The Salmon Famine
23:54 Share

WBUR Podcasts, Boston. This Circle Round episode was one of two recorded in February 2025 at Boston's Symphony Hall, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. To be first in line for upcoming Circle Round events, including our annual Tanglewood show this summer, join the Circle Round Club. Grown-ups, sign up your superfans today at wbur.org slash circleroundclub. And now, on with the story.

Think about a time you shared with someone. Maybe you shared a toy or some food. Maybe you shared some time. Sharing with others can make everyone feel good. But in today's story, we'll meet three giants who refuse to share until a clever coyote does his share to teach them a giant lesson. ♪

I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome to Circle Around Live at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Today our story is called The Salmon Famine. It comes from indigenous tribes of the present-day Canadian and American Pacific Northwest. ♪

Joining me on stage is a star-studded cast of actors: Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu, Faith Saley, and Bethany Van Delft. Providing musical accompaniment, under the direction of our own Eric Shemelonis, is a world-class sextet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Kathy Basrak on viola, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Forman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass, Suzanne Nelson on bassoon, and Austin Ruff on horn. So, circle 'round, everyone!

for the salmon famine.

Long, long ago, when the world was ruled by animals, the craftiest and cleverest of all creatures was Coyote. The wild and wily dog was always playing tricks. Sometimes he used his cunning to get something he wanted. Sometimes he used it to teach a lesson. This story is about a time he did both.

Coyote made his home along a wide, winding river. And like the other animals who lived by the riverside, each year Coyote eagerly awaited the running of the salmon. The running of the salmon happened every summer when the big, sleek fish known as salmon left the salt water of the ocean and swam upstream to the freshwater of the river where they had first been born. And what a feast those salmon make!

The minute we animals spot those plump, delicious fish muscling against the current, we reach into the river, snatch them out of the water, and enjoy a mouth-watering meal. However, this particular summer, something unexpected happened. The salmon didn't show up.

And though Coyote and the other animals waited... Here, fishy fishies! And waited. Nice fishy fishies! The salmon never appeared. What is going on? The salmon should have started running by now. If the salmon don't come, a long hungry famine will. I must get to the bottom of this mystery. Coyote bolted toward the water and dove in.

He floated downstream for hours, keeping his eyes peeled for salmon. At last, as he drifted past a thick, tangled forest, what should he spy in the river, stretching all the way from one side to the other, but... A dam! A big wall of logs and stones. The dam is catching the salmon as they swim upstream. And look! It's trapping them so they can't move.

Who would do such a thing? Who would build a giant dam and hoard the fish for themselves? The moment Coyote asked that question, he heard the sound of thundering footsteps.

Followed by the sound of thundering voices, Coyote leaped from the river and sprang behind a bush just as three giants, sisters, actually, burst out of the forest. One was especially tall. It's time to eat, sisters! One was especially wide. Look at all these yummy salmon we've caught! And one was especially big.

They're going to be absolutely delish. All three giants were carrying big wooden clubs. And before Coyote's very wide eyes, each of the sisters seized a flip-flopping fish by the gills. Come here, little slippery fish. Hold it from the water. You're going to get away from me. Then stunned it with a club blow to the head. Sorry, you've got to do it.

With their dazed dinners and their jumbo hands, the sisters lumbered back into the forest. Coyote waited till they were out of sight before emerging from his hiding place. I can't believe it! Those giant sisters are hogging all the salmon by trapping them in their dam! I must find a way to free those fish by using my cunning, my wiles, and my men! Something we didn't mention before about Coyote

He was a shapeshifter. He could magically transform into any creature he wanted. And as he plotted a way to free the salmon from the giant sisters, he suddenly got an idea. He twitched his ears, wiggled his nose, and in no time flat... He transformed into a baby.

A baby giant, as it happens. Sort of a mini version of the three sisters, only nowhere near as tall, wide, or hairy. In fact, he was downright adorable. He plopped down on his little behind, then he opened his cute little mouth and let out a big, whopping... Wow! ...cry. Wow!

Within moments, who should come trundling from the forest, their surfboard-sized arms waving an alarm, but the three giant sisters. Is that a baby? Is he all alone by the river? I don't know, but I do know this. He's totally adorable. Delighted that the sisters were falling for his trick, Coyote smiled his cutest smile and cooed his sweetest coo.

I say we take him home and raise him! Once he gets big enough, he can help us collect s- Or he can collect it for us! And cook it too. Maybe he'll even tidy up our house. We'll never have to lift a finger again. The sisters scooped up their future "servant" and carried him to their deep dark cave in the forest.

