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Think about a time you had a problem and somebody stepped in to help you solve it. In today's tale,
we'll meet a man who believes he can solve every problem on his own. And that, it turns out,
is the root of the problem. I'm Rebecca Sheer and welcome to Circle Around, where story time
happens all the time. Today our story is called the cleverest person in the room. We found versions
of this tale from Puerto Rico, an island in the Caribbean Sea, and Chile, a country on the
western edge of South America. Some really great people came together to bring you our adaptation
of this tale, including Vanessa Aspiaga, whom your kids might recognize as the witch in Dora
saves the snow princess. You grown ups may know Vanessa from only murders in the building on Hulu
and leave the world behind on Netflix. So Circle Around everyone, for the cleverest person in the room.
One sub on a time, there was a town by the sea. The town was run by a mayor, who spent his days
creating laws, writing speeches, and balancing budgets. He also acted as the town judge. Hearing
cases and settling disputes brought forth by his constituents, the people he represented and served.
The mayor was a busy man, so busy that he often didn't leave his office in town hall until
well into the evening. Sometimes he even calmed out at his desk and wound up spending the night.
I can't keep working myself to the bone like this. I need someone who can assist me with my duties,
a dependable second-in-command who can help me get all the jobs done. I think I'll hire a deputy.
But here's the thing. All his life, the mayor had fancied himself to be the cleverest
person in the room. The brightest baby in the nursery, the sharpest student in school,
the sabbiest citizen in town. So he decided that whoever he hired as deputy must also be clever.
My deputy must be able to solve any problem. Answer any question, no matter how impossible it may seem.
The first day of the mayor's search, he woke up at dawn, put on his suit,
knotted his tie, and set off toward town hall. It was still early, and the streets were empty.
The only other person up and about was a woman, hard at work in a garden outside a red brick house.
She was kneeling by a patch of newly sprouted basil plants, and was giving the tiny shoots a drink
from a watering can. All at once a thought flashed through the mayor's mind. If he was going to spend
the day posing impossible questions to possible deputies, why not start now? He paused by the woman's
gate, then cleared his throat and called out. Hardworking gardener, it's good to see young plants
cared for so tenderly. I wonder if you could please advise how many leaves they'll have once they've
grown full size? The woman didn't respond. She just kept watering her basil. But after a moment,
she lifted her gaze and fixed the mayor with glittering eyes. You ask how many leaves my basil will grow?
Is that what you're really hoping to know? I'll tell you, Mr. Mayor, if you tell me how many fish swim in the sea.
And with that, she grinned a mischievous grin, spraying to her feet, and flounced into the red brick house.
The mayor stood stock still. His mouth and eyes opened wide. Who was this witty woman who had
answered his impossible question with an impossible question of her own? He was tempted to knock on the
door and ask, but he was expected at the office. So he took one last look at the red brick house,
then hurried to town hall. He spent the rest of the day doing the usual, creating laws, writing
speeches, balancing budgets, settling disputes, even interviewed some potential deputies, none of
whom were nearly clever enough for his liking. But all the while, he couldn't get his mind off the
woman in the garden. He must see her again. So the next morning, on his way to work, he made sure to
pass by the red brick house. To his delight, the woman was once again outside, weeding her baby basil
plants in the garden. The mayor drew in a breath and called out. Hardworking gardener, it's good to see
young plants cared for so tenderly. I wonder if you could please advise how many leaves they'll have
once they've grown full size. His heart raced as he awaited the woman's response. When at last,
she spoke, her eyes sparkled like the sun. Again, you inquire about my little sprouts,
and how many leaves will come popping out. But first tell me, oh mayor so sly, how many stars shine in the sky?
Then she tossed back her head and laughed. Before jumping to her feet and prancing in to the red brick house.
The mayor felt his heart gallop. Another impossible question. He must find out who this woman was.
