Crocus-Pocus | Ep. 281

Have you ever had a bad day?

When we’re having a bad day, it can be helpful if we talk about it, and share how we’re feeling with someone we trust.

We’re about to meet a character who isn’t just having a bad day; he’s having a bad summer. And when he talks about it with a complete stranger, things go from tragic… to magic!

Our story is called “Crocus-Pocus.” You’ll find versions of this tale from the southern Italian island of Sicily: the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Voices in this episode include Amanda Warren and Jacob Laval.

Grown-ups, you can see Amanda Warren in a bevy of movies and television shows, including “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Roman J. Israel,” “The Burial,” “The Leftovers,” “East New York,” “Dickinson,” and “The Night Agent,” now in its second season on Netflix.

Jacob Laval has appeared in such TV shows and movies as “Sesame Street,” “John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch,” “The Plot Against America” and “8 Bit Christmas.” His newest film, “The Unbreakable Boy,” is in theaters now. And fun fact: this is Jacob’s second appearance on our podcast! You can find his first episode, “Porcupine’s Plan,” wherever you listen to Circle Round.

This episode was adapted for Circle Round by Rebecca Sheir. It was edited by Dean Russell. Original music and sound design is by Eric Shimelonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn.

GROWN-UPS! PRINT THIS so everyone can color while listening. We’re also keeping an album so please share your picture on Facebook and Instagram, and tag it with #CircleRoundPodcast. To access all the coloring pages for past episodes click HERE. Our resident artist is Sabina Hahn and you can learn more about her HERE.

Now it’s your turn!

What are some small ways you can show kindness to others? Brainstorm a short or long list, then find some paper and draw a picture of a flower garden. Inside each flower, write the words “I can…” followed by an act of kindness from your list.

Show your Kindness Garden to someone you have fun with. And if you’d like, show it to us! Ask a grown-up to snap a photo of you and your garden and email it to circleround@wbur.org. With your permission, we may feature you in “The Lion’s Roar,” the monthly newsletter of the Circle Round Club!

Musical Spotlight: Mandolin

Though the mandolin is classified as a member of the lute family, it’s tuned like a violin. A high-pitched descendant of the ancient oud (which we featured in “The Unwelcome Guest,” “The Sultan’s Figs,” “The Fire Within,” “The Spotted Goat” and “Laughing and Crying”), the mandolin evolved in Italy sometime in the 1500s and 1600s.

As with the oud, the mandolin has a hollow wooden body, and you use a pick to pluck strings on the fingerboard. You’ll hear the mandolin in all sorts of music, including bluegrass, blues, classical, country, folk, jazz and rock. You can also hear Eric playing the mandolin in such episodes as “The Hat, The Horn, and the Purse,” “The Head and the Heart” and “Buried Treasure.”

Story Transcript:

NARRATOR: Have you ever seen the little cup-shaped flower known as the crocus?

Most crocuses originally come from Asia and North Africa. But there’s one type of crocus – the pale purple “long-flowered crocus” – that comes from Europe. More specifically, from the Italian island of Sicily. And according to legend, it was all thanks to a young grape grower named Nicola.

NICOLA: (YAWN!) Time to wake up and get to work in the vineyard!

NARRATOR: The vineyard had been in Nicola’s family for generations. He recently inherited it from his parents: a pair of hardworking grape growers who taught Nicola everything they knew before they passed away.

Now that they were gone, the vineyard was Nicola’s responsibility. And though he was still rather young, he was determined to keep the family business thriving. So day after day, he woke up early, went to bed late, and spent every hour in between tending the vineyard.

But then… in the middle of summer… everything went wrong.

First, heavy clouds rolled in and stretched across the sky like a thick, grey blanket.

NICOLA: Good grief! The grapes need six hours of sun a day to ripen properly! These cloudy skies won’t do at all!

NARRATOR: But the cloudy skies just got cloudier… growing thicker, and greyer, before unleashing a non stop torrent of rain.

NICOLA: Good gracious! If the grapes get too much water, they’ll swell… then split… then rot! This rain is definitely not helping things!

NARRATOR: The rain eventually subsided. But Nicola’s troubles didn’t. Because then the vineyard was infested by caterpillars!

