Encore: The Rooster in the Sky
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Hey there, grown-ups. We want to learn more about you and why you listen to Circle Around. Take our short 10-minute survey and get a special bonus story from me, Rebecca Shear. Find a link in the show notes of this episode or visit wbur.org slash survey. Produced by the iLab at WBUR Boston. Have you ever heard someone complain? Maybe you've even complained yourself.

We've all been there. It's easy to start grumbling when we're annoyed or frustrated or upset. But in today's story, we'll meet a character who refuses to complain when things don't go her way. Instead, she tries turning grumbles and groans into great big grins. I'm Rebecca Shearer, and welcome to Circle Round, where story time happens all the time.

Today, our story is called The Rooster in the Sky. It was inspired by tales told in Russia. You'll also hear versions of this tale in Hungary and across the Middle East. Some really great people came together to bring you our adaptation of this story, including Rachel Matthews. Rachel stars as Honey Marin in the animated hit movie Frozen 2, now available on digital. So, circle around, everyone, for The Rooster in the Sky.

Way out in the countryside, not far from a thick green forest, lived a woman named Tatiana. Tatiana lived all alone in a drafty little hut with creaky wooden floors. Life was hard way out in the countryside, and with each passing year, Tatiana's hut grew draftier, her floors grew creakier, and her cupboards grew emptier.

Oh, there is hardly a crumb left in this entire house. If I don't find something to eat soon, I'll starve. But no use complaining. Better to do something. Think, Tatiana, think.

It was a crisp autumn day, and as Tatiana gazed out her window, she spotted a furry brown squirrel scampering through a pile of crunchy fallen leaves. Clamped between the squirrel's sharp teeth was a shiny, round acorn. That's it! Acorns!

Granny was a baker, and I remember she used to say that if you ever ran out of flour, you could gather acorns from the oak trees, dry them on the stove, then grind them up in a hand mill and bake good things to eat. Might as well give it a try. So Tatiana found a great big sack and carried it over to the thick green forest.

As she walked from oak tree to oak tree, she kept her eyes peeled for acorns. By the time she got back to her hut, the sack was so full it was bulging. But the minute Tatiana stepped through her front door, she tripped on a loose board in the creaky wooden floor. Whoa! And the sack went flying through the air. Oh, no! Oh!

Acorns scattered everywhere. Most of the nuts rolled right through the cracks in the floor and disappeared beneath the house. Oh, after all that hard work, look what happens. But no use complaining. I still have some acorns left to grind. Better get to work.

Tatyana went to the ramshackle shed behind her hut and found Granny's old hand mill. The hopper was dingy, the grinding wheel was rusty, and the crank needed a good oiling. But with some work, Tatyana was able to grind her remaining acorns into flour. Then she used the acorn flour to cook up a few golden brown bellini, or Russian pancakes. Mmm, not bad!

For the first time in a long time, Tatiana went to bed with a nice, full belly. But the next morning, when she got up to go gather more acorns from the forest... Oh, my! She could hardly believe her eyes. One of the acorns that fell through the creaky wooden floor had sprouted. And there, in the middle of her hut, was an oak tree.

Its thick gray trunk was growing right through the ceiling. My goodness! With a tree growing through the ceiling, now it'll be even draftier in this place. But no use complaining. Now that I have my very own oak tree, I won't have to gather acorns from the forest. I'll have all the acorns I need right here. I just have to climb the tree and find them.

So Tatiana grabbed her sack and shimmied up the oak tree's trunk. The tree was so tall, it took her a while to reach its branches. But when she did, she discovered they were all bare. What? No acorns? No use complaining. I just need to climb higher. Tatiana scrambled from one branch to the next, rising higher and higher, until she found a tree.

Each time she glanced down, her drafty little hut looked smaller and smaller. Eventually, she was so high up, she couldn't see her house at all. Before Tatiana knew it, she reached the top of the oak tree. Surrounding her were pillowy white clouds in a vast expanse of shimmering blue. "'The sky! I've actually reached the sky! Still no acorns to be found!'

But no use complaining. I did my best after all. Guess I'll just climb back down and go back to the forest for more- Cock-a-doodle-see what I have for you! Cock-a-doodle-see what I have for you! Tatiana turned her head. To her surprise, perched next to her on the oak tree was a plump yellow rooster with a bright red crest. Well, hello there, Tatiana.

And tell me, rooster, what is it you have for me? The yellow rooster lifted a glossy wing. Tucked underneath was a gleaming new hand mill made entirely of gold. The hopper, the grinding wheel, the crank, every single part of the mill sparkled and glittered in the sun. What a spectacular hand mill! And it's really for me?

I mean, goodness knows I could use a new hand mill. Granny's old one is absolutely falling apart. But this one's so fancy. Too fancy, even. Oh, why am I complaining? Thank you, rooster. Tell me.