Of course, he must also be on time for work. As usual, he had a busy day ahead. So he bustled off
to town hall. But amidst all the law creating, speech writing, budget balancing, dispute settling,
and deputy interviewing, he couldn't get the woman out of his head. So the next morning, he paid
the red brick house a third visit and tingled with excitement when he spied the woman tending her
basil again. Hard working gardener, it's good to see young plants cared for so tenderly. I wonder if
you could please advise how many leaves they'll have once they've grown full size. The woman was quiet.
Then she rose to her feet and began walking toward the mayor. Each step so smooth and slow, it was like she was gliding through the air.
I will answer your daily riddle about my basil plants so little. But first tell me, I do besiege.
How many grains of sand lie on the beach? The woman and the mayor were face to face now. She was so close to an
issue. He could see the shimmering flecks of gold dancing in her brown eyes. All at once, the mayor felt his
insides turn too jelly. Because suddenly it dawned on him. He hadn't just found his deputy.
He had found his soulmate.
Uh, tell me, ma'am, what is your name? My name is Nina, Mr. Mayor. Nina, it's clear that you and I share a gift for cleverness.
Would you do me the honor of serving as my deputy? Your brilliant mind is just what I need at the town hall.
The mayor held his breath as he awaited Nina's response. She gave him a long, deep stare.
Then broke into a wide, bright smile. It would be my honor to serve as your deputy, Mr. Mayor.
I look forward to standing by your side. And she did in more ways than one.
Over the months that followed, Nina and the mayor grew more and more enchanted with each other.
Eventually, the mayor asked Nina to marry him. And she said yes on one condition.
If ever I am forced to step down from my position as deputy, you must grant me one last request.
Will you do that, my darling? The mayor had the foggiest notion why someone is brilliant as Nina would ever have to give up her job.
But he didn't ask any questions. Of course, my sweet. If you're ever forced to step down as deputy, I promise.
I will grant you one last request. Thank you. Now I shall write down my request and stash it away
in hopes that you'll never have to read it. Nina picked up a pen and scrawled some words on a piece of paper.
Then she folded the paper, sealed it in an envelope, and tucked the envelope in the bottom drawer of her desk.
The mayor assumed he would never see that envelope again. Little did he know. It was just a matter of time.
What do you think Nina wrote on the paper? And what will happen next?
We'll find out after a quick break.
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Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Sheer. Today, our story is called
the cleverest person in the world.
Before the break, the mayor hired Nina to be his deputy. He then asked her to be his wife.
She said yes, on one condition.
If ever I am forced to step down from my position as deputy, you must grant me one last request.
The mayor agreed, and he and Nina were wed. Nina and the mayor spent a ton of time together.
When they weren't hanging outside by side at home, they were working side by side at the office.
Nina was such a wise, trustworthy deputy that the mayor came to depend on her more and more,
especially when it came to hearing cases and settling disputes. But she never issued any
decisions. That was strictly the mayor's job, not the deputies. One day, the mayor and Nina were
presented with a curious case. A man and woman arrived at town hall, each one cradling a full
grown tabby cat in their arms. Accompanying them was a police officer. Nestled in his arms was a
little striped kitten. The man and woman were near tears as they stated their case.
Mr. Mayor, do you see that adorable kitten the officer is holding? My tabby cat gave birth to that
kitten two months ago, yet my neighbor claims it's hers. Oh no, no, no. My tabby cat gave birth to
that adorable kitten. Yet my neighbor claims it's hers. The mayor's eyes drifted from the man
to the woman to the kitten. Then they drifted to Nina. She seemed to crinkle her nose before giving
the mayor an encouraging nod. All right, my friends. While I am sorry to hear about your predicament,
I can assure you you've come to the right place. As mayor of this town, it is my official duty to
settle my constituents disputes, and I take that duty very seriously. So, let's try something, shall we?
The mayor scooped the kitten out of the police officer's arms.