NICOLA: Good golly! Those pesky parasites are nibbling up the vines and fruits! Come harvest time, I’ll hardly have a harvest at all!

NARRATOR: As it turns out, Nicola was right. Come autumn, when it was time to pick the grapes, there were barely any grapes to pick!

NICOLA: Good gravy! I’ve been walking up and down these rows of vines for hours. And while I’ve managed to pick some sweet purple grapes, the whole crop barely fills one basket!

NARRATOR: Still, Nicola was on his own now. And just like his parents before him, he knew he must make a living.

NICOLA: …or do my best to make a living! I’ll take this basket of grapes to the marketplace and see what I can sell.

NARRATOR: The marketplace was buzzing with shoppers shopping and vendors vending when Nicola arrived. Weaving his way through the crowd, he passed the olive grower, whose kiosk was bursting with plump, shiny olives. He saw the nut seller, whose stall was filled with glossy brown almonds and chestnuts. The orchardist had plenty of apples, the beekeeper had plenty of honey. Every vendor seemed to have had a bountiful harvest that year.

NICOLA: …Except for ME! (beat) Still… I’ve GOT to sell this basket of grapes. Otherwise, it’ll be a long, hungry winter.

NARRATOR: Nicola held up his basket and did his best to drum up business.

NICOLA: (calling out, vendor-style) Grapes for sale! Plump, ripe grapes for sale! Their number may be small, but their flavor is mighty!

NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the shoppers paid him no mind. They just bustled past, their arms loaded with boxes and bags of other vendors’ wares.

NICOLA: Good grief! Nobody wants to buy my grapes! (sigh) I wanted to make my parents proud. But even though I love the family vineyard, maybe I’m too young to grow grapes on my own. Maybe I should just throw in the towel and quit.

NARRATOR: Nicola hung his head and turned to leave. But just then –

NICOLA: Oh! I’m so sorry!

NARRATOR: Nicola looked up and realized he had bumped into an old woman.

WOMAN: (old voice) That’s alright, young man. No need to apologize. You seem like you’re distracted. Like your head is in the clouds!

NARRATOR: The woman’s long hair was white as sugar and her weathered face was criss-crossed with wrinkles. Her hunched back was curved like a question mark, and her ragged dress was patched and torn.

NICOLA: Actually, my head IS in the clouds. But they’re not the pretty white puffy clouds. They’re the heavy grey stormy ones.

WOMAN: (old voice) Oh…? Tell me more!

NICOLA: Well… after I lost my parents this year, I inherited their vineyard. And the summer was brutal on the harvest. I worked my tail off, but all I have to show for it is this measly basket of grapes!

WOMAN: (old voice) I’m awfully sorry to hear that, young man. And I’m awfully sorry about your parents. (beat) I don’t wish to add to your troubles… but I’ve fallen on hard times, and haven’t a penny to feed myself. I’ve been wandering around this marketplace asking for help, but everyone has either ignored me or turned me away. So I wonder… might you spare some of your grapes? 

NARRATOR: Nicola looked down at his basket. With so few grapes to sell, he couldn’t afford to give any away! But when he looked up at the old woman, he felt his heart soften.

NICOLA: You are more than welcome to eat some of my grapes, madam. As many as you’d like!

WOMAN: (old voice) Are you certain? Don’t you need to sell these grapes? So you can make a living?

NARRATOR: Nicola shrugged.

NICOLA: I guess I’d rather make someone’s day – by helping them in their time of need. So please. Help yourself!

NARRATOR: The woman’s face crinkled into a grin. She reached a weathered hand into the basket, plucked out a bunch of purple grapes, and began to eat.

WOMAN: (old voice) (ad-lib eating, chewing and reax, such as:) Mmm! Oh! So tasty!

NARRATOR: Nicola watched the woman devour the grapes. And with every piece of fruit she ate, something began… to happen. Something so surprising… so unexpected… and so utterly impossible that Nicola could hardly believe his eyes!

What do you think happened as the old woman ate the grapes?

We’ll find out, after a quick break.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: Welcome back to Circle Round. I’m Rebecca Sheir. Today our story is called “Crocus-Pocus.”

