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. Think about the most honest person you know, someone you can count on to tell the truth.
Maybe it's a family member. Maybe it's a friend Maybe it's even you.
We're about to meet a wise judge. who has to determine who's telling the truth and who isn't. and he does some very surprising things to figure it out.
? ? I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.
Today our story is called The True Mother.
It comes from the island nation of Japan in East Asia.
Some really great people came together to bring you our version of this folktale. including Alex Landy.
Grown-ups, you may recognize Alex from Grey's Anatomy on ABC, and insatiable on Netflix.
So circle around, everyone, for The True Mother. long ago. in a big, bustling city.
There lived the wisest and fairest judge in all the land.
The judge was especially famous for the clever and unusual ways he resolved his cases.
One day, two women appeared before the judge in his grand courtroom.
One of the women was dressed in red. the other in blue.
When the women entered, The judge noticed they were both pushing the same baby carriage.
Each woman had one hand on the carriage's handle.
When the judge peered inside the carriage, He saw a rosy-cheeked baby boy.
Your Honor, we have a problem. The judge was about to respond to the woman in red.
When the woman in blue cut in. No, no, no.
We don't have a problem. Your Honor, I have a problem.
You see this baby here? She gestured toward the carriage.
This baby is mine. Yet this woman claims he's hers.
That's because he is mine. No, he isn't.
Yes, he is. No, he... Enough! The judge held up his hand.
The women grew silent. So both of you are claiming to be the boy's mother.
Tell me. Do either of you have any witnesses to back up your claim?
Someone who can prove that this baby belongs to you?
The women glared at each other. Then the woman in red turned back to the judge.
I'm afraid we don't have any witnesses, Your Honor.
You see, we're both new to the city. We traveled here together.
From a village far, far away. And we used to be friends. until she tried to steal my baby.
No. You're trying to steal my baby. No, you're trying to steal mine.
No, you're trying to steal my... Enough!
Once again, the judge held up his hand. You know...
A simple way to determine the real mother is to see which one of you the child most resembles.
Please. Come closer. The women stepped forward.
The judge's eyes moved from the woman in red to the woman in blue. he did this several times studying each face intently hmm I have to say, I'm not seeing any particular resemblance to either one of you.
We'll have to try something else. The judge scratched his head.
Then he tilted it to one side. Hmm. Tell me.
Is this baby old enough to crawl? The woman in red smiled.
He is, Your Honor. Well, that's only because I'm the one who taught him.
No, you're not. Yes, I am. No, you're... Ladies!
Ladies! Enough with the squabbling! You've asked me to resolve your case, and I will.
The judge stood up from his seat and came out from behind the bench.
He strode over to the carriage, then reached down and lifted the baby boy into his arms.
All right. You say the baby knows how to crawl?
Let's see which one of you he crawls to. when given the choice.
But please, no talking. We'll wait and see which one of you he chooses on his own.
The judge knelt down and placed the baby on the floor.
All right, little fella, crawl to mommy.
All eyes were on the baby. A moment passed, then another.
Then another. But the child didn't crawl toward the woman in red or the woman in blue.
In fact, he didn't budge. He just sat there, playing with his toes.
Well, clearly we'll have to take a different approach.
Oh, I know! We'll have each one of you hold the baby, then see which one he's happiest with.
The women flipped a coin to see who would hold the baby first.
The woman in red won the toss. But when the judge handed the child to the woman in red... Come here, my darling boy.
The baby burst into tears, and the woman in blue burst into laughter.
There's no way that baby could be yours.
He started bawling the second he got into your arms.
Here, let me try. The judge took the baby from the woman in red and swayed the infant back and forth until he quieted down.
But when the judge handed the baby to the woman in blue, Come to mommy.
The child burst into tears again. Your Honor, I have no idea why he's crying.
I tell you, I'm his mother. The woman in red was about to protest when, once more, the judge held up his hand.
Please, let's all remain calm until we figure this out.
The judge took the baby from the woman in blue.
He patted the boy's back until the crying subsided completely.
Then he placed the child back inside the carriage.
I have to admit... This case is proving to be more difficult than I thought.
The judge shuffled back to his seat and put his head in his hands.
As he sat there, deep in thought, the women waited with bated breath.
Five minutes passed. Then 10. Then 20. Finally, as the clock struck noon, the judge raised his head again.
When he did, his eyes were sparkling. Ladies.
I promised you I would resolve this case, and I will.
But this is an extraordinary situation, and it can only be solved by extraordinary means.
The judge called his clerk over. Please, go to the market and bring me the following things.
One bowl of rice, one heaping plate of noodles, and a steaming hot pot of green tea.
And hurry, we have work to do. What do you think the judge is cooking up?
What would you do if you were the judge?
We'll find out what happens after a quick break.
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Hiring? Indeed is all you need. need. Welcome back to Circle Round.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called The True Mother.
The True Mother When we left off, two women were both claiming to be the mother of a rosy-cheeked baby boy.
The judge tried several tests to see who was telling the truth, but nothing seemed to work.
The judge promised the women he would resolve their case.
So, as the clock struck noon... He asked his clerk to bring him three things.
A bowl of rice... a plate of noodles, and a pot of green tea.
When the clerk returned, the judge sniffed the rice, He poked at the noodles.
He sloshed the tea around in the pot. Then he turned toward the woman in red and the woman in blue.
Ladies, as I mentioned, a case as unusual as this one requires unusual methods.
I'm talking about... Fortune-telling. The women gasped.
Yes, I, the judge, will attempt to look into the future.
And based on what the future tells me, I will figure out who the baby's mother really is.
