, Manka remained very calm.
247
00:13:48.029 --> 00:13:51.470
Very well, my dear husband. I shall do as you say.
248
00:13:52.149 --> 00:13:54.370
I shall go to my father's cottage and take with
249
00:13:54.409 --> 00:13:57.190
me the one thing I like best in this whole house.
250
00:13:57.529 --> 00:14:01.289
But please, don't make me go until after supper. We've
251
00:14:01.309 --> 00:14:04.129
been so very happy together and I should like to
252
00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:07.600
enjoy one last meal with you. Let us be kind
253
00:14:07.659 --> 00:14:10.460
to each other as we've always been and then part
254
00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:11.320
as friends.
255
00:14:11.860 --> 00:14:14.870
The judge was still cross with Manka. But he loved
256
00:14:14.950 --> 00:14:18.289
his kind, clever wife so much that he couldn't help
257
00:14:18.389 --> 00:14:18.870
but agree.
258
00:14:19.409 --> 00:14:19.789
All right.
259
00:14:20.889 --> 00:14:22.470
One last friendly meal.
260
00:14:24.830 --> 00:14:28.029
That night, Manka prepared a fine supper of all the
261
00:14:28.110 --> 00:14:33.429
judge's favorite dishes. Roast duck and potato dumplings, cabbage soup
262
00:14:33.500 --> 00:14:37.460
and sourdough bread, with the most delicious apple strudel for dessert.
263
00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:42.490
The judge ate and ate and ate. He ate so
264
00:14:42.590 --> 00:14:46.029
much that he grew drowsy and fell sound asleep right
265
00:14:46.070 --> 00:14:49.190
there at the table. The next morning, when the judge awoke,
266
00:14:49.730 --> 00:14:53.990
he was very groggy and very confused.
267
00:14:54.750 --> 00:14:54.850
Huh?
268
00:14:55.409 --> 00:14:57.960
As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, the judge
269
00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.519
realized he was not in his own bed. He wasn't
270
00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:04.860
even in his own house. Instead, it looked more like
271
00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:08.279
a cottage. The tailor's cottage.
272
00:15:08.620 --> 00:15:09.700
What is the meaning of this?
273
00:15:10.350 --> 00:15:14.500
Suddenly, Manka appeared before him. Her eyes were shining bright.
274
00:15:15.059 --> 00:15:18.379
Turns out, after the judge fell asleep, Manka lay him
275
00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:21.600
down in a wheelbarrow and rolled him to her father's house.
276
00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:24.879
Well, my dear husband, last night you told me I
277
00:15:24.940 --> 00:15:28.000
must leave and return to my father's cottage. And you
278
00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:30.340
told me I could take with me the one thing
279
00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:33.279
I liked best from your whole house. And because I
280
00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:36.399
love you with all my heart, I took you.
281
00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:41.590
The judge was quiet for a moment. Slowly, a grin
282
00:15:41.870 --> 00:15:46.850
spread across his face, and he laughed, louder and more
283
00:15:46.990 --> 00:15:49.330
heartily than he'd ever laughed before.
284
00:15:50.149 --> 00:15:53.970
My dear, dear Manka, when we first met, I said
285
00:15:54.049 --> 00:15:58.169
you and I share a gift for cleverness. Well, now
286
00:15:58.269 --> 00:16:00.950
I realize you are far more clever than I could
287
00:16:00.990 --> 00:16:05.149
ever dream of being. Come, my dear, let's go home.
288
00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:09.440
And so they did. And never again did the judge
289
00:16:09.559 --> 00:16:12.570
ask Manka to stay out of his cases. In fact,
290
00:16:12.730 --> 00:16:15.830
whenever someone came to him with an especially difficult or
291
00:16:15.970 --> 00:16:19.309
challenging case, he always said the same thing.
292
00:16:19.970 --> 00:16:23.200
I think we had better consult my wife. You know,
293
00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:26.200
she's a very clever woman.
294
00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:35.309
Now it's your turn. Pretend you are clever Manka. Find
295
00:16:35.350 --> 00:16:37.970
a family member or friend, someone you have fun with,
296
00:16:38.370 --> 00:16:40.990
and ask them to tell you the biggest problem they've
297
00:16:41.049 --> 00:16:44.460
faced today. Listen to their problem and offer your advice.
298
00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:48.340
And remember how creative Manka got, encouraging that farmer to
299
00:16:48.460 --> 00:16:51.259
fish in the town square? You, too, can be as
300
00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:52.600
creative as you'd like.
301
00:16:53.059 --> 00:16:53.440
Who knows?
302
00:16:53.980 --> 00:17:00.070
You might change somebody's day for the better. Can't get
303
00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:02.919
enough of Clever Manka? You can find other versions of
304
00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:06.769
this story and some beautiful illustrations by Sabina Han, including
305
00:17:06.910 --> 00:17:10.190
some you can color. It's all on our website. Tell
306
00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:15.170
your grown-ups they can find us at wbur.org slash circle round.
307
00:17:15.710 --> 00:17:18.069
We're also keeping an album on Instagram, and we'd love
308
00:17:18.109 --> 00:17:20.180
to see what you color. If you'd like to share
309
00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.420
your picture and your grown-ups use Instagram, ask them to
310
00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:26.279
help you post your artwork and tag it with hashtag
311
00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:32.390
circle round. Music Today's story, Clever Monka, was adapted by
312
00:17:32.470 --> 00:17:36.009
Jessica Alpert and me, Rebecca Shear. Original music and sound
313
00:17:36.029 --> 00:17:39.809
design is by Eric Shimalonis. Casting is by Amy Lippins, CSA,
314
00:17:40.109 --> 00:17:42.950
along with help from our executive producer, Jessica Alpert. Our
315
00:17:42.990 --> 00:17:46.450
intern is Chris Yulian. Special thanks to this week's actors,
316
00:17:46.759 --> 00:17:51.359
Eric Messner, Mitch Hebert, Brendan Dalton, Tom Story, and Bridget Moynihan.
317
00:17:51.859 --> 00:17:54.839
You grown-ups can catch Bridget on Blue Bloods on CBS.
318
00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:59.559
Circle Round is a production of WBUR. Boston's NPR news station.
319
00:18:03.230 --> 00:18:05.740
I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us.