Before the break, a young grape grower named Nicola inherited his parents’ vineyard. During his first season in charge, everything went wrong, and come harvest time, all he had to sell at the marketplace was one basket of grapes… which he generously offered to a poor old woman.

And as she devoured the fruit, do you know what happened?

Her long white hair grew dark… her curved back grew straight… and the patches and tears in her dress disappeared.

Before Nicola knew it, standing tall and radiant before him was a young woman, her hair as black as midnight, her beautiful gown dripping with lace.

WOMAN: (younger voice) Nicola! By giving your very last grapes to a soul in need, you have proven that you are a truly compassionate and generous young man.

NARRATOR: Nicola fought to find his voice.

NICOLA: (awed, humble) I - I was just doing the right thing, ma’am! It’s what my parents would have done. (beat) But wait! How did you know my name?

WOMAN: (younger voice) That matters not, Nicola. But now that YOU’VE done something for ME… I wish to do something for YOU.

NARRATOR: The woman motioned toward the basket of grapes. Somehow, it was every bit as full as it was before, as if no fruit had been eaten.

WOMAN: (younger voice) Go back to your vineyard, Nicola. Then take the grapes in this basket and plant them in the ground. After that… enjoy your reward!

NARRATOR: With that, there was a flash of light…and the woman was gone.

NICOLA: Great heavens! That was WILD!

NARRATOR: Nicola glanced around the marketplace. He assumed a crowd would come scurrying over, peppering him with questions about the miraculous event that just took place. But everyone continued about their business, as if nothing out-of-the-ordinary had occurred.

NICOLA: Okay… so the woman said I should take my grapes and plant them. (beat) But let’s get real. One of the first things my parents taught me is that you can’t grow a grapevine from a whole grape! You snip a cutting from an existing vine, then you plant that. (beat) Planting a grape and expecting results is preposterous. …But then, so is meeting an old woman who magically transforms into a young woman before vanishing into thin air!

NARRATOR: Nicola took his basket and returned to his vineyard. Then, very carefully, he planted each purple grape in the ground.

The next morning, when he woke up and came outside, his jaw dropped so low he nearly tripped over it.

NICOLA: Goodness gracious! For every purple grape I planted yesterday, there now grows… a purple flower!

NARRATOR: It was true! Sprouting up all over the field was the little cup-shaped flower known as the crocus. Nicola knelt down to get a closer view.

NICOLA: Look at that! The stigma of each flower – the sticky part in the middle that collects pollen – is bright RED! And it smells so sweet!

NARRATOR: He dipped his nose inside a flower and took a whiff. The stigma brushed against his lips, and suddenly his mouth was bursting with a remarkable flavor.

NICOLA: Mmmm! It tastes sweet…like honey! And fresh… like flowers and newly-mown hay! I’ll bet that if I picked a whole bunch of stigmas, and let them dry, I could sell a pretty amazing spice!

NARRATOR: Nicola got to work picking crocuses and drying their stigmas. After a few days, he returned to the marketplace.

NARRATOR: Once again, he passed the olive grower, the nut seller, the orchardist and beekeeper. Only this time, he was bearing more than a basket of grapes. He was carrying dozens of tiny bottles, each one filled with his brand new spice.

NICOLA: (calling out, vendor-style) Spice for sale! Exotic spice for sale! Sweeter and fresher than anything you’ve ever tasted!

NARRATOR: Within moments, Nicola was surrounded by a gaggle of curious customers. Just one sniff of the spice, and all of them reached into their purses and wallets and began showering Nicola with coins.

NICOLA: Thank you for your purchase, sir! Pleasure doing business with you, ma’am! Hope you enjoy the spice, miss!

NARRATOR: By day’s end, Nicola was out of bottles… and flush with coins. Because as it turns out, the crocuses he had grown were long-flowered crocuses, the species that produces saffron: a highly-prized spice that’s become famous for its use in foods, drinks, medicines, and dyes.

But saffron isn’t just legendary for its uses. It’s legendary for its price! Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world! So as you can imagine, our young Nicola suddenly found himself set for life.

Still, he continued working hard, growing his purple crocuses and purple grapes, and he never knew want again. Which just goes to show you: amazing things can happen when you let compassion, kindness, and generosity take root inside your heart… and bloom.