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 felt small?
Maybe you weren't tall enough to go on a ride at the amusement park.
Or you wanted to play with the older kids, but they said you were too little.
In today's story, we'll meet an animal who knows exactly how you feel.
And she sets out to prove that sometimes the tiniest among us can be the most powerful of all.
¶¶ I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today, our story is called Turtle Island.
It comes from the folklore of the Ojibwe group of the First Nations people of Canada.
We developed this episode with our Canadian friends at the Earth Rangers podcast.
And you'll hear some of their voices, including Lee Lawson, also known as Earth Ranger Emma.
You'll also hear Rye Chase, Rebecca Galarza, and Susie McGrath.
Three voices from another of our fellow KidCasts, The Punies by Kobe Bryant.
So circle around, everyone, for Turtle Island.
Long, long ago, the great spirit known as Kitchi Manitou was watching over all the people of the Earth.
But the ruler of the world was not happy with what he saw.
No one was getting along. They treated one another so poorly.
They argued about who owned what. That's my fish.
Are you kidding? That was my fish trap.
They insulted each other. You're the slowest person I've ever seen.
No, you're the slowest person I've ever seen.
You are! Oh, you are. And they gossiped like there was no tomorrow.
Can you believe how selfish she is? He hunted all afternoon on someone else's hunting grounds, then brought everything back to the village and shared it with his family, as if he'd cut it on his own land.
It was chaos. Kitchy Manitou had a strong helper named Thunderbird.
One day, the Great Spirit told Thunderbird it was time to start. over.
To cleanse the Earth and get rid of all this bad energy.
But Kitchy Manitou wanted those who were good, or at least trying to be good, to be saved.
Thunderbird, do me this favor. Lift your wings and take flight.
Give a tap to all those who are harmonious and peaceful.
And tell them to get ready for a big flood.
Urge them to build rafts and boats and prepare to swim.
One week from today, the great rains will begin to fall.
So Thunderbird did as she was told. A week later, sure enough, the rains began to fall.
And fall. And fall. Soon, the land was flooded.
The people saved by Thunderbird's warning stayed in their boats and on their rafts.
Once the rain stopped, a group of animals climbed up onto a single log in the middle of the water.
There was adventurous Otter. What's up, folks?
That was some rain, huh? Eager Beaver. Sure was.
What a close one. Scrappy Muskrat. Thank goodness we all survived. and Wise Turtle, who had received some valuable advice from Thunderbird before the flood.
Listen up, everyone. Now that we have made it through the flood, there is one way we can rebuild our land.
Thunderbird says all we need is a handful of earth.
"'from the bottom of all this water.' That should help us get things going again.
Turtle lifted her wrinkled legs one by one.
But with these stubby legs, it would take me forever to paddle all the way down and back again.
Hmm. So I wonder, can any of you swim to the bottom, grab some of the earth below, And bring it up to the surface.
Uh, I can. Otter always raised her hand first.
She loved a good challenge. Are you sure, Otter?
We don't even know how deep this water is.
Oh, I've got this. I'll be back before you can say two shakes of an otter's tail.
Otter lifted her paw and gave the other animals a high five.
Then she leaped off the log and dove into the water with Otter. a splash.
Beaver, turtle, and muskrat watched otters swim deeper and deeper.
Soon her slender, furry body had disappeared completely.
Minutes passed. then hours, then an entire day.
The animals were beside themselves with worry until...
Well, the good news is I'm back! But the bad news is, I couldn't find any earth.
I dove again and again and just never reached the bottom.
I'm willing to try one more time, but I'll need to rest first.
Turtle cocked her head to one side. Thank you for trying, Otter.
I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I'm glad you're okay.
But you need to rest. Let's give someone else a chance.
Any takers? Oh, me, me, me. Turtle nodded at Beaver.
Oh, Beaver, there's no doubt about it. You are a strong swimmer.
I sure am. And looking for things is my middle name.
Wood, leaves, twigs, you name it, I can find it.
Beaver was so excited, he slapped his petal of a tail on the log.
As it bobbed up and down in the water, the other animals grabbed on with their feet and claws.
All right, Beaver. You go get it. Will do.
This busy beaver is about to save the world.
And with that, he flashed a big grin, jumped from the log, and landed in the water with a splash.
Now, as with Otter, Beaver took his time.
Two days later, he returned to the log, and when he did...
He was breathless and dejected. I am so sorry, friends. but I couldn't find any dirt.
I must have dived dozens of times, but I couldn't find the bottom of the water.
Sheesh. How deep could it be, anyway? Turtle gave Beaver a smile.
Beaver, I'm so relieved you're all right.
But I don't know how much longer this log can keep us afloat. nor how much longer the people can live on their rafts and in their boats.
Not to mention the birds, who have no place to land.
We need to figure out something. The group was silent for a moment as they pondered their potential fate.
Then, suddenly... Well... Little muskrat piped up.
Maybe I can try. Muskrat looked at her fellow creatures with hopeful eyes, but what was she met with? laughter.
In fact, Otter and Beaver were giggling and snickering so hard they could barely stay on the log.
That's a good one, Muskrat. Sure is. Have you noticed how puny you are?
There's no way you can make it to the bottom of this water.
But there was one animal who didn't laugh at Muskrat's proposal.
Instead, Turtle looked Muskrat straight in the eye and smiled.
Muskrat, despite what the others say, I believe you can do this.
Beaver and Otter were stunned into silence.
