WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
This Circle Round episode was recorded live at the Glendale Performing Arts Center in Glendale California, on January 18th 2026.
You can learn more about our live events and all things Circle Round, including our picture books, merch newsletter and Circle Round Club.
Have you ever been annoyed?
Irritated?
Hot under the collar and bent out of shape?
We all get rankled sometimes.
It's a natural part of life.
And as we'll hear in today's story, how we respond can speak volumes.
I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome to Circle Round.
Live at the Glendale Performing Arts Center in Glendale, California.
Today our story is called The Noise Next Door.
Versions of this tale come from the Caribbean country of Haiti.
Joining me on stage is a quartet of talented actors Theodore Chin, Mary Faber, Helen Hong and Jessica Rau.
Providing musical accompaniment is the one and only Eric Shimalonis.
So circle around, everyone, for The Noise Next Door.
Many suns and moons ago, in a tropical mountainous land, a new president came to power.
The president and her husband could hardly wait to move into the presidential palace, a splendid, sprawling abode with glittering chandeliers twinkling from each ceiling and priceless works of art hanging on each wall.
Her first morning on the job, the new president woke up in her tall feather bed, slipped into her fine tailored suit looking good girl, then went down to the dining room for breakfast.
Her husband, who had been given the title of first gentleman, was already at the table sipping hot coffee.
Good morning, darling.
Are you ready for your first day as president?
I've been ready my entire life.
Back in kindergarten when the teacher asked our class what we wanted to be when we grew up, all the other kids said firefighter, or teacher or rock star.
I said I wanted to be president.
And I said I wanted to be first gentleman.
Dreams really do come true.
Here, Madam President, have some coffee.
The first gentleman filled his wife's mug to the brim.
But before she could take a sip, the palace suddenly echoed with the sound of banging, then clanging, then clinking.
Then clanking, the president dropped her mug and threw her hands to her ears.
What is that noise?
I've never heard such an awful racket.
You've never burned such a waffle's jacket?
No, I've never heard such an awful racket.
You've never blurred such a lawful basket.
No!
Never mind.
I'm going to investigate.
The president sprang from her chair and followed the noise.
The cacophony led her out of the dining room, out of the palace, and into the yard.
Built around the palace was a high wall.
The noise seemed to be coming from the other side.
And when the president unlocked the gate and went bursting through...
She was met with a most unusual sight.
Standing in front of two tiny houses banging clanging, clinking and clinking away was a pair of blacksmiths, metal workers, who use hammers and anvils, axes and chisels to forge things out of iron.
The blacksmith outside the tiny yellow house was hammering a pair of horseshoes.
The blacksmith outside the tiny green house was hammering the wheel of a carriage.
The president took a breath, then called out in her loudest voice, Excuse me, blacksmiths!
Blacksmiths!
The two blacksmiths glanced up.
When they saw who was standing there, they dropped their hammers and gave a polite curtsy.
Good morning, Madam President.
It's an honor to meet you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Please tell me, why are the two of you banging and clanging away here in front of two tiny houses in the middle of the neighborhood?
Don't you have a workshop or something?
A nice quiet studio with thick soundproofed walls that's absolutely nowhere near my palace?
The blacksmiths grinned.
The two of us live here, Madam President.
I live in this yellow house.
And I live in this green one.
We were hired by the former president.
Your predecessor.
He was such a fan of our work that he bought us two little cottages, set side by side, so we could forge iron for the people in town.
And ever since we've been making horseshoes and carriage wheels, candlesticks and cutlery, hinges and hooks latches, locks and more.
The two of us work seven days a week, all day long, morning, noon, and night.
The president cringed.
Seven days a week?
All day long?
Morning, noon, and night?
There was no way she could endure such relentless clamor.
Something must be done.
She just wasn't sure what.
Listen, friends, I have some official business to attend to, so how about we talk again later?
And how about you take the rest of the day off?
The blacksmiths smiled.
We would love to talk later, Madam President.
But we can't take the rest of the day off.
There's too much work to be done.
She has to finish hammering the horseshoes.
And she has to finish hammering her carriage wheel.
But we look forward to seeing you later.
And with that...
The blacksmiths picked up their hammers and resumed their banging, clanging, clinking, and clanking.
The president's head was ringing and her heart was raging as she rushed back to the palace and told her husband about their noisy neighbors.
I know they do good work for the people in town, but I must find a way to silence their clatter.
Otherwise, I'll never be able to run this country, let alone think.
Get your own drink?
No!
