Hi, Rebecca Shear here. Before we get to our story, exciting news.
Circle Round is going back on tour. with live recordings across the united states our first stop Sunday, October 5th in Parker, Colorado at the Pace Center.
And Circle Round Club members are invited to a special post-show meet and greet with me and composer Eric Shimalonis.
Get your tickets at wbur.org slash circle around and click on events.
We're announcing more tour stops soon, so stay tuned.
We look forward to circling around with you live.
Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston. MUSIC PLAYS
This summer, Circle Round is presenting a really fun series with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. and releasing four episodes featuring instruments played by BSO musicians.
So far you've heard the double bass, the viola, and the tuba.
We'll continue our series on August 18th with the flute.
In the meantime, here's a favorite Circle Round story from Season 2.
It's about learning to rely on yourself. even when things get downright tricky.
We'll be back with the fourth story in our BSO series next week.
In the meantime... Enjoy. Think about the last time you accomplished something on your own.
It can be a wonderful feeling, right? Knowing you're strong and independent enough to get something done?
Working with others is fantastic too, of course.
But in today's story, we'll meet a woman who learns that self-reliance can be very sweet indeed.
I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today, our story is called A Taste of Honey.
Versions of this folktale originally come from Pakistan and India in South Asia.
Some really great people came together to bring you our tale, including Hannah Simone, Grownups, you might know Hannah from her seven seasons on the Fox comedy, New Girl.
And, special treat, You'll get to hear Hannah's father, Naren Simone, in this story, too.
So circle around, everyone, for a taste of honey.
Once upon a time, in a village in the countryside, lived a woman who made the most delicious honey you've ever tasted.
Her name was Kamala. Kamala kept three beehives in her tiny backyard.
She collected the honey from the hives and sold it at the market.
Everyone in town raved about how sweet and golden Kamala's honey was.
And yet somehow she couldn't sell enough to make ends meet.
She lived in a modest cottage with her father.
And as he got older, he depended on his daughter more and more.
So with business so slow, Kamala feared that...
Soon, she wouldn't be able to support either one of them.
Then, one day, Kamala heard the king's son was getting married. and everyone in the village was invited to the party.
Now, It just so happened that Kamala had recently sold a jar of her sweet golden honey to one of the king's advisors.
The advisor reported back that His Royal Majesty loved it.
Suddenly, Kamala knew what she would do.
I'll go to the wedding reception and ask the king for a favor.
Everybody knows it's bad luck to refuse a request at a wedding.
At the reception, Kamala stood in a long, long line of people, all waiting to talk with the king.
By the time she reached the front, the party was nearly over. and His Excellency seemed rather grumpy.
Yes. Oh, your highness, this is such an honor.
Look, you don't know me, but... No, I don't know you.
Kamala gulped, then flashed her warmest smile.
Like I said, you don't know me, but one of your advisors bought my honey a few weeks ago.
And I hear that you really enjoyed it. A lot of people do, it seems, but...
Not enough. I live with my father and he depends on me.
And I don't know what's going to happen if business doesn't pick up.
So I'm wondering if maybe, just maybe, you could help me out?
The king narrowed his eyes. Help you out.
Well, yes. They do say it's bad luck to refuse a request at a wedding. and I do want to get all this partying over with and just go to bed.
So, I tell you what. I own some land at the edge of town, and I have absolutely no use for it.
If you plant it and sell the harvest... I'll let you keep half of the gold coins you make.
Kamala quivered with joy. Yes, yes, please.
Thank you, your majesty. Thank you. Now, move along.
Next. The next morning, Kamala and her father journeyed to the edge of town to check out the king's land.
Kamala had heard this desolate area was popular with thieves and robbers.
But she was so excited about her deal with the king, she had a smile on her face the whole trip.
Until she and her father reached their destination.
Then... Kamala's face dropped. Oh, no. Stretched out before Kamala and her father was a mess of dirt.
Sticks and weeds poked out of the clumpy brown earth, which clearly hadn't been plowed in years.
Oh, my dear, dear daughter, I am no farmer, but how in the world are we going to plant anything anything here.
We would need a team of horses to plow this land.
I know, and we never could afford that. Kamala thought for a moment.
Hmm. I tried relying on the king to solve my troubles, and clearly that wasn't the answer.
I'll have to come up with something on my own.
But... Looking around, Kamala spotted two long sticks on the ground.
Suddenly, she had an idea. She snatched up the sticks and handed one to her father.
