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. When you hear the word courage, what comes to mind?
Maybe you think about rushing into a burning building like a firefighter. or swooping in to save the day like a superhero.
But courage can also mean walking into a new classroom for the first time. or trying a bite of an unfamiliar food.
We're about to meet a character who's determined to be courageous, But first, she must conquer a fear that seems larger than life itself.
Bye. Bye. I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today our story is called Growing Courage.
Versions of this tale come from Ethiopia, a country in East Africa...
You'll also hear variations from the South Asian country of India.
Some really great people came together to bring you our version of this folktale, including Kyla Pratt. whom you grown-ups may know from Call Me Cat on Fox.
And you kids may recognize Kyla's voice from Disney's animated sitcom, The Proud Family.
Kyla will be reprising her role as Penny Proud later this year when Disney Plus releases The Proud Family. louder and prouder.
So circle around, everyone, for Growing Courage.
For as long as Liana could remember, she had been afraid. afraid of the dark, afraid of thunderstorms. afraid of meeting new people, afraid of walking home by herself, and all the other kids in the village teased her for it.
Hey, look who it is. It's Scaredy Cat Liana.
He's afraid of everything. Even her own shadow.
Scaredy Cat Liana. Scaredy Cat Liana. Scary Cat Liana!
Liana lived in a cozy thatched roof house with her wise old grandfather.
One morning at breakfast, Grandfather noticed Liana was especially quiet.
Her usually bright eyes were dull and flat as she slumped in her chair, her elbows propped on the table, her face cupped in her hands.
Granddaughter? I can't help but notice that you haven't eaten one bite of your pancakes.
And I know they're your favorite. What's wrong, my dear?
Liana frowned. It's nothing, Grandfather.
I just... Can I ask you a question? Of course.
You can ask me anything. Okay. Liana tilted her head.
How did you get so... brave? Grandfather arched his eyebrows and laid his hand on his chest.
Me? You want to know how I got so brave?
Yes. After all, you're the most courageous person I know.
Think about all those years you worked as a woodcutter.
Every morning you'd wander through the shadowy forest long before the sun came up.
Then you would chop wood until late in the evening, long after the sun went down.
You were all alone in those deep, dark woods.
But you weren't scared. That's true. and the time you walked across the plains and came face to face with a lion.
You just slowly backed away while the great beast stared you down with its glittering brown eyes.
I did. And last year, when it rained so hard the village began to flood, You didn't freak out.
You stayed as calm as can be and helped everyone get to higher ground until the water subsided.
Indeed. Well, you have to be brave to do those things, grandfather.
Frankly, I couldn't imagine doing any of them.
The other kids are right. I'm such a scaredy cat.
I'm afraid of my own shadow. As Liana hung her head, Grandfather slid his chair over and laid his arm around his granddaughter's shoulder.
Listen, child. Let me tell you a little something I've learned through the years.
The only way to become more brave is to practice at it.
Is that what you did? It sure is. Every single day, Liana.
You have to take a deep breath and decide you're going to face your fear.
Whatever that fear may be, then, little by little, your courage will grow bigger and your fear will become smaller. your courage will grow bigger and your fear will become smaller.
That's right. Courage isn't something you just snap your fingers and get, Liana.
It's something you grow. Do you think you can do that?
For the first time that morning. Liana smiled.
I think I can try. Good. Now, eat your pancakes.
Or I fear this hungry old fella will eat them for you.
Thank you. All day long, Liana thought about what Grandfather said.
And that night, after the old man went to bed, Liana stood outside his bedroom door and listened.
The moment she heard Grandfather's first snores, She tiptoed to the closet and found a big bag.
She stuffed the bag with food, clothing, and a cozy blanket.
Then she snuck through the front door and crept out into the moonlit night.
Grandfather says if I want courage, I have to grow it.
Well, what better time to start than now?
What do you think Liana will do next? And if you were Liana, what would you do?
We'll find out what happens after a quick break.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round.
Today our story is called Growing Courage.
Growing Courage. When we left off, scaredy cat Liana was determined to grow courage So she packed a bag and snuck out of the house she shared with her grandfather.
Liana felt beads of cold sweat slip down her back as she crept past the silent sleeping houses of her neighbors.
When she reached the forest that skirted the village, she stopped.
The other children often played hide and seek in these dense, dark woods.
Liana never had the guts to join them. But tonight, Grandfather's words were echoing in her head.
You have to take a deep breath and decide you're going to face your fear.
