The Round Mossy Stone | Ep. 296

Has anyone ever played a trick on you?

Playing tricks can be harmless – even funny. But they can also be harmful, because feelings get hurt… and that’s not funny at all.

In today’s tale, a sneaky spider pulls a fast one on his friends. Little does he know, but the tables are about to be turned!

Our story this week is called “The Round Mossy Stone.” Versions of this story come from West Africa and feature a character you’ve met in many Circle Round episodes: Anansi!

Voices in this episode include: Evan Casey, Adelin Phelps, Jessica Rau, Mike Truesdale, Dawn Ursula, and Béchir Sylvain, who co-stars in the sci-fi action flick, “Jurassic World Rebirth.”

And if you’re listening to this story the week it comes out, please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to Béchir, who celebrates his big day on September 16th. We hope you get to have your cake and eat it, too, Béchir… without Anansi sneaking over and stealing it!

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

Pick an object, any object, then think about a spell it might cast if you use it in a certain way. Perhaps there’s a magic banana peel where slipping on it makes you chatter like a monkey. Or a bicycle that makes you croon like an opera singer every time you push the pedals.

Now find some paper and draw a picture of your object and the spell it casts. Once you’re done, share your picture with someone you have fun with. And if you’d like, share it with us! Email it to circleround@wbur.org and we may feature you in the Circle Round newsletter!

Musical Spotlight: Kora

The West African stringed instrument known as the kora combines features of the harp and lute. While the kora dates back at least 200 years, it’s part of an even older tradition dating back to the 13th century Mali Empire of Sunjata Keita.

The kora consists of a long wooden neck and a resonator made from half a calabash gourd (the gourd acts as a resonator to amplify the sound). Strings (usually 21) are attached to the top of the neck and are anchored to the neck’s bottom with a metal ring. In between, they pass over a notched bridge: ten strings on one side of the bridge, eleven on the other.

Historically, the strings were made from thin strips of finely twisted antelope hide. Modern kora strings are made from nylon fishing line, since it (a) resists changes in weather, (b) does not easily break, and (c) produces a strong, clear sound.

To play the kora, you rest the instrument vertically on the ground while sitting in front of it. You then pluck the strings with the thumb and index finger of each hand; this technique allows you to play up to four notes at once. Your remaining fingers hold the instrument by two handles drilled into the top of the gourd.

Script:

NARRATOR: It was a sizzling summer morning, and Anansi the spider was walking through the forest.

ANANSI: Whew! It’s a real scorcher today! Even in the shade, it’s as hot as blazes. (beat) I need a cold drink. There’s got to be a creek or stream around here somewhere…

NARRATOR: Wiping the sweat from his eight eyes, he quickened his stride through the undergrowth until…

…he chanced upon a shallow stream, with water so clear you could count the pebbles on the sandy bottom. Setting his eight legs in motion, he scurried over and took a big drink.

ANANSI: (ad-lib long slurp from stream) Mmmm! This water is so cool! So refreshing! I no longer feel the least bit hot! (beat) But I sure feel HUNGRY…

NARRATOR: The truth is, Anansi always felt hungry. For a small critter, he had an enormous appetite.

ANANSI: Boy! What I wouldn’t give for some delicious ripe fruit. Like a mound of mangoes! Or a bunch of bananas! (beat) Of course, that means I’d have to pick fruit. Which means I’d have to do work. And goodness knows I don’t want to do that! 

NARRATOR: It was true. As much as Anansi loved eating, he despised working. But he was a clever spider with a mischievous mind. And as he paced alongside the stream, he began spinning ideas like a web.

ANANSI: Alright, let’s think about this. The animals in the forest are always picking their own fruit, right? Collecting a nice big stash to eat as they please? So what if I trick one of them into picking fruit for me? OR, I could convince them that their fruit has gone bad…? And I’ll volunteer to “dispose of it” for them…? Or – (suddenly falls silent)

NARRATOR: Anansi fell silent. For ahead of him… in the shade of a tree… was a stone. The stone was big and round and covered with green moss so vibrant, so vivid, it practically glowed! The green moss reached all the way around the stone – save for one bare spot in front, which seemed to be engraved with words.