Here, father, take this. and do exactly what I do.
Hmm. Okay. Kamala's dad watched as Kamala put an anxious expression on her face.
So he did too. Kamala glanced nervously over her shoulder.
So he did too. Then Kamala began walking around the field, poking at the ground with her stick.
So, yes, he did too. Mm, Kamala, can I ask what we are doing?
Trust me on this one, Father. I have a plan.
Now, remember, Kamala had heard that thieves and robbers hung out around these parts.
Sure enough, seven of those thieves and robbers were hiding in a thicket nearby.
And, just as Kamala hoped, her and her dad's odd behavior had caught the greedy thief's attention.
Guys, what's going on over there? Those people have been walking around that field for hours. and poking the ground with those sticks.
It's pretty weird. It sure is. Hey boss.
What do you think? The chief of the thieves squinted to get a better look at Kamala and her father.
Hmm, I can't tell what's going on. Look at the way they're glancing over their shoulders.
Maybe they have something to hide. Something.
As the leader of this pack, I'll go see what I can learn.
So he stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered over to Kamala and her dad.
Though he was burning with curiosity, he tried to act casual.
Hi there, folks. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what's with the sticks?
Kamala glanced to the right and left like she was checking to make sure nobody else was listening.
Then she leaned in and looked the leader of the thieves right in the eye.
If I tell you what we're doing, do you promise you won't tell a soul?
The thief leaned in too. I promise. Well.
Last night I attended the king's wedding banquet.
His Royal Highness said my father and I should plant the tree. plot of land but rumor has it there's gold in it The thief's eyes widened.
Gold? Yes. So we've been using these sticks to dig for treasure.
But... We're getting very tired, so we have to head home now.
We'll try again tomorrow. As soon as Kamala and her father put down their sticks and walked away, The leader of the thieves rushed back to the thicket to share the news.
The seven thieves immediately sprung into action.
They grabbed some sticks and... dug all day under the hot summer sun, turning up every single inch of earth.
But they didn't find any gold, not even one coin.
So, sweaty and tired, they trudged back to their camp to sleep.
The next day, Kamala returned to the plot of land, a big bag of seeds slung over her shoulder.
Ah, yesterday this place was a mess of weeds and dirt.
Now it looks like it's been plowed seven times over.
Thanks, thieves. Kamala began walking up and down the field. planting seeds in the neatly plowed earth.
Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. It was the leader of the thieves, joined by his six greedy companions.
You... You told me there was gold hidden in this land.
Kamala smiled sweetly. That's what we heard.
So? You lied then. Did I? Or is it you who lied?
Look how many friends you've brought with you.
Didn't you promise you'd keep my secret?
The head thief gritted his teeth. His cheeks turned bright red.
Well. This isn't the last you've heard from us.
Gold should be ours, and it will be. Then he turned on his heel and stomped away. the other six thieves following obediently behind.
Oh... You'll have your gold, just not the kind you think.
What do you think will happen next? We'll find out after a quick break.
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Hiring? Indeed is all you need. need. Welcome back to Circle Round.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called A Taste of Honey.
Amen. When we left off, Kamala the beekeeper had accepted an offer from the king.
He sent her to a plot of land at the edge of town and told her if she planted it, and sold the harvest, she and her father could keep half of the gold coins they made.
But the land was in desperate need of plowing, so Kamala tricked seven thieves into plowing it for her.
When they realized they'd been fooled, they vowed to get revenge.
All summer long, Kamala devoted herself to weeding and watering the king's land, Come fall, her father helped her harvest the crops and take them to market.
The fruits and vegetables were so bountiful and beautiful, everyone wanted to buy them.
Kamala and her father took the gold coins they made and split them into two bags.
Her father took one of the bags to the king.
The other bag, Kamala brought home. She used some of the gold to pay off her debts, then buried the rest in her cottage's front yard. underneath an apple tree.
But she suspected she wasn't yet finished with the seven thieves.
Or rather, they weren't finished with her.
That night, as a full moon rose in the sky, Kamala glanced outside her window.
Sure enough, she spotted the seven thieves hiding behind the bushes near the apple tree.
This was the moment she'd been waiting for.
In an extra loud voice, she called out to her father.
Oh, Father, can you believe how much gold we brought home today?
Kamala's dad knew exactly what his clever daughter was up to.
It's positively amazing, Kamala. I've never seen so much gold in my entire life.
I hope you put it somewhere safe. Of course I did.
