WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
Have you ever had a tough time getting along with someone?
It happens to all of us.
We have that sibling or friend or classmate we always seem to be bumping heads with.
We're about to meet two sisters who have trouble getting along, and what happens to these quibbling siblings is out of this world.
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where story time happens all the time.
Today our story is called Diamonds in the Sky.
It was inspired by tales told in the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country consisting of more than 7 ,000 islands in the South China, Philippine, and Celebes seas.
Some really great people came together to bring you our version of this folktale, including Mila Harris and Kiriana Crater.
Mila Harris stars in the recent Netflix film, Mary.
She'll next be seen in the sci -fi action movie, World Breaker.
Cariana Cratter has appeared on the Disney comedy series, Bunked, and the CBS sitcom, The United States of Al.
She most recently starred in Star Wars Skeleton Crew on Disney+.
So, circle around, everyone, for Diamonds in the Sky.
Long, long ago, when the world was much younger than it is now, two sisters lived on an island with their mother.
The sisters' names were Aral and Buan, and they were as different as day and night.
Not that the sisters would have known what day and night were, because long, long ago, day and night didn't exist.
There was no sun, no moon either, so the sky always took on a dim cast of twilight.
Now, like we said, Arao and Buon were very different.
Arao was warm -hearted and good -natured.
Look at this bouquet of lilies I picked for Mother Buon.
Don't they smell lovely?
Buon, on the other hand?
Smell lovely? Was not.
These flowers smell like bad perfume, Arao.
Are you trying to make Mother sick?
Because I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies.
Buan was cold and prickly with just about everyone, especially her sister.
She was always picking on Arau and pushing her buttons.
She teased her. You're such a goody two -shoes, Arau.
It's more like goody 200 shoes.
She messed with her stuff.
I borrowed your new dress a row, and I spilled juice all over it.
Guess you'll need another one.
She even blamed her for her own misdeeds.
Mother! A row was playing ball inside the house, and she broke your favorite vase.
I did not. Buwan was the one with the ball.
Buwan was the one with the ball.
Are you mimicking me?
Are you mimicking me?
Stop it! Stop it! I said stop it!
I said stop it! Enough!
By the power of Batala, the creator spirit himself, I wish the two of you could get along.
We could get along, mother, if Buwan was nicer to me.
Oh, so it's my fault I'm the bad guy?
That's not what I'm saying.
Sure sounds like it.
Look, girls, I love both of you so much, and all I want is for my two favorite people in the world to peacefully coexist.
So I'll tell you what.
Why don't you go to the market together and pick up some groceries?
You can have a nice talk along the way.
Mother flashed her daughters a smile.
Arao smiled back. Buwan did not.
Fine. We'll go to the market together.
I'm sure it'll be a blast.
That's the spirit. Here's a purse full of money for each of you.
I'll see you when you get back.
Buan rolled her eyes, then followed her sister down the road.
As they rounded a sharp bend, they heard a voice.
Excuse me, might you have some money to share with the poor?
Just a few coins? Sitting in the dirt by the side of the road was an old man.
He was haggard and disheveled, with a tangled beard, ragged clothing, and shabby shoes.
Arao instantly reached for her purse.
I can share more than a few coins, sir.
Here, take everything.
Thank you, miss! The man grinned as Arao emptied her purse into his weathered hands.
Then he turned his gaze toward Buwan.
Might you have a few coins to spare?
Buwan wrinkled her nose.
Are you serious? Like I'm going to share any of my money with a beggar like you?
Look, mister. My goody two -shoes sister already gave you an entire purse full.
You're getting nothing from me.
Is that so? I'm getting nothing from you?
Then you are getting nothing from me either.
Buwan let out a laugh.
You're a poor beggar.
What could you possibly offer anyone?
The man said nothing.
Instead, he raised his arms into the air and closed his eyes.
Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke.
And the beggar was gone.
In his place was a tall, regal -looking man.
his entire body glowing with light.
I suppose I ought to introduce myself.
I am Batala, the divine creator of all things.
But before I showed my true face, what was it you asked me?
Batala fixed his eyes on Buwan.
Ah, yes, you asked what I could possibly offer anyone.
The answer is this.