Then... Little by little, your courage will grow bigger and your fear Smaller.
Liana threw back her shoulders and stood up tall.
Then she took a deep breath. I am growing courage.
I am growing courage. Branches creaked and twigs snapped as Liana ventured into the murky forest.
Wolves howled, owls hooted, the wind whistled.
But Liana kept walking. I am growing courage.
I am growing courage. The trees grew so tall and close together, their branches blocked out every inch of sky.
Not a single star was visible through the leafy canopy.
Liana's heart was beating so hard she could hear it thumping in her ears, but she kept walking.
I am growing courage. I am growing courage.
And then... I am growing courage! I am growing courage!
Before Liana knew it, I am growing courage!
I am growing courage! She emerged from the forest and found herself in a wide open field where thousands of golden stars sparkled and glittered in the boundless sky above.
I did it! By this time, Liana's heart rate was beginning to slow and her eyelids were beginning to close.
Liana had never spent the night away from home. let alone in the middle of the dark wilderness.
But her adventures had worn her out. She lay down on a soft patch of moss and pulled her blanket to her chin.
Then... She took a deep breath. I am growing courage.
I am growing cursed. and drifted off to sleep.
When Liana blinked her eyes open, it was a fresh new day.
The sun shone down from a cloudless sky as Liana yawned and stretched.
She nibbled on some of the food she'd packed, then continued on her journey.
Eventually, she came to a town. It was built in the shadow of a towering, craggy mountain.
The town was quaint and ever so charming, but Liana felt her palms grow clammy.
What if the people here didn't take well to strangers?
What if they told her to buzz off? But instead of turning back and running right home again, I'll bet you can guess what Liana did, right?
She took a deep breath. I am growing courage.
I am growing courage. And marched her way right into the middle of the town square.
As she did, however, she noticed something odd.
Hmm. I see houses and shops, a market, a school.
Yet, everything seems closed. Nobody's around.
It's so quiet. It was true. Liana couldn't spot a living soul anywhere.
Until... Hey! You there. Liana looked around.
One by one, in the windows of the houses, faces appeared.
And they did not look happy. Don't you know it isn't safe here, young lady?
Didn't anyone tell you about the monster?
Liana's stomach did a flip-flop. The monster?
Yes. The monster. The ferocious beast who threads our town.
Our children can't go to school. Our farmers can't plant crops.
We all stay huddled inside our houses. For fear the monster will swoop through the streets.
And gobble us. Liana felt her mouth go dry.
And... Where exactly does this monster live?
The people jabbed their fingers toward the jagged peak overlooking the town.
Up there? At the top of the mountain? It stares down at us with its big yellow eyes.
It breathes fire from its gaping red mouth.
Its scaly body is bigger than all of our houses combined.
And its wings... Spread so wide, they can block out the sun.
Liana's gaze traveled up to the summit of the mountain.
Now that she had heard the townspeople describe the monster in such vivid detail, She was certain she could see the sinister brute.
Its great scaly body, its wide menacing wings, its yellow eyes, its breath of fire...
But then, once more, she heard grandfather's voice.
You have to take a deep breath. and decide you're going to face your fear, then little by little, your courage will grow bigger and your fear will become smaller.
Liana thought for a moment. Then she called out to the townspeople.
Um, tell me, friends... Has anyone in town ever faced the monster?
The townspeople looked at Liana as if she were speaking a language they had never heard.
Face the monster? How could any of us possibly face the monster?
It's too fierce. Too savage. Too enormous.
So get out of here while you can, young lady, before you...
The townspeople's eyes went wide. So did Liana's.
Wait, was that... The monster? The townspeople didn't answer.
Instead, one by one, they popped their heads back into their windows and slammed them shut, leaving Liana all alone in the town square.
With the monster's roar still echoing in her ears, Liana felt a chill run up and down her spine.
Her hands grew shaky, her head grew dizzy, but she refused to give in to her fear.
Instead, she took a deep breath. I am growing courage.
I am growing courage. and marched right over to the base of the mountain.
She found a narrow dirt trail and began following the path as it twisted and turned, Higher and higher she hiked, inching and snaking her way closer and closer to the distant peak I am growing courage.
I am growing courage. I... Liana froze in her tracks.
With chattering teeth, she snuck a glance toward the summit.
Oh boy, there's the monster! Look at it peering down at me with its sinister yellow eyes! and huffing breaths of fire from its enormous red mouth.
