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With so much going on at Circle Around, this week we're bringing you an encore edition of the
podcast. A really great story you may have missed the first time. We'll be back with a new episode soon
in the meantime. Enjoy! Have you ever found yourself in a tough situation? If so, we attempted
to take the easy way out. As we'll hear in today's story, when we take shortcuts in life,
very often they lead far from where we think they will. I'm Rebecca Scher and welcome to Circle
Around, where story time happens all the time. Today, our story is called The Little Blue Pebble.
You'll find versions of this tale from a great number of countries across the world,
including Mexico and Argentina, India and the Philippines, Kenya and Russia,
Serbia and Yugoslavia, plus France and Denmark, Germany and Italy.
So, really great people came together to bring you our adaptation of this
folktale, including Broadway performers, lifestyle bloggers, educators and new dads,
Brett Schuferd and Stephen Hannah, the dynamic duo behind Broadway husbands. So, Circle Around,
everyone. For The Little Blue Pebble. Axel and Otto were farmers who lived way out in the countryside.
On a plot of land beside their small cottage, they grew potatoes, carrots and corn. Their chocolate
colored workhorse, brown eyes, helped them plow and plant and cart their crops to the market.
Axel and Otto worked their tails off, sun rise to sunset, but a summer turned to fall.
They began to worry about the long bleak winter ahead. Otto, the snow will be falling any day now.
Money's tight and with our drafty cottage and threadbare clothing, I don't know how we'll make it through the season.
I know what you mean, Axel. And that's why I've been thinking, we ought to sell brown eyes.
Sell brown eyes, but she is our one and only horse, and she helps with so much work on the farm.
I know, I know, and I love her every bit as much as you do. But what other choice do we have, Axel?
We need money fast, and selling brown eyes is the only way. Axel was quiet for a moment.
Then he let out a sigh. Okay, I suppose you're right.
But I can't bear to do it myself, so you take her to the market tomorrow and be sure to fetch a good price.
500 silver pieces at least. That much money is bound to get us through the winter and then some.
So the following day, Otto settled up brown eyes and started the long ride to the market.
After about an hour, he was stopped by a tall bright-eyed woman by the side of the road.
She was wearing a long green cloak. Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.
Otto brought brown eyes to a halt. Is everything all right, ma'am?
Oh, yes. I was just wondering, that's a mighty fine workhorse you have there. So sturdy and strong.
Is she for sale by gins? Otto jumped down from the saddle and smiled.
Actually, this horse is for sale. Her name is brown eyes, and I was just taking her to the market.
Well, how about I save you the trip and you sell brown eyes to me?
How much are you asking for her? Otto remembered his promise to Axel.
500 silver pieces, ma'am. She's a good strong horse and worth every penny.
500 silver pieces. The woman's eyes glittered.
What if, in exchange for brown eyes, I give you something even more valuable than 500 silver pieces?
You mean, like 600 silver pieces? Oh, no, no, no. I'm talking about something so valuable, so precious.
It's priceless. I'm talking about this.
The woman thrust a hand into her pocket and brought out a pebble.
Otto noticed the smooth round stone was the size of a plump green grape and the color of a clear blue sky.
You want me to sell you my prize workhorse for a blue pebble?
Not just any blue pebble, a magic blue pebble. Rub this little stone three times and it will give you powers beyond your wildest dreams.
Otto, gaped at the woman.
Powers beyond my wildest dreams? Look, I'm sorry, ma'am.
But I don't believe in magic spells and all that hocus-pocus mumbo jumbo.
Oh, you don't, huh? Then what? This.
The woman closed her eyes and rubbed the pebble three times. All of a sudden there was a puff of smoke
and standing in the woman's place was an elephant.
What in the world? That did not just happen.
To Otto's surprise, there was another puff of smoke and the elephant was replaced by a tiger.
What? Then a monkey.
Then a donkey.
This is bananas.
Then a rainbow colored parrot.
Okay, what on earth is going on here?
Where did all these animals come from and where are they going?
After yet another puff of smoke.
The woman appeared again. Her bright eyes shining like the sun.
Impressive, isn't it?
What one little pebble can do?
Otto was dumbfounded.
That little blue pebble did all that.
It turned you into the elephant.
Then the tiger.
Then the- It did.