After Coyote's long trip down the river, he was faint with exhaustion and hunger. So when the sisters offered him a bite of fresh cooked salmon, he eagerly gulped it down. Then he snuggled up beneath a blanket and dropped off to sleep.

The next morning, he was awoken by his siblings' booming voices. Get up, little one! The three of us are going out to gather roots and vegetables to make a scrumptious salmon stew. Don't even think about leaving while we're gone. We wouldn't want to lose our future fisherman. And housekeeper. Good plan.

The sisters grabbed their baskets and fishing clubs, then shambled away. Once they were gone, Coyote slipped out from the blanket, twitched his ears, wiggled his nose, and transformed into... That's more like it. ...himself.

Those three sisters are really a handful. Not only are they taking all the salmon, they're raising me to be their servant. Little do they know, but I'm about to serve them a lesson. One they will never forget. What do you think Coyote is plotting? What would you do if you were the wily trickster? We'll find out what happens after a quick break.

Support for Circle Round comes from Indeed. You just realized that your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. There's no need to wait. You can speed up your hiring with Indeed.

And Circle Round listeners will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com slash Circle Round. Just go to Indeed.com slash Circle Round right now and support the show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash Circle Round. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring? Indeed is all you need.

If you're a Circle Round superfan, we've got a super fun opportunity for you. Join the Circle Round Club and you'll support our public radio podcast. And as this happy member raves, get cool stuff too. My grandfather bought me a Circle Round membership last Christmas. I really like it because we get a stuffed lion and a reusable bag, which we use all the time for library books.

I also enjoy the birthday message from Rebecca Shear. Grown-ups, sign up your superfan today at wbur.org slash CircleRoundClub. I'm Rebecca Shear. Welcome back to CircleRound Live at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Today our story is called The Salmon Famine.

Before the break, clever Coyote discovered that three giant sisters had built a dam across the river so they could keep all the salmon for themselves. Coyote used his magic to shape-shift into a baby. The sisters found him so irresistible and so promising as a future fisherman, cook, and all-around servant that they brought him to their cave in the woods.

The next morning, after the giants left to pick roots and vegetables and gather more fish, Coyote cooked up a plan. He transformed back into himself, then headed straight for the dam. My goodness! There must be thousands of pink and silver salmon trapped in this dam, desperate to get past.

These salmon need to swim upstream, and the animals need these salmon. So I'm going to fix this problem by breaking it apart. Coyote wrenched a log from the dam. Then he tore out a stone. Then another log. Then another stone. The dam was so large that even after hours of work, Coyote could hardly see a difference.

Boy, oh boy. This job is bigger than I thought, but I should call it a day. The sisters will be here any minute to collect fish for their stew. If they discover my secret, I'll be up the river without a paddle. Coyote took to his heels and scampered to the cave. Then he twitched his ears, wiggled his nose, and transformed into a baby. Goo. Goo.

He had just crawled beneath the blanket when the sisters returned with their vegetables, roots, and fish. It's time to cook up some stew! Let's make sure our new baby brother has plenty to eat. Yeah, he's gonna be big and strong if he's gonna do all the work around this place. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Everyone ate very well that night. And the following morning, the sisters had a hankering for salmon with huckleberry sauce. Once they left the cave with their berry baskets and fishing clubs, Coyote twitched his ears, wiggled his nose, and transformed into...

A wolverine! I'm pretty strong as a coyote, but I need to be even stronger if I'm going to tear this dam apart. Hopefully, this getup will do the trick. Coyote bounded to the dam and got down to business. His new brawny body made him much more efficient. But by the time he had to head back to the cave, he still hadn't broken the dam.

So, the next morning, after the giants left to gather food, Coyote shapeshifted into... A wolf! The next day, he became a moose. And the next day, a bear. Roar!

He kept this routine up for a week. He shapeshifted into bigger and bigger animals. He worked on the dam for a few hours. Then he hurried to the lair and became a baby again. Coyote was busting his tail to bust the dam apart. But progress was slower than he would have liked. Okay, that settles it. I need a new plan. And if it means being discovered by those salmon-stealing sisters, then so be it.

The following morning, after the giants bid their baby brother farewell and headed to the woods with their baskets and clubs, Coyote transformed back into himself. That always feels good. And jumped into action. Each of the sisters had a sturdy wooden spoon that they used for snarfing down soup and stew. Of course, the giants were so gargantuan that in Coyote's eyes, their spoons looked a lot more like bowls.

Coyote gathered up the big wooden spoons. Then he set to work stacking them on his head, one on top of the other. One, two, three. Once all three spoons were in place, Coyote hightailed it to the dam and got to work heaving and hauling stones and logs.

