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. Have you ever helped someone solve a problem?
Maybe you helped a friend with homework or you helped a family member find something they'd lost.
In today's story, we'll meet a man who is famous for helping others. and he does so in a most dazzling way.
I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today our story is called The Nine Sticks.
Versions of this tale come from the South Asian country of India, where it's one of many legends featuring Birbal. a wise advisor to an emperor long ago.
Some really great people came together to bring you our adaptation of this folktale. including Nikesh Patel and Malik Pancholi.
Grownups, you might recognize Nikesh Patel from Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hulu.
And you might know Malik Pancholi from 30 Rock on NBC. and Phineas and Ferb on the Disney Channel.
He's also the author of the new young adult novel, The Best at It.
So circle around, everyone, for the nine sticks.
As the highest ruler in the land, the emperor resided in a spacious stone palace with throngs of obedient servants and so many riches and treasures, it would take all 1,000 of his elephants to carry them.
The emperor's most precious riches and treasures were his jewels.
Glittering gold crowns, sparkling silver anklets, radiant ruby earrings.
The glistening gems were so dear to the Emperor that he kept them locked away in a cavernous vault hidden deep beneath the palace.
Only ten people had a key to that vault. the emperor himself, plus nine attendants who had a very special job.
Every time the emperor wished to wear a piece of jewelry, Be it a glimmering necklace.
I want my emerald pendant. The one shaped like a peacock. or a shimmering bracelet.
How about those pearl-encrusted bangles?
They'd look glorious with this new robe.
He would call one of his nine attendants to go and fetch it.
To get to the vault, the attendant had to push through a secret hole in the wall.
Then they had to run down a hidden set of stairs and unlock a heavy steel door.
Once they entered the vault, they would seek out whichever jewel the emperor desired, bring it back to the great ruler's chamber, then help him put it on as he admired himself in the mirror.
My, my. Don't I look marvelous? Absolutely marvelous!
One day, the emperor decided he would wear a thick gold ring set with a dazzling diamond the size of an apricot.
The ring had been passed down in his family from generation to generation. and the emperor considered it to be his greatest treasure.
So he asked one of his nine attendants to fetch the ring from the vault.
But when the attendant came back, the great ruler was flabbergasted to hear that the ring wasn't there.
What? My greatest treasure is missing? It can't be!
Send for another attendant. Let them try.
So a second attendant journeyed to the vault to look for the ring. and, like the first attendant, claimed it was nowhere to be found.
Come now, that ring didn't just get up and walk away.
The door to that vault is as thick as the trunk of a bunion tree.
But then a third attendant reported the ring was gone.
Seriously? As did a fourth. You must be joking.
And a fifth. What? All the way down. No! to the ninth.
By now, the emperor was so exasperated He threw his trembling hands in the air.
This is... unacceptable. Obviously, you're not searching that vault hard enough.
I'll go down there and bring back the ring myself.
So the emperor grabbed his key, marched down to the vault, and spent hours sifting through his vast collection. collection of jewels until, at last, he collapsed in a heap.
Oh, it's true. My greatest treasure is gone.
There's only one thing left to do. called Beerball.
Beerball was the Emperor's favorite advisor.
The wise and witty man was famous for his razor-sharp intellect. and was the first person the emperor called whenever he had a problem he couldn't solve, a question he couldn't answer, or a puzzle he couldn't crack.
As the emperor told Birbal his latest dilemma, the shrewd advisor listened carefully scratching his chin and nodding his head.
By the time the emperor finished his story, Beerball's brilliant mind was already hard at work.
Hmm. Very interesting. Kindly remind me, Your Imperial Highness...
Who in this palace holds a key to the Vault of Jewels?
Well, I do, of course. plus my nine jewellery attendants and All nine of them gave their word that the ring isn't there.
I understand that, sir. But just because they gave you their word doesn't mean you have to take it.
The emperor cocked his head. What do you mean, Birbal?
Well, I'm afraid to say it, Your Imperial Majesty.
Beerball leaned forward. But your ring has been stolen.
Stolen? The Emperor's jaw dropped open. It can't be!
I'm afraid it can. And one of your nine jewelry attendants is the culprit.
But leave everything to me, sir, and you will see your greatest treasure.
All I need is a little bit of wood, a little bit of time, And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of magic.
Wood? Time? Magic? What do you think beer ball is talking about?
We'll find out what happens next 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 Nine Sticks.
The Nine Sticks When we left off, the emperor had a problem.
Missing from his secret vault beneath the palace was what he considered to be his greatest treasure. a dazzling diamond ring the size of an apricot.
All nine of the emperor's jewelry attendants went down to the vault to look for the ring, and all nine claimed it wasn't there.
So that night, the emperor's favorite advisor, wise, witty Beerball, summoned the attendants to his office welcome everyone as you know we have a mystery on our hands The Emperor's diamond ring is missing from the vault, and one of you... has stolen it.
The attendants exchanged a nervous glance.
Now, ladies and gentlemen. other than the Emperor himself, unite. are the only ones in this entire palace who possess a key to the vault.
So, if you're the thief who made off with His Imperial Excellency's diamond ring, Confess now, and you will be forgiven.
Birbal waited a moment. But no one would confess.
You know, I had a feeling this would happen.
So since none of you will come clean, we'll just have to resort to magic.
Beerball strolled over to his desk and pulled open a drawer.
He reached inside, then lifted out nine sticks of wood.
All nine sticks were identical. Same color, same thickness, same length.
The wise advisor handed one stick to each attendant.
Ladies and gentlemen, You may think these nine identical sticks look like ordinary pieces of wood, But no.
His eyes flashed. These sticks have special powers. powers that will tell us who stole the emperor's ring.
