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.
WBUR podcasts, Boston. Ever heard the saying, one person's trash is another person's treasure?
What it means is what one person might see as useless, another person might see as priceless.
In today's story, this saying doesn't just come to life.
It sprouts to life. Bye. Bye. I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today, our story is called Riches to Rags. versions of this tale come from the European country of the Netherlands Some really great people came together to bring you our folktale including two veteran and very funny panelists on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz, Tom Beaudet and Roxanne Roberts.
Tom Beaudet has written numerous books and regularly contributes to the Moth storytelling series.
Roxanne Roberts is a longtime feature writer at the Washington Post.
So circle around, everyone. For riches, two rags.
On the northern coast of the Netherlands lies a small, sleepy, seaside hamlet known as Stavourin.
But once upon a time, Stavourin was neither small nor sleepy.
And it wasn't just a hamlet. It was a hopping, thriving port city.
A wealthy one, too, with so many fishing boats and merchant ships bringing goods in and out of the harbor.
Stavourin was brimming with prosperous people, all of them eager to put their wealth on display.
Their mansions and manor houses boasted no less than a dozen chimneys apiece. and each grand abode was adorned with glittering gold. from the golden locks on the doors to the golden shingles on the roofs.
Amongst Tuvorin's very well-to-do was a woman named Frederica.
Frederica's wealth came from a large fleet of trading ships that had been in her family for generations.
And yet, despite Frederica's riches, her soul fell. thought day and night was how she might further increase her bounty.
I want to be the envy of everyone in this town and everyone in the world.
I want to have the greatest fortune of all.
And I know just how I'll get it. The largest ship in Frederica's fleet was helmed by a wise old captain by the name of Willem.
Frederica invited Willem to her mansion, ushered him to one of her many spacious sitting rooms. sat him down on one of her many plush velvet sofas, then announced she was giving him a mission.
First thing tomorrow, I want you to ready your ship and set sail out of the harbor and across the sea.
When you come back, I want you to bring me the most precious treasure you can find.
A treasure so precious, it's priceless. So valuable, it's invaluable.
Now, unlike Frederica and the other people of Stavoren, Willem came from humble beginnings.
He spent his childhood on a wheat farm before running off to the sea in search of adventure.
But even though he now worked in a city where even the roof shingles were made of gold, he never forgot his modest roots.
My lady, I appreciate you giving me this rather intriguing assignment, It's not every day you're asked to bring back a treasure so precious it's priceless.
So valuable, it's invaluable. But if I may be so bold as to ask, why me?
Why not pick some other captain in your fleet to do this job?
Because you, Willem, are the oldest captain in my service and the most experienced.
You've made more voyages and longer voyages than anyone.
That may be true. But how will I know when I've found the most precious treasure?
How will I know what it is? Oh, something tells me you'll know it when you see it.
And when you do, I order you to buy up as much of it as possible.
Fill your entire ship with it, if you can, and then bring it back to me.
But if I may ask, what happens if I don't find what you're looking for?
Frederica paused and fixed Willem with an expression so icy he actually felt a chill.
If you don't find what I'm looking for, Willem, then the answer is simple.
You need never to return to this port again.
Ever. Now go. What do you think? Will Willem find the most precious treasure?
And if so, what might it be? We'll hear what happens next, after a quick break.
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I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to Circle Round.
Today, our story is called Riches to Rags.
Before the break, Frederico wished to be the envy of everyone in the wealthy port city of Stavourin.
So she called on Willem, the captain of her largest ship, and gave him an assignment.
You must bring me a treasure so precious it's priceless. so valuable, it's invaluable.
Willem agreed to the mission. Then he and his crew hoisted anchor and set sail from Stavourin's harbor.
But not long after their ship reached the open sea, a vicious storm came rolling in.
Thunder bellowed and lightning crackled as white-capped waves crashed across the deck.
Sheets of rain poured from the ink-black sky, and gusts of wind rocked Willem and his crew to and fro.
Mighty fine time for a storm to roll in, isn't it, man?
Well, best to stay calm, fold in the sails.
The crew did as they were told. And come morning, they were relieved to see that the rain had let up The skies had cleared and the sea had steadied.
