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. The Circle Round episode you're about to hear was one of three episodes recorded live at Tanglewood. the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
It featured members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra plus an all-star cast and a terrific audience of very enthusiastic kids and grown-ups.
It was so great to circle around with a live audience again, and we hope to appear on stage again soon, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, enjoy the story. Think about a time you faced a difficult task.
Maybe you had to work on a complicated project.
You had to clean your very cluttered room.
Did you wish you could just press a button and find instant success?
In the story we're about to hear, that's pretty much what one of the characters wishes he could do.
But when he tries it, he realizes he is in way over his head.
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round Live at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Today our story is called Lookalike Falls.
Versions of this folktale originally come from Mexico.
Joining me on stage is an amazing quintet of all-star actors, Karen Allen, Megan Boone, Scott Cohen, Mari Heller, and Peter Riegert. and providing musical accompaniment is a world-class trio from the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
Rachel Childers on horn, Cindy Myers on flute, and Suzanne Nelson on bassoon.
So, circle around, everyone, for Lookalike Falls.
Thank you. . . . Thank you. Thank you.
There once lived a king and queen who were much beloved throughout the land. for they ruled their people with honesty, justice, and most of all, wisdom.
When the king and queen grew old and came to the end of their long and happy lives, Their son was crowned the new king, and his wife was crowned the new queen.
The new king was a good man with a heart of gold.
But the moment he assumed the throne, that golden heart was wracked with doubt.
My wife, my love, just yesterday I was a prince, and now I'm a king.
How do I know I'm up to the task of ruling an entire kingdom and ruling it as wisely as my parents did?
The queen was about to offer a response when their royal advisors chimed in. if we may offer our two cents, your majesty.
We know a way you can gain all the wisdom you need.
All of it? In an instant. The queen gave the advisors a sideways glance.
I'm sorry, but how could a person become instantly wise?
There's no shortcut to wisdom. The king, however, was far less skeptical.
Darling, I say we let our advisors speak.
Go on. Tell us more. Well, Your Royal Highness, we wonder...
Have you ever heard the legend of Lookalike Falls?
Look-a-like falls? Can't say I have. Nor have I. Well...
It's been said that somewhere north of the kingdom...
Across a wide river. Over rolling hills.
And through a dark forest. There lie two waterfalls flowing side by side.
Their crystal clear waters cascade down a towering rocky cliff. and flow into two separate swirling pools.
Are the two waterfalls identical, then? Is that why they're called look-alike falls?
Indeed, Your Majesty. However, even though the falls look identical and the pools look identical, Legend has it that they are very different.
For if you bathe yourself in one of the pools, you receive the gift of wisdom.
All the wisdom in the world is yours. And if you bathe in the other pool, if you bathe in the other pool, your highness.
You turn into a stone. and you sink to the bottom of the pool forever.
You just have to figure out which pool is which.
Now, while the king was completely taken in... That story is amazing!
The queen was not. That story is absurd.
Look, advisors, you've always advised the royal family well.
But this advice seems downright inadvisable.
We understand your skepticism, Your Highness.
And personally. we don't know a single soul who's made the journey to look-alike falls.
But then perhaps they never found their way back.
Perhaps they chose the wrong pool and poof.
They turned into a stone. Exactly, Your Majesty.
Exactly. That evening, after the king and queen finished their royal dinner of pheasants and oysters, and were eating their royal dessert of peaches and cream, the king made an announcement.
My queen! I've been thinking about the legend of Lookalike Falls all day, and I've come to a decision.
First thing tomorrow, I am traveling to the towering rocky cliffs where the waterfalls flow so that I may bathe in it. in the waters of wisdom, and all the wisdom in the world may be mine.
The queen dropped her spoon with a clatter.
Don't be foolish, my love. If the legend is true, what if you mistake one waterfall for the other?
Instead of growing wise, you'll grow cursed and cold and turn into stone.
Sweetheart, when your parents assumed their thrones, It took months, years, decades of learning so they could bring peace and prosperity to our kingdom.
They didn't gain their wisdom overnight.
Well, it sure seemed like they did to me.
When I was a young prince, I would watch my mother and father up there on their thrones and think, man, They know everything which law to decree, which proclamation to issue, which judgment to make.
But the truth is, sweetheart, they didn't.
They had slip-ups, they made mistakes, and they learned from them.
They also listened to their hearts. That's how they grew so wise.
Darling, you and I will learn too. We'll listen to our hearts and we'll grow wise together.
Promise me you won't go searching for lookalike falls.
Please? Oh, all right. I promise. But guess what?
The king did not keep his promise. In the middle of the night, while everyone in the palace was sleeping, he snuck into the royal stable and untethered his horse Then he leaped into the saddle and galloped to the north, across a a wide river over rolling hills and through a dark forest. until at last he and his steed came to the bottom of a towering rocky cliff.
The cliff was so high, the king couldn't see the top.
But what he could see took his breath away.
