At First Light
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Support for this podcast comes from It's Revolutionary, a podcast from Massachusetts 250. It's Revolutionary celebrates Massachusetts' history of possibility. Stick around until the end of this podcast for the story of how basketball, born in a Springfield gym, grew into a global game. WBUR Podcasts, Boston. Have you ever woken up early enough to watch the sunrise?

It's pretty magical, right? Watching those first glimmers of daylight as they start to peek out from the horizon? Today's tale is all about how the first sunrise came to be way, way back in the earliest and darkest and coldest of times. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time.

Today our story is called At First Light. It comes from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, who have lived on this continent between the Pacific and Indian Oceans for over 50,000 years.

Some really great people came together to bring you our version of this tale, including Natalie Dormer, whom you grown-ups may know from such TV shows as Game of Thrones, The Tudors, and Elementary, as well as the Hunger Games movies. Her new film, Audrey's Children, is in theaters now. So circle around, everyone, for At First Light.

A long time ago, back when animals ruled the Earth, the world was a dark place. A cold one too. The reason was clouds. The entire planet was covered with clouds. And unlike the clouds we know, which float in the air high above us, these clouds hung right above the ground.

What's more, they were dense and thick and solid, like a low, hard ceiling. So the animals had to spend their days, or nights, it was hard to tell the difference, trapped in this thin layer of chilly darkness, shivering and figuring out ways to get around. Nowadays, kangaroo hops and springs from place to place, right?

Well, back in those early times, the poor, pouched marsupial had to crawl on all fours. Oh, what I wouldn't give to jump and bound and leap.

The tall bird, known as Emu, couldn't possibly extend her long, narrow neck. Instead, she had to walk around all hunched over. Oy, such a crick in my neck and my back. If only I could stand up straight. And Koala, there was no way he could climb up and down eucalyptus trees, because in the darkness, he couldn't see the trees. Oh, no.

Is this a tree? Ow! No, koala! It's kangaroo! Oh! Is this a tree? No! It's emu! Watch yourself, koala! Ugh, I'm sorry. But how can I watch anything when I can't see anything? I can't see anything! The animals were miserable.

And the more miserable they became, the more they quarreled, their moods turning as dark and frosty as the earth itself. The one creature who tried seeing the bright side, so to speak, was the black and white bird known as Magpie. Oh, how I dream of lifting off the ground and flying! But one flap of my pointy wings and I'll bump against a cloud!

There must be some way to bring light to the world. Warmth, too. There must. So Magpie called all the animals together to see what they could do. Thanks for accepting my invitation, friends. I would say I'm happy to see you, but given how dark it is, that's pretty much impossible.

Anyway, I'm glad you're here. This better be worth it, Magpie. Emu stomped on my tail on the way over, and it won't stop throbbing. That's because Koala smashed into me, and I lost my balance. I only smashed into you because A, I couldn't see you, and B, I was shivering so hard.

Haven't you noticed how dark and cold it is around here? I understand how dark and cold it is. I'm as tired as anyone. Friends, friends, please. Listen, I called us together because we can't go on living like this. We need light and heat. I believe it's high time we take action and chase the clouds away.

Kangaroo, emu, and koala exchanged a skeptical look. At least they would have exchanged a skeptical look were they able to see each other's faces. Chase the clouds away? And just how are we supposed to do that, Magpie? Do you have any brilliant ideas? The truth is, I don't.

But I'll bet we could come up with some ideas as a group. All we have to do is put our heads together.

There was a long, pointed pause. And then... No way, Magpie! We're too busy banging our heads together to brainstorm ideas. So you're on your own. When it comes to finding a way to chase off those clouds... All of us are in the dark. And we always will be.

To Magpie's dismay, Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala turned around and stomped away in the murky gloom, stumbling and bumbling all the while. Out! Watch it! No! You watch it! I told you, none of us can watch anything! Oh, right. Fine. If the other animals won't help me, I'll find an answer on my own.

I'll put on my thinking cap. I'll mull it over. And with any luck, it won't be long before I see the light. What ideas will Magpie come up with? Do you have any suggestions for the black and white bird? We'll find out what happens after a quick break.

Support for this podcast comes from It's Revolutionary, a podcast from Massachusetts 250, celebrating 250 years since the revolution. And in those 250 years, there have been plenty of revolutions of a different kind, like basketball. You know, it's just so exciting because there's always constant action. There's excitement. You can see the emotion on the player's face. I feel like there's more of a personality.

Stick around until the end of this podcast for a field trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

A whole new season of Terrestrials is coming. Radiolab's family-friendly show all about nature. This season we are back with a new batch of episodes where we come face to snout with some of the wildest, gnarliest creatures on this planet. We discover music, magic, medicine, and a whole lot of fun. Starting April 17th, all on the Radiolab for Kids feed, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called At First Light. Before the break, Magpie was determined to bring light and warmth to the Earth by banishing the dark, solid clouds that hovered uncomfortably close above. But when Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala refused to help her formulate a plan, Magpie knew she was on her own. Okay, let's get started.