They were even more relieved when Willem looked through his telescope and spotted land.
Look at that, man. A village. Let's pull into port.
Who knows? Perhaps I'll find the precious treasure Frederica so desperately seeks.
After striding down the gangplank, however, Willem felt his heart drain of hope. because he soon discovered that this place wasn't nearly as well-to-do as Dvorin was, not by a long shot.
Instead of grand mansions and manor houses adorned with gold, he saw forlorn shacks and hovels covered with peeling paint.
Oh, dear. How am I supposed to find a precious treasure in this woebegone place?
But just as he was about to turn around and head back to port... Wait.
What do I see at the bottom of this hill?
It's a farm. A wheat farm. with a big granary.
And look, the granary is filled to the rafters with wheat."
A smile dawned across Willem's face. As you may recall, he had grown up on a wheat farm.
And all at once, his brain flooded with childhood memories of... harvesting wheat and milling flour with his family.
Father used the flour to bake the most delicious bread, which Mother then took to the market to sell. though more often than not she gave much of it away.
Times were hard in our village, and Everyone was struggling to get by.
Mother couldn't bear to see anyone go hungry.
Bread is the staff of life, she would say.
Simple, but precious. Wait a minute. That's it.
Willem took to his heels and raced down the hill.
He tracked down the wheat farmer, and told her he wanted to buy all the wheat in her granary.
And please deliver half of the wheat to my ship in the harbor.
My crew and I will load it into the cargo hold.
As for the other half, hand it out to the people of this town as a gift from me.
Later that day, with a hold full of wheat and a heart full of hope, Willem waved goodbye to the grateful villagers who had gathered on the dock to see him off.
Then he and his crew hoisted anchor and set sail.
When they reached Stavourin, the harbor was buzzing with the city's wealthiest all donning their fanciest frocks and jostling for a better view.
Standing up front, with her bejeweled hands on her hips, was Frederica.
Welcome back, Willem. So, what have you brought me?
I have brought what you requested, my lady.
A treasure so precious, it's priceless. So valuable, it's invaluable.
Show her what it is, man. The crew grasped on to the hold doors.
The moment they swung them open... Revealing the wheat inside, everyone in the crowd began to laugh loudly.
Well, everyone except Frederica. She frowned, knitted her brow, then fixed Willem. with a glare.
Willem! How dare you make a fool of me! I order you to dump this ridiculous wheat into the harbor, then sail away forever.
The amused crowd gathered closer, eager to see the drama unfold.
Willem threw up his hands. "'But my lady, don't you see?' dumping this weed into the harbor would be criminal.
It can be turned into flour, then baked into bread.
The staff of life. Staff of life, my foot.
Wheat is common. Bread is common. and I have no place in my luxurious life for the common.
Willem's eyes scanned the crowd in search of a sympathetic face.
Finding none, he turned back to Frederica.
My lady, you're right. Your life is luxurious.
You have a mansion. You have servants. You have an entire fleet of ships.
But fortune is fickle, and fortune can change.
For the better. Or for the worse. And who knows?
The day may come when your fortune changes.
The day may come when you are so very poor and your belly is so very empty. that you would view this wheat as anything but common.
You would view it as precious. Frederica gave Willem a long look, silent and unblinking.
Then she held up one of her bejeweled hands pulled a dazzling ruby ring from her finger, and with all of her might, She hurled the ring into the sea.
So, my fortune might change, you say, and I might be poor. poor with an empty belly.
Ha! Nonsense! I am as likely to become poor and hungry as I am of finding that ring again.
Now dump your cargo into the harbor, Willem, and sail away.
I never want to see you or that silly wheat ever again.
Frederica spun on her heel and stormed off.
Willem watched her go. Then, as he and his crew sailed out of Stavoren's harbor, he gave the fateful orders.
Go ahead men, empty the cargo. And just like that, every single grain of wheat was dumped overboard into the depths of the harbor and Willem and his crew sailed away.
A few days later, Frederica was pacing her bedroom as she fretted over which of her many gowns she should wear to dinner.
I look so ravishing in the lace gown, but I look equally stunning in the silk. and the satin.
