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The Circle Around episode you're about to hear is a very special one and we're so excited to share
it with you. We recorded this episode in front of a live audience of kids and grown-ups at the
Cowell Theatre in San Francisco, California on February 24th, 2024. Want to be the first to
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exclusive access to tickets. Find out more at www.wbur.org slash Circle Around Club. And now on with the story!
Think about your neighbors, the people who live around you. An old Chinese proverb says
a good neighbor is a priceless treasure. In today's story, a very good neighbor gets a priceless
treasure while a not very good one pays the price. I'm Rebecca Sheer and welcome to Circle Around,
live at the Cowell Theatre in San Francisco, California. Today our story is called Grime and
Punishment. Versions of this tale were collected from the Chinese immigrant community in California.
Joining me on stage is a trio of talented actors,
Fiat Orchyn, Nathaniel Eaton, and Jessica Rao, and providing musical accompaniment is the one
and only Eric Shimelonis. So Circle Around everyone for Grime and Punishment.
Out in the country, in a small sleepy village, there were two neighbors. The first neighbor
was a laundress. That's me! A very kind and friendly laundress. How is everyone today?
Are you good? How are you? All right, great. Do you have any clothes for me to
launder? Any stinky, smelly socks? Okay, if so, I'd be happy to wash them for you. Find me after
the show. Next door to the laundress lived a farmer. That's me. A very grumpy and grumpy farmer.
Okay, okay, wait a second here. I thought you said this was a small, sleepy village. What are all
these people doing here? And why are they staring at me like that? Like that one right there?
What are you staring at? Okay, so this is actually a story about a small, sleepy village,
and these people are members of our audience. They're listening to our story.
Oh, I get it. So, am I the hero of this story? Well, do I get all the glory in the end?
How about all the riches? Do I get all the riches?
Farmer, can you let our narrator continue, please? The story just started and all these nice people
are patiently waiting. Fine, carry on. This better be good for me.
One hot summer day, a mysterious stranger came to town. He was tall and gangly,
and beneath his tattered cap, his hair was as tangled as a bird's nest. Despite the heat,
the fellow was bundled in a shabby coat that was very old and very dirty. His hands and face were
dirty too. As if he had logged many miles shuffling along the dry, dusty, country roads.
Oh, this guy sounds like a mess. Farmer, please. What? Hair like a bird's nest?
Dirty hands and face? The stranger is definitely not someone that I would ever associate with.
Oh, hang on. I believe I have a visitor. The farmer strode to the front door of his house and
swung it open, but the moment he did. Oh, no. He scowled, because standing on his doorstep was none
other than... Pardon me, sir. The stranger? I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm a weary traveller
who's been trudging all day through this heat. I'm sweating something awful, and I'd love to wash
up a bit. In my hands and my face, at least, might you have a pitcher of water I could use to
clean myself up. The farmer wrinkled his nose. A pitcher of water? No offense, buddy.
But it's going to take a whole lot more than a pitcher of water to clean you up. You're so dirty
and grimy that you'd be the river. No, I mean, like a lake. No, an ocean. I've never seen so much dirt
and grime. You are not getting any help from me. The stranger gave the farmer a long stare,
then he tipped his tattered cap. I understand. Sorry to bother you, sir. And shambled over to the
laundresses' house, where she answered the door with a grin. Greetings, sir. Goodness, you look
like you're suffocating in this heat. Please come inside, have a seat and cool off. She took
cold of the stranger's arm and led him to the table. He sank down into a chair with a sigh.
I appreciate your generosity, ma'am. I've been traveling in this heat for some time now,
and I was hoping to clean my hands and face. Might you have a pitcher of water I could use?
I can do better than that. I have a nice big bucket for doing my laundry. Wait here.
The laundry is fed to your bucket, then hurried out to the well in the backyard.
When the farmer spotted his neighbor through the window, he came bursting outside.
Ron Dress! You're not doing what I think you are doing, are you?
What? You mean filling a bucket with water? No. I mean filling a bucket with water for that
vagabond. That fellow's been on the road so long. The road is on him. Talk about grimy.
Obviously, the poor fellow has fallen on hard times, so I'm doing what I can to be kind.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a stranger to help. The laundry is pulled a fluffy towel off the
clothesline, picked up her bucket, then bustled back inside. My goodness, ma'am, look at that fresh,
clean water. I am so grateful. It's the least I can do. And when you're done washing up,
would you like to stay for dinner? I don't have much food in the kitchen, but I'm happy to throw
something together. The stranger shook his head as he dabbed his newly washed face.
I've already taken up too much of your time, but I appreciate your hospitality.
And in exchange for your deeds, I'd like to give you something.
