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. If you're a kid listening right now, have you ever thought about how it might feel to be a parent? to have a child of your own and make sure that they're safe and healthy.
Well, as a mom myself, I can tell you it's definitely an adventure.
In just a bit, we'll meet an animal mom who goes on a very big adventure to keep her baby safe.
I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Recently, we performed three new stories live with a trio from the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, in front of a very excited audience of children and grown-ups.
Along with our BSO musicians, joining me on stage was a quartet of all-star actors, Lauren Ambrose, Jane Kaczmarek, Thomas Sadowski, and Campbell Scott.
Our first story in this three-part series from Tanglewood is called Kangaroo and Joey 2.
It originally comes from Australia. So circle around, everyone.
And join us at Tanglewood for Kangaroo and Joey, too.
Way, way back when the world was young, A kangaroo lived with her little daughter, Joey.
Kangaroos, you may know, are marsupials.
Marsupials are a family of animals where the females have a pouch.
The pouch can be on their belly or on their back and it's like a very special pocket. where mothers can carry their teeny tiny babies around after they're born.
But, This story takes place long, long ago, before marsupial moms had any pouch at all.
Nah. This particular marsupial mom, Kangaroo, she kept very busy looking after her baby.
She groomed her. Joey! Time for your bath!
Coming, Mother. She brought her fresh food.
Here's some yummy, yummy grass, darling.
Thanks, Mom. And every night. She used her powerful hind legs to dig the coziest of holes for Joey to sleep in.
Sweet dreams, my love. Don't let the witchety grubs bite.
Yeah. But, like so many youngsters, maybe even you, Joey was very curious.
The mischievous little kangaroo loved to scamper around and explore. especially when something interesting caught her eye. be it a bird, a butterfly, or a brightly colored flower.
So, every now and again, you'd hear Kangaroo's voice ring out across the plains.
Joey! Joey! Where has that kiddo gone this time?
You have no idea how much I wish I could just hold Joey in my arms.
Have you ever seen how short a kangaroo's arms are?
Have you? It's ridiculous! And given how teeny tiny Joey's arms are, It isn't like she can grab onto my tail and hold on all day.
If only I had a way to carry my baby around with me and keep her close.
Joey! Joey! There was another reason Kangaroo yearned to keep Joey close all the time.
It had a little something to do with this guy.
Who? Me? Yes, you. But I'm just a dingo.
Oh. Oh, just a dingo, eh? Why don't you tell the nice people listening exactly what a dingo is?
Well, Dingo is a wild dog. I'm slim, I'm fast, and I have a massive appetite.
Some of my favorite foods include birds, frogs, rabbits, rats, and possums.
Um, Dingo, aren't you forgetting something?
Am I forgetting something? Ah, yes, of course.
Kangaroos! I love eating kangaroos! There you have it.
One bright, sunny morning, Kangaroo was setting out to gather breakfast when she and Joey heard Somebody sneezing. they turned and looked and waddling toward them was Wombat.
A wombat is another marsupial. If you've never seen a wombat before, try picturing a combination of a gopher, and a bear, and a pig.
The wombat is pudgy and furry, with stumpy legs and a stubby tail.
Its thick snout is great for smelling. but its small squinty eyes can hardly see a thing.
Who is me? Is it? Woe is me. W-Wombat? Are you okay?
Wombat squinted his beady eyes. Kangaroo, is that you?
You know how terrible my eyesight is. I'd say I'm blind as a bat, but it's more like blind as a wombat.
Am I right? Yes, Wombat. It's Kangaroo here.
And Joey. Hi, Wombat. Tell us, is everything all right?
Did you know you are the first one to ask me that question?
All morning I've been shuffling around, sneezing my snout off, and the other animals wouldn't give me the time Day.
Aw, that's not very nice. You're telling me!
Animals these days, yeesh! But since you asked, I have this cold, you see, this dreadful, dreadful cold, so my snout is all stuffed up.
And given how bad my eyes are, my snout is what helps me find good things to eat.
How will I ever get some breakfast if I can't smell anything?
Kangaroo smiled. I tell you what, wombat.
Your legs are just long enough to grab onto my tail. and Joey and I will lead you to the sweetest, juiciest grass you've ever tasted.
Come on, Joey. So Wombat clung on to Kangaroo's tail and they hopped away.
When they reached a lush patch of grass, Wombat immediately began stuffing clump after clump into his mouth.
Oh, kangaroo, this was so kind of you, so generous.