"'How can I repay you for such a magnificent gift?' The plump yellow rooster blinked its beady, copper-colored eyes. "'Cock-a-doodle-doo! Take me home with you! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Take me home with you!' Tatiana thought about how lonely it was way out in the countryside, and how nice it would be to have a companion.

So she placed the golden hand mill in her sack, scooped her new feathered friend under her arm, then climbed back down the tree to her hut. She put the golden hand mill on the shelf and headed for the door. Well, rooster, since I didn't find any acorns up in the oak tree, I'd better go back to the forest and gather some more. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I... Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Give the crank a turn or two. Cock-a-doodle-doo. Give the crank a turn or two. Tatiana stopped in her tracks. Turn the crank, you say? All right, I'll give it a go. Tatiana took the hand mill off the shelf, grasped the glistening gold crank, and gave it a turn. And can you guess what happened? Oh, you know what that music means? We'll find out what happens next after a quick break.

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Before we return to our story, a quick reminder and request to take our short survey so we can learn how to make your Circle Round experience even more fun. It takes 10 minutes and all survey takers get a bonus story from me, Rebecca Shear. Click the link in the show notes or visit wbur.org slash survey. Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called The Rooster in the Sky. ♪

When we left off, Tatiana had climbed a massive oak tree up to the sky, where she found a talking yellow rooster with a bright red crest. The rooster gave Tatiana a sparkling gold hand mill for grinding flour. And when Tatiana brought the bird and the mill back to her house, her new feathered friend encouraged her to turn the mill's crank. So she did.

After one turn, out popped a bellini. Ooh! The same golden brown Russian pancake she'd cooked up yesterday. After another turn, out popped a bublic. Oh! Sort of a Russian bagel. And after yet another turn, out popped a pirogue. Ah!

A kind of stuffed Russian pie. Well, well, well. No use complaining about anything anymore. Thanks to this golden hand mill, I'll never go to bed with an empty belly again. She flashed the rooster a grin. And neither will you, friend. Thank you for this marvelous gift.

For the next week, Tatiana and the rooster used the hand mill to feast on Bellini, Bublicky, and Pierogi to their heart's content. Until one fateful night, when Tatiana heard a knock at the door. It was very late, and the rooster had long ago gone to bed. Hmm, who could possibly be at the door? No one ever travels this far out in the countryside.

Perhaps someone has gotten lost. Indeed, someone had gotten lost. A wealthy merchant who was journeying home from a long trip abroad. Tatiana welcomed the man into her hut. Sorry to bother you, madam, but my horse must have taken a wrong turn, and we've been wandering the countryside ever since.

He's been grazing on grass, but I've never been so hungry in my entire life. Any chance you could share a bite to eat? Oh, I can do better than that. Sit down. Tatiana took the golden hand mill off the shelf and gave it a crank.

As dozens of Bellini, Bublicky, and Pierogi popped onto the merchant's plate, his eyes practically popped out of his head. What a remarkable contraption. I must have that hand mill. Name your price. Tatiana shrugged. This hand mill isn't for sale, sir. It was a gift, and I could never part with it.

Now, what Tatiana didn't know is that the merchant was a very greedy man, and he knew that hand mill could make him a fortune. He could earn gobs of money selling endless Bellini, Bublicky, and Pierogi, or he could sell the hand mill itself and retire with more gold than a king. So the merchant took a deep breath and put on his warmest smile. I'm sorry, madame.

please forget i said anything about buying that hand-mill of yours i won't bring it up again but listen it's late and it's dark and my horse and i don't have anywhere to spend the night after this scrumptious meal of bulini bublecki and pierogi

Could we sleep out back in your shed, perhaps? Not suspecting that the merchant was up to no good, Tatiana nodded. Absolutely. You and your horse can stay here as long as you'd like.

But the next morning, when Tatiana and the rooster woke up, the merchant and his horse were gone. And, much to Tatiana's dismay, so was the golden hand mill. Tatiana felt her eyes burn with tears. "'Oh, rooster, that greedy man stole our hand mill. This is horrible!'

What are we going to do? The rooster jumped up and began strutting toward the door. Cock-a-doodle-doo! I'll bring the mill back to you! Cock-a-doodle-doo! I'll bring the mill back to you! Bring it back? That thief is long gone by now, rooster. You'll never... Before Tatiana could say another word, the plump yellow rooster with the bright red crest hurried out the door and down the road.

Somehow, the rooster knew just where to go. After traveling for days and days, it reached the merchant's enormous mansion. Then the bird hopped onto the grand iron gate and began crowing with all its might. Cock-a-doodle-doo! That mill doesn't belong to you! Cock-a-doodle-doo!

That mill doesn't belong to you. Hearing the commotion, the merchant came bursting through the front door. He was wearing a fancy coat, and his eyes were big and round as a pair of bublici. Listen, you pesky creature. That mill does belong to me. I took it, and now it's mine.