I want our neighbors to place their tabby cats on either side of the room. I will place the kitten
in the center of the room. We'll then wait and see which cat the kitten goes to when given the
choice, because obviously it will choose its mother. As the neighbors set their tabby cats in place,
the mayor flashed Nina a confident grin. He noticed she was wrinkling her nose again,
and was she sniffling? His new wife had never mentioned she had cat allergies.
All right, everyone. Let's get ready to close this case. The mayor knelt down and placed the kitten on the floor.
Okay, little one. Go to mommy. The kitten looked from one cat to the other. Then its stuck its nose
in the air. Took a sniff, and bounded over to the tabby cat owned by the man. The kitten rubbed itself
against the cat's sides. Then it stuck out its tongue and began licking the cat's fur. Its tiny body
vibrating with purrs of pleasure. The mayor beamed. Well, just as I suspected, this kitten clearly
knows its own mother. After all, she's the one who bays the creature with her tongue and feeds it
with her milk. When given the choice, the kitten gravitated right toward her.
The man gathered the kitten and tabby cat into his arms and grinned. The woman on the other hand,
glowered. But Mr. Mayor, I'm telling you, my cat is the kitten's mother. Not his.
I'm sorry, ma'am, but the evidence is clear. This case is not so fast.
The mayor turned to Nina with a start. What did you say? I said not so fast.
Nina strided over to the man's tabby cat and peered at it from head to tail. Then she bent down,
buried her nose in its fur and took a big sniff. When she pulled away, she was laughing.
Nina laughed so hard she doubled over and clutched her sides. The mayor shot her a stormy look.
Nina, how dare you laugh at a time like this! I beg you to get a hold of yourself.
Nina took a breath and her giggles ceased, but she was still smiling.
You'll have to forgive me, Mr. Mayor. It's just, well, there's no way this cat can be the
kitten's mother. The mayor's brow knotted with anger. Of course there is. You sought yourself.
The kitten went bounding over to his mother and began lapping at her fur. No doubt seeking dried
up drops of milk. But Mr. Mayor, that's impossible. This cat can't give milk. And why not?
Because this cat is a tom. What? A tom cat. A male. And since when can a male cat give milk?
The mayor's mouth dropped open. But why did the kitten run over to it if it wasn't its mother?
Because this man covered his tom cats fur with catnip. Nina leaned down and took another sniff.
Yep, that's catnip all right. Sort of minty, sort of peppery, sort of lemony. Cats go wild for it.
So the kitten wasn't licking dried up milk, Mr. Mayor. It was licking catnip.
All eyes were on the mayor now. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Beans of sweat
glistened on his face. Well, it seems even the cleverest make mistakes from time to time.
I hereby order our tom cat owner to relinquish the kitten so it may return to its proper home.
Now this case is closed. The man sheepishly handed the kitten to the woman.
After the police officer had escorted the townspeople out of the room, the mayor looked at Nina with a frown.
Nina, you know how much I value your opinion, your insight, your astounding intelligence.
It's why you're such an extraordinary deputy. But today you overstepped your position.
Overstepped? Yes, you butted into my case. And what's more, you laughed at me.
But I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at you. You made me look like a fool in front of my constituents.
I love you dearly, Nina, and I wish you live by your side forever. But I can no longer work by your side.
You will have to give up your position as deputy. Nina stared at the mayor, then nodded her head.
Very well then. My shall do as you say. But remember, before we were wed, you made a promise.
You gave me your word that if I was forced to give up my position as deputy, you would grant me one last request.
She walked over to her desk and pulled open the bottom drawer. She rung into round,
then plucked out the sealed envelope and handed it to the mayor. Here is my request. Will you read it, please?
The mayor took hold of the envelope. Nina could see his fingers were trembling.
Slowly, he undid the seal, unfolded the paper, and began to read. And as he did, all traces of anger
vanished from his face. Instead, he smiled. And then he laughed.
The mayor laughed so hard he doubled over and clutched his sides. And do you know why?
Because as Nina wrote in her note, her last request, if she was ever forced to give up her
position as deputy, is that my husband must give up his position too?
