WBUR podcasts, Boston.
This Circle Round episode was recorded live with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra plus a star-studded cast of actors at Symphony Hall on February 7 2026.
You can learn more about our live events and all things Circle Round, including our picture books, merch newsletter and Circle Round Club at wburorg slash circleround.
The spiritual leader known as the Dalai Lama said, our prime purpose in this life is to help others.
Helping others makes the world a better place.
There is no doubt about it.
And as we'll hear in today's story, we can be helpers no matter who we are or how big or small.
I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome to Circle Round Live at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.
Today our story is called Down the Garden Path.
It's inspired by Buddhist tales from India in South Asia and Tibet in East Asia.
Joining me on stage is a star-studded cast of actors Michael Bobbitt, Michael Cerveris, Callie Crossley and Faith Saley.
Providing musical accompaniment under the direction of our own Eric Shimalonis, is a world-class ensemble from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Kathy Basrak on viola, Rachel Childers on horn, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass and Suzanne Nelson on bassoon.
So circle around, everyone, for Down the Garden Path.
The blossom tree grew outside the royal palace in a sprawling garden filled with so many flowers and plants you couldn't begin to name them all.
The blossom tree had reddish-brown bark and a trunk so tall and upright it looked like a pillar.
Strong leafy branches thrust up and out in every direction.
Come spring, those branches exploded with white and pink blossoms.
So tender and delicate they made your heart quiver.
The blossom tree was the jewel of the king's garden, the apple of his eye.
And every morning, before he dove into a long day of edict writing, banquet planning and other royal duties, he strolled down the garden path to pay his favorite tree a visit.
Good morning, blossom tree.
It's wonderful to see you.
Is it just me, or are your leaves particularly green today?
The king loved sitting beneath the blossom tree, with the gentle breeze fluttering its leaves and the dappled light streaming through its branches.
You know what, tree?
When I'm here with you, it's the only time I feel relaxed and at peace.
What would I do without you?
I hope I never have to find out.
One day the king was in his royal office composing yet another royal edict when something plopped onto his royal desk.
It's a little white clump.
It's kind of powdery, kind of flaky.
What on earth could it... Oh!
Now another white clump fell, this time on the king's head.
What is happening?
It's as if these flaky white clumps are raining down from the ceiling.
The king lifted his gaze, and that's when he saw it.
A long, jagged crack across the plaster.
Immediately he summoned his head carpenter.
Carpenter!
The ceiling of this room is caving in and now plaster is raining down everywhere.
Look at that crack.
The carpenter glanced up as his eyes followed the cracks zigzagging path from the middle of the ceiling to the corner of the room.
His mouth dropped into a frown.
Your majesty, i'm afraid i have terrible news.
Do you see that big wooden pillar in the corner?
How can I not see it?
It's one of the pillars that holds up this entire palace.
Not for much longer, it won't.
The ceiling is cracking because the pillar is coming apart.
I don't know how we missed it, but the wood is rotting and growing soft.
If we don't replace that pillar soon, the palace will collapse and all of us will be crushed.
The king shuddered.
He wasn't the only one who called the palace home.
Living under its roof were countless attendants, valets, handmaidens, and other workers.
He couldn't put them in danger or leave them homeless.
All right, carpenter.
Gather the royal woodcutters and scour the city for something, anything to replace the rotting pillar.
We have no time to lose.
The carpenter and woodcutters spent all day journeying from park to park, square to square, garden to garden, carefully measuring every tall tree they came across.
But as the sun dropped below the horizon, they returned to the palace empty-handed.
What's going on?
Why didn't you bring back a tree to replace the pillar?
The carpenter hung his head.
We didn't bring back a tree, Your Majesty, because it's already here.
What are you talking about?
The carpenter hesitated.
Well, sir, the only tree in the city strong enough for this job is the blossom tree.
The blossom tree?
The king's hand flew to his mouth.
That can't be true.
You know how tall and mighty that tree is, sir.
If you wish to save this palace, you must cut down the blossom tree.
It's our only hope.
The king was torn between concern for the palace and its workers and his everlasting love for the tree.
But even though it pained his heart, he knew he had to choose.
Very well, then.
We will cut down the blossom tree.
It's too late to get started now.
So you and your team shall report to the royal garden first thing tomorrow, just before daybreak.
Of course, your majesty.
The king bid the carpenter farewell.
Then he rose to his feet, exited the palace, and hurried to the blossom tree.
Oh, blossom tree, sweet blossom tree.
The last thing I want is to chop you down.
But what choice do I have?
The palace isn't just my home.
It's home to countless others.
Good, hardworking people.
I'm so sorry, Tree.
So very sorry.
He fell to his knees and wrapped the tree in an embrace.
After a long, tearful squeeze, he rose to his feet, wiped his eyes, and went back to the palace.
Now, little did the king know, but his words had not fallen on deaf ears, for inside the blossom tree was a spirit.