Set a bone pink.
Ugh, never mind.
Um, hey, can we just go to the break now?
I need a moment.
Absolutely!
What do you think will happen next?
Will the president overcome her noise nuisance?
We'll find out after a quick break.
I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome back to Circle Round.
Live at the Glendale Performing Arts Center in Glendale, California.
Today our story is called The Noise Next Door.
Before the break, the new president discovered she lived next door to two noisy blacksmiths.
One blacksmith lived in a yellow house.
The other lived in a green one.
Both houses were tiny and had been gifted by the former president, who had hired the women to forge iron for the people in town.
The new president was determined to cut the cacophony.
So that afternoon, while the banging and clanging persisted outside, she strategized with her husband, the first gentleman, about what could be done.
The way I see it, I can't fire them.
You can't hire them?
I thought your predecessor did that.
No, fire them.
Wire?
Fire!
Fire!
As in, give them the boot.
Live them with fruit.
This will never do.
Come here.
The president grabbed her husband's arm and pulled him into the broom closet.
It's a little quieter in here.
What I was saying was I cannot endure another day of the blacksmith's noise.
But since the townspeople depend on them, it wouldn't be right to fire them.
Oh, fire.
I don't want those women out of a job.
I just want them out of here.
So why don't you send them away?
Well, I can't have them banished, Ed.
I'm a president, not a queen.
Excellent point.
Well then, why don't you offer them something?
A nice big wad of cash if they'll move somewhere else?
Hmm.
You know, that might actually work.
Their homes are no bigger than this broom closet after all.
I'll bet they'd love to move somewhere else.
Then it's settled.
You'll get two big bags of coins, you'll go back to the blacksmiths, and you'll make your offer.
Hopefully they'll say yes.
Otherwise, our home will be no bigger than this broom closet because we'll be living in here.
Minutes later, with two bags of money in hand, the president was back at the yellow and green houses, where the blacksmiths were still banging and clanging away.
Excuse me, blacksmiths!
Blacksmiths!
The blacksmiths put down their hammers and gave another curtsy.
Hello again, Madam President.
Glad you could come back and see us.
As am I. My friends, I've come with an offer.
An offer?
Yes.
To backtrack a bit, I think it's wonderful that my predecessor was such a fan of your work.
And it's no wonder you are extremely talented.
Thank you, Madam President.
We've been honing our craft for years.
Of course you have.
Seven days a week, all day long, morning, noon, and night.
However, in looking at these houses my predecessor gave you, I can't help but notice how unsuitable they are.
Unsuitable?
I love my yellow house.
And I love my green one.
But don't you realize how tiny they are?
The two of you have been working so hard for so long.
Don't you deserve a better place to live?
With all due respect, Madam President, we're happy in our houses.
And besides, we don't make enough money to buy new ones.
Oh!
You needn't fret over money.
Here.
The president held out the bags.
I will give each of you a big bag of cash.
You can use the money to leave your current house and get another one somewhere else.
Anywhere else.
The blacksmiths exchanged a look.
Madam President, we appreciate the offer truly.
But what about our customers?
They've come to depend on us.
To make horseshoes and carriage wheels.
Candlesticks and cutlery.
Hinges and hooks.
Yes, no need to go over the whole spiel again.
I got it the first time.
And no need to worry about customers.
You're both so talented, your customers will follow you wherever you go.
The blacksmiths took each other's shoulders and went into a huddle.
When they came out again, they were beaming from ear to ear.
All right, Madam President.
Now that we've had a chance to discuss it, we will take your money and move to new houses.
Just as you asked.
By tomorrow morning.
The President could hardly contain her joy or relief.
Really, oh how marvelous here.
Take your money and best wishes on your move.
It's been wonderful knowing you, just not hearing you.
That night the president went to sleep with a smile on her face.
She could hardly wait for the sweet, peaceful silence that would greet her come morning.
And yet the next day, the moment she and her husband sat down for breakfast, they heard it.
First a banging, then a clanging, then a clinking, then a clanking.
The president's jaw dropped so low it nearly landed in her pancakes.
What is that?
Shut the cat?
We don't have a cat.
Never mind.
Hang on.
The president leaped from the table, sprinted out the door, and burst through the gate.
And guess what?
On the other side of the palace wall banging clanging, clinking and clanking.
In front of the yellow and green houses were the two blacksmiths.
One hammering a horseshoe, the other hammering a carriage wheel.
Excuse me, blacksmiths!
Blacksmiths!
The blacksmiths put down their tools and looked at the president.