Thank you. You're very welcome, Wombat.
Joey and I are always happy to help a friend in need.
Aren't we, Joey? Joey. Joey! The kangaroo swiveled her head this way and that, but sure enough...
Joey was nowhere to be seen. Quick as a wink, Kangaroo used her powerful hind legs to dig a hole in the ground.
Wombat, it isn't safe out here. You hide in this hole while I find Joey.
I'll be back as soon as I can. Grateful wombat crawled into the hole.
Kangaroo covered it with grass. Then she bounded off to find her daughter.
Thank you. Will Kangaroo track down her baby Joey?
And what will happen to Wombat? We'll find out when we return to Circle Round live at Tanglewood after a quick break.
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Hiring? Indeed is all you need. side. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome back to Circle Round, live with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood.
Our story is called Kangaroo and Joey Too.
When we left off, Kangaroo was searching for her mischievous daughter, Joey.
And now, back to our live show at Tanglewood.
The worried mother looked high and low, peeping under every bush, peering behind every tree.
But she saw no signs of Joey until... Boo!
Oh! Kangaroo jumped so high, her long, muscular tail brushed the top of a gum tree.
Oh, Joey, you startled me. Where did you go?
I'm sorry, Mother. It's just that while you and Wombat were going to get some food, I saw the most... this amazing moth.
Almost as big as I was. Seriously. And then I just had to follow it to see where it was going and...
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Kangaroo gazed at Joey.
She extended one of her short, furry arms and patted her daughter's soft, Wooly head.
I do love your curiosity, Joey. But I also love you.
And I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you.
So please, please stay near. You know how dangerous it can be out here and... Help!
Kangaroo and Joey froze. Mother, was that...
Wombat? Oh, I think it was Joey. I have to help him.
For the second time that morning, Kangaroo used her powerful hind legs to dig a hole in the earth.
Listen, Joey, you hide in this hole until I find Wombat. no loud noises, no sudden moves, and no wandering off.
I'll be back as quickly as I can, okay? Of course.
Wombat is our friend and he needs help. I love you, Mother.
Oh. Kangaroo gave Joey a kiss. I love you too, darling.
Then she covered the hole with grass and leapt back to where Wombat was hiding.
Or was supposed to be hiding, anyway. Wombat, I'm back.
Wombat? Kangaroo kicked aside the grass and peered down.
But to her dismay... Oh, no! The hole was empty.
Oh, wombat! What happened to you? Then Kangaroo heard something that made her blood.
Run cold. A howl like that could only belong to one animal.
Dingo! Kangaroo stared off into the distance.
There was sleek, slender Dingo. and he was racing after Squat Stout Wombat.
Fun fact about wombats, Even though they're small and stocky, did you know they actually can run really fast?
Yup, they can bolt up to 25 miles an hour when they think they're in trouble.
But this wombat had a terrible cold. and he was running out of steam.
So Dingo was hot on his trail. Kangaroo knew what she had to do.
She took a deep breath. then bounded toward Dingo.
Hey, Dingo. Hey, Dingo. Why feast on a runty little wombat when you can have a big old kangaroo instead.
Dingo immediately began to drool. A kangaroo?
Count me in! And with that, the wild dog stopped chasing Wombat, switched directions, and started racing after Kangaroo.
Ready or not, here I come. Kangaroo was swift and strong and led Dingo off. all over the place.
They dashed over hills. You're gonna make one delicious meal, kangaroo.
You'll have to catch me first. They careened around bushes.
I'm... Right behind you, kangaroo. Well, not for long.
They splashed through watering holes. Don't think you can outrun me, kangaroo.
I don't think I can outrun you, Dingo. I think I can out-hop you.
After chasing Kangaroo for the better part of an hour, Dingo was worn out.
His run became more of a job. Then a walk.
Then a stagger. Then finally a limp. as the wild dog hung his weary head and stumbled back to his den.
Thank you. With Dingo safely out of the picture, Kangaroo leapt back to where she had hidden Joey.
Much to her delight and relief, Mother! the pint-sized kangaroo was still there.
Safe and sound. Oh, Joey, my love, thank goodness you're all right.
She leaned down to nuzzle her daughter's furry face.
Joey looked up at her with inquisitive eyes.
Soul. Mother? Did you chase away Dingle?
I did, kiddo. That dog will be limping for days.
And... Wombat safe, then? Kangaroo paused.
Well, I'm pretty sure he got away, but...
Now that I think about it, I never saw where he went.
