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 grownups.
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. I heard the greatest phrase recently.
Maybe you've heard it before too. It goes like this.
Curses like chickens. come home to roost.
In other words, if someone does something mean or selfish, They'll eventually pay the price and face the consequences.
And in the story we're about to hear, those consequences last forever.
I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome to Circle Round Live at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Today our story is called Treasure Mountain.
Versions of this tale come from China and East Asia.
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 Treasure Mountain.
Thank you. in a wide valley beneath a great mountain.
There lived a farmer named Willow, her beloved father, and their sturdy mule, Jade.
Every day Willow and Father woke up in their small wooden hut and worked their small plot of land, growing wheat. and beans.
They kept part of the crop for themselves, then sold the rest at market But one year, the crops refused to grow.
There was plenty of sun, plenty of rain, yet the wheat and beans wouldn't even sprout.
My father was beside himself. Oh, Willow, whatever will we do?
Our wheat and beans are how we make money.
Without them, we won't have two coins to rub together, let alone any food to eat.
Don't worry, Father. I'll find a way for us to survive.
Early next morning, Willow got on Jade's back and went riding through the valley, searching for food in the wild.
Ooh, James, look at these wild greens and mushrooms. and garlic.
I'll also dig up some of this wild ginger here.
And a few of these Leaves of mint, oh, they'll add some wonderful flavor.
That night, Willow and Father prepared a scrumptious if humble feast.
But just as they were about to dig in, there was a knock at the door.
Hmm, I wonder who that could be. Travelers rarely make their way through this valley.
Especially at night. I'll go and see. When Willow answered the door, she found herself face to face with an old woman.
The woman was stooped and frail, and her weathered hands clutched a long, whittled walking stick.
Good evening, young lady. Oh my, what is that glorious smell?
I haven't eaten since breakfast and my stomach is rumbling like thunder.
Would you mind sharing some of your dinner?
"'Of course not, ma'am. Please, come in.
Eat all you want.' The old woman hobbled to the table and gulped down bite after bite When she was finished, there was nothing left for Willow and Father.
Thank you for the wonderful food friends, but I seem to have devoured every last morsel.
Not to worry, ma'am. Father and I are always happy to help a stranger in need.
But tell me, where are you headed this evening?
Perhaps my mule and I can give you a ride?
Oh, sweet of you, dear. these worn-out bones of mine, I'll gladly take you up on the offer."
She pointed a wrinkled finger at the top of the mountain.
I'm headed up there. to the summit of the mountain.
The summit was very high and very far, but Willow led the old woman to Jade's stable helped her climb onto the mule's back, then led her across the valley to the mountain.
They walked up the mountain for hours, ascending twisting narrow trails with a steep cliff dropping off to one side.
At last they reached the summit It was flat like a plateau and it had a huge boulder on it. so big it looked as if you could step inside it like a cave.
Beside the boulder was a cozy cabin made of rough-hewn logs.
Well, here we are. Home sweet home. Willow helped the woman down from Jade's back.
Thank you, dear. You've been so generous.
Now it's time for me to return the favor.
The woman reached into her cloak and pulled out two keys, one gold, one silver.
Listen close, my dear. Inside this massive boulder here is a cave.
On the outside wall, you'll find a lock made of stone.
Use this gold key to open that lock. Once you're inside the cave and the stone door closes behind you, You will see treasures.
Treasures beyond your wildest dreams. take what you will and when you're done Use the silver key to open the stone lock on the inside wall.
But take care not to lose this silver key.
Because without it, you will be stuck inside the cave for the rest of your days.
Do you understand? I understand. Thank you.
And thank you. With that, the old woman grasped her walking stick and went shuffling into her cabin.
Willow could hardly wait to bring home the gold and silver keys.
When she returned to the hut, Father's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened to her story.
My goodness, Willa, what a generous gesture.
You and Jade should visit the cave first thing tomorrow.
But I'll stay home. That way you can load all of your treasures onto the mule's back.
Willow woke with the sun, placed the gold and silver keys in her pocket, then rode Jade up to the mountaintop.
When they reached the summit, Willow walked up to the old woman's cabin and gave a knock at the door.
Hello? Ma'am, I'm back. But no one answered.
So Willow did as the old woman instructed.
She used the gold key to open the lock on the boulder.
And the moment she stepped inside the cave, a stone door slammed shut behind her.
Now, You'd think it would be completely dark inside a sealed-off cave, right?
But this cave was glittering and twinkling with light because it was filled with piles of sparkling golds. silver and diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies.
But what caught Willow's eye the most wasn't these shimmering gemstones.