What is going on here?
Don't you remember our deal from yesterday?
I gave you both big bags of money so you could leave your houses and move into new ones, yet you're still here.
How dare you break your promise?
The president fixed an accusing eye on the blacksmiths.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about the women seemed different.
The one outside the yellow house spoke up first.
Madam President, we assure you we did not break our promise.
She's right.
Now the blacksmith outside the green house piped up.
We did move, just as you asked.
Then why are you still here?
Well, what you must understand is that the two of us are very close.
We've been friends forever, and we didn't wish to move away from one another.
In fact, we didn't wish to move away from this neighborhood at all.
We like it here, and our customers are so happy and loyal.
However, we did promise you that we would move, so we worked out a plan.
A plan?
What kind of plan?
You haven't moved at all!
But we did!
You see, we decided we would swap our bags of money and buy each other's houses!
You what?!
!
We bought each other's houses.
I moved into her yellow house.
And I moved into her green house.
After all, you did say we could move anywhere else.
So we did.
The president gave the blacksmiths a long look.
And that's when she realized what was different about them.
They had changed places.
Now the blacksmith outside the yellow house was hammering a carriage wheel.
And the blacksmith outside the green house was hammering a pair of horseshoes.
The exact opposite from yesterday.
But here's the thing, Madam President.
We didn't swap all the money you gave us.
Instead, we set some coins aside.
That way we could buy you these.
The blacksmiths reached under their work tables and pulled out two boxes of ear muffs, one pair for everyone in the palace.
Not the kind of earmuffs that keep your ears warm, but the kind that protect your ears from noise.
The president couldn't help but smile because all at once, as she beheld the hard-working women, she understood something.
She understood that friendship And loyalty were powerful things.
So powerful, in fact, they could be as strong as iron.
Now it's your turn.
Is there someone with whom you have a strong friendship?
If so, why not do something kind for them this week?
You could send them a card, write them a song or just share some caring words to remind your pal how much you value their friendship.
Woo-hoo!
This week's story, The Noise Next Door, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear.
It was edited by Dean Russell and performed by Theodore Chin, Mary Faber, Helen Hong and Jessica Rau.
Eric Shimalonis composed our original music and played it live on the musical Anvils.
That's right, Anvils.
You can learn more about these rather interesting percussion instruments and see a photo of Eric playing them on our website wburorg slash circle round.
Circle Round's artist is Sabina Han.
Sabina has created a black and white coloring page for all of our Circle Round stories and you can print them out and color them in while you listen.
Grownups, visit our website, wbur.org slash circle round and click on coloring pages.
And while you're at WBURorg slash Circle Round, you can check out our Circle Round picture books, live events and sign up for your Circle Round newsletter, The Lion's Roar.
Again, it's all at WBUR.org slash Circle Round.
Looking for more ways to Circle Round with us?
Join the Circle Round Club and you can support your favorite public media podcast while getting all sorts of cool stuff, including ad-free episodes, bonus bedtime stories, exclusive swag and the chance to add on goodies like our snuggly lion stuffy and a personalized birthday message from me.
Grownups, visit WBUR.org slash Circle Round and click on Circle Round Club.
One more thing, grownups.
If you enjoy Circle Round, please leave us a five-star rating or review on your favorite podcast app.
Every rating and review will help us keep circling round with you for years to come.
Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR.
I'm Rebecca Shear.
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.
My name is Hank and I live in Prevost, Canada.
My favorite Circle Round story is The Underestimated Beetle.
I like the part when Agouti finds out that Beetle can fly.
My name is June.
I'm from Provo.
My favorite story is Home Sweet Home.
My favorite part is when the bunny hunts leopard.
My name is Ross, and I live in Provo, Utah.
My favorite Circle Round story is Home, Sweet Home, and I like the part when Baboon says is this the place?
Yep, this is the place, all right.
Hi, my name is Addie.
I'm from Watergate, New York.
My favorite episode is The dog is in the window.
My name is Waylon, and I live in Tucson, Arizona.
My favorite episode of Circle Around is At First Light.
My name is Lori, and I live in Hastings-on-Hudson.
And my favorite Circle Around is The Bright Yellow Hat.
My favorite part is when the lady talks to the flowers and notice that the hat is actually to talk to the plants.
My name is Island.
I live on Hastings, Hudson, New York.
My favorite story is Beans and Bunnies.
And my favorite part is when the trickster tricks the mayor with his smartness.
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 oh so much more on our website wburorg slash circleround.