Think, Magpie, think. The black and white bird racked her brain for an idea. Hmm. Hmm. But her mind felt empty. Come to think of it, my stomach feels empty too. It's time for a snack.

She stuck out her beak and began pecking around in the darkness, hoping to find a spider, worm, or cockroach to gobble down. Come on, little critters. I know you're here somewhere. At least I hope you are. The hungry bird pecked and pecked until she struck something. Oh! Only it wasn't a spindly spider or squishy worm or crunchy cockroach.

Instead, it was something long and rough and spiky. She couldn't see it, of course, but when she ran her wings over it, she immediately knew what it was. It's a stick. A nice, hefty stick. Must have snapped off a tree branch. Obviously, the stick was no substitute for food all at once. It gave Magpie some precious food for thought.

I've got it! I know how to chase the clouds away! Once again, she called the animals together. Once again, they came fumbling and bumbling over. Careful with that beak, emu! Koala knocked into me! Again! Nuh-uh. You nearly ran me over. Once Magpie sensed the other animals were close by, she began the speech she had so carefully prepared.

Thanks for joining me again, friends. I called us back together because I've been thinking. And at long last, I know how to chase the clouds away. But it's going to take all of us to do it. We're going to have to work together. Work together? Not a chance, Magpie. We could never work together. Well, I beg to differ.

And I can prove it. There's no point in even trying, Magpie. Kangaroo's right. All we do is bicker. And squabble. And quibble. We're constantly butting heads. Sometimes literally. Because of how we stumble through the darkness. That's a good one, Koala. And so true. Totally true. Right?

It's absolutely ridiculous. Okay, I hear you, but friends, friends! Do you realize what happened just now? The three of you didn't bicker. You didn't squabble. You didn't quibble or butt heads. You actually agreed on something. Wait! We agreed on something? Really? Really.

You agreed on the fact that you never agree. Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala paused. So what you're saying is we can agree after all? We don't always have to butt heads. We can actually get along? Absolutely. You just proved it to be true. So now, what do you say?

Are you ready to work together and bring light and warmth to the world? Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala knew that clever Magpie had them right where she wanted them. So, what else could they do but once again agree? Count me in, Magpie! Me too! Me three!

What do we do first? First, we make a big pile of wood. Branches, sticks, fallen tree limbs. The longer and stronger, the better. Kangaroo, emu, and koala did as they were told. They scurried through the darkness, feeling around for wood and tossing it into a pile. Great work, friends.

Now that we have a nice big pile, each of us must hold as many pieces of wood as we can, then we'll use the sharp pointy ends to push up. Push? If we push the sticks up... They'll bump against the sky! Indeed they will. And that's exactly what we want. So, go! The animals grabbed as much wood as they could.

Then they began to push. They pushed. And they pushed. And after a little bit of time and a whole lot of teamwork, do you know what happened? The solid clouds began to lift.

They rose higher and higher until they were towering far above the earth. For the first time ever, the animals were free to move and roam. Kangaroo began to bound around. Emu extended her long, narrow neck. And koala scurried up into the branches of a eucalyptus tree. As for magpie, she burst into song. Shhh! Shhh!

Her joyful warbling rang out loud and clear, so loud and clear, in fact, that it woke up the sun. The golden orb began rising in the east, filling the sky with shimmering shades of yellow, orange, and red, and finally, finally beaming light and warmth to the earth below.

Ever since then, in certain parts of the world, it's Magpie's voice that ushers in the dawn. If you wake up early enough and you step outside, you just might hear the clever birds sing out and awaken the sun, so we all can delight in a brand new day. Now it's your turn. You can work as a team artistically by doing a scribble swap.

Find a partner and make sure you each have a piece of paper and something to draw with. Now, close your eyes and draw a scribble. Once you're done, trade papers. Look at your partner's scribble and use it to create a full picture. Think about what the scribble reminds you of. How might you add to it? Let your imagination run wild. And when you're both finished, share your pictures with each other. And if you'd like, share them with us.

Ask a grown-up to snap a photo of you and your scribble swaps and email it to circleround at wbur.org. With your permission, we may feature it in the Lion's Roar, the monthly newsletter of the Circle Round Club. More on this super fun, super fan membership opportunity in a moment. But first... This week's episode, At First Light, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Dean Russell.

Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimilonis. Eric's featured instrument this week was the didgeridoo. To learn more about this wind instrument created from a long piece of hollowed-out wood, and to see a photo of Eric playing one, visit our website, wbur.org slash circleround.

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, you can find all of them at wbur.org slash circleround. Special thanks to this week's actors, Amy Brentano, Terrence Lamont Jr., Erica Rose, and Natalie Dormer.

