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
Now that we've wrapped up season three of Circle Round, we are hard at work on our next season. with dozens of brand new episodes for you to feast your ears on Here's a special encore edition from our archives. a fun and magical story that really resonates with us during this time in history when we're all spending more time We have a new story coming your way soon.
Until then enjoy. When you hear the word power, what comes to mind?
Electricity, maybe? Or something really strong, perhaps, like a bulldozer or a blue whale.
In today's story, we'll meet a character who wishes for more power.
And he gets it. Or so he thinks. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today our story is called The Most Powerful of All.
Versions of this folktale come from a lot of places, In Asia, it's been shared in Japan, China, India, and Siberia.
It's also been told in Spain, Latin America, plus the southwestern United States, home of the Zuni people.
Some really great folks came together to bring you our telling of this story. including Ian Armitage.
You may know Ian as the title character in Young Sheldon on CBS.
And grown-ups, you may recognize him from Big Little Lies on HBO.
So circle around, everyone, for the most powerful of all.
There once was a child. The child did the kinds of things so many children do.
Maybe even you. He drew pictures. He made up stories. and he skipped, romped, and frolicked all over the place, wandering through fields of flowers, wading across babbling brooks, and climbing and swinging on playgrounds.
All the while, every day, the child wished for one thing.
I wish I were all grown up. If I were all grown up, I would be in charge, in control.
I'd call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
But the child did not get his wish. So, he continued doing the kinds of things so many children do.
He drew pictures, he made up stories, and yes, he skipped, romped, and frolicked all over the place.
But then came an especially brutal winter.
And the child couldn't skip, romp, or frolic anywhere but inside his own house.
The fields of flowers were blanketed with snow.
The babbling brooks were frozen solid. and the playgrounds were slick with ice.
School was closed, and it was too frigid to venture outside.
So the child stayed indoors as clump after clump of snow pummeled the windows.
Well, this is no fair. Thanks to all the snow, I'm stuck inside with nothing to do.
Even school is closed. You know... I wish I were the snow.
If I were the snow, I would be in charge, in control.
I'd call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
Suddenly, From outside the window, the child heard a voice.
So? You wish you were the snow, eh? The child whipped his head around to see who was speaking.
Wait, what? Who said that? Who's there?
Why, it's me of course. The snow. The what?
The snow. You did say you wished you were the snow, right?
The child's eyes grew wide. I did? But wait, you'll really let me become the snow?
I'll let you give it a whirl.
The child saw a flash of white light, and next thing he knew, he was outside his house, floating above the ground.
He rose up, up, up into the air. before swirling around and around and around.
Then he settled down softly, on the ground.
It was true. The child had actually become the snow.
Whoa! Never had he felt so comfortable. It was as if he were lying on the ground. coziest featherbed in the world. and he didn't feel a lick of cold though everyone around him did people outside were shivering and trembling while people inside were huddling around their fires.
Wow! Look at that! Everyone is helpless because of me.
Now that I'm the snow, I'm the most powerful of all.
But soon, things began. to change. The days got longer and the temperatures got warmer.
The sun spent more time shining in the bright blue sky.
And the snow started to melt. Oh, no. Spring is here.
As the snow, I don't stand a chance against the hot, hot sun.
You know, I wish I were the sun. If I were the sun, I'd be in charge, in control.
I'd call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
What's that? You wish you were the sun?
The child's mouth dropped open. Wait a minute.
Is that who I think it is? Yes, indeedy.
It's me, the sun. No way this is happening.
Yes way this is happening. You did say you wished you were the sun.
Right? The child could hardly contain himself.
I did say that. But seriously. You'll really let me become the sun?
I'll let you have a crack at it. The child saw a flash of red light, and next thing he knew he was flying high. high, high, high into the sky.
Rays and sizzling streams of heat radiated from his body down to the earth below.
It was true. The child had actually become the sun.
Whoa. The child watched as people panted for breath and wiped beads of sweat off their brows.
The green fields he used to run through were scorched to a dull brown. and the babbling brooks dried up in their beds.
Wow. Look at that. Everyone is helpless because of me.
Now that I'm the sun, I'm the most powerful of all.
But soon, things began. to change. What do you think the change is?
What 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 The Most Powerful of All.
Amen. When we left off, a child was trying to become the most powerful of all.
At first, he thought that meant being all grown up.
Then he thought it meant being the freezing snow. then the hot, hot sun.
But after he turned into the sun, his view of the Earth became fuzzy, like he had cotton over his eyes.
When he squinted to get a better look, he saw drops of rain splattering onto the ground.
The fields turned a brilliant green again.
And the brooks began to babble, kicking up droplets of white water as they rushed through their beds.
Oh no! I've been covered by a cloud, and the cloud is making it rain.
As the sun, I don't stand a chance against clouds.
You know, I wish I were a cloud. If I were a cloud, I would be in charge, in control.
I'd call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
Did I hear someone say, I wish I were a cloud?
The child felt a ripple. of excitement.
Yes, it was me. I wish I were a cloud. Well, you're in luck, kiddo.
It just so happens that I am a cloud. And you'll really let me become, well, you?
I'll let you have a go at it. The child saw a flash of blue light, and next thing he knew, He was surrounded by drop after drop after drop of mist.
Some of the mist turned into falling water, causing torrents of rain to pelt the ground below.
It was true. The child had actually become a clown.
Whoa! The child watched as picnickers scurried to find shelter.
People rushed to grab umbrellas. The brooks flooded their beds.