The powerful spirit extended a glimmering arm.
In his hand was a diamond, the size of a grapefruit.
The giant gem twinkled brighter than anything the sisters had ever seen.
This diamond is for you, Arau, for treating me and everyone with such kindness.
Really? Wow! Thank you, Batala!
I will treasure and honor this gift.
Arau took the diamond and made a low, deep bow.
Buon looked on with outrage.
Um, hang on! Where's my gift?
Don't I get a diamond, too?
Batala fixed Buon with a hard stare.
The fact of the matter is, I was hoping to give you a diamond, Buon.
I was hoping that if I came down from my kingdom in the sky, and I disguised myself as a penniless beggar, you might open your heart and show some kindness.
But alas, your heart remains closed, locked up tight and clouded with anger and scorn, so I shall give you nothing.
No sooner had the god uttered these words than there was another puff of smoke And he was gone Okay, that was totally crazy and totally unfair My goody -two -shoes sister gets to go home with that amazing diamond While I go home with nothing?
Perhaps we could share the diamond, Buwan You could keep it in your room for a week, then I'll keep it in mine No way, I'm not sharing.
I want a diamond of my own.
Buon gritted her teeth and stomped away, but she didn't go to the market and she didn't go back home.
Instead, she made her way to the tallest mountain on the island and began to climb.
You see, according to island lore, if you climbed the tallest peak on the tallest mountain, you could magically enter Batala's kingdom in the sky.
And that was precisely what Buon was planning to do.
If Batala won't give me my own diamond, then I'll sneak into his kingdom and take one.
I'm every bit as worthy as my sister, and now I'm going to prove it.
Will Buon succeed in stealing from Batala?
We'll find out after a quick break.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round.
Today, our story is called Diamonds in the Sky.
Before the break, Batala, the creator spirit, rewarded kind -hearted Arao with a sparkling diamond the size of a grapefruit.
He gave nothing to her cold -hearted sister, Buan.
So Buan decided she would visit Batala's kingdom in the sky and steal a diamond.
She summited the tallest mountain on the island, and when she pushed through the clouds surrounding the tallest peak, what should she spy glittering all around her?
Jackpot. But diamonds!
Hundreds and thousands of sparkling gemstones.
Seizing the biggest, brightest diamond she could find, she scrambled back through the clouds and down the mountain, laughing all the way.
Back at home, the house was quiet.
Arao and Mother were fast asleep in their rooms.
Clutching her new prize in her hand, Buwan crept to her sister's bed.
Beside it was the diamond Batala had given her.
As Buwan compared her own diamond with her sister's, her face fell in dismay.
My diamond is nowhere near as big as Arao's, or as brilliant.
This is so unfair. Buwan's outburst roused Arao from her sleep.
Buwan, what's the matter?
The matter is you! It's always been you.
You're so nice and so good.
Even my diamond can't measure up.
I snuck up to Batala's Sky Kingdom and stole the very best one I could find, and yours is still better.
You stole a diamond from Batala?
You shouldn't steal from anyone, especially a god.
Well, if it helps at all, now I regret it.
Because your diamond is better, which is why I'm going to make it mine.
Buwan stretched out her arms and lunged toward Arau's diamond.
But Arau stopped her, grabbing her sister's hands and holding them tight.
Buwan struggled to break free.
Let go of me! I'm taking that diamond!
It isn't yours to take!
I offered to share it!
I told you I don't want to share!
Give me that diamond!
Stop! The sisters began to tussle, rolling around and around on the bed.
Let go of me! Only if you leave my diamond alone!
But it's mine! Mine!
The ruckus eventually awakened Mother When she raced into Arao's room, her eyes widened What are you two doing?
Wrestling? Stop it right now But the girls wouldn't stop Buan fought tooth and nail to grab the diamond And Arao fought tooth and nail to defend it The sisters rolled off the bed and landed on the floor But still, they fought They kicked They jabbed.
They poked. Mother tried pulling them apart.
Girls! Please! But she wasn't strong enough and got knocked to the floor.
Oh, by the power of Batala!
I wish my daughters would stop this fight!
No sooner had she desperately uttered those words than there was a puff of smoke.
And who should appear right there in the room but Batala himself.