Liana's heart gave a lurch, but she knew what she had to do.
She took a deep breath and kept going. I am growing courage.
I am growing courage. I am... Liana shuddered.
She swallowed hard before casting her eyes upwards again.
No! The monster's still there! But wait!
Does it look different? Smaller maybe? Less savage and fierce?
And is it just me or does it sound less savage and fierce too?
Liana was confused, but she kept on going, pumping her arms to pick up speed.
I am growing courage. I am growing courage.
I... Liana stopped again, but when she fixed her eyes on the summit, she immediately did a double take.
Okay, that monster definitely looks different.
Somehow the higher up I climb, the smaller it seems to be.
And it's Roar? Even though I'm getting closer, Its roar seems smaller too.
It doesn't sound nearly as mighty and ferocious.
Liana was more perplexed than ever, but there was no time to puzzle over it.
All she had to do was scramble up a steep, a wall of rock, and she would be at the top of the mountain.
She extended an arm and a leg and began climbing the rock face.
She climbed and climbed But when she finally hoisted herself onto the plateau above, I am growing courage.
I am growing... She fell silent. because even though Liana was standing on the lofty, wind-swept summit of the mountain, She couldn't see the monster anywhere.
What's going on? Didn't I see the monster with my own two eyes? and hear it with my own two ears?
Now that I'm finally here, I don't understand how it could possibly Liana stopped short.
Where was that sound coming from? She turned her head to the right.
She turned her head to the left. She saw nothing.
Then she tilted her head. And when she did, what should she spy skittering and scuttling on the ground? but a tiny little creature, no bigger than her thumb.
The eensy weensy critter had a scaly body and miniature wings.
And when Liana crouched down to get a closer view, she noticed the poor thing was trembling. its red mouth quivering, its bright yellow eyes wide and round.
Liana stared at the creature. The creature stared back.
And then... All at once, Liana understood.
This pint-sized little thing with scales and wings and yellow eyes and red mouth was none other than...
The monster! Grandfather was right! And indeed, he was.
You see, now that Liana had faced her fear, her courage had grown bigger and her fear had become smaller.
Much smaller. So small, in fact, that Liana could scoop it up and drop it in her pocket. before whistling down the mountain with a spring in her step and courage in her heart.
Thank you. Woo-hoo! Now it's your turn.
Just like Liana, you too can grow your courage.
And you can show how it's growing by making your own Courage Tree.
First, find some paper or poster board and draw a big tree trunk with lots of branches.
Attach your tree to the wall or the refrigerator, any vertical surface will do. and then find some colored paper and cut out a bunch of leaves.
After that, think about one courageous thing you've done recently, something brave that you were proud of.
It could be as simple as, I tried a new food, or I stood up for myself.
Write your act of bravery on one of your leaves or have a grown-up help you.
Then use tape or glue to attach the leaf to your tree.
Keep repeating this activity every day or at least a couple of times a week.
And it won't be long before you see your tree. and your courage grow.
Woo-hoo! This week's story, Growing Courage, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear.
It was edited by Anne-Marie Sievertson. Circle Round's original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
Our artist is Sabina Han. Sabina has drawn a black and white picture for every single Circle Round story, and you can print them out and color them in.
Ask a grown-up to visit wbur.org slash circle round and click on soundtrack and coloring pages.
Special thanks to this week's actors. Tyese Harris, Edward Hong, Jefferson A. Russell, and Kyla Pratt.
Grownups, check out Kyla Pratt on the Fox comedy Call Me Kat.
And kids, listen for Kyla later this year. when Disney Plus releases The Proud Family, Louder and Prouder.
Our featured instrument this week was the double bass.
You can learn more about this member of the string family and see a picture by visiting our website.
Again, that's wbur.org slash circle round.
Want to keep the Circle Round experience going all week long?
You grown-ups can follow us on Facebook, To connect with other fans, see artwork and coloring pages from our listeners, Check out behind-the-scenes photographs and so much more.
Visit facebook.com slash circle round podcast.
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 Donna. And I live in Israel, and my favorite Circle One story is The Noblest Tale.
My favorite part is when Luna gets the necklace.
Hello? and I'm from Brooklyn, and my favorite story is The Three Kiddos.
My name is Dak and my favorite stuff around is It's a great acorn wobbly and I want you guys to make a movie of it.
It's my favorite because the groundhog and the frog work together and Hawk glides over and stops them.
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 Circle Round, or wherever you and your grown-ups get your podcasts.
