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 What is one thing you're proud of?
Maybe you've been practicing your gymnastics and can do a mean cartwheel.
Perhaps you can play your favorite song on the piano.
Maybe you're proud of how independent you are or how kind.
Being proud of ourselves can feel really good.
But we're about to meet a character who's so proud, she winds up losing her pride and joy.
Bye. Bye. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today our story is called The Tale of Koala's Tail.
Versions of this folktale originally come from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia.
Some really great people came together to bring you our adaptation of this story, including Kanye T.O.
Horn. From Letterkenny and its spin-off series Shorzy on Hulu, Rutherford Falls on Peacock and Reservation Dogs, now in its second season on FX.
So circle around, everyone. For the tale of Koala's Tale Story.
In another time, long, long ago, there lived a koala.
You may have heard koalas referred to as koala bears, but guess what?
They're actually marsupials, like kangaroos.
The females have a pouch on their bellies where they carry their babies or joeys after they're born.
But in this other time, long, long ago, Koala didn't just have a special pouch.
She had a special tip. hail, a long, glossy, bushy tail which she was always bragging about to the other animals.
Hey there, wombat. Nice tail. It's just a stump compared to my swishing, swooshing beauty.
So you told me yesterday, Koala. And the day before, and the day before.
And emu. Look at your tail. The feathers on your tail are all stiff and spiky while the fur on my tail is soft as silk.
Thanks for the reminder, Koala. You told me the exact same thing this morning, and I nearly forgot.
Oh, and Echidna, I'm afraid to even mention your tale.
It's so short, stubby, and hairless, unlike mine, of course.
So long, glossy, and... Let me guess. And bushy?
Why, yes! How did you know I was going to say that?
Have I mentioned it before? Now, for the record, Koala was not the only animal with a spectacular tail.
The tree kangaroo had a pretty remarkable tale of her own.
Tree kangaroos, by the way, are like land kangaroos, only much smaller.
And yes, they live in trees. To help them balance up in the branches, they have these incredible tails. strong and powerful, furry to the touch, and longer than their heads and bodies combined.
But unlike Koala, Tree Kangaroo never bragged or boasted about her tale.
She was a wise, modest creature to whom the other animals turned when they had a problem.
And one summer... The animals found themselves with a very big problem.
Oi, can you believe this heat? Tell me about it, wombat!
Can you remember the last time it rained, Echidna?
I can't, Emu. And now all the rivers and streams are drying up.
Not to mention how the trees are wilting.
The plants are wilting. Even my tail is wilting.
Okay, Koala, can you for once not make this about you and your tail?
Sorry. The point is, folks, we are in trouble.
We're either going to die of starvation or thirst, whichever comes first.
I say we go and talk with Tree Kangaroo and see if she has any ideas.
Tree kangaroo? You mean the one animal whose tail even remotely rivals mine?
I mean, in my opinion, my tale is still way better, but- For the last time, Koala.
Can you for once not make this about you and your tail?
Sorry. I say we talk with Tree Kangaroo because she's wise.
She might know how we can survive this drought.
So the animals went and found Tree Kangaroo and asked for her guidance.
Listen, friends. I do have one idea for how we can survive this drought that has fallen upon our land.
But first, let me tell you a story. Don't you mean tell us a tale?
Yeah. Get it? Tail. Like tail. A story. only it's a tale like the fabulous appendage I have hanging off of my backside.
Koala, I beg you, can you please for once...
Not make this about you and your- About me and my tail?
Sorry. I just can't help myself sometimes.
You were saying, Tree Kangaroo? I was saying I would tell you a story.
One that might help us with our problem.
You see, Back when I was a teeny tiny joey, I remember a terrible drought. just like this one.
I was still in my mother's pouch at the time, and Mama was so dehydrated.
She couldn't even give me milk, so she came down from the trees. and ventured across the scorched and dusty land searching for a drop of water, a trickle, anything to help her baby survive.
And did she find it? Well, Emu, yes and no.
What do you mean? I mean, Echidna, that she did find water. but not at first.