The greedy man clapped his hands. Immediately, a team of servants came scurrying out of the house. Servants? As you know, I am entertaining guests in the dining room and can't be bothered with this nonsense. Take this irritating yellow rooster and throw him into the well. As the merchant stormed back inside, the servants grabbed the rooster, brought it to the well, and chucked the bird over the edge.

But the moment the rooster hit the water, it began to crow. "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Drink the water I've been thrown into! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Drink the water I've been thrown into!" And would you believe it? The plump yellow rooster drank up every drop of water in that well until it was completely empty.

Then the bird shook its feathers, flew to the top of the well, and began to crow. Cock-a-doodle-doo! That mill doesn't belong to you! Cock-a-doodle-doo! That mill doesn't belong to you! The furious merchant stomped back outside. His face was redder than the rooster's crest. This time, the greedy man let out a whistle. Whistle!

Immediately, a team of cooks came running out of the house. Cooks, take this bothersome yellow rooster and throw him into the stove. I have a party to host. As the merchant strode back inside, the cooks seized the rooster, brought it to the kitchen, then flung it into the stove. But the moment the bird's feathers touched the flames...

It began to crow. Cock-a-doodle-doo! Soak the flames right through! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Soak the flames right through! And would you believe it? The plump yellow rooster spit out every drop of water it had swallowed in the well until it had soaked all the flames and the fire in the stove fizzled out. The bird flapped its wings, then glided out of the kitchen and into the dining room where it landed quietly in a corner.

In the middle of the room, dozens of party guests sat clustered around a massive table. All of the guests wore elegant clothing, silken gowns, festive suits, and everyone was feasting on porcelain plates piled high with smoked salmon and salted herring, cabbage rolls and caviar, plus bellini, bublicchi, and pierogi. And do you know where those bellini, bublicchi, and pierogi came from?

That's right, the golden hand mill. Standing at the head of the table was the merchant, proudly showing off the mill to the astonished crowd. Can you believe it, folks? All you have to do is turn the crank and out come all these delectable treats. First, a bulini, then a bublic.

Then... Suddenly, the yellow rooster with the bright red crest fluttered its wings and flew out of its hiding place in the corner. Then the bird began swooping and diving around the room, crowing all the while. Cock-a-doodle-doo! That mill doesn't belong to you! Immediately, the frightened guests leapt from their seats and raced out the door. The merchant chased after them. Wait, wait, please don't go! I can explain! Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Come back. Come back, please. Come back. But the guests did not come back. After all, they didn't want to be associated with a dishonest thief, which the merchant clearly was. The rooster, meanwhile, snatched up the golden hand mill and carried it all the way back to the countryside and into the hands of a very appreciative Tatiana.

"Cack-a-doodle-doo, I brought the mill back to you. Cack-a-doodle-doo, I brought the mill back to you." So you did, Rooster. So you did. From then on, the two friends lived peacefully and comfortably in the little hut near the thick green forest. Sure, they occasionally found things to complain about,

But even if they did bellyache every now and again, thanks to their magic hand mill, they never went to bed with empty bellies again. Now it's your turn. The rooster went to great lengths to help a new friend. Who's someone in your life that you would go out of the way to help if they were in a jam? Is it a family member, a friend? Think about that person. Then find a piece of paper and draw a picture of you helping them.

After that, share it with them. And if you'd like, share it with us. Ask a grown-up to post your picture on Instagram and be sure to tag us at CircleRoundPodcast.

This week's story, The Rooster in the Sky, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Circle Round's executive producer, Catherine Brewer. Circle Round's original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. To get your copy of The Music of Circle Round, Volume 1, our soundtrack from our first season, visit our website, wbur.org slash circleround, and click on Soundtrack and Coloring Pages.

While you're there, you can find dozens of black and white illustrations, one for every Circle Round story, all created by our artist Sabina Han. Print some out and color them in while you listen, or anytime. Special thanks to this week's actors, James Konachek, Nick Scholle, and Rachel Matthews. Rachel stars as Honey Marin in Frozen 2, now available on digital. You can find the hit animated film on Blu-ray starting February 25th.

Our featured instrument this week was the Goosley. You can read more about this stringed instrument and see a picture on our website. Once more, that's wbur.org slash Circle Round. Never want to miss an episode of Circle Round? Ask your grown-up to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast app they use. And please leave us some stars, write us a review, or just tell your friends about the show.

CircleRound is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round with us. One of the best things about creating CircleRound is hearing from listeners like you. CircleRound fans have been telling us about their favorite CircleRound stories, and we're excited to share some of their voices with you today.

Hi, my name is Aryeh. I like the circle around of the three-legged pot. I like the part when the pot skip to the North Pole.

Hi, I'm May and I'm from Michigan and my favorite story of Circle Round is Stella and the Dragon because she has a hundred of kids and it's really cool and it's to believe you're not scared of nothing and she gets all of the money of the dragon.

Did someone mention an episode you missed? No problem. You can find every single Circle Round story on our website. That's wbur.org slash circle round or wherever you and your grown-ups get your podcasts.