He gestured toward the bucket. Take this bucket of water and place it in the corner of the room
when you go to sleep tonight. Whatever you find inside the bucket come morning is yours.
Then he tipped his tattered cap. Thanks again. And went on his way,
shuffling out of the village and disappearing round a bend in the dry and dusty road.
That night, the laundryist followed the stranger's instructions. She placed the bucket in the corner
of her room and went to bed. And when she woke up the next day and peaked inside.
Great heavens! She nearly toppled over. The stranger said he wanted to give me something
and exchange for my deeds, but this is much more than I ever expected. So much more!
What do you think the laundryist saw inside the bucket? We'll find out what it was after a quick break.
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Before we get back to our story, did you know that in addition to listening to Circle Round,
you can carry it, eat lunch with it, and read it? Visit the swag link at wbur.org-circle-round
and get your very own Circle Round backpack, lunch box and picture books. And bonus,
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cool Circle Round goodies as our way of seeing things. Now, at your swag today, wbur.org-circle-round.
I'm Rebecca Sheer. Welcome back to Circle Round live at the Cowell Theater in San Francisco,
California. Today, our story is called Grime and Punishment.
Before the break, a mysterious stranger appeared and asked for water to clean his hands and face.
The gruff grumpy farmer turned the fellow away, but the kind friendly laundress was happy to
oblige. In exchange for her deeds, the stranger told her to leave the bucket of used water in the
corner. And come morning, whatever she found inside was hers. Well, the next day, when the laundress
looked inside the bucket, she could hardly believe her eyes. And do you know why? Because instead of
dirty brown water, the bucket was filled to the brim with sparkling silver coins. Wait, like what?
You didn't mention any sparkling silver coins in the first half of the story.
That's because we wanted to end on a cliffhanger. That's what we always do before the break.
Just ask our audience. They know how these stories go, am I right? Yeah. So, can we please move on now?
But I want to hear more about the silver coins. What did the laundress do with them?
She's such a softie, such a goodie. I suppose she gave all the coins away, didn't she?
Actually, yes. Over the weeks that followed, she gave some to the principal of the village school.
Now you can buy all new chairs and desks for your students, ma'am. She donated some to the
librarian at the library. I know you've been wanting to put more books on the shelves, sir.
Now's your chance. The rest she brought to the weekly market, where she handed them out to any
market goer who couldn't afford groceries. These coins are for you and you and you.
What a waste! If a magical bucket of coins suddenly appeared in my room,
I'd use it all on myself. I'd get a big house, a nice wardrobe. I'd also quit my job so that I'd
never have to work another day in my life. If only I hadn't turned that raggedy wanderer away.
If only I'd known how much I could profit from that filthy fellow and make off like a...
Hang on, I'll have a visitor. When the farmer opened the door, he felt a surge of excitement.
Because who should he find standing outside? Pardon me, sir. But the stranger,
same tattered cap, same tangled hair, same dirty coat, hands and face.
I'm sorry to disturb you again, but my travels have brought me back to your village,
and I'd love to wash up. Might you have a pitcher of water I could use to clean myself up.
This time, the farmer did not scowl and wrinkle his nose. Instead, he put on a broad smile,
then grabbed the stranger and shoved him inside. My good man! You'll have to forgive my behavior
the last time we met. I simply do not know what got into me. So please allow me to make it up to you.
Wait here, I'll be right back. The farmer raced around the house. His eyes peeled for the most
enormous water vessel possible. After all, a simple bucket or pitcher wouldn't hold nearly enough
silver coins. Inside the kitchen, he found a massive bin filled with vegetables soaking in water.
The farmer often soaked his vegetables after he harvested them, it made them last longer,
so he could sell even more on market day. Eureka! Oh, this is perfect!
Now, you would hope that the next thing the farmer did was empty out the bin, give it a nice
wipe and fill it up with fresh clean water. Well, I'm sorry to say that is not what happened.
Instead, he picked out all the vegetables and tossed them on the floor.
They left behind a cloudy residue, along with a mess of carrot stems and broccoli leaves floating
on top. The farmer hoisted the bin into his arms, then hurried back to the stranger. Here you go!
I've got just what you need, so go ahead, scrub yourself up!
When the stranger saw the murky water littered with veggie bits, he hesitated. The farmer noticed,
oh, I see, you want me to help you. No problem! Before the stranger could say a word,
the farmer was splashing him all over with dirty water. Isn't this nice so refreshing?
When the farmer was done, the stranger was soaking wet and no cleaner than he'd been before,
as he rose to his feet to leave. The farmer grabbed him by the arm.
Do wait! Before you go, isn't there something you wish to give me?