And the tree's spirit could hear every word the king uttered.
It always could.
And after watching the distraught monarch hurry away with his face in his hands, the spirit of the blossom tree began to cry.
I can't believe the king is turning me into a pillar.
My spirit has lived inside this tree for so very long.
It's the only home I've known.
Whatever shall I do?
The blossom tree wept and wept until... Psst!
Blossom tree!
Huh?
Who's there?
It's me, your neighbor.
My neighbor?
I can see all around me and no one is talking.
That's because I'm not around you.
I'm under you.
The spirit of the blossom tree looked down and there, poking up, near the base of its trunk, was a patch of the stiff silvery green plant known as kusha grass.
Well, hello there.
I'm surprised I never noticed you before.
That's all right.
Not many do notice me, save for the bugs and insects who play hide and seek among my blades and the camouflaging chameleons who lay in wait to gobble up those insects.
They do?
Oh, yes.
Any patch of koosha grass you come across is bound to be crawling with chameleons.
But look, we're getting off track.
The reason I spoke up is because I know how to help you.
How to help me not become a pillar in a palace?
That's right.
No offense, but what can a little patch of grass do to save a big, mighty tree?
Listen, Blossom Tree.
I may not be big in size, but I am big in brains.
Since when does grass have a brain?
Ah, you know what I mean.
I have a plan, Blossom Tree.
A pretty darn good one.
And if it works, I assure you the king's woodcutters won't just realize they're barking up the wrong tree.
They'll make like a tree and leave.
What is the Kusha grass planting?
We'll find out after a quick break.
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I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome back to Circle Round Live at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.
Today our story is called Down the Garden Path.
Before the break, the king decided he would save his palace from collapse by cutting down his beloved blossom tree.
The spirit of the tree was devastated until the kusha grass that grew around its base offered to help.
Come daybreak, the king's woodcutters marched into the garden.
Sharp metal axes swung from their belts as they followed the head carpenter to the blossom tree.
Listen up, folks.
First, we must find the best place to chop the tree down.
I'm thinking we might want to do our first hack right around here.
He laid his hand at the base of the trunk, just above the roots.
But the moment he did...
Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew.
He recoiled in disgust.
The trunk, it's rotten.
It's all soft and mushy up and down.
The woodcutters jostled forward to feel the tree themselves.
And indeed, the trunk was spongy to the touch.
I don't know what happened, but there's no way we can use this tree to build a new pillar.
I'll go tell the king.
The carpenter found the king in his dining room, sipping his morning tea and crying into it, too.
Your Majesty, I have news.
The king looked up with red-rimmed eyes.
So it is done.
The tree is gone.
Oh, woe is me.
Actually, sir, the tree still stands.
The king was so shocked he nearly dropped his porcelain teacup.
You mean you didn't chop it down?
We couldn't, because the tree, sir, is dead.
Dead?
Dead.
Now the king did drop his teacup.
It fell to the floor and shattered.
This can't be possible.
Just yesterday the tree was thriving.
How could it be dead?
That I do not know, sir.
But when we went to cut it down, we discovered its trunk was all mushy and squishy.
The blossom tree had rotted overnight.
Now it was the king's heart that shattered but, remembering his promise to protect his fellow palace residents, he squared his shoulders and put on a brave face.
All right, then.
If the blossom tree truly is dead, then we must find something else to replace the pillar.
That's easier said than done, sir.
I told you, there's not one tree in this city with enough sturdiness or stature.
Not one?
Not one.
The king furrowed his brow.
Then, slowly, he unfurrowed it.
Hang on a minute, carpenter.
If there's not one tree in this city that can replace the pillar...
Then don't use one.
Come again?
Tell me, would it be possible to bind several trees together?
Bind them together?
I suppose so.
We'd have to use something strong, like bands of brass.
Excellent.
Oh, I don't know.
I didn't think of this before.
I want you to go out into the city and bring back three of the strongest trees you can.
They won't be as strong as the blossom tree is, or was.
But if you bind them together, you can use them to replace the pillar.
A brilliant idea, sir.
We'll get to work right away.
Once the carpenter left to summon his crew, the king rose to his feet and stepped outside.
The early light of dawn cast a magical glow across the garden as he approached his dear and dead friend.
All right, blossom tree.
I'm coming to say goodbye, for real this time.
I don't know what happened last night, Perhaps you died of a broken heart.
I know my heart is breaking now.
As he approached the tree, he covered his face with his hands, fearful of the devastation he would find.
But when he put his hands down... What?
What?
It wasn't devastation he found at all.
Blossom Tree, you look exactly as you did yesterday.
There's not a soft spot to be seen.
He ran his hand over the reddish-brown bark.
Your bark feels as sturdy as ever.
Your leaves are green and bright.
All this talk of you being rotten is nonsense.
Nonsense!
He flung his arms around the tree and gave it a squeeze.
If he didn't know better, he would swear it squeezed back.
