Copper and Dumplings

Summary

Circle Round: "Copper and Dumplings"

Live at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium
Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Rebecca Sheir
Performed by: Nina Domingue, Xavier Hype, Bob Keefe
Musician: Eric Shimalonis (Koto)

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Episode Overview

In this heartwarming episode, the Circle Round team adapts a Japanese folktale about a clever baker who uses wit and empathy to protect herself from magical goblins called Tengu. Exploring themes of courage, vulnerability, and the power of conversation, "Copper and Dumplings" is both entertaining and gently instructive, encouraging listeners (young and old) to talk about their fears and find creative ways to feel safe.

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Key Discussion Points and Story Breakdown

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Introduction & Setting (00:10–02:49)

• Rebecca Sheir welcomes the audience and frames the episode with a discussion on fear:

  "Think about a time you felt afraid. Fear is a normal and common emotion. We all feel it, and talking with someone about what scares us can really help. In fact, as we'll hear in today's tale, when we talk with someone about our fears, it can be downright magical." (00:15, Rebecca Sheir)

• Setting: A baker lives at the edge of a forest, renowned for her sweet rice dumplings sold at low prices despite her modest means.

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The Baker’s Hardship (02:49–03:44)

• As the baker ages, her ability to make dumplings and earn a living diminishes.
• One cold night, she is hungry and worried when unexpected visitors arrive.

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The Tengu Arrive (03:44–05:09)

• Enter the Tengu: Two scary, winged goblins with red faces barge into her home, seeking warmth and threatening to use their magic if not welcomed.

• Quote:

  "You need to work on your hospitality, human." (04:56, Tengu 1)

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Tea & Tension (05:09–07:17)

• Despite her fear, the Baker offers hospitality—tea and warmth—even as the Tengu threaten her.

• The Baker keeps calm and tries to stall:

  "Clearly, you two gentlemen are upset and cold, so please make yourselves cozy by the fire. I'll brew up some tea." (05:17, The Baker)

• The Tengu press her to admit whether she’s scared of them.

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The Baker Outsmarts the Tengu (07:17–11:47)

• The Baker cleverly claims that nothing about the Tengu frightens her but she is terrified of other things.

• The Tengu’s curiosity is piqued. After some prodding, the Baker confides:

  • She is afraid of rice dumplings:

    "Yes. Sweet, sticky rice dumplings. They terrify me." (08:52, The Baker)

  • She is even more afraid of copper pieces:

    "What I am petrified of more than anything are copper pieces." (10:07, The Baker)

  • She gives false reasons for her fears (being overwhelmed by money and unwanted attention).

• The Baker then asks what the Tengu are afraid of, and after some hesitation, they admit:

  "There is one thing that scares us..." (11:56, Tengu 1)

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The Tengu’s Secret Fear (14:32–15:57)

• Tengu reveal: Their greatest fear is thickets—tangled, thorny brush:

  "Those dense clumps of twisty, thorny brambles and brush are dreadful. They get all tangled in our wings and our hair. They catch us and trap us." (15:00–15:20, Tengu 2 & 1)

• Comic misunderstanding:

  "She said it again."
  "No, you doof. She said ticket." (16:17–16:24, Tengu 1 & 2)

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The Baker’s Plan (16:28–17:41)

• That night, the Baker gathers thicket brambles and surrounds her cottage with them.
• In the morning, the Tengu are unable to reach her, so they opt for revenge instead.

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The Tengu’s Revenge and the Baker’s Triumph (17:41–19:43)

• The Tengu dump sacks of rice dumplings and copper coins into the Baker's home via the chimney, enacting what they think would be her worst nightmare.

• The Baker pretends to panic:

  "Oh, no. Oh, dear. I'm scared out of my wits. I'm quaking in my boots. I wish those copper pieces would stop pouring down. Someone make them stop, please." (19:23–19:43, The Baker)

• The twist: This is exactly what the Baker needed—plenty of dumplings to sell and copper coins to save, ensuring her happiness.

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Resolution & Message (19:43–20:30)

• The Baker prospers and never sees the Tengu again.
• Moral: Fear can sometimes be overcome or even used creatively, and talking about it helps.