Rub the pebble three times and you can transform into any creature you choose, any creature at all.
So, what do you say?
Do we have a deal?
The wheels and Otto's mind began to turn.
Axel had asked him to bring back at least 500 silver coins.
But surely the little blue pebble was worth more than that way more.
If he used the pebble in just the right way, he could turn his and Axel's bad fortune around.
Perhaps he could even make them a fortune.
All right, man. We have a deal.
I'll sell you my workhorse for the little blue pebble.
Wonderful.
But listen.
The woman's face turned very serious.
Always be sure to use the pebble's powers wisely.
Use them unwisely and trust me.
You will pay the price.
Otto cocked his head.
What exactly do you mean unwisely?
A mysterious smile crossed the woman's lips.
Let's hope you'll never find out.
And with that, she pressed the pebble into Otto's hand and hopped into brown eyes as saddled.
Good-bye, sir. Be well and be wise.
And she and the horse galloped away.
Otto watched the woman disappear over the crest of a hill.
Then he turned around and headed toward home.
He had no workhorse and no silver pieces.
But he did have one little blue pebble.
And one million ideas for getting rich quick.
What might Otto do now that he has the little blue pebble?
What would you do if you were Otto?
We'll find out what happens after a quick break.
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Welcome back to Circle Round.
I'm Rebecca Sheer.
Today our story is called The Little Blue Pebble.
Before the break, poor farmers named Otto and Axel decided to sell their one and
only workhorse, brown eyes.
Axel asked Otto to sell brown eyes at the market for no less than 500 silver pieces.
But instead, Otto traded the horse to a mysterious woman on the road for a little blue pebble
that changed you into whatever creature you wished.
Otto fidgeted with the pebble as he began the long trek home.
Oh man, it'll take me hours to get home on foot.
But I wouldn't give to have a pair of wings right now.
Wait a minute.
I can't have a pair of wings.
I've got the little blue pebble.
Otto rubbed the pebble three times and pictured an eagle.
Next thing he knew, there was a puff of smoke.
And he was an eagle.
Otto flapped his great wide wings and took to the sky, soaring and swooping through
the air.
Once Otto spotted his cottage below, he glided down to the yard and landed right in front
of Axel who was hanging laundry on the line.
What is this eagle doing here?
In all my hears, I've never seen an eagle land anywhere near my-
Hello honey.
I'm home.
At the sudden sight of Otto appearing where the eagle had been, Axel nearly fainted into
his laundry basket.
Otto?
Yup, it's me.
How'd you like my trick?
Your trick?
You mean I wasn't hallucinating just now.
That really happened.
Sure did.
But how?
So Otto told Axel the story of the mysterious woman in the green cloak and the trade he'd
made for brown eyes.
Okay, so let me get this straight.
We now have this magic blue pebble.
Uh-huh, but we don't have our one and only workhorse brown eyes.
We don't need brown eyes, Axel.
Not anymore.
I spent the entire walk home or flight home thinking and planning.
And I figured out a way to use this pebble so that we can make it through the long bleak
winter.
Tomorrow, I will turn myself into a nice big pig.
You'll take me to the market and you'll sell me for the highest price you can get.
I'll take everything from there.
Axel could see the mischievous gleam in Otto's eyes.
But he could also see their drafty cottage, not to mention the holes in his red-y old sweater.
Okay.
Fine.
I'd guess it's worth a try.
So the next morning Otto did as he said he would.
He rubs the little blue pebble three times and turns himself into a big plump pig.
Axel grabbed a leash and looped it over the pig's neck.
I know I say that house looks like a pigstie every time you forget to clean, but I never
thought it would come to this.
Well, anyway, here goes nothing.
This axle reached the market, the pig turned many ahead and Axel received many and offer.
I'll give you 100 silver pieces.
I'll give you 200.
But the highest offer?
I'll give you 500.
Came from a tall man wearing a top hat and shiny shoes.
Alright, sir.
500 it is.
Axel felt strange selling the pig to a rich stranger, but he trusted that Otto had a plan.
And indeed, he did.
Once the tall man led the pig out of the market and down a dirt road.
The portly creature suddenly turned around, started to run and knocked the man clear off
his feet.
Then the pig raced away, running as fast as its legs could carry it.
Come back, pig.
Come back.