ANANSI: Hmmmm… It’s not every day that you see an engraved stone in the forest. It’s not every day that you see an engraved anything in the forest! Let’s see what it says!

NARRATOR: He scuttled over and began to read.

ANANSI: (clears throat before reading) “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green!”

NARRATOR: Well… no sooner had he uttered those words than he fell to the ground in a faint…

ANANSI: (ad-lib fainting sound)

NARRATOR: …and was out cold.

ANANSI: (ad-lib funny sleeping sounds)

NARRATOR: Anansi slept for an entire hour. When he woke up, he tried to piece together what happened.

ANANSI: Let’s see… The last thing I remember is coming across this mossy stone, then reading the words engraved on it. You know: “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green”?

NARRATOR: And just like that…

ANANSI: (ad-lib fainting sound)

NARRATOR: …he was out like a light! Again!

ANANSI: (ad-lib funny sleeping sounds)

NARRATOR: When he came to an hour later, he also came to a realization.

ANANSI: That’s it! The words on the stone must be a spell! A magic spell! If you read them out loud – which I definitely will not do… ever again… – then you fall fast asleep! (GASP!) Wait a minute…

NARRATOR: A crafty grin spread across the spider’s face.

ANANSI: If I play my cards right, then this stone could be my ticket to a free meal! Why, it’s a trickster’s jackpot! Or – more appropriately– a trickster’s buffet! (beat) I can’t wait to dig in!

NARRATOR: The unscrupulous arachnid took off through the forest until he found his first unwitting victim. Elephant was piling up mangoes with his long gray trunk. One look at the luscious fruit and Anansi’s mouth watered.

ANANSI: Good day, Elephant! What beautiful mangoes you have!

ELEPHANT: Thank you, Anansi. I picked them all myself!

ANANSI: (setting his trap) That sounds like hard work. You must be exhausted. And thirsty! What with this brutal heat and all!

NARRATOR: Anansi held his breath, hoping Elephant would say what he hoped he would say.

And guess what?

He did!

ELEPHANT: You know, Anansi? I AM rather parched. I’d love to quench my thirst with a nice cool drink!

ANANSI: Well you’re in luck, Elephant! Because I just found the clearest stream you ever did see, with the coolest water you ever did drink! Shall I take you there?

NARRATOR: Elephant paused. He knew all about Anansi and his tricks. But the idea of sipping clear, cool water on a sweltering hot day was irresistible.

ELEPHANT: Alright, Anansi. Lead the way!

NARRATOR: The moment Anansi and Elephant reached the stream, Anansi stuck out a leg and let out a gasp.

ANANSI: (GASP!) Elephant! Check out that round, mossy stone! Does it have words engraved on it?

NARRATOR: Elephant turned to where Anansi was pointing.

ELEPHANT: Actually… yes! I believe it does. How odd. (beat) I wonder what it says!

NARRATOR: Anansi shrugged.

ANANSI: Why don’t you read it, Elephant?

NARRATOR: Anansi tingled with anticipation as Elephant trundled over to the stone, and began to read.

ELEPHANT: (clears throat before reading) “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green!”

NARRATOR: Well… the second those words left Elephant’s mouth, you can guess what happened, right?

The mammoth creature tumbled to the ground…

ELEPHANT: (ad-lib swooning/fainting sound)

NARRATOR: … and conked right out!

ELEPHANT: (ad-lib funny sleeping sounds)

NARRATOR: Anansi could hardly contain his glee.

ANANSI: Ha ha ha! My plan worked! Now that Elephant is snoozing away, I’ll go back and make off with his mangoes!

NARRATOR: And wouldn’t you know it, he did! Anansi gobbled down at least a dozen mangoes, then brought the rest back to his house, so he could snack on them later.

Meanwhile, back at the stream… an hour went by and Elephant woke up.

ELEPHANT: (groggy) Oy! What just happened? Was I so thirsty that I passed out from dehydration? …What do YOU think, Anansi? (beat) Anansi?

NARRATOR: He stumbled to his wobbly feet and glanced around.

ELEPHANT: Anansi? Where are you? (beat) Ah well. He must have left while I was sleeping. But now that I’m up, I’ll have some of this cool, clear water then go home.

NARRATOR: But when Elephant got back to his house, he made a most distressing discovery: his mangoes were missing! And it didn’t take long to figure out why.