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Activity for Listeners: Courage Cards (20:30–21:30)

• Rebecca Sheir encourages:

  "When you feel afraid, what can help you feel safe? ... Maybe you can cuddle with a grown up and tell them what's on your mind. Find some index cards or cut some paper into rectangles and make your own courage cards. On each card, draw one thing that gives you courage and makes you feel safe." (20:50, Rebecca Sheir)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Baker's clever response to the Tengu’s threats:

  "No, you don't scare me." (06:49, The Baker)

• Tengu reveal their fear:

  "Those dense clumps of twisty, thorny brambles and brush are dreadful. They get all tangled in our wings and our hair. They catch us and trap us." (15:00–15:20, Tengu 1 & 2)

• Baker’s feigned terror:

  "Oh, no. Oh, dear. I'm scared out of my wits. I'm quaking in my boots." (19:23, The Baker)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10–00:50: Introduction and theme of fear
• 03:44: Tengu enter the story, initial confrontation
• 08:42: Baker claims to fear rice dumplings
• 09:57: Baker claims to fear copper pieces
• 11:56: Tengu admit to fearing thickets
• 16:28: Baker gathers thicket brambles
• 18:21: Tengu dump rice dumplings down the chimney
• 19:08: Tengu dump copper coins
• 20:30: Activity: Making courage cards

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Tone & Style

Circle Round maintains a gentle, witty tone throughout, making even the episodes' scary moments playful and reassuring. The live audience adds laughter and warmth, while the musical backdrop (Japanese koto) deepens the immersion. The Baker is portrayed as quick-witted and empathetic, while the Tengu are funny, blustery villains with a soft inside.

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Summary for New Listeners

Even if you haven't heard the episode, this enchanting Circle Round tale demonstrates--with humor, cleverness, and a dash of magic--how facing and sharing our fears can bring about surprising opportunities and, sometimes, a bit of good fortune. The story closes with a practical, empowering activity, inviting families to talk openly about what gives them courage.

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For coloring pages, activity guides, and more Circle Round stories, visit: WBUR.org/CircleRound

Transcript

[Tengu 1]

Wsbur podcasts boston.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

This Circle Round episode was recorded live at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 14, 2026. You can hear all of our live Circle Round episodes and learn more about our picture books, Merch Newsletter and Circle Round Club on our website, WBUR.org CircleRound. Think about a time you felt afraid. Fear is a normal and common emotion. We all feel it, and talking with someone about what scares us can really help. In fact, as we'll hear in today's tale, when we talk with someone about our fears, it can be downright magical. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round Live at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. Today. Our story is called Copper and Dumplings. You'll find versions of this tale from the East Asian island nation of Japan. Joining me on stage is a trio of talented local actors, Nina Doming, Xavier Hype, and Bob Keefe. Providing musical accompaniment is the one and only Eric Shimalonis. So circle round, everyone, for copper and dumplings. The baker lived in a cottage at the far edge of the forest. Every morning, she would rise at dawn, then bustle to the kitchen and whip up batch after batch of her specialty sweet, sticky rice dumplings. The baker sold her dumplings at the village market. Her customers adored her, not just because her rice dumplings were the most delicious they had ever tasted, but because her prices were the lowest they had ever seen.

[The Baker]

You would like one dozen rice dumplings, sir. That'll be one copper piece, please. That's right, just one copper piece. And madam, you'd like two dozen rice dumplings. That'll be two copper pieces. That's right, just two copper pieces.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker was nowhere near as rich as her sweets, but she was comfortable, content with her lot in life. And yet, with each passing year, things began to change. As the baker grew older, her eyes began to fade, her fingers became stiff and sore, and standing over a hot stove made her back and feet ache. The baker was slowing down, and her business was too before long, she couldn't afford to buy ingredients to make her dumplings or food to fill her belly. One chilly autumn night, as the baker huddled in her cottage, hoping her hearth's crackling flames would drown out her stomach's rumbling groans, she heard two voices bellowing outside the door.

[Tengu 2]

Hey you, it's freezing out here.

[Tengu 1]

We saw smoke rising from your chimney.

[Tengu 2]

Let us sit by your fire.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker struck, struggled to her feet, and shuffled to the window. The moment she peered outside her blood turned cold, for lurking at her door were two hulking, hairy Tengu, evil winged goblins with red faces, tangled eyebrows and bulbous noses the size of rolling pins.