Look-a-like falls! Flowing and gushing side by side, The frothing, foaming waterfalls plunged down the cliff's face with such power, such force, such noise.
And at the bottom, they're swirling, sparkling pools clear as the finest crystal gemstones in the royal treasury.
Never could I imagine the falls would be so mighty, so spectacular.
The only question is, which one of them flows with the waters of wisdom?
The king dismounted his horse and walked toward the pools.
Let's see. If one of the waterfalls turns you into stone and many a poor soul has succumbed to its curse, then logically that pool must have more stones at the bottom. as the king peered into the pools.
He saw both of them had small round stones lining the bottom.
Neither seemed to have more, and neither seemed to have less.
But as he leaned down to get a better look...
He suddenly slipped on a patch of moss. Whoa!
He lost his footing, and he tumbled into one of the pools with a splash.
The first thing the king felt was cold. But then...
He began to feel tense and tight, as if his muscles were freezing up.
And within seconds, he turned into a smooth, round stone... sank to the bottom of the pool, and joined the other poor souls who had made a fateful mistake. in their quest for the shortcut to wisdom.
What do you think will happen next? Will the king really be a stone forever?
We'll find out after a quick break. Support for Circle Round comes from Indeed.
You just realized that your business needed to hire someone yesterday.
How can you find amazing candidates fast?
Easy. Just use Indeed. There's no need to wait.
You can speed up your hiring with Indeed. and Circle Round listeners will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility. at indeed.com slash circle round.
Just go to indeed.com slash circle round right now.
Support the show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.
Indeed.com slash circle round. Terms and conditions apply.
Hiring? Indeed is all you need. Bye. The reviews are in, and super fans like you are loving the Circle Round Club. an exciting opportunity to support public radio and get cool stuff. including ad-free episodes and a personalized birthday message from me.
What I like about the Circle Round Club is that Rebecca here sends extra messages.
And it supports the show. And there are no odds. grown-ups, support public radio and sign up today at WBUR.org slash Circle Round Club.
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome back to Circle Round, live at Tanglewood.
Today our story is called Lookalike Friendship. falls.
Thank you. Before the break, a wisdom-seeking king made a secret voyage to lookalike falls But before he could guess which pool contained the waters of wisdom, he slipped and fell into one of them. and turned into a stone.
Back at the palace, when the queen awoke and saw her husband was missing, She knew exactly where he had gone.
Lookalike Falls. The queen threw on her riding clothes, saddled her horse, then set off to the north, She and her horse crossed the wide river, sped over the rolling hills and dashed through the dark forest.
But when she reached the bottom of the towering rocky cliff...
Oh no! She knew she had arrived too late.
For while the king's horse was snorting and snuffling beside the twin pools, its rider... was nowhere to be seen.
Oh, husband, what have you done? Surely you chose the wrong pool and turned into a stone.
How could you be so foolish? How? As the queen fell to her knees, she heard.
Your Majesty. A voice. Your Majesty. The queen turned her head and looked up.
Standing above her was a woman with long flowing robes and long flowing hair.
The woman extended a hand and helped the queen to her feet.
Thank you, but how did you know I was royalty? so far away from my kingdom and I'm not wearing my crown or my jewels or my robes or Oh, I just knew.
I also know why you're crying. You do? I do.
You truly love your husband, don't you? The king?
Yes, I love him with all my being. He can be foolish sometimes and stubborn sometimes.
But that man has a heart of gold, or... He did have a heart of gold before he turned into a stone.
The long-haired woman laid a hand on the queen's shoulder.
A heart of gold, you say. Come with me."
The woman led the queen over to one of the pools Look into the water, down at the very bottom.
Tell me what you see. I see stones, lots and lots of stones.
All of them small and round. Some are brown, some are gray, some are black.
Mm-hmm. And over here, the woman led the queen to the other pool.
When you look into this water, what do you see?
I see more stones, just like in the other pool.
They're small and round and brown and gray and...
Oh, the queen's eyes grew wide. What is it?
What do you see? One of the stones. The queen pointed a trembling finger.
One of the stones doesn't look like the others.
It's gold, sparkling, shimmering gold. Is it now?
And what was it you were just saying about your husband's heart?
The woman closed her eyes, lifted her arm, and suddenly the gold stone began floating up. from the bottom of the pool.
When it reached the surface, floated from the water and landed right in the queen's outstretched hand.
Oh! The woman opened her eyes and fixed them on the queen.
Take this stone, your majesty, and toss it into the waters of the other pool.
You mean into the waters of wisdom? The ones that give you all the wisdom in the world?
That is what people say, don't they? But I'll let you decide whether that part of the legend is true.
And with that, the long-haired woman vanished.
Did she just... Did I just... Well, no use wasting time.
Here goes. The queen took a breath, then tossed the gold stone into the other pool, where it landed with a plop.
Immediately, the water began to ripple and gurgle And then... Who should come bursting up through the surface but the king?