Now, I know what you're wondering.
You're wondering, how did the blossom tree survive?
Right?
It's a very good question.
Well, do you remember what the kusha grass said?
How it told the blossom tree it had a plan?
And if it works, I assure you the king's woodcutters won't just realize they're barking up the wrong tree.
They'll make like a tree and leave.
As we learned earlier, the kusha grass had long escaped the blossom tree's notice, but it was well known among other creatures, including the bug-eyed reptiles known as chameleons.
Chameleons can camouflage, right?
They can disguise themselves by changing colors.
And these chameleons loved camouflaging in the silvery green kusha grass so they could stealthily hunt down bugs and insects.
So on that perilous night, when it seemed the blossom tree was done for, the kushagrass called on its pals the chameleons and requested a favor.
My dear, dear friends, the blossom tree is in danger and needs to be saved.
I want you to climb up the tree's trunk, covering every last inch.
Then I want you to camouflage.
Join yourselves the exact same color as the tree.
Then just sit there silently until the woodcutters come and go.
And believe me, once they feel your soft, mushy skin, they will most definitely go.
And as we now all know, they most definitely did.
As a result, a bunch of palace workers got to keep their home, a king got to keep his tree and, what's more, that tree got to make a new friend, a clever and conspicuous patch of grass who unexpectedly saved the day.
Now it's your turn.
You can find ways to be a good friend by playing friendship bingo.
To start, get a big piece of paper and draw a large square.
Divide the square into nine little squares, three rows of three in each little square.
Ask a grown-up to help you write one thing you can do to be a good friend.
It could be as simple as giving a hug, Offering a kind word or letting a buddy borrow your favorite book or toy.
Hang your friendship bingo board wherever you can see it.
Each time you do a friendly act, fill in that square with a marker or sticker.
Before or after your board is filled in, we invite you to share it with us.
Grown-ups.
Snap a photo of your Circle Round fan and their friendship bingo and email it to circleround at wburorg.
With your permission, we may feature you in your monthly Circle Round newsletter, The Lion's Roar.
This week's story, Down the Garden Path, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear.
It was edited by Dean Russell.
Circle Round's composer is Eric Shimalonis, who conducted our world-class ensemble from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Kathy Basrak on viola, Rachel Childers on horn, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass and Suzanne Nelson on bassoon.
Our cast at Symphony Hall included Michael Bobbitt, Michael Cerveris, Callie Crossley and Faith Saley.
Special thanks to everyone at the BSO, including Chad Smith, Tony Fogg, Mark Rulison, Kazmir Duranet, James Campbell, Dana Falloon, Jason Lenhardt, Stephen Ponczak, Amy Aldrich, Jason Lyon and Callie Carmesino.
CircleRound's artist is Sabina Han.
Sabina has created a black and white coloring page for all of our CircleRound stories and you can print them out and color them in.
Grownups, visit our website, wbur.org, and click on Coloring Pages.
While you're at WBURorg slash Circle Round, you can explore our Circle Round picture books, our merch and swag and you can sign up for your monthly Circle Round newsletter, The Lion's Roar.
Again, it's all at WBUR.org slash Circle Round.
Looking for more ways to Circle Round with us?
Join the Circle Round Club and support your favorite public media podcast, while getting all sorts of cool perks, including ad-free episodes, bonus bedtime stories, audio features about Eric's musical instruments, plus the chance to add on goodies like our Circle Round t-shirt, lion stuffy and a personalized birthday message from me.
Grown-ups, visit WBUR.org slash Circle Round and click on Circle Round now. club love the stories you hear on circle round grown-ups please leave us a five-star rating or review on your favorite podcast app and please tell your friends about the show with your help we can make the circle round circle grow even bigger circle round is a production of wbur boston's npr i'm rebecca sheer 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.
My name is Isla May and I'm from Anchorage, Alaska.
My favorite Circle Round episode is the crowning achievement.
I like it because they try and get all the bird beaks.
My name is Harry.
I'm in Denver, Colorado.
And my favorite circle round story is the pizzeria.
My favorite round is when the lovers give moldy bread and cockroaches.
Hi, my name is Riley, and I live in Mountain View, California.
And my favorite circle round story is all of them.
My name is Ellis and I live in Montreat, North Carolina.
And my favorite episode is A Biscuit, A Basket.
And my favorite part is whenever he dumps, he opens the basket and mosquitoes come out.
My name is Lindley and I live in Montreat, North Carolina.
My favorite episode is The Crystal Story Box.
And my favorite part is when Anansi ties up Python and brings her to the Sky Goddess's palace.
My name is Dylan and I live in Phoenix, Arizona.
My favorite story is Ashes for Sale.
My favorite part is when Broody trips Joey into selling ashes.
My name is Zelda.
I live in Los Angeles, California.
I don't have a favorite Circle Route story because they're all so good.
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.
Wburorg slash circle round.