With me in her pouch, she made her way to a big dried-up riverbed.
She stepped into that cracked and dusty bed. and leaning on her strong tail to help her balance.
So tree kangaroo is allowed to talk about tails, and I'm not.
Koala? Sorry. Carry on, tree kangaroo. Leaning on her tail to help her balance, She used her powerful front paws to dig.
She dug and she dug. Until at last. An itty-bitty trickle of water gurgled up from deep in the ground. and formed a little puddle.
Mama kept digging. and the puddle got bigger and bigger, and then she took a nice big drink.
Enough to quench both of our thirsts. Once Tree Kangaroo finished her story, the other animal's eyes lit up.
That story was amazing, Tree Kangaroo. Yes, I didn't know there was water underground.
Me neither. So, in order to find water for us to drink...
We just have to go digging? In the dried-up riverbed.
Yeah, you guys totally do Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait You do realize you're going to be digging with us, too, don't you, Koala?
What? So here's where we should mention something else about Koala.
As much as she loved her tail, She did not love hard work. she wasn't exactly jazzed at the thought of digging in a dry riverbed beneath the blazing sun.
You have to dig with us, Koala. It's been so dry for so long that the water's probably trapped way beneath the ground.
So all the animals need to dig together so our hole will be deep enough.
Koala rolled her eyes. Fine, I'll dig with you.
But I say, once we get to the riverbed, we take turns.
One animal digs while the others rest. We don't want to work our tails off, after all.
Koala! What? It's a figure of speech! Well, I say Koala proposes a fine idea.
Thank you, Tree Kangaroo. We mustn't tire ourselves out, so we'll work in shifts.
Now listen, the nearest riverbed is quite a journey from here.
There are plenty of dried up water holes and streams along the way. but it's the river that will guarantee us the most water.
But it's getting hotter by the second, friends, and we don't have a minute to lose.
So let's go. What do you think? Will the animals find the water they need to survive?
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 The Tale of Koala's Tail.
Bye. Before the break, the animals were in dire need of water.
Wise tree kangaroos suggested they go and find a dry riverbed then dig a hole together to release any water trapped deep beneath the ground.
So, with tree kangaroo leading the way, wombat, emu, echidna, and koala set out on their journey.
They traveled all day, kicking up great clouds of dust as they walked.
They climbed up steep hills. Are we there yet, tree kangaroo?
No koala were not there yet. They scrambled across jagged rocks.
Are we there yet, tree kangaroo? No, koala.
We're not there yet. They trudged through tangled bushes.
Are we there yet, tree kangaroo? Oh, for crying out loud, koala!
You heard what Tree Kangaroo said. We're not there yet.
Actually? We are. As the animals emerged from the bushes, Tree Kangaroo gestured toward the ground.
There, at their dust-covered feet, was a long wide winding ribbon of brown dirt where the river once flowed.
This, my friends, is the dried-up riverbed.
I'll gladly start digging first, unless someone else wants to get things going.
Oh, I'll get things going, tree kangaroo.
My front paws are super strong. No, let me do it.
These long, sturdy legs of mine and dig like nobody's business.
And my legs may be short. But they're stout.
They do a great job scratching and digging in the dirt.
But my paws are too strong. As Wombat, Emu, and Echidna clamor to be the first digger, The tree kangaroo rested her eyes on Koala.
Hang on, everybody. Koala. You're awfully quiet.
No interest in being our first digger of the day?
Koala gave her furry shoulders a shrug. Uh, who?
Me? No. That long journey wore me out. I need to rest for a while.
Save my strength so I can give it all I've got when it's my turn.
All right, then. Tree Kangaroo turned to Wombat.
Wombat. I heard you volunteer first, so you will dig first.
Gladly, tree kangaroo. Emu, you go next.
Thanks, tree kangaroo. Echidna. You go after Emu.
You've got it, tree kangaroo. I'll go after Echidna, and Koala, you'll go after me.
I said, Koala, you'll go after me. But Koala didn't answer.
She was already curled up beneath a bush... sleeping with her long, glossy, bushy tail wrapped around her.