The stunned ruler stood in the pool, looking around with astonishment.
Where am I? How did I get here? I thought for sure I'd be a stone forever!
And I thought so too! The king gave a start as he spotted his wife.
My queen! Crystal clear droplets sprayed this way and that as the king splashed to the water's edge.
Once he was out of the pool, He embraced his beloved queen in a soaking wet hug.
My darling, my dear, how did you save me?
So the queen told the story of how she encountered the long-haired woman how the gold stone came flying out of one pool, and how the queen flung the stone into the other pool.
So wait. If that pool over there turned me into a stone and you threw that stone into this pool here, then I just bathed in the waters of wisdom.
But I don't feel like I've gained all the wisdom in the world.
You don't? So maybe that part of the legend isn't true.
There are no waters of wisdom. Well, it depends.
Because now that I think of it, there is one bit of wisdom I've gleaned.
And what was that? How foolishly I acted.
I should have listened to you my love when you told me that wisdom must be earned and learned.
I'm sorry I blew you off. Apology accepted.
There's one other thing, too. Bathing in the waters of both pools has given me a very wise idea.
Come. He jumped into the saddle of his steed.
Mount your horse and follow me. The king and queen trotted to the towering rocky cliff. found a steep pathway and held tightly to their horse's reins as they ascended the narrow trail.
When they reached the cliff's summit, they found the two rivers that fed into Lookalike Falls.
And do you know what the king and queen did?
They spent the rest of the day damming up one of those rivers with rocks so that no one would ever be turned into a stone again.
The other river, however, they let flow. even if its waters didn't necessarily have the magic that the legend claimed.
And from that day forward, as the king and queen ruled over the land, they had slip-ups and they made mistakes.
But they learned from them. They also listened to their hearts.
And as a result, their people grew to love them, For the king and queen ruled with honesty, justice, and, most of all, Wisdom.
. . . Now it's your turn. Think about a time you made a mistake.
Maybe you drew on your clothing with what you thought was a washable marker, but it really wasn't?
Perhaps you ate way too much apple pie and got a tummy ache.
Talking about our mistakes can be hard, but it reminds us that mistakes are something we can learn from rather than something we need to hide.
So next time you slip up or make a boo-boo, instead of getting upset, focus on what that mistake can teach you. and how it can help you grow.
This week's story, Lookalike Falls, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear, and edited by Circle Round's supervising producer, Anne-Marie Sievertson.
Eric Shimalonis composed our original music and conducted our trio from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
You heard Rachel Childers on horn, Cindy Myers on flute and Suzanne Nelson on bassoon.
Matt Reed was our sound recording engineer.
Special thanks to our actors at Tanglewood.
Karen Allen, Megan Boone, Scott Cohen, Mari Heller, and Peter Riegert.
Karen Allen's many films include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Animal House, and The Perfect Storm.
She's also an acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, and director.
Megan Boone is an actress known for The Blacklist and The Underground Railroad, as well as the dramatic film Leave Me Like You Found Me.
Scott Cohen has starred in such television hits as Gilmore Girls, Necessary Roughness, Allegiance, and The Tenth Kingdom. as well as the romantic comedy Kissing Jessica Stein. is a writer, director and actor who has helmed such films as A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Can You Ever Forgive Me?
She also starred in The Queen's Gambit. And Peter Riegert is an actor and director with nearly 100 film and television credits including Animal House, Crossing Delancey and Local Hero.
He also hosts his own podcast, Peter Riegert's Vocal Heroes.
Enormous thanks to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for inviting us to perform at Tanglewood's Lindy Center for Music and Learning.
Circle Round's illustrator is Sabina Han.
Sabina has drawn a black and white picture for every Circle Round story, and you can color them in while you live.
Listen, visit our website, wbur.org slash circle around 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.
And please leave us a five-star review and 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 today. with you.
Hi, my name is Aria and I'm from Edinburgh.
And my favourite Socorron story is the Piper and the Pooka.
My favourite part is when they go and see the fairies.
My name is Keegan and I live in Massachusetts.
My favorite story It's the sweet corn and clover lab bit.
My favorite part is when you laugh it. take some corn for her friends.
Hello, my name is Seth. I live in New Orleans.
My favorite circle round is the garden, the garden. because I like the part when they finally get the goat to go away.
My name is Nevaeh and I live in Ohlone land. and also known as San Francisco, California.
My favorite Circle Round story is the head and the heart I only like it because Gabriel gave the sheep a bath.
Hi, my name is Will, and I live in Massachusetts, and my favorite Circle Brown story is a hundred rooms because the best sister of the three, Calliope, gets the whole 100 rooms.
Hi, my name is Jim. I live in Massachusetts.
My favorite Superbound story is The Mountain Guardian.
And my favorite part is when the lion turns to stone.
Did someone mention an episode you missed?
No problem. You can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
That's wbur.org slash circleround. or wherever you and your grownups get your podcasts.