The stranger paused. He gazed into the farmer's eyes.
Oh, of course there's something I wish to give you. In exchange for your deeds,
I want you to take this bin of water and place it in the corner of the room when you go to sleep tonight.
Whatever you find inside the bin, come morning! He's yours!
And with that, the stranger tipped his tattered cap, shuffled out of the house and vanished down the road.
The farmer could hardly sleep a wink that night,
while with the waves of greed surging through his heart and the visions of silver coins dancing through
his head, he tossed and turned for hours. And the moment the sun's first rays came streaming through
the window. He threw back his covers and raced to the corner of the room. His entire body was
quivering as he plunged his hands into the bin. Here we go! But to his dismay, his trembling
fingers did not feel the cool smooth surface of silver coins. Instead, they felt something
gritty and sticky. And when the farmer took a closer look,
he realized what it was. Dirt! Yuck! He dashed out to his well and dumped his hands in the water,
rubbing them back and forth and back and forth. But when he pulled them out again,
they're still dirty! He tried again! Still dirty! And again? Still dirty! And again! Still dirty!
No matter how he tried, he couldn't wash the dirt away. So much as the gruff grumpy fellow wanted
to get all the glory at the end of our story. Instead, thanks to his selfish, stingy ways,
is what did you get? All the grime!
Now it's your turn. Do you know what it means to fill someone's bucket?
Filling someone's bucket isn't actually about water or sand. It's about acting in a way that's
supportive, helpful, and kind to somebody else, like giving a warm fuzzy. Find some paper and list
or draw some of the ways you can fill someone's bucket. It could be as simple as offering a hug
or a smile or sharing some kind words. Look at your list and pick one of the items and go out and do
it. And remember, the cool thing about filling other people's buckets is that in the process,
we can fill our own buckets too. This week's story, Grime and Punishment, was adapted by me
Rebecca Scheer. It was edited by Sophie Codner. Erickson Malone's composed our original music and
played it live on the Ruan. You can learn more about this traditional Chinese plucked string
instrument and see a photo of Erick playing one on our website, wbr.org slash circle round.
Circle round artist is Sabina Han. Want to color while you listen? Sabina has created a black
and white coloring page for all of our circle round stories and you can print them out.
Grown ups visit our website, wbr.org slash circle round and click on coloring pages.
Special thanks to the actors in this week's story, Fiat Orchin, Nathaniel Eaton and Jessica Rau.
And a big circle round of thanks to the staff at the Cowell Theatre and to wbr's Andrea
Omira and Tina Saford. Looking for even more ways to circle round with us? You can support
our favorite public radio podcast and get some really cool stuff as a member of the Circle Round Club.
Visit our website, wbr.org slash circle round and click circle round club.
Love circle round and never want to miss an episode. Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever
you're listening right now. And Grownups, if you have a moment, please write us a five-star review.
And talk about us on social media. Our handle on Instagram and Facebook is at Circle Round
Podcast. Circle Round 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 Circle Round episode, we want to know
what's your favorite Circle Round story? Thousands of fans just like you have been telling us
about the Circle Round stories they like best. Take a listen. Maybe one of their favorites is one of
yours too. What's your name? I am. Where do you live? Can I? What's your favorite Circle Round story?
Banana Pits. What's you love? Her plan. My name is Otty and I live in Calcutta and my favorite
story is Camille and Conte. Because I like the part when C-cartis is... My name is Levi and I live
in Calcutta. My favorite episode is the owner of the Sun and my favorite part is when
Olyana frees the Sun. Hi, my name is A. I'm from the Olyana Favourite Circle
and my favorite part is the four winds and the part when the fox gets put in the ice cold.
My name is Rachel and I live in the forest in the lower north and my favorite circle round
is the Mickey Mountain side and the first customer. I tell her I live in Arlington, Massachusetts
and my favorite Circle Round story is the Alliance Whisker. I like the part when they get the
whisker. Hello, my name is Fee. I'm from Olyana, Massachusetts. My favorite
Circle Round story is the Zleegit Pot. I like the pot when the Zleegit Pot says it's time to
skip and skip. My name is Mila and I live in the Bay Area and my favorite Circle Round story
is the Upsay Down tree. My favorite part is when in the Hayae Whipstitri Upsay Down.
Hello, my name is River and we live in Pellermeth,
Massachusetts and my favorite story is the Basilisk Star. My name is Pursue and my favorite
word stories all of the stories. Did someone mention a story you've missed?
Not to worry. Grown ups, you can find all of our Circle Round stories, plus links to the Circle
Round Club, Picture Books, Coloring Pages and Oso much more on our website, WBUR.org slash Circle
Round.