[The Baker]

Oh, dear. I mustn't let the Tengu come inside. If I do, they're sure to cast a spell on me. They'll either bewitch me into mindlessly carrying out their whims or they'll make me disappear forever.

[Tengu 1]

Hello?

[Tengu 2]

We know you're in there.

[Tengu 1]

And since you won't let us in,

[Tengu 2]

we'll let ourselves in.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The door flung open, and in barged the Tengu, their wings flapping and their eyes blazing as they barreled to the hearth.

[Tengu 1]

You need to work on your hospitality, human.

[Listeners / Fans]

Yeah.

[Tengu 2]

How dare you let us shiver outside like that?

[Tengu 1]

We should cast a spell on you.

[Tengu 2]

Yeah. A spell.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker's heart hammered so loud she could hear it in her ears. But she did her best to smile.

[The Baker]

Clearly, you two gentlemen are upset and cold, so please make yourselves cozy by the fire. I'll brew up some tea.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

She rushed to the kitchen, and though her trembling hands slowed down her process, she came back with a steaming hot pot of tea.

[The Baker]

Here you go, gentlemen. I would offer you a Snow, but times have been hard and my cupboards are unusually bare.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu slurped the tea, then wiped their shaggy mouths with the backs of their hairy hands.

[Tengu 2]

Mmm.

[Tengu 1]

That was the best tea we've ever tasted.

[Tengu 2]

Downright delicious.

[Tengu 1]

But it wasn't nearly enough. So make us more before we cast a spell on you.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker shuddered and fetched more tea. Her hands were shaking so hard she nearly dropped the pot in the Tengu's laps.

[Tengu 1]

Boy, oh boy, human. You seem nervous, all jittery and chumpy.

[Tengu 2]

Do the two of us scare you?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengus red faces broke into menacing grins so wide and broad the baker could count every sharp yellow tooth.

[The Baker]

Do you scare me?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker had no idea what to say next. And then, before she knew what she was doing.

[The Baker]

No, you don't scare me.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu were thrown for a loop.

[Tengu 1]

We don't scare you?

[Tengu 2]

But we're Tengu.

[Tengu 1]

We're big and mean and cast spells

[Tengu 2]

and trust us, we're about to cast a doozy of a spell after we finish this delicious tea.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker felt a rush of relief. Thankfully, she had bought more time.

[The Baker]

I'm glad the tea is to your liking. And believe me, gentlemen, I know all about your powers. But I don't really see you as big and mean.

[Tengu 1]

You don't?

[The Baker]

No. I see you as travelers who needed to come in from the cold. You are my guests, and I'm not afraid of guests. Unlike some other things.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker wasn't sure where she was going with this, but the Tengu seemed intrigued.

[Tengu 1]

What kinds of other things?

[Tengu 2]

Yeah, if we Tengu don't speak, scare you, then what, Dice?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker bit her lip.

[The Baker]

I shouldn't say. It's too embarrassing.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu are really intrigued now.

[Tengu 1]

Come. Come on, human.

[Tengu 2]

You've got to tell us what scares you.

[Tengu 1]

If you do, we won't cast a spell on you today.

[Tengu 2]

Yeah. Instead, we'll come back tomorrow. Give you time to say your goodbyes and whatnot.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker felt another wave of relief.

[The Baker]

All right. You've persuaded me. I will tell you what I'm afraid of.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

She glanced around the cottage. Her eyes fell on an empty bag of rice.

[The Baker]

I am afraid of rice dumplings.

[Tengu 2]

Rice dumplings?

[The Baker]

Yes. Sweet, sticky rice dumplings. They terrify me.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu scanned the baker's face, seeking a glimmer of a smile or some other hint that she might be joking.

[Tengu 1]

You're telling us you're actually afraid of rice dumplings?

[Tengu 2]

Why?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker thought fast.

[The Baker]

Well, when I see sweet, sticky rice dumplings, I wind up eating so many that I'm sick for days, weeks, sometimes months. But while rice dumplings may scare me, there's something else that scares me even more.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu leaned forward.

[Tengu 1]

What is it?

[Tengu 2]

Yeah, what scares you more than rice dumplings?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker paused and looked around again. This time her gaze landed on her coin purse. Her empty coin purse.

[The Baker]

What scares me even more than rice dumplings are copper pieces.

[Tengu 1]