As Koala napped, the other animals got to work.
Wombat dug until his paws were sore. Oh!
Then Emu took over until her legs gave out.
Echidna went next, until he couldn't even feel his legs.
Ooh! Hee-hoo-ha-caw! Ooh! After that, Tree Kangaroo took her turn, balancing with her big bushy tail until she nearly toppled over from exhaustion.
At last, it was Koala's turn. But wouldn't you know it, the fuzzy marsupial was still curled up on the ground, snoozing away.
Koala! Koala! Ko-wa-la! What? Huh? Did someone call my name?
I did, Koala. It's your turn to dig in the riverbed. so we can find some water.
Oh, right. About that. Koala searched her mind for an excuse to get out of work.
You know... I was thinking I'd go look for some food.
Yeah. Food! Everyone's working so hard and surely you're all famished, right?
So I'll just scamper off and collect some leaves or something.
Before the other animals could respond, Koala scampered off, her long, glossy, bushy tail swishing behind her.
Well, friends, I have to admit, a snack.
Does sound pretty good right now. What do you say we resume our shifts and Koala will hop in when she gets back?
Wombat, you're up. So again, the animals took turns digging in the dried-up riverbed.
First wombat... Then emu. Then echidna.
Then tree kangaroo. But when it was Koala's turn to take over, she was nowhere to be seen.
Koala! Koala! Ko-wa-la! There was a rustling in the bushes, then Koala sprang forward.
Oh, hi, tree kangaroo. You called? Yes, I did.
It's your turn to dig again, Koala. And didn't you say you were going off to fetch us some food?
Oh, right. Um... About that... The truth is, Koala had not... gone off to fetch them some food.
Instead, she had found a nice stand of eucalyptus trees and conked out in their shade.
But she wasn't about to tell Tree Kangaroo that.
You know, somehow I just couldn't find any food.
The plants and trees are so withered and wilted, but um...
I'm happy to give it another go. Then, quick as a wink, Koala scampered off again, her long, glossy, bushy tail swooshing behind her.
As the sun rose higher and beat down hotter, the other four animals resumed their shifts.
First wombat. Then emu. Then echidna. Then tree kangaroo.
But when it was Koala's turn to take over...
Guess what? That's right, she was nowhere to be seen.
Koala! Koala! Koala! This time, there was another rustling in the bushes, and Koala limped. forward hi tree kangaroo you called yes i did It's your turn to dig again, Koala.
And let me guess, you didn't find any food?
Again? No, I didn't find any food, but I did find an awfully big log blocking my path and And when I tried climbing over it, I slipped.
I tried to catch myself, but I landed so hard on my paws that they're positively throbbing.
There's no way I can take my turn digging.
Tree Kangaroo let out a sigh. All right, fine.
You can skip your turn again. But when it comes time for your next shift, We need you to do your part.
Of course, Tree Kangaroo. For now, I think I'll just lie down.
And once more, Koala curled up beneath a bush. wrapped her long, glossy, bushy tail around her body, then fell asleep.
So the other animals resumed their turn-taking.
But every time Koala's shift rolled around, she always found an excuse for why she couldn't help Dig.
Koala! Um, there's a thorn in my foot! Ka-wah!
A mosquito bit my nose. Ka-wah! I'm having a dizzy spell.
As a result, the other animals wound up doing all the work.
Come here. Hours passed in the sweltering heat.
Then finally, as Wombat was finishing his sixth, or was it seventh, shift, He let out a cry of joy.
Woohoo! Water! I've struck water! Indeed, the dirt Wombat was digging had grown very, very moist, And just like that, a tiny trickle of water had spurted out.
Wombat Emu, Echidna, and Tree Kangaroo were overjoyed.
All the cheering suddenly roused Koala from her nap.
Water? Did someone say water? I must have some.
Without missing a beat, Koala leapt into the riverbed.
She scurried down to the bottom of the hole the other animals had dug.
Then she began to drink. And slurp. And gulp. until the other animals began to cry out.
Stop, koala, stop! You're drinking all the water!
Save some for us! We're all so thirsty.