Natalie's new film, Audrey's Children, tells the true story of Dr. Audrey Evans, the first woman to head her department at the world-renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the co-founder of Ronald McDonald House. Audrey's Children is in theaters now.

Want to circle around with us in even more ways while also supporting public media? Join the Circle Round Club. You'll help keep our WBUR podcast going strong while also getting ad-free episodes, bonus bedtime stories, music education videos, a newsletter from me and Eric, plus early access to tickets for our live events. Sign up today at WBUR.org slash Circle Round.

Grownups, if you have a moment, please leave us a five-star rating or review on whatever podcast app you're using right now. It helps other listeners find the show so we can make the Circle Round circle even bigger. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round 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. Look, I come from Jerusalem, and my favorite

is Horse for Hire. I like it when Marie tricks Pierre. My name's Walker and I live in Kentucky. And my favorite story is The Princess and the Mirror. And why I like it is because it gives a gift that helps her get better.

My name is Mabel. I live in Greenbelt, Maryland. My favorite Circle Round story is the kernel of truth. I like it because Mabel teaches the queen a lesson. My name is Will.

I live in Winnebago, Massachusetts, and my favorite circle around is counting crocodiles. I like the part where Mouse Steer tricks old crocodile. Hi, my name's Jeremiah. I'm from Pennsylvania, and my favorite circle around story is banana split. Hi, my name is Hazel. I live in Illinois. My favorite circle around story is

- This is Granny Snowstorm. I like the part when Boris goes cannonball. - My name is Catherine. I live in Philly and my favorite story is fighting cats and dogs. My favorite part is when the cat went on the dog's back to swim across the river to retrieve the pearl that the owner got as a present. - I love you Rebecca's here.

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. Support for this podcast comes from It's Revolutionary, a podcast from Massachusetts 250. Listen on for the story of the revolution that is basketball. Yeah, good for me. Thank you.

You're listening to It's Revolutionary, a podcast celebrating 250 years since the shot heard around the world was fired right here in Massachusetts. I'm Jay Feinstein. From revolution to revolution, we're exploring the people and places in Massachusetts that shape America. Today, we're in the birthplace of basketball, Springfield. Nice shot!

The game was founded at a YMCA in 1891 as a way of keeping kids busy during Massachusetts winters. Man, the game just took off right from there. I think within three, four years, the game was already being taught in different countries, like India. It was awesome. Alex Pedro is the curatorial assistant and historian at the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is just a few miles down the road from the original site that started it all.

I am terrible at basketball.

As I like to say, those who cannot do, teach. But he is pretty much the biggest basketball enthusiast I've ever met. You know, it's just so exciting because there's always constant action. There's excitement. You can see the emotion on the player's face. I feel like there's more of a personality. James Naismith was the physical education instructor who invented the sport. The original game had no dribbling, and players would shoot into peach baskets with enclosed bottoms.

Janitors had to fetch the ball every time a player made a basket. It was a slower game, but it was an exciting game from the start. When Naismith designed the game, I don't think he even knew. I mean, he knew it was going to be popular, but I don't think he knew it was going to be this popular, right? Like, he made a game...

so great for television you know you can you can see the players face you can see their emotion you can see them getting hurt or seeing the agonizing pain or just at any given moment anything can happen in a basketball game it's just so exciting you know it's just no matter what if there's a second on the clock there's still a chance to win

But is excitement enough to make basketball revolutionary? At the very least, it inspired revolutionaries, like Lenny Wilkins, the first black player on his team. They wanted to use the game of basketball and say, hey, I belong here, you know? It doesn't matter the color of my skin or my sexuality. It doesn't matter. Basketball's basketball. Or Georgian Wells, the first woman to dunk in a game. We see dunks and we still get excited because it's just...

Or any of the number of Celtics hoop stars who have played right here in Massachusetts, featured in a new exhibit at the Hall of Fame called The Vault.

There we were looking at Bob Cousy's All-Star jersey.

John Havlicek's 25,000 point ball, Cedric Maxwell's MVP finals trophy, and more. The history is so rich with the Celtics. I mean, there's so much lore. There's so many stories, so many iconic moments. And personally, to see all these championship rings and to see the evolution of them over the years and to have them in one place...

But basketball isn't just a professional sport. I met up with James Gee, a coach at Springfield Central High School, who says he sees the tangible difference basketball makes in the lives of kids.

And perhaps there's nothing more revolutionary than that.

But for Alex, it's really the game's history that makes the sport special. From a game that started in Springfield, Massachusetts at a YMCA with just 18 kids in a class to now this global game where people want to come from Europe and Asia to play in the NBA or to play for their national team and to see it, it's just, that in itself is revolutionary. ♪

It's Revolutionary is a podcast from MA250. For more stories, check out Massachusetts250.org or WBUR.org slash MA250. Oh, God, it's been a while. Told you. Those who can't do, teach.