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This is But Why, a podcast for curious kids from Vermont Public Radio. I'm Jane Lindholm. On this podcast, we usually take questions from kids like you and find interesting people to help answer them. But you know how it can be really fun to go over to one of your friends' houses and see what kinds of activities they do, games they play, toys they play with or make?
Well, we love that kind of swap and share stuff too, which is why we're doing something a little bit different this week. Instead of a normal episode of But Why, we're going to check out an episode of one of our other favorite podcasts. We're doing a swap, in fact.
Circle Round is a storytelling show from WBUR, a public radio station in Boston. On Circle Round, they find stories from all over the world and then get really interesting people to act them out. While the creative people who make Circle Round are busy producing new episodes, they shared one of ours, all about baking bread and making cake, with the kids and families who listen to their show.
So this week, they are sharing an episode with us, and it's one of our favorites. It's actually about sharing. It's called The Lion's Whisker.
Here's the host of Circle Round, Rebecca Shear, to introduce it. It isn't always easy getting along with others, right? Sometimes you just don't want to share, or maybe you don't want to wait your turn. Well, today we're going to meet a brother and sister who know exactly how you feel, and they think they can find the answer through magic. ♪ music playing ♪
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today, our story is called The Lion's Whisker. For many years, versions of this folktale have been shared in Ethiopia, a country in East Africa.
Some really great people came together to bring you our tale, including Miles Brown and Marseille Martin, whom you might know from the ABC show Black-ish. And if you're a public radio fan, you may recognize NPR's own Ophavia Quist-Arcton. So, circle around, everyone, for The Lion's Whisker. One summer morning, a brother and sister were waking up from a good night's sleep when their mother called them into the kitchen for breakfast.
They jumped out of bed and rushed to the table. But when they got there, they saw there was only one piece of injera left. Injera is a type of Ethiopian bread.
"'Brother and sister both grabbed for it. "'I sat down first. That injera is mine. "'No, I sat down first. I'm always faster than you. "'No, you're not. Yes, I am.' "'This kind of arguing was common in the house. "'Brother and sister fought over everything. "'Turns, toys, and, yes, food. "'That's my injera. No, it isn't.' "'Just then, Grandmother entered the room. "'Children! Children!'
I've been listening to you fighting since you were wee small things. You're growing older now. Isn't it time the two of you just got along? But, Grandmother, he drives me crazy. And she drives me crazy. Well, children, it isn't always easy having a brother or a sister.
But I may have a special potion that could make things better. A special potion? Give it to us, Grandmother. Please. Well, I would. But to make this potion, I need a very special ingredient. And I am too old to go out and get it myself.
It's a lion's whisker. The mention of a big, mighty, majestic lion made Sister's eyes light up. A lion? We can get it for you, Grandmother. We can get the lion's whisker. Brother stared at his sister in disbelief. Sister, you aren't thinking straight. A lion's whisker?
We can't possibly do that. Brother might have been scared, but he also was curious. He watched as Sister grabbed a piece of meat from the kitchen and ran out the door. He stayed a few steps behind as Sister raced through the forest and up to the river. Sister set the meat near the water and jumped behind a bush to hide. Brother jumped behind another bush close by. A few hours later...
A big, mighty, majestic lion emerged from the forest and walked up to the river. He sniffed the meat, looked around, and gulped it down before slipping back into the forest. Sister was proud of herself for being so brave. Brother was proud of her, too, though he was still too angry from their fight over breakfast to tell her so. As Sister headed back to the village, Brother followed silently behind.
The next morning, Sister told Brother she was returning to the river. I'll keep you company. Sister and Brother walked to the same spot along the river, this time going side by side. They quietly set out two pieces of meat this time, and both hid behind the same bush.
Hours later, they spotted the lion slink out of the forest toward the water. There he is! I see him! I see him! Brother and sister grabbed each other's hand as the lion sniffed the meat. Quickly, he gobbled it up before padding back into the forest.
As sister and brother headed back to the village, they knew what they had to do. The next day, they would ask the lion for a whisker. After all, it was the only way to help grandmother make her special potion. And that potion was the only way to get them to stop fighting, right? So, will brother and sister be brave enough to ask the lion for a whisker? What do you think will happen when they return to the river? We'll find out after a quick break. ♪
Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called The Lion's Whisker. When we left off, sister and brother were helping their grandmother get a special ingredient for a very special potion. She told the children it was a magical concoction that would help them stop fighting. And the ingredient? A lion's whisker.