It's only right to share. The koala paid them no heed.
She kept drinking, slurping, and gulping the water the others had worked so hard to find.
It was then that Wombat got an idea. He raced down to Koala, took hold of her long, glossy, bushy tail, and began to pull.
Then Emu grabbed onto Wombat with her wings and began to pull him.
Echidna seized one of Emu's legs and began to pull her.
Then Tree Kangaroo grasped hold of Echidna and began to pull him.
The animals pulled and pulled and pulled until they heard a loud popping sound.
And they all went flying backwards. First tree kangaroo.
Then echidna. Whoa! Then Emu. Then Wombat. and clutched tight in Wombat's furry little paws was none other than...
Indeed. After being pulled and tugged so hard, Koala's long, glossy, bushy tail had burst. popped right off.
And to this day, koalas don't have any tail at all.
They also rarely drink any water. They'll munch on eucalyptus leaves, They'll lick raindrops dribbling down a tree trunk during a storm, but you won't see them slurping and gulping at a river. stream, or waterhole.
Perhaps it's because they somehow remember that fateful day in another time long, long ago. when their ancestors' laziness and tall tales caused her to lose her tail.
? ? Thank you. Now it's your turn. Think about the last time you were part of a team.
Maybe it was a sports team. maybe it was a group project at school maybe it was family pizza or taco night and each of you helped out making dinner Find some paper and use a pen, pencil, crayon, or marker to divide your paper in half.
On one side, draw a picture of you and your team working together.
On the other side... Draw a picture of what you achieved or accomplished together.
Once you're done, share your drawing with someone you like to have fun with.
And if you'd like, share it with us. Grownups, our email address is circleround at wbur.org.
This week's story, The Tale of Koala's Tale, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shearer.
It was edited by Circle Round's supervising producer, Nora Sachs.
Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis.
Our artist is Sabina Han. Sabina has drawn a black and white picture for every Circle Round story, and you can print them out and color them in.
You grown-ups can find more than 175 Circle Round coloring pages on our website.
WBUR.org slash Circle Round. Special thanks to this week's actors, Amy Brentano, Ryan DeLusong, Jeffrey Song, Dawn Ursula, and Kanye Teohorn.
You grown-ups may recognize Kanya T. O'Horn from Letterkenny and its spin-off series Shorzy on Hulu. as well as Rutherford falls on Peacock.
She also stars in reservation dogs now in its second season on FX.
The featured instrument in today's story was the flute.
You can learn more about this member of the Woodwind family and see a picture on our website And have you heard?
Circle Round has gone from podcast to the page.
Our first two picture books, A Taste of Honey and The Tale of the Unwelcome Guest are out now.
Visit wbur.org slash circle round to get your copies.
Never want to miss an episode of Circle Round?
Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening right now. and please help us reach even more listeners by writing us a five star review and telling 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 with you.
My name is Fiona and I live in Ridgefield, Washington.
And my favorite Circle Round story is Share and Cheer Alike.
I like the part where the rabbit gets all of the yummy food.
Hello, my name is Rodrigo. My favorite trick around is The queen of the forest, when the cricket says, I'm a bug, I'm an insect.
It's a type of... Well, my name is Rose.
And now I'm from Eugene, Oregon. And my favorite Circle Round story is The Person and Sister.
I like the part where they fight over the last spider's food.
My name is Avery and we live at Willaska.
I like the Lion Queen because I like the part where she gets the lesson.
Hi, my name is Henry. I live in California.
My favorite story is Chief Know-It-All. I like the park. where the chief throws a spear in the middle of the target.
Hi, my name is Naima, and I live in Austin, Texas, and my favorite story is The Troop of Ten.
I left the park where the king and queen realized that they have an ink lock on their left hand.
Hello, my name is Ellie. I live in Oakland, California, and my favorite Circle Round story is lookalike falls because I like the part where the king learns that it's not about having a shortcut, but it's about getting wisdom and listening to your heart.
No problem. You can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
That's wbur.org slash circleround, or wherever you and your grown-ups get your podcasts.