What to do? What to do? All at once, the door flew open, and in burst one of Frederica's many cooks.
His body was quivering like a leaf in a hurricane.
My lady! What is it, Cook? What's wrong with you?
Are you still miffed that I scolded you for using the silver plates instead of the gold ones at breakfast?
Because honestly, you should have known better.
No, my lady, it isn't that. Something happened while I was preparing the fish for dinner just now.
The plump mackerel I bought today at the market...
What about it? Well, I laid the fish on the table so I could clean it before I cooked it up.
I fetched my knife so I could slice it open.
The moment I cut into the fish's belly, what should I see sitting inside but this?
The cook opened a trembling hand, and there, on his quivering palm... was a ruby ring.
The same dazzling ruby ring Frederica had thrown into the sea.
I heard about what you said when you tossed this ring into the harbor, my lady.
You said you were as likely to become poor and hungry...
As I was finding this ring again, yes, yes, I remember what I said.
But come now, just because I said something like that, do you really think it could come true?
My fortune is not going to change just because of some ring.
Mark my words. And yet, not long after that, Frederica's fortune did change.
She received news that one of the ships in her fleet had been wrecked at sea, and though the crew survived, The cargo was lost.
Oh, no. The same thing happened with another one of her ships.
Oh no! Then another. Oh no! No! Then another.
Oh, no, no, no! Before she knew it, Frederica had no ships left, save for Willem's. which by now was halfway across the world.
Not that it mattered, because the people of Stavourin soon discovered that no ships, Fredericas or otherwise, were able to sail into their port.
Something under the water was getting in their way, a mysterious barrier that was blocking off the harbor. from the sea.
Any guesses what that barrier was? If you said wheat, you are correct.
All the wheat that Frederica had forced Willem to dump overboard had taken root on the bottom of the harbor and was growing wild.
And it didn't just stop ships. It stopped tides.
The tides could no longer flow freely, so the harbor silted up. a sandbar formed, and Stavourin's thriving sea trade screeched to a halt.
And thus it was that the prosperous port city transformed into a small, sleepy town.
The people became poor and hungry, and longing for the wheat that could have been harvested and milled and turned into bread the staff of life.
Among those people was Frederica. But although the haughty lady may have lost everything, there is one thing she gained.
A place in history. Because to this very day...
The sandbar beneath Stavoren's Harbor is known as the Ladies' Sand.
It's her eternal reward, or punishment, for pouring scorn on something so valuable it's invaluable.
And something so precious, it's priceless.
. . . Now it's your turn. What's something in your life that's so valuable it's invaluable?
So precious, it's priceless. It could be a person, an animal, a prized possession.
It could be something like quality time with your favorite friend or a warm hug from your favorite grown-up.
Perhaps it's an idea, like kindness, imagination, or peace.
Whatever it is, find someone you have fun with and tell them all about it.
Then when you're done? Ask them to tell you about something they truly treasure.
This week's episode, Riches to Rags, was adapted by me, Rebecca Sheer.
It was edited by Sophie Codner. Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimilonis.
Our artist is Sabina Han. Want to color while you listen?
Sabina has drawn a black and white picture for all of our Circle Round stories, and you can print them out.
Grownups, visit our website, wbur.org, circle around and click on Coloring Pages.
Special thanks to this week's actors, Ryan DeLusong, Tom Bodette, and Roxanne Roberts.
Tom Bodette and Roxanne Roberts are veteran panelists on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz.
In fact, Roxanne appeared on the very first episode ever.
She's also a longtime journalist and columnist for The Washington Post.
Tom Bodette is a regular contributor to the Moth Storytelling Series.
He's written oodles of books, including The End of the Road, As Far as You Can Go Without a Passport, The View from the End of the Road, And the big garage on Clearshot, growing up, growing old, and going fishing at the end of the road.
Our featured instrument this week was the barrel organ, a mechanical crank turned instrument with a long history in the Netherlands.
Lins. To learn more about the barrel organ and to see a photo, head to our website.
Again, that's wbur.org slash circleround.
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Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us.
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I hope you love this message. Rebecca Sher.
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