Oh dear, what have we here?
Mother was so shocked she nearly fainted.
Batala stared at the scrapping, skirmishing sisters and made a decision.
What must be done must be done.
He raised his arms high and closed his eyes.
All of a sudden, Arao and Buwan were flung off the floor, out the open window, and into the sky.
Their two diamonds, the gifted and the stolen, flew into the sky with them.
And there they remained.
Arao and her diamond became the sun and lit up the sky during what we now call day.
Buwan and her diamond became the moon and glowed and shimmered during what we now call night.
After this cosmic incident, Buon was flooded with an unexpected emotion.
Remorse. Now that she was up in the sky, separated from her family, she felt regrets about how she had treated or mistreated her sister.
In fact, she felt so ashamed that to this day, Buon, the moon, doesn't always show her full face.
Sometimes she shows just a sliver, or a quarter, or a half.
Once a month, if you gaze up at the sky, the moon doesn't show her face at all.
Arao knows how bad her sister feels, so every now and again, she invites Buwan to share the sky with her.
That's why you'll sometimes see both the sun and the moon floating above.
But you'll never see them fighting.
Instead, they coexist, gracing the heavens with their radiant jewels in peace.
Now it's your turn.
Think about one thing you can do this week to share.
Maybe you can share a toy with a sibling or friend.
Perhaps you can share time with a relative you haven't seen in a while.
Or you can share clothing or food by donating to a charity.
Think about how you'll share, then find some paper and draw a picture of it.
Hang your picture where you can always see it.
And over the next week, make that vision come true.
This week's episode, Diamonds in the Sky, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear.
It was edited by Dean Russell.
Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
Eric's featured instrument this week was the kendong.
You can learn more about this double -headed drum and see a photo of Eric playing one on our website.
That's wbur .org slash CircleRound.
CircleRound's artist is Sabina Hahn.
Sabina has created a black and white coloring page for every CircleRound story, and you can print them out and color them in.
Grownups, visit our website, wbur .org slash CircleRound, and click on Coloring Pages.
Special thanks to this week's actors, Joe Hernandez, Jessica Rao, Mila Harris, and Kiriana Cratter.
You can see Kiriana Cratter star as the ever -perceptive youngling KB on the Disney Plus series Star Wars Skeleton Crew.
And grown -ups watch for Mila Harris and the upcoming sci -fi action movie Worldbreaker.
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And grown -ups, if you have a moment, please leave us a five -star review on whatever podcast app you're using right now it helps other listeners find the show so we can make the circle round circle even bigger circle round is a production of wbur boston's npr news station i'm rebecca shear thanks for circling
around with us now that you've made it to the end of this circle round episode we want to know what's your favorite Circle Round story.
Thousands of fans just like you have been telling us about the Circle Round stories they like best.
Take a listen. Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours, too.
Hello, my name is Griffin, and I live in Helsinki, Finland.
My favorite Circle Round story is the world of music.
My name is Theo, and I live in Lexington, Virginia, and my favorite circle around story is coyotes flame and my favorite part is when coyote steals the fire from the fires.
My name is Paxton, I live in California, my house is in La Melinda, and my favorite circle around story is seeing the sky.
I like the part when sea and the sky fight.
I'm Helen, I live in in McLeansville, North Carolina, and my favorite story is the Granny Snowstorm.
And I love the part when the one who's telling the story says that's actually how it's written, and the boy says, yes!
My name is Lorenzo.
I'm from Miami, Florida.
My favorite story is the upside down tree.
I like when the hyena takes the tree out of the ground.
Hi, my name is Haru and I live in L .A.
My favorite story is the buffalo's shadow.
My favorite part of the story is when the judge says, here is your just compensation.
My name is Ezra and I live in Florida.
And my favorite story is lightning and thunder.
And I like the part when lightning knocks down all the houses.
My name is Vera, and I'm from Georgia.
And I can't choose a favorite Circle Round episode.
They're all so good, I can't choose.
Did someone mention a story you've missed?
Not to worry. Grownups, you can find all of our Circle Round stories, plus links to the Circle Round Club, picture books, coloring pages, and oh so much more on our website, wbur .org slash Circle Round.