When brother and sister came back to the river, this time they didn't hide behind a bush. Instead, they stood, hand in hand, right along the water. Soon, the lion approached, looking for meat. Still holding hands, sister and brother crept toward him. When they were just a few feet from the big, mighty, majestic creature, they took a deep breath.
King Lion, we are the children who left you me over the past two days. Now, we have a question we'd like to ask. You see, we are brother and sister, and we cannot seem to get along. We fight over everything. Everything. And we wonder if you could please give us one of your whiskers. So that our grandmother can make a special potion to make us stop fighting. The lion lifted his head, blinked his eyes, and took a few slow steps toward brother and sister.
He sat down on the ground and brought his face in close. Still clutching her brother's hand, Sister used her free hand to gently poked one of the lion's long whiskers. She stared at it for a moment before she spoke. "King Lion, thank you! Thank you so much! We are truly grateful and we will leave you in peace." The lion nodded, then disappeared into the forest.
Brother and sister ran straight home to grandmother. Grandmother! Grandmother! We did it! We got the lion's whisker! That is wonderful, my children. Just wonderful. You did it. And you did it together. So, can we have our potion now? Yes! Grandmother smiled. My sweet darlings...
There is no potion. Brother and sister didn't understand. No potion? How could there be no potion? Children! It wasn't easy to wait for that lion or to ask him for his whisker or to work together day after day. Those hard things, those are the same things you need in order to get along.
You have shown courage and patience and understanding. A potion cannot soothe fighting hearts. It is you yourselves that can make things better. Brother and sister looked at each other. Courage? Patience? Understanding? Yes, you will be brother and sister forever.
And forever you will need to listen to each other and sort things out. It is clear now that you can work together and be kind to one another. Try to use those voices more often and you will fight less. Brother and sister thought about what grandmother said. Listening to each other was not always easy. In fact, it could be downright hard.
But getting along was nice. They could make more of an effort to be kind. The next morning, after a good night's sleep, brother and sister rushed to the kitchen for breakfast. When they reached the table, they found just one piece of injera left. Brother almost grabbed it for himself. But then he thought twice. Why don't we split it?
Good idea, brother. A very good idea. Brother and sister didn't stop fighting forever. But to this day, they do quarrel less. They try to listen more and be kinder with their words. It can be hard sometimes. But hey, it's definitely easier than getting a whisker from a lion. Whistle
Now it's your turn. Is there someone you have trouble getting along with? Maybe it's your brother or your sister or your classmate or friend. How do you think you could get along better? What could you do to help? You know what? Sometimes grown-ups experience these things too. Pick an adult in your life and ask them. Have they ever had trouble getting along with someone? How did they sort things out? ♪
If you can't get enough of The Lion's Whisker, you can find other versions of this story and some beautiful illustrations by Sabina Hahn, including some you can color. It's all on our website. Tell your grown-ups they can find us at wbur.org slash circleround. We're also keeping an album on Instagram, and we'd love to see what you color. If you'd like to share your picture and your grown-ups use Instagram, ask them to help you post your artwork and tag it with hashtag circleround.
We have a new story every week on Circle Round, and we don't want you to miss a single one. You can subscribe to Circle Round on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you like what you hear, please write a review. It'll help other people find the show. ♪
Today's story, The Lion's Whisker, was adapted by Jessica Alpert and me, Rebecca Shear. Original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis, with special thanks this week to instrument builder Sebastian Pott. Casting is by Amy Lippins, CSA, along with help from our executive producer, Jessica Alpert. Circle Round's illustrator is Sabina Han. Our intern is Chris Yulian.
Special thanks to today's actors, Ophabia Quiz-Darkton, Miles Brown, and Marseille Martin. You can catch Miles and Marseille on Black-ish, now in its fourth season on ABC. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us. Did you hear Rebecca asking those questions at the end? Are there people you struggle to get along with?
Those are the kinds of questions we like to tackle at But Why, too. So if you have questions about getting along with your siblings, or sharing, or about lions, or podcasting, you can send anything you're curious about to questions at butwhykids.org. Have an adult record you using maybe a smartphone memo function. Tell us your first name, where you're from, and how old you are, along with your question.
Thanks to Circle Round for swapping episodes with us. That was really fun. But Why, a podcast for curious kids, is produced by Melody Beaudet and me, Jane Lindholm, at Vermont Public Radio. Our theme music is by Luke Reynolds. We'll be back in two weeks with an all-new episode of our own. Until then, stay curious. From PR.