The attendants looked confused. Beerball smiled.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, Birbal, how in the world can a silly little stick uncover the thief?
Well, I'll tell you. It's been said that if you give one of these sticks to an honest, trustworthy person, Nothing will happen.
The stick will stay exactly as it is. Bye.
He raised his eyebrows. If you give the stick to someone who is dishonest and deceitful, someone who has stolen, say, the stick will grow exactly two inches longer Overnight.
Two whole inches. Beerball fixed the attendance with a steely gaze.
Now I want each one of you to go back to your room.
Take your stick with you. Put it under your bed.
Lock your door. Make sure no one else comes in.
Then, first thing tomorrow morning, bring your stick back to my office. and we shall see which one of you is the rascal who stole the emperor's ring.
Bright and early the next morning, the nine attendants grabbed their sticks unlocked their doors and returned to Beer Ball's office.
Waiting for them was beer ball, of course, with a surprise guest.
The Emperor. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
The Emperor and I hope you slept well. Now, what do you say we measure those sticks of yours?
Why don't you do the honors, Your Imperial Excellency?
It would be my pleasure. Birbal handed the emperor a measuring tape.
The great ruler walked from attendant to attendant, Measuring each of their sticks with care.
Okay. Got it. Yes. Alright. Once the emperor was finished, he turned to Beer Ball with a quizzical look.
Well, this is most peculiar. According to my measurements...
None of the nine sticks have grown longer, but one of the nine sticks. has gotten shorter.
The attendants gasped. Beerball's eyes gleamed.
One of the sticks has gotten shorter, you say.
How much shorter, your Imperial Highness?
The emperor held up two fingers. Two inches.
One of the sticks is two inches shorter than all the rest.
That one, there! The Emperor gestured toward one of the attendants, who immediately began to shudder and sweat.
Beerball walked over to the nervous woman and took the stick from her quivering hand.
He peered at the stick closely. Well, what do you know?
This attendance stick is too hard. whole inches shorter than all the rest.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have found the rascal who stole the emperor's ring.
Guards! Beerball snapped his fingers. A pair of uniformed guards appeared by the door.
Take this attendant to her room. Then please, bring back the emperor's diamond ring. as the guards led the guilty attendant out of Beerball's office.
Everyone else stared at the advisor with wide eyes.
Including the Emperor. Bibble, I don't understand...
In the hands of someone dishonest and deceitful, the stick was supposed to grow two inches overnight.
But that attendant's stick didn't grow two inches.
It shrank. The wise advisor smiled then began to explain.
Well, like I said, Those sticks had the power to tell us who stole the emperor's ring.
But it wasn't a magical power. It wasn't?
No! Though, just as I'd hoped, our culprit believed it was.
And because of how dishonest and deceitful she had been, She was certain her stick would grow two inches overnight.
That's why. Before she went to bed, she snuck over to the woodcutter's shed. found the woodcutter's saw and cut two inches off of her stick.
Now do you understand?" The Emperor furrowed his brow and thought for a moment.
Then, all at once, he smiled. Yes, I see.
The guilty attendant cut two inches off her stick because that way...
If the stick grew two inches overnight, it would still look like all the other sticks come morning.
Exactly. But her stick didn't actually grow.
So when everyone came back to my office today... Hers was the only short stick in the bunch!
Birbal, you are a genius! In fact, you are a real gem.
Thanks to Beer Ball's wit and wisdom, by the end of the day, the emperor was wearing his thick gold ring set with a dazzling diamond the size of an apricot.
But the great ruler no longer considered the bright, brilliant jewel his greatest treasure. because now he realized that his greatest treasure was bright and brilliant.
But it wasn't any bobbled It was Beerball, a wise and witty friend who was always there for him. no matter what.
Now it's your turn. When you have a problem you can't solve, is there someone special you turn to for help?
A teacher? a family member, a friend. Find some paper and draw a picture of you and your helper.
Then, if you'd like, share your picture with us.
Ask your grown-up if they can post a photo of your drawing on Instagram. and tag us.
Our handle is at Circle Round Podcast. This week's story, The Nine Sticks, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear.
It was edited by Virginia Marshall. Circle Round's executive producer is Catherine Brewer.
Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
You can find Eric's compilation of music from Circle Round's first season on iTunes, Amazon, and the CD Baby store.
To learn more, ask a grownup to visit our website. b-u-r dot org slash circle round and click on soundtrack and coloring pages.
While you're there you can find, yes, our coloring pages.
Circle Round's artist, Sabina Han, has drawn a black and white picture for every Circle Round story, and you can color them in.
Again, it's all at wbur.org slash circle round.
Special thanks to this week's actors, Malik Pancholi and Nikesh Patel.
Grownups look for Nikesh Patel in four weddings and a funeral on Hulu.
If you're in New York City, you can see Malik Pancholi in Grand Horizons, now playing on Broadway.
And middle graders can check out Malik's new young adult novel, The Best at It.
Malik recorded the audio version of the book and it has been getting rave reviews.
The featured instrument in our story this week was the harmonium.
You can read about this member of the organ family and see a picture on our website.
Once more, that's wbur.org slash circle around.
Never want to miss an episode of Circle Around?
Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
And please leave us some stars, write us a review, or just tell your friends about the show.
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.
My name is Lauren and I live in Australia.
My favourite Circle Round character is...
Rinali from The Drum and my favourite part is when she goes inventorying.
My name's Elise. I come from Germany. My favorite go-out podcast is...
It's Kegeloo with Joey, too. I like when Dingo is going to eat the wand back.
If you're a grown up listening right now, you can help us keep these wonderful stories going. by giving a donation to WBUR. and help support another year of Circle Round.
Give $15 or more and you'll get a beautiful circle round coloring book.
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Again, that's wbur.org slash color. Thanks.