Coyote worked hard, so hard that after a few hours, he had actually managed to create a gap. This gap's not quite big enough for a salmon to swim through, but I'll keep at it, and any minute now those fish could be free. Coyote was so immersed in his task that he didn't hear thundering footsteps plodding from the forest, but he did hear thundering voices. Is that Coyote?

That shaggy rascal is tearing our dam apart! So I say we tear him apart!

The sisters gnashed their teeth and charged toward Coyote. Next thing he knew, the first sister lifted her club and smashed him over the head. But remember, Coyote was wearing three huge wooden spoons, like three sturdy helmets. So when the club came plummeting down, all it did was crash into his top helmet and splinter it apart.

Nice try, but you'll have to try harder than that. Now the second sister raised her club and brought it down on Coyote's noggin. Grrrr! But like her sister before her, all she did was break Coyote's middle helmet to pieces. Not bad. Not too good either. Now it was the third sister's turn. She hoisted her club high and gave Coyote's head a wallop. Grrrr!

But, as you can probably guess, all she succeeded in doing was breaking Coyote's bottom helmet. Just as he yanked one more stone from the dam, and the gap opened wide. Sorry to burst your bubble, ladies, or your dam. The sisters watched in horror as their precious salmon pushed through the hole and surged up the river. Our fish! They're swimming away!

How dare you steal them from us, Coyote? Steal them? Coyote sprang out of the water and on to the opposite bank. I'm not stealing anything. I'm giving these fish back to the other animals along the river who need the salmon to survive. The three of you have been hoarding the fish for yourselves forever.

So now you must learn to share. Gosh, and here I was thinking it's the big sisters who should teach their baby brother a lesson, not the other way around. Big sisters? Baby brother? Whoa, are you saying that all this time you were actually... But that's all Coyote heard.

Because now that he had taught the sisters their lesson, he broke into a sprint and bolted up the riverbank. Mile after mile, the clever canine raced alongside the salmon as he and the fish made their long-awaited way back home.

Now it's your turn. Think about some of the great things you've achieved. Cut out some strips of paper and on each one write the words, I can. And finish that sentence with something you've proven you can accomplish. Put your I can strips in a jar, box, or basket. And each time you rise to a new challenge or learn a new skill, fill out another strip, drop it in, and watch your achievements grow bigger.

This week's story, The Salmon Famine, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Dean Russell. Circle Round's composer is Eric Shimalonis, who conducted our world-class sextet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Kathy Basrak on viola, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass, Suzanne Nelson on bassoon, and Austin Ruff on horn.

Special thanks to everyone at the BSO, including Chad Smith, Tony Fogg, Mark Rulison, Angie DiSocio, Dana Falloon, John Stanton, Stephen Ponczak, Amy Aldrich, and Jason Lyon. And a big circle round of applause for our actors at Symphony Hall, Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu, Faith Saley, and Bethany Van Delft.

Josh Gondelman is a stand-up comedian and Emmy Award-winning writer who can often be heard on the NPR News Quiz Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. You grown-ups can find his comedy special People Pleaser streaming online. Hari Kondabolu is also a regular panelist on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. His comedy specials include Vacation Baby on Hulu and Warn Your Relatives on Netflix. Most recently, he hosted the Netflix food competition show Snack vs. Chef.

Faith Saley is a writer, actress, comedian, and Emmy Award-winning contributor to CBS Sunday Morning. She is also a regular on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Her one-woman show, Approval Junkie, is available on Audible. Bethany Van Delft is an award-winning stand-up comedian and a regular host and storyteller for The Moth. She also co-hosted the Nova series Parental Logic. ♪

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. Grown-ups, visit our website, wbur.org slash circle round, and click on coloring pages. Love the stories you hear on Circle Round? Leave us a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app, and please tell your friends about the show. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.

I'm Rebecca Shearer. Thanks for circling around 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. Hello, my name is Scarlett. I'm from Melbourne, Australia.

Hi, my name is Rowan.

I live in Seattle, Washington, and my favorite circle round story is the clockwork. I like the part when the bird tries to stick his whole body into the rock. My name is Eleonora, and I'm recording from Menlo Park, California, and my favorite story is the Baskillus Stare.

Hi, my name is Vivian and I live in Washington and my favorite joke around stories is the bird of a different feather. I like the part when the lion says he always sticks his tail out from the tree, but where is it now?

Hi, my name is Zoe. I live in Woodbury, Minnesota. My favorite circle around story is the giant steps. And my favorite part is when the giant hops around the house. I'm Nora. I'm from Washington. And my favorite story is Granny Snowstorm. I like it because the brother and sister go down the well in Granny Snowstorm and see her garden and take her mattress for her.

Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry. Grownups, 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, wbur.org slash circleround.