You know, he did have that awful cold, and maybe I should go back and look for him and see whether... No!
There's no need for that. Kangaroo and Joey spun around.
Wombat, you're safe! And your cold is gone.
You look good. It was true. Wombat did look good.
His snout was no longer stuffed up. and his squinty, beady eyes actually seemed to sparkle.
Do you know why? because wombat wasn't really wombat.
He was the great creator spirit, the one Aboriginal people in Australia call Bayame.
And Biomay had come down to Earth disguised as a sniffly, sneezy wombat for a very specific reason.
I wanted to learn which one of my creatures had the kindest, most generous heart.
And kangaroo, it's you. Me? Yes. You're the only one who actually took time to help a sick, hungry wombat find food.
Then you hid me. and saved me from Dingo, all while making sure your beloved little Joey was safe.
It all proves what a thoughtful and compassionate friend you are, kangaroo, and parent, too.
Kangaroo blushed. Thank you, but I can't help but feel I could be an even better parent.
If I had a way to keep Joey close to me, I mean, she's so small and she's so vulnerable and She loves to explore and- Say no more.
Bayame held out a long strip of tree bark.
Take this tree bark and lay it over your belly.
Then you will get your wish. And with that...
He disappeared. Kangaroo did as she was told and placed the tree bark over her belly.
Immediately, It stuck there. Then the rough, dry bark became furry. and warm and transformed into a pouch.
It was just the right size for little Joey, who hopped right in.
Cool! From then on, as Kangaroo went about her daily tasks, she never had to worry about whether her daughter was safe.
Young Joey had a cozy, comfy place where she could peek out and observe the rest of the world.
She could sleep in the pouch too, snuggled up against her mother's soft belly.
But soon, Kangaroo started thinking about the other animals in her family, the marsupial family.
She thought about all those hard-working koala mothers and possum mothers and wallaby mothers and wombat mothers, wished that they could have a special place to carry their young ones to.
The great creator spirit, Bayame, heard Kangaroo's wish. and granted it.
And now, all marsupial babies stay safe as their busy moms go running and climbing and crawling and, yes, Hopping Around.
Now it's your turn. What or who in your life do you take care of?
Maybe you water plants in a garden. You tuck your dolls or stuffed toys in at night, or you sometimes keep an eye on your baby brother or sister.
Find a grown-up and tell them what you do to be a good caretaker.
And if you ever encounter challenges along the way, then have them help you dream up a solution.
¶¶ This week's story, Kangaroo and Joey Too, was adapted by me, Rebecca Scheer, and edited by Katherine Brewer.
Eric Shimalonis composed our original music and conducted our trio from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
You heard second horn Rachel Childers, flutist Cindy Myers, and second bassoonist Suzanne Nelson.
Matt Reed was our sound recording engineer.
Special thanks to our live actors at Tanglewood Lauren Ambrose Jane Kazmarek, Thomas Sadowski, and Campbell Scott.
Lauren recently finished shooting Servant. for Apple TV+.
It's directed by the great M. Night Shyamalan.
In 2018, she received a Tony Award nomination her performance as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
Jane Kaczmarek received seven consecutive Emmy nominations for her role as Lois on Malcolm in the Middle.
She recently starred with Alfred Molina in Long Day's Journey Into Night.
And this summer, she's returning to the Williamstown Theatre Festival for her sixth time in the world premiere of...
Tell Me I'm Not Crazy. Thomas Sadowski is a Tony-nominated star of stage and screen.
He'll make his New York theatrical directing debut in 2020 with Lucy Thurber's Perry Street at MCC.
And this summer, you can see him at the Williamstown Theatre Festival as well, in the world premiere of Grand Horizons.
Campbell Scott is an award winning actor and director whom you grownups might recognize from Big Night.
Roger Dodger, Singles and House of Cards.
And some of you kids might know him from the amazing Spider-Man 2.
Enormous thanks to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for inviting us to perform at Tanglewood's new Lindy Center for Music and Learning. special shout outs to Leslie Wu Foley Beth Mullins Cassandra Ling, Sarah Sines, Jenna Good Earl, and Alexandra Fuchs.
Circle Round's illustrator is Sabina Han.
Sabina has drawn a black and white picture of her. every Circle Round story and you can color them in.
Visit our website, wbur.org, and click on Coloring Pages.
And hey, have you subscribed to Circle Round yet?
If not, find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Please write us a review. It helps other listeners find the show.
Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us.
. . . Thank you.