The women watched with wide eyes as the judge tucked a napkin into his collar.
Then he picked up a pair of chopsticks and plucked one grain of rice from the bowl.
He scrunched up his forehead as he examined the grain carefully.
Oh, my. Very interesting. Yes, yes! The judge popped the grain of rice into his mouth.
Then he reached down and picked up another grain.
As with the first, he studied it intently...
Wow, my goodness. Huh. Uh-huh. Then ate it.
The judge repeated this process over and over. until the entire bowl of rice was gone.
I must say, we are off to an excellent start.
Very promising. Next, the noodles. Once again, the judge grasped the chopsticks.
He lifted a noodle and gave it a wiggle.
Mmm. Uh-huh. I see. The judge brought the noodle to his lips and slurped it down.
Then he repeated the process with another noodle.
Would you look at that? And another. My, my, my.
And another. Fascinating. Soon, all of the noodles were gone, The judge wiped his lips with his napkin, then stared at the woman in red and the woman in blue.
His eyes were gleaming. A very clear vision of the future has come to me.
I've seen an image of the boy's real mother.
You have? Tell us more. Well... The judge took a deep breath.
This vision takes place 40 years from now.
So the woman is 40 years older than she is today.
Her hair is gray. Her fingers are stiff.
But she's hard at work. In the rice fields.
The woman in blue grimaced. the rice fields 40 years from now?
Shouldn't both of us be retired by then?
The judge held up a finger. But wait, wait!
That's not all I saw. There's a reason the real mother is working in the rice fields 40 years from now.
It's because her full-grown son has become ill, gravely ill. and she's toiling away to support her beloved child.
She's bent over those rice paddies, sweat streaming down her face.
Day in and day out. Sun up to sundown. Seven long days of... Stop!
All eyes shifted to the woman in blue. This child, he isn't mine.
The judge raised his eyebrows. He's not yours, you say?
And why are you telling the truth now? The woman in blue threw up her hands.
Isn't it obvious? You shouldn't have to take care of your child when you're old and grey.
Your child is supposed to take care of you.
That's the whole point of having children.
The judge turned to the woman in red. And what about you?
Do you think the whole point of having children is so someone will care for you when you're old and gray?
The woman in red blushed. No, your honor.
She gazed down at the carriage. Your honor.
I love this boy with every bone in my body.
And as long as there is breath in my body, I will work to support him if he needs me.
And I'll do it happily. After all, he's my son.
So he is. The judge stood up. and walked over to the baby carriage.
He lifted the rosy-cheeked boy and held him out to the woman in red.
Please, take this child. It's more than apparent to this court that he really, truly is yours.
This time... When the judge handed the boy to the woman, the baby didn't cry at all.
Instead, as his grateful mother pulled him close, the infant smiled.
Suddenly, the judge cried out. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you what happens next in my vision.
After being so terribly, terribly sick, the full grown son completely recovers from his illness. and he goes on to become quite successful.
He starts a beautiful family of his own. then invites his mother to move into their magnificent house by the sea. where they all live happily together for a long, long time.
The woman in red cried tears of joy as she hugged her son.
The woman in blue, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and stomped out of the courtroom in a huff.
The woman in red kissed the top of her baby's head.
Then she looked at the judge. Your Honor.
I can't thank you enough for helping me get my son back.
But I have to ask. She gestured toward the empty rice bowl, the empty noodle plate, And the very full pot of tea.
The green tea you asked for. You never used it.
I thought for sure that you'd study the tea leaves to read the future.
The judge grinned. Nah. He lifted the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea.
The tea was just there to wash down my lunch.
Well, years went by, and as it happens, The woman's son did get sick, very sick.
She worked to take care of him, and when he recovered, they all lived happily ever after.
But what do you think? Did the judge really see the future in his rice and noodles?
Or was he just enjoying a hot lunch? I'll leave it to you to decide.
Now it's your turn. Pick a grownup in your life. and ask them about a time they used their imagination to solve a problem.
A time they called on their creativity to crack a puzzle or get out of a tough spot.
Keep your grown-up's experience in the back of your mind.
And the next time you find yourself with a problem and aren't sure what to do, Perhaps you can use what they tell you as inspiration.
This week's story, The True Mother, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear.
It was edited by Virginia Marshall. Circle Round's executive producer is Catherine Brewer.
Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. like Eric's music?
Then you will love the music of Circle Round Volume 1, our soundtrack from our first season.
To get your copy, visit our website, wbur.org, and click on Soundtrack and Copy. coloring pages.
While you're there you can find, yes, our coloring pages.
Circle Round's artist, Sabina Hahn, has created a black and white picture for every single Circle Round story.
And you? can color them in. Special thanks to this week's actors, Hannah Kenney, Lisa Ewan, and Alex Landy.
Grown-ups, check out Alex on the Netflix series Insatiable and the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
Plus, look for him on Season 3 of Station 19, also on ABC.
The featured instrument in today's story was the toy piano.
You can read about this really fun keyboard and see a picture on our website, wbur.org.
Never want to miss an episode of Circle Round?
Ask a grown-up to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever they get their podcasts.
And please leave us some stars, write us a review, or just 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 with you.
Hi, my name is Olivia and I'm from Woodbridge, Virginia And I have two favorite circle round stars, and they are the loop player and the three-legged pot.
My name is Adit. My favorite story is the rice cake Thanks for the OD.
I like the birds when they read my things for the OD.
Hi, I'm Eleanor, and my favorite story is...
Why is the OC salty? Did someone mention an episode you missed?
No problem. 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.