Fields were soaked and small buildings were washed away.
Wow, look at that. Everyone is helpless because of me.
Now that I'm the clouds, I'm the most powerful of all.
But soon, things began. to change. The child felt himself being pushed across the sky.
He felt positively helpless as a big gust of air shoved him this way and that way.
Oh no, I'm being blown away by the wind.
As a cloud, I don't stand a chance against the wind.
You know, I wish I were the wind. If I were the wind, I would be in charge, in control.
I'd call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
Did I get that right? You say you wish you were the wind.
The child was elated. You did get that right.
I do wish I were the wind. So, let me guess.
You must be... The wind, yes. And you'll really let me become...
Yeah, I'll let you try it on for size. The child saw a flash of yellow light, and next thing he knew, he was racing across the sky.
Then he swooped down to earth, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses and... bending trees until they broke.
It was true. The child had actually become the wind.
Whoa! As he howled across the land, people rushed inside their homes and bolted their doors and windows.
Some of the bolts snapped right off, and the doors and windows flapped open and shut on their creaky hinges.
Wow, look at that. Everyone is helpless because of me.
Now that I'm the wind, I'm the most powerful of all.
But soon, things changed. the child ran up against something that wouldn't move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it.
It was a hard, towering surface that simply refused to budge.
Oh no, I'm being stopped by a mountain, a huge towering mountain.
As the wind, I don't stand a chance against a mountain.
You know, I wish I were a mountain. If I were a mountain, I would be in charge, in control.
I'd call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
Just then... A deep voice emerged from the stone.
So you really think by becoming a mountain, You'd be the most powerful of all.
The child didn't have to guess who or what. was talking to him.
Yes, Mountain, that's exactly what I think.
The snow freezes the people and land, The sun melts the snow, the cloud covers the sun, the wind blows the cloud, and the mountain stops the wind.
The child could have sworn the mountain smiled.
Okay, so let me get this straight. Now that you've tried being all those other things, the snow, the sun, the clouds, the wind, You wish you could be me.
Yes. Because I'm the most powerful of all?
Yes. But... Have you ever considered the possibility that you're the most powerful of all?
The child was confused. What are you talking about?
Right now I'm the wind. When I blow, I don't stand a chance against... No, no!
That's not what I mean. Have you ever considered the possibility that you're the most powerful of all as a child.
Now the child was even more confused. Okay, this is just nuts.
I don't have any power as a child. Everyone's always telling me what to do, where to go, Who to be, even?
What power are you talking about? This time, the child was certain, the mountain smiled.
What power am I talking about? Well, let's see.
I'm talking about the power to draw pictures. to create works of art out of the depths of your imagination.
I'm talking about the power to make up stories, to dream up characters and places and plot twists that never existed before.
I'm talking about the power to skip and romp and frolic. to have not a care in the world as you pick flowers and toss stones and swing so high your feet almost brush another planet.
You can do all those things, right? Right. newsflash, I can't.
Here I am, this huge towering mountain, and all I could do is sit here. sit here and seem to be in charge, in control, seemed to call all the shots and be the most powerful of all.
But let me tell you what I wouldn't give to be able to create like you do to dream like you do to move and grow like you do You're a child, a child with his entire life ahead of him.
And kiddo, if that doesn't make you the most powerful of all, I don't know what does.
The child thought about what the mountain said.
Then he saw a flash of light with all the colors of the rainbow.
And next thing he knew... He was back inside his house.
The child walked over to his art supplies.
He took out a piece of paper and some crayons.
And he began to draw. He drew a picture of the snow, the sun, the clouds, the wind, and the mountain.
Then he used every single color in the box to draw a picture of himself.
He made that picture a little bit bigger than all the others.
Then the child took out a pencil and began to write. to write a story about a child who wants more than anything to be all grown up. to be the most powerful of all.
And maybe, just maybe, he asked me to tell it to you.
. . . Now it's your turn. What makes you feel powerful?
Maybe it's an activity or a place or a person.
Whatever or whoever it is, Find a piece of paper and draw a picture of you feeling powerful.
What do you look like? Where are you? Who are you with?
When you're done, we'd love to see what you drew.
Ask a grown-up to snap a photo of your picture, then email it to us.
Our address is circleround at wbur.org. This week's story, the most powerful of all, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear, with help from Eric Shimalonis.
Circle Round's composer and sound designer.
Our editor and executive producer is Jessica Alpert.
Our artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina's made a black and white illustration for every Circle Round story, and you can color them in.
Visit our website, wbur.org, and click on Coloring Pages.
Special thanks to this week's actors. Kimberly Schreff, Craig Wallace, Dolores King-Williams, Check out Ian on Young Sheldon on CBS.
And grownups... Look for this young talent on Big Little Lies on HBO. our featured instrument this week was the organ you can learn more about this keyboard instrument on our website Again, it's wbur.org slash circleround.
And don't forget to subscribe to Circle Around.
We're on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
And 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 Shearer. 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 characters. and we're excited to share some of their voices with you.
Hi, my name is Lila. I'm eight years old.
I live in Buryton, Rhode Island. My favorite character is the Queen from Onions and Garlic because when Haskell Gives the queen onions and she eats them.
She's like super scrumptious. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
My name is Lucas James. I live in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
And my favorite character is Grandfather Stone because he shares and I like to share too.
Did one of our listeners mention a character from a story you haven't heard yet?
No problem. You can find every single Circle Round episode on our website. or wherever you and your grown-ups get your podcasts.