ELEPHANT: (realizing) Uch! Anansi must have stolen my mangoes while I was sleeping! (sigh!) I never should have trusted that sneaky spider. Never!

NARRATOR: Well… in the meantime… “that sneaky spider” was playing the exact same trick on the other animals in the forest. One by one, he showed them the round, mossy stone… they read the magic spell out loud… and after they were down for the count, he scooped up all their fruit! First, he tricked Lion out of her pineapples.

LION: “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green!” (AD-LIB SWOON/FAINT)

NARRATOR: Then he tricked Monkey out of his bananas.

MONKEY: “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green!” (AD-LIB SWOON/FAINT)

NARRATOR: He tricked Antelope out of her avocados…

ANTELOPE: “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green!” (AD-LIB SWOON/FAINT)

NARRATOR: He tricked Buffalo out of his papayas…

BUFFALO: (AD-LIB SWOON/FAINT)

NARRATOR: He tricked Leopard out of her melons…

LEOPARD: (AD-LIB SWOON/FAINT)

NARRATOR: …and he tricked Chimpanzee out of his guavas!

CHIMPANZEE: (AD-LIB SWOON/FAINT)

NARRATOR: But there was one animal Anansi hadn’t yet fooled. And that… was Bush Deer.

Bush Deer had the cloven hooves of a deer, the pointed snout of a mouse, and the rounded body of a bunny. Bush Deer was small – no bigger than a Chihuahua – so she could easily escape notice as she scurried around the forest. And as Anansi pulled his prank on animal after animal, Bush Deer saw everything.

BUSH DEER: It isn’t fair for Anansi to trick everyone out of their hard-earned fruit! (beat) I’m going to give that sneaky spider a taste of his own medicine. (dramatic) And something tells me it’ll be very hard to swallow!

NARRATOR: What do you think Bush Deer is planning?

What would you do if you were Bush Deer?

We’ll find out what happens, after a quick break.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: Welcome back to Circle Round. I’m Rebecca Sheir. Today our story is called “The Round Mossy Stone.”

Before the break, Anansi the sneaky spider discovered a round mossy stone engraved with a magic spell. Read the words out loud, and you dropped right off to sleep!

One by one, Anansi tricked the other animals into reading the spell. And one by one, he bustled back to their houses and stole their fruit!

What he didn’t know is that all this time, someone had been watching: fleet-footed, swift-minded Bush Deer.

BUSH DEER: Now that Anansi has hoodwinked every other animal in this forest, it’s only a matter of time before he tries pulling a fast one on me. But I’ll be ready!

NARRATOR: Bush Deer raced over to a stand of plum trees and set to work gathering the juicy red fruit.

BUSH DEER: (ad-lib efforting sounds of running around and picking fruit)

NARRATOR: She brought the plums home, then settled down to wait. And sure enough, who should come ambling over but Anansi! Just as Bush Deer had hoped, his eight eyes lit up when he saw her freshly-picked fruit.

ANANSI: Good day, Bush Deer! What succulent plums you have there!

BUSH DEER: Thank you, Anansi. I collected them myself!

ANANSI: Then you must be downright drained! Not to mention thirsty!

NARRATOR: Bush Deer smiled to herself. So far, things were going according to Anansi’s plan. Little did he know, but they would soon go according to hers.

BUSH DEER: Actually, Anansi? I’ve never been so thirsty in my life! What I wouldn’t give for a cool, clear drink of water!

ANANSI: Then it’s your lucky day, Bush Deer! Deep in the forest I discovered the clearest stream you ever did see, with the coolest water you ever did drink. Shall I take you there?

BUSH DEER: Yes please! Let’s go!

NARRATOR: The moment Anansi and Bush Deer reached the stream, the spider pulled his usual stunt, pointing at the stone and letting out a gasp.

ANANSI: (GASP!) Look, Bush Deer! Isn’t that a curious sight?

NARRATOR: Anansi paused, waiting for the usual response.

Instead, all he heard was slurping, as Bush Deer plunged her pointed snout into the stream and lapped up the cool, clear water.

BUSH DEER: (ad-lib drinking from stream)

NARRATOR: So Anansi tried again.

ANANSI: (clears throat) I SAID… isn’t that a curious sight?