It was something else entirely. There, in the corner, is that a hand milk?
It's got a good-sized hopper and a grinding wheel. and a nice sturdy crank.
Once our crops start growing again, I could use the mill to grind wheat and make flour.
All these other treasures are pretty, but the hand mill is more practical.
That's what I'll take home. So with the hand mill tucked under her arm, Willow fished the silver key from her pocket and opened the cave door.
As she stepped outside, it slammed shut behind her.
When she returned home and told father about her adventures, he clapped his hands with joy.
I'm so proud of you, daughter. This hand mill was a fine choice.
You know, we still have a few grains of wheat stuck at the bottom of our storage bags.
What do you say we take our new mill for a spin and make a bit of flour?
Willow and Father plucked the rest of the wheat out of the bags and placed a handful of grains in the hopper.
But as Willow turned the crank, her jaw dropped wide open.
Fathers dropped even wider. because what they saw was impossible to believe.
What do you think happened when Willow turned the hand mill's crank?
We'll find out after a quick break. Support for Circle Round comes from Indeed.
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Hiring? Indeed is all you need. end. What are Circle Round listeners saying about the Circle Round Club?
The newest membership opportunity for superfans like you.
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I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome back to Circle Round live at Tanglewood.
Today our story is called Treasure Mountain.
Before the break, an old woman thanked Willow for her generosity by giving her a gold key and a silver key.
The gold key would let Willow into a cave full of treasure.
The silver key would let her out. But as the old woman warned, Take care not to lose this silver key.
Because without it, you will be stuck inside the cave for the rest of your days.
Willow could have taken home gold, silver and diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies.
But instead, she chose a hand mill. She thought it would be more practical.
She and father only poured a few grains of wheat into the mill's hopper, But as Willow turned the crank... Oh, my!
The impossible occurred. for an abundance of soft, smooth flour came flowing from the hand mill.
And it didn't stop. Even after the last bit of wheat was gone, more and more flour came pouring pouring out of the mill until it was overflowing all over the floor of Willow and Father's hut.
Willow, it's a miracle. This hand mill must be enchanted.
Indeed, but what will we do with all this flour?
There's far too much for us to use alone.
We should share it with our neighbors in the valley.
So they did. And it wasn't long before word of this miraculous hand mill reached the emperor. and Empress.
The Emperor and Empress owned more riches than all of their people combined, Yet they were always raising the people's taxes and making their lives hard.
Oh, Empress, we must have that hand mill for ourselves.
It can make us worlds richer than we already are.
Whoo, I like the sound of that. Guards, go out and bring us that hand mill.
The guards immediately mounted their horses, galloped to the small wooden hut, and seized the hand mill. much to Willow and Father's dismay.
You can't do this! This hand mill was a gift.
But when the guards brought the hand mill back to the Emperor and Empress, The moment the greedy rulers turned the crank... What?
On earth! What's going on? They began to sputter and cough.
This hand mill isn't producing flour. It's producing chocolate.
It's in my lungs! It's in my eyes! Guards!
Take this hand mill away! Clearly it's useless!
Meanwhile, back in the valley, now that Willow and Father had lost their hand mill, They decided they would give the gold and silver keys another try.
When Willow returned to the summit of the mountain, again she knocked at the old woman's cabin door.
Hello? Anyone home? But again, nobody answered.
So Willow used the gold key to unlock the cave.
Once the stone door slammed shut behind her, she considered the treasurers arrayed before her.
Those gemstones sure are beautiful, but what's that over there?
A steel shovel? Hmm. Our farm soil can be pretty rocky given how close we live to the mountain.
That steel shovel could do wonders for us.
So Willow took the shovel, used the silver key to open the stone door, then let it shut behind her as she headed down the mountain.
Back at the small wooden hut, Willow showed the shovel to father.
Look at that fine steel blade. Let's take it out to the fields and give it a try.
But the moment Willow plunged the shovel into the soil, do you know what happened? a bean plant burst up from the earth and began to grow and grow and grow until it was as tall as Willow was.
She dug the shovel into the ground again, and another bean plant sprang up.
This is amazing! Soon the entire field was covered with tall, hardy bean plants.
Willow and Father picked the beans, set aside some for themselves, then distributed the rest among their neighbors.
Well, as you can guess, it wasn't long before news of this An extraordinary shovel reached the Emperor and Empress.
Guards! Go out and bring us that shovel!
So they did, much to Willow and Father's chagrin.
You can't take this from us! It wasn't meant for you.
But when the emperor and empress struck the shovel into the soil of the palace's grand garden... Oh, no!