The mayor threw down the note and threw himself into Nina's arms.
My darling, I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive my foolishness?
That depends. Can you tell me how many fish swim in the sea, or how many stars shine in the sky,
or how many grains of sand lie on the beach?
The mayor grinned. For he now knew in his heart and bones who the cleverest person in the room
really was, and it wasn't him. As it happens, Nina did step down from her position as deputy that day.
She then stepped up to her position. As judge, the mayor happily handed over all of his dispute
settling duties, and Nina quickly became known as the wisest, fairest, and cleverest judge in all the land.
Now it's your turn. The famous inventor, Thomas Edison once said,
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Next time you have a problem, and you want to figure out how to make it work, try taking the following
steps. First, state your problem. What is it you're struggling with or trying to do?
Second, brainstorm as many possible solutions as you can, no matter how wacky or out there they may
seem. Third, choose what seems like the strongest solution and try it out. Fourth, review how it went.
Did your solution work? If not, think about what you learned and what changes you might make,
then give it another try. And always remember the power of yet. Instead of saying, I can't do this,
think about saying, I can't do this yet. But if I keep trying, I will.
This week's episode, the cleverest person in the room was adapted by me Rebecca Scher.
It was edited by Sophie Codner, our original music and sound design is by Erickson Malonis.
Our artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has created a black and white coloring page for all of our
circle around stories and you can print them out and color them in. Grown-ups visit our website,
www.bur.org slash circlearound and click on coloring pages. Special thanks to this week's actors,
Paul Date, Eric Arrows, Ryan P. Schreim, and Vanessa Aspiaga. Vanessa Aspiaga is an artist of Cuban
and Peruvian descent whom you grown-ups might know from leave the world behind on Netflix and
only murders in the building on Hulu. And kids listen for her voice as the witch,
Endora saves the snow princess. Our featured instrument this week was the Quattro.
You can learn more about this stringed instrument from Puerto Rico and see a photo of
Erickson Malonis playing it on our website. Again, that's www.bur.org slash circlearound.
And while you're at www.bur.org slash circlearound, you can become the newest member of the Circle
Around Club. It's a super fun way to support the public radio podcast you love and get all sorts
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Around Club store where you can nab super special extras like a personalized birthday message for
me, Rebecca Sheer. Become a member and support us today at www.bur.org slash circlearound.
Grownups, if you enjoy the stories you hear on Circle Around, please leave us a five-star review
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word by talking about us on Facebook and Instagram. Our handle is at Circle Around podcast.
Circle Around is a production of WBUR, Austin's NPR News Station.
I'm Rebecca Sheer. Thanks for circling round with us.
Now that you've made it to the end of this Circle Around episode, we want to know
what's your favorite Circle Around story? Thousands of fans just like you have been telling us
about the Circle Around stories they like best. Take a listen. Maybe one of their favorites is one
of yours too. Hi my name is Sawyer and I live in Puerto Rico. My favorite story is hard and
stone because I like when the guy helps the animals and then the animals help him to get the
troll's hearts back. My name is Maggie. I live in Parker and got a film and story is nothing
the troll. My name is Ray and I live in Ventura, California and my favorite Circle Around story is
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Snowclamie, Washington, my favorite Circle Around story is the coconut a day. I like the part
when he grabbed it, it didn't turn golden and when he gave it back to his owner, it didn't
turn golden. My name is Dari. I live in California and my favorite Circle Around story is the
seal of fate. My favorite part was when the king found out that the judge took the 1000s over coins
from the candle maker. My name is Zora and I live in Philadelphia. My favorite episode is
Black Sheets too because I like the part when she shares the skills and the ones comes together.
Hi my name is Aila. I live in Baker's Field, California and my favorite Circle Around story is
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I live in Virginia. My favorite Circle Around story is something fishy. Did someone mention a story
you've missed? Not Torey. Grown ups, you can find all of our Circle Around stories plus links to
the Circle Around Club, picture books, coloring pages and oh so much more on our website
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