NARRATOR: …but again, no response.

BUSH DEER: (ad-lib drinking from stream)

ANANSI: (losing patience) For goodness sake, Bush Deer! Would you get your snout out of that stream and listen to me?

NARRATOR: Bush Deer took one more slurp, then glanced up.

BUSH DEER: (playing dumb) Oh! I’m sorry, Anansi. Did you say something?

ANANSI: (flustered) Yes, Bush Deer! I DID say something! I saaaaid… ISN’T THAT A CURIOUS SIGHT?

NARRATOR: Anansi turned toward the mossy stone. Bush Deer followed his gaze.

BUSH DEER: Ohhhhh! Woooowwww! That IS a curious sight! (beat) I’ve never seen such a tall tree!

ANANSI:  (flustered) A tree?!??

NARRATOR: Anansi stamped one of his eight feet.

ANANSI: (flustered) I am not talking about a tree, Bush Deer! I am talking about THAT!

NARRATOR: Again, he gestured toward the stone.

BUSH DEER: Ohhhh! (beat) The thorny bush?

ANANSI: (more flustered) No!

BUSH DEER: The creeping vine?

ANANSI: (even more flustered) No! (beat) I’m talking about the stone, Bush Deer! The round, mossy one engraved with words!

BUSH DEER: Ohhh! Thaaaaat! (beat) Sure. I guess it’s kind of curious.

ANANSI: It’s VERY curious! I wonder what it says! Can you read it, Bush Deer?

NARRATOR: Bush Deer gave an eager nod, then pranced over to the stone and began to read.

BUSH DEER: (clears throat, then slowly reads): “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone WARPED…? (trails off mid-sentence due to supposed confusion) (beat) No. That’s not right. (beat) WRONGED…? (trails off mid-sentence due to supposed confusion) Noooo…

NARRATOR: Anansi clenched his jaw.

ANANSI: (even more flustered) “Wrapped”! It says “wrapped,” Bush Deer!

BUSH DEER: Oh! Thanks. (clears throat before trying again) “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone WRACKED in” – (gets cut off)

ANANSI: (interrupting, flustered) Wrapped! WRAPPED!

BUSH DEER: Ah! Of course. (beat) “This big round stone WRAPPED in moss of… greed?” No. (beat) “Grain”? Noooo… (beat) “Groan”...?

NARRATOR: Anansi let out a groan of his own!

ANANSI: (GROAN!) It’s “GREEN,” Bush Deer! “Wrapped in moss of GREEN”!

BUSH DEER: Ohhh! That makes sense. One more time. (clears throat) “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of…” I’m sorry. What did you say that last word was?

ANANSI: (super frustrated) GREEN! The last word is GREEN!

BUSH DEER: (pause) Are you sure?

NARRATOR: Anansi’s eight eyes blazed with frustration. His brow grew so furrowed you could have planted an orchard of fruit trees in it!

ANANSI: For crying out loud, Bush Deer! CLEARLY, it says… (clears throat) “Behold a marvel like you’ve never seen! This big round stone wrapped in moss of green!” (beat) Uh-oh!

NARRATOR: Anansi felt a rush of panic – but only for a moment. Because you know what happened next, right?

His eight legs gave out, his eight eyes snapped shut, and he flopped to the ground…

ANANSI: (ad-lib swoon sound)

NARRATOR: …senseless to the world.

ANANSI: (ad-lib funny sleeping sounds)

NARRATOR: When he woke up an hour later, he was all alone; Bush Deer was nowhere in sight. And when he went home, guess what else was nowhere in sight? His stolen stash of fruit! Gone were the dozens and dozens of pilfered mangoes, pineapples, bananas, avocados, papayas, melons and guavas!

And do you know why?

Anansi sure did.

ANANSI: Ugh! While I was sleeping, Bush Deer must have called the animals together, and invited them to come to my house and take back their fruit! Clearly, they enthusiastically accepted her invitation.

NARRATOR: Anansi let out another groan...

ANANSI: (GROAN!!!)

NARRATOR: …and hung his head in shame. Because not so long ago, he had been warped with greed. But now, he was now wracked with guilt. Just as Bush Deer had hoped, the tables were finally turned, the score was finally settled, and the prankster was finally the pranked!