Dear, they began to yelp and yowl. This shovel isn't growing beans.
It's growing beans. prickly thorns, brambles.
Ouch, my fingers! Ouch, my fingers! Guards, take this ship!
Shuffle away! Obviously, it's useless! took the shovel away, the much aggrieved emperor and empress made a decision.
That was the last straw. The very last straw.
Straw. Guards, go out and bring us the people from whom you took these so-called treasures.
We'd like to have a word with them. So the guards galloped back to the small wooden hut and brought Willow and Father to the house.
So? You're the ones who tricked dust. Fool dust into believing you had a magic hand mill.
And a mystical shovel. With all due respect, your excellencies, we weren't fooling you.
The hand mill and shovel worked perfectly well for us.
Those treasures were gifts in exchange for the kindness we showed an old woman.
Kindness, eh? I must say we don't know the slightest thing about kindness.
But we do know about treasures.
And we hereby order you to take us to the place where you got your treasures.
If you refuse, you will be banished from this land.
Well, what else could Willow and Father do?
With the Emperor and Empress in tow, they began winding their way up the mountain.
Are we there yet? I'm sweating so much my velvet robes are soaking wet.
And I'm sweating so much my crown keeps slipping off my head.
When they finally reached the top, Willow glanced toward the old woman's cabin.
She thought she saw a face peering through the window, but when she looked again, it was gone.
Willow reached into her pocket and pulled out the gold key.
Your Excellencies, this gold key will unlock a secret door in the cave.
Once you get inside, you'll find all sorts of treasures.
I have to warn you though, unless you take this other key... But that's all the Emperor and Empress heard.
The greedy rulers had already snatched the gold key from Willow's hand. unlocked the stone wall and raced into the cave with the door slamming shut behind them.
Willow and Father exchanged a look. They knew they were both thinking the exact same thing. the over-eager sovereigns hadn't taken the silver key And now they would be locked inside the cave for the rest of their days.
The next morning, back at the small wooden hut, Willow was troubled by a nagging thought.
Father... the old woman's gold key. It was a gift for us, but now it's lost forever. stuck inside Treasure Mountain.
I feel so badly. You have a kind soul, daughter.
But the old woman was kind as well. I say you take Jake and return to the cabin.
Apologize for the key's loss, then ask forgiveness.
I'm sure she'll understand. So Willow mounted her mule and rode to the summit of the mountain.
But when she reached the plateau, What?
The cozy cabin made of rough-hewn logs had vanished.
Instead... where it once stood. There lay a brand new hand mill and a brand new steel shovel.
Beside them was a note. Willow picked it up to read it.
In elegant, if somewhat shaky handwriting, the note said simply, Thank you.
Well, after that, Willow and Father never had to worry about their crops not growing.
Thanks to the hand mill and steel shovel, they always had what they needed and shared the rest with those in need.
As for the greedy emperor and empress, well...
No one ever saw them again. But they do say that if you come to a certain mountain, and you ascend the twisting narrow trail to the summit. you'll come across a stone door that nobody can open. with treasures that only two miserly and miserable people can enjoy,
Locked deep inside. Now it's your turn.
What's something that you treasure? A favorite toy, perhaps?
A pet? How about a cherished friend or family member?
Draw a picture of you and your treasured item or person, then share it with someone you like to have fun with.
And if you want, share it with us. Your grown-ups can snap a photo of you and your drawing and email it to circleround at wbur.org.
¶¶ This week's story, Treasure Mountain, 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'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. as 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 Sheer. 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.
Hello, my name is Phoebe and I live in Brooklyn and my favorite circle on is the charming flute because I like the poet. where Anastasia makes all of the animals go after a boss.
And also, I have a baby sister named Mama Grace.
Have a bye. My name's Navy and my favorite story is Fiona and the fairies.
My favorite part in The only thing is when they keep asking her when to bake the cake.
My name is Michael. I live in Oregon. And my favorite is Coyote's Flame.
The part I love about it is When she hikes up to the fire people.
Hi, my name is Vera. I live in Cleveland, Ohio.
My favorite Circle Round story is The Horse of a Different Color.
My favorite part is when the girl finds the horse and makes wishes on it.
Hi, my name's Izzy. I live in Charleston and My favorite Circle Round story is Mangoes in the Middle because it's sort of a mystery because you don't know which person gets to keep the mango tree.
Hi, my name is Eden and I live in Norwich, Vermont and my favorite Circle Round store is the Horse of a Different Color.
I like the part where she gets three wishes.
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 Circle Round, or wherever you and your grown-ups get your podcasts.