Do you take me for a fool? I've hung the gold in a bag high up in the branches of the apple tree.
Nobody will look for it there. Outside the cottage, The thieves chuckled quietly to themselves.
Soon as it seemed Kamala and her dad had turned in for the night, the thieves tiptoed out from behind the bushes and looked up at the apple tree.
The leader of the thieves jabbed his finger toward one of the top branches.
There it is, folks. The bag of gold. As the leader of this pack, and the strongest, I'll climb up there and bring it down.
Now, by the light of the moon, the head thief thought he saw a big bulky bag of gold.
But as he soon would learn, it was another kind of gold altogether.
In no time, he shimmied up the trunk of the tree, then climbed the branches to the very top.
When he came close to what he thought was the bag of gold, He suddenly let out a yelp.
You see, the bag. was actually one of Kamala's beehives dripping with golden honey.
She'd hung the hive so high, the thieves hadn't heard the buzz, buzz, buzzing of her bees.
And now they were buzz, buzz, buzzing all over the thieves' leader.
He began clapping his hands all over his body. trying to protect himself from the bees.
In the process, he smeared himself with honey and desperately tried wiping it off.
But the view from the ground was very different. and his fellow thieves thought he was doing something else entirely.
Hey! Is he grabbing the gold and shoveling it into his pockets?
Bitch. Sure looks like it. Well, I never.
He's stealing. From us. What a thief. The leader overheard the thieves chatter below.
No, no, no, folks! Out! I swear. Got me all wrong.
But the other thieves weren't convinced.
One by one, they clambered to the top of the tree, intent on getting the gold.
And one by one, they were swarmed by Kamala's bees.
Ow! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! By the time the seventh thief got to the top, can you guess what happened?
That's right. The branch all seven thieves were standing on broke. with a snap, and every single one of them came tumbling down, along with the beehive.
Meanwhile, Kamala and her father weren't asleep at all.
They'd been wide awake this entire time.
As they watched from their window, they weren't sure what was louder.
The buzzing of the bees? Or the hoots and hollers from the Thebes as they stampeded away, dripping with gold?
Gold. Honey, that is. What did I tell you?
You wanted gold? And now you've got it.
From then on, Kamala and her father lived comfortably.
Soon after their adventure with the thieves, Kamala's honey business took off.
Turns out the grouchy king had recommended her sweet golden honey to everyone he knew.
But even though Kamala now had plenty of money to get by, that wasn't what made her feel rich.
She'd learned the importance of relying on yourself to solve problems and using your smarts.
And that sweet lesson was worth all the gold in the world.
. . . Now it's your turn. Think about a time you relied on yourself and used your smarts to solve a problem.
Perhaps you figured out a homework question all on your own.
Or you fixed a broken toy. Maybe you came up with a solution for a friend or family member who was struggling with something.
Whatever it was, grab some paper and something to draw with. and make a picture of how you felt after you solved that problem.
Something tells me you'll have a big smile on your face.
Woo-hoo! This week's story, A Taste of Honey, was written by me, Rebecca Shear, and edited by Circle Round's executive producer, Jessica Alpert.
Original music and sound designs by Eric Shimalonis.
Our artist is Sabina Han. And we have a ton of Sabina's black and white illustrations on our website, ready for you to color.
Ask your grown-up to visit wbur.org slash circle round and click on Coloring Pages.
Special thanks to this week's actors. Lynette Ruthnam, Anne Underland, Craig Wallace, Tom Whaley, Jacob Yeh, Naren Simone. and Hannah Simone.
Narin is the author of numerous books, including Pink Balcony, Silver Moon, and Desert Song, and Hannah starred for seven seasons on the Fox comedy New Girl.
If you haven't yet subscribed to Circle Around, find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. you have a few moments please write us a review it helps other people find the show Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us.
One of the best things about creating Circle Round is hearing from listeners like you.
Circle Round fans have been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories, and we're excited to share some of their voices with you.
Hi, my name is Hallie, and I live in Wisconsin.
My favorite circle around is the the beggar and the baker's daughter, because I like the part when the beggar taps the baker's daughter on the head and she turns into the owl.
My name is Yuli. I live in Wisconsin. My favorite circle round is the enchanted paint brush.
I like when he painted a new emperor. Hello, my name is Hadley and my favorite story It's a magical because I like the part when Amansi stuffs himself silly.
Did someone mention an episode you missed?
No problem. You can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
That's WBUR.org slash CircleRound or wherever you and your grown-ups get your podcasts.