Had Turtle lost her mind? But not a second later, puny little muskrat took a deep breath And down, down, down she dove to find some earth.
Will tiny muskrats succeed and help rebuild the world?
We'll find out after a quick break. Support for Circle Round comes from Indeed.
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Hiring? Indeed is all you need. mind. I'm Rebecca Shear, welcome back to Circle Round.
Today our story is called Turtle Island, When we left off, little Muskrat had taken a dive into the water.
She was seeking soil to rebuild the world after a big flood.
Two other animals, otter and beaver, had already tried it.
They were strong swimmers, but both critters had come up short.
So when teeny tiny muskrat volunteered, otter and beaver weren't too hopeful.
Can you believe that Wimpy Thing believes she can save the entire world?
Polly's. I am totally with you, Otter. Did you see how slowly she was going?
She won't make it 10 feet down before she has to bust back up for breath.
I mean, what does she think she's doing?
I don't know what she thinks she's doing, But I sure as heck know what she is doing.
Oh, yeah? What's that? Making a fool of herself!
But Wise Turtle saw things differently. Patience, friends.
Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Little muskrat may very well surprise us all.
The animals waited for Muskrat to return.
They waited for one day, as they had for Otter. then two days like they had for beaver.
But still, no sign of muskrat. Otter and Beaver rolled their eyes.
What did I say? If I couldn't do it with my extensive diving experience, And I couldn't do it with my superior strength and swimming skills.
There's no way Muskrat can succeed. Turtle smiled.
Perhaps, my friends. Success isn't only about experience, but strength.
The animals waited another whole day and another whole night.
As the chances of muskrat returning looked slimmer and slimmer, tensions got higher and higher.
Beaver, get that big paddle of a tail off of me.
Well, I would, Otter, if you weren't taking up half my space.
Wait a second. As the bickering continued, a small ripple formed in the water.
Turtle was the only one who noticed. Any kind of deal like that.
Friends! Friends! Stop! She gestured toward the water.
Take a look! As Otter and Beaver shut their mouths and peered over the side of the log, What did they see floating on the surface of the water?
But Muskrat! She was barely breathing. Turtle hurried to scoop the tiny creature up.
Oh, muskrat! It's you. You're back. Turtle gently laid Muskrat on the log.
She was too exhausted to talk. All she could do was open one bright eye and give Turtle a weak grin.
Beaver and Otter scurried over to see what was going on.
She doesn't look so good. Yikes, not good at all.
As Turtle stroked Muskrat's soaking wet fur, she noticed something.
Muskrat's tiny feet. fist was clenched tightly.
When Turtle reached down and uncurled Muskrat's claws, Can you guess what she found inside?
Muskrat, you did it. You brought soil back from the bottom.
Oh, I knew you could do it, little one. I just knew it.
Otter and Beaver couldn't believe their eyes, but they quickly wiped the surprised looks off their faces.
We, uh... We believed in you too, Muskrat.
Good job, kid. Yeah, yeah. Didn't doubt you for a second.
Welcome back! Turtle looked down at Muskrat.
Then fixed Otter and Beaver with a steady gaze.
Alright friends, here is what we must do.
Take the soil for muskrat's claw and place it on my shell.
Pat it down with water so it sticks. Then we can begin the work of rebuilding our world.
Carefully, Otter and Beaver followed Turtle's instructions.
They scooped up the dirt from muskrat and patted it onto turtle's shell.
Immediately, the wind picked up as gusts blew in from all four directions. the soil on Turtle's shell began to spread.
It spread all across her back and then kept spreading.
Soon, the ridges of Turtle's Back transformed into valleys, hills, and mountains. and grass, trees, and bushes began to sprout from the soil.
Before long, Turtle was bearing the weight of a whole new land.
After all that little muskrat had done, it was the least the wise creature could do.
Today, many people refer to this new continent as North America.
But some members of the Ojibwe group and other Canadian First Nations tribes call it Turtle Island.
And if you look closely on a map, perhaps you can make out the shape of Turtle.
And maybe, just maybe, a hint of muskrat's tiny but mighty touch.
. . . Now it's your turn. Say you wanted to create a new land.
How would you do it? What would you need?
Friends, magic powers, persistence, a whole lot of dirt in a really big shovel.
Find a piece of paper and draw three things you think you'd need to make your vision come true.
Share your drawing with a friend or grown-up, and then, if you want, share it with us.
Have a grown-up take a picture of your picture and email it to circleround at wbur.org.
CHOIR SINGS This week's story, Turtle Island, was developed with Tova Barocas and Stefan Richter at Earth Rangers.
Circle Round's original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
Sabina Hahn is our illustrator. Our intern is Gabby Mirzoski.
Circle Round's executive producer is Jessica Alpert.
Special thanks to this week's actors, James Konacek, Steve Lowhead, Bill Litzhauer, Lee Lawson, Rye Chase, Rebecca Galarza, and Susie McGrath.
You can hear Rye, Rebecca, and Susie on The Punies by Kobe Bryant.
Available wherever you get your podcasts.
And check out Steve, Bill, and Lee, also known as Earth Ranger Emma. on Earth Rangers.
You can find a link to both podcasts on our website. wbur.org slash circle round.
The featured instrument in today's story was the woodblocks.
You can read about this member of the percussion family and see a picture on our website.
Again, that's wbur.org slash circleround.
Be sure to subscribe to Circle Round on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or whatever podcast app you enjoy.
And please write us a review. We'd love to hear what you think of the show.
Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round with us.