But the pig did not come back.
Instead, once it was out of the man's view, there was a puff of smoke.
And it changed into a wolf.
The wolf raced down the road, leaving big paw prints in the dirt.
The moment the road curved into a forest, there was another puff of smoke.
And the wolf turned back.
Who?
That was fun.
Into Otto.
Now I'll just sit here and wait.
For a while, Otto saw the tall man with the top hat and shiny shoes come dashing into
the forest.
You there.
Beneath the tree.
Did you happen to see a pig running this way?
A real nice plump one?
Otto gave the man a nod.
I'm afraid I did see a pig, sir.
But he was carried off by a wolf.
See the tracks there?
Otto pointed to the paw prints in the road.
Oh dear, that pig was going to be my prize animal at the next country fair.
I paid 500 silver pieces for it.
To be fair, Otto felt a tiny bit bad for the man, but he also felt excited.
After all, his plan was working out.
He scrunched up his forehead and shot the man what he hoped was a sympathetic look.
I'm sorry about your loss, sir.
It sounds like an amazing pig.
I hope you can find another one just like it.
Thank you.
I do too.
And with that, the tall man slumped his shoulders and trudged away.
Once he was gone, Otto turned into an eagle again and flew back home to Axel, who was tossing
the 500 silver pieces he'd made into a jar.
Honey, I'm home.
You have to stop doing that.
It gets me every time.
Sorry.
But what did I tell you?
Now that we're 500 silver pieces richer, we won't have to worry about the long, bleak,
winter ahead.
Axel put down the jar and nodded.
You're right.
We are 500 silver pieces richer, but what about the man who bought the pig?
I'm assuming you ran off and disappeared without a trace.
Basically.
And now we've got 500 silver pieces and that man has nothing.
I know.
But just yesterday, we had nothing.
We were working our tails off in for what?
A life of empty cupboards and threadbare clothing?
You saw that man.
He was wearing a top hat and shiny shoes.
He'll be fine.
And now thanks to me.
So will we.
And wouldn't you know it?
They were fine.
All winter long, Otto and Axel lived in comfort.
Their bellies were full.
Their clothing was warm.
And after a while, they never even talked about the little blue pebble.
It just sat on a bookshelf in the corner.
But when Spring rolled around, and it was time to go out and plant the potatoes, carrots,
and corn, Otto had an idea.
Axel?
Growing vegetables is so much work.
What if this Spring we don't bother to do any planting?
We've been living so well these past few months.
Why not keep the party going?
Axel wagged his finger at Otto.
I've seen that gleam in your eye before Otto.
You want to use the little blue pebble again.
I don't see why not.
Look out while it's taken care of us.
We are worlds away from the life of hardship we used to know.
Come on, Axel.
Please.
Eventually, Otto wore Axel down and he gave in.
And over the weeks that followed, Otto turned himself into animal after animal.
All of which Axel sold at the market.
I'll give you 100 silver pieces for you.
I'll give you 200 silver pieces.
I'll give you 300 silver pieces.
And all of whom promptly ran away.
Come back!
Come back!
Come back!
Come back!
Through it all, Axel couldn't help but feel guilty about what he and Otto were doing.
Sure, it was nice living so high on the hog, but at what cost?
Eventually, he decided he had had enough.
Otto, we can't do this anymore.
We can't keep cheating all these innocent people out of their money.
I don't think of it so much as cheating them out of their money as cleverly separating
them from their money.
But I hear you, and I promise we'll stop after just one more sale.
To build up our nest egg, please.
Ah, alright.
Fine.
One more sale.
Then that's it.
No more pebble.
So the next day, Otto changed himself into a fine, black bull.
Axel led the bull to the market, where he was approached by a tall, bright eyed man wearing
a green suit.
What a fine, strapping bull.
Tell me, is he for sale?
Why yes.
Excellent.
I'll give you 600 silver pieces for him.
Alright, 600 it is.
The man in the green suit led the bull out of the market and down the road.
And then, just like that, the bull took off running, bellowing and snorting and kicking
up just with its hooves.
But the man in the green suit did not call out begging the bull to come back.
Instead, there was a puff of smoke, and the man changed in to a lion.
For the man, you see, was actually the mysterious woman who'd first given Otto the little blue
pebble.
And the woman was actually a sorceress, a mystical enchantress capable of all sorts of magic.
The lion opened its mighty mouth and charged after the bull.
Just as the great beast was about to grab the bull's tail in its sharp, pointy team.
The bull changed in to a hook, which soared upwards until its wings brushed the clouds.
The lion, meanwhile, changed into a falcon, the fastest bird on earth.
It whizzed through the air in hot pursuit of the hawk.
Just when the falcon was about to snatch the smaller bird with its talons, the hawk dove
down toward the ground and changed into a hunting dog, which sprang away on its slender,
muscular legs.
But just then, the falcon swooped down and changed in to a coyote, which raced after
the hunting dog at a full sprint.
The coyote got closer and closer until…
Wait!
Stop!
The hunting dog turned back into Otto.
I know who you are and I'm sorry about what I did truly.
You can have your money back.
Just please don't eat me.
The coyote tilted its head one way than the other.
And then…
Suddenly standing before Otto was thus sorceress.
Alright Otto, I will spare your life, but I don't need my money back.
What I need is…
My pebble!
Otto's mouth dropped open.
The pebble?
But I bought it from you fair and square.
Fair and square?
A fiery spark danced in the woman's eyes.
What do you know about fair and square Otto?
You use the little blue pebble to be deceitful.
Dishonest!
Dishonorable!
I once told you you must use the pebble's powers wisely.
But instead, you've used it to take advantage of others for your own personal gain.
Now I'm taking it back.
So you can never use it again.
The sorceress raised her arm into the air.
There was a flash of light.
And in an instant, what should Otto spy clutched in the woman's hand, but the little blue
pebble?
Goodbye Otto.
Be well.
And from now on, be wise.
Then there was another flash of light.
And the sorceress was gone.
Well I'll be.
As Otto walked back home, he thought about what the sorceress had said.
Then, he began cooking up yet another plan.
Over the next week, he tracked down every single customer he had cheated, or separated
from their money, and gave all their money back.
With that, he and Axel went back to farming, growing potatoes, carrots, and corn.
The pair never got rich, but they were comfortable and comforted.
Knowing their success came from hard, honest work, and not a little blue pebble.
Now, it's your turn.
When was the last time you relied on yourself to solve a problem?
Maybe you got frustrated putting the finishing touches on a puzzle, but you gathered your
patience and worked it through to the end.
Perhaps you got into an argument with a friend, but you found a way to talk it out and
resolve the issue.
Find a grown-up and tell them about how you solved your problem.
Then ask them to describe a time they relied on themselves to tackle a challenge.
Hopefully, you can teach each other some invaluable problem-solving skills.
This week's story, a little blue pebble, was adapted by me Rebecca Scheer.
It was edited by CircleRounds, supervising producer Nora Sex.
For original music and sound design is by Eric Shimelonis.
Our artist is Sabina Hahn.
Want to color while you listen?
Sabina has created a black and white picture for every CircleRounds story, and you can
color them in.
Ground ups, you can download more than 180 CircleRounds coloring pages on our website,
wbur.org slash circle round.
Special thanks to this week's actors, Amy Brantano, Ryan DeLusung, Jason Ennis, Nick
Shalley, Jeffrey Song, Don Ursula, Michael Zoldis, Stephen Hannah, and Brett Schuford.
Stephen Hannah and Brett Schuford are the Broadway performers and new dads behind Broadway
husbands.
Ground ups, you can check out Brett and Stephen's blog and find the Broadway Husbands podcast
at Broadwayhusbands.com.
This week's featured instrument was the Mandolin.
To learn more about this stringed instrument from the Loot family and see a photo of Eric
Shimelonis playing it, visit our website again, that's wbur.org slash circle round.
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now, and our third, The Great Ball Game, is available for pre-order.
Visit wbur.org slash circle round to get your copies.
CircleRound is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
I'm Rebecca Sheer.
Thanks for circling round with us.
Now that you've made it to the end of this CircleRound episode, we want to know what's
your favorite CircleRound story.
Thousands of fans just like you have been telling us about the CircleRound stories they like
best.
Take a listen.
Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours too.
I'm more at I'm from the Netherlands.
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I choose them all.
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I like the part where the troll gets his heart back.
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I like the part when she climbs to the top of the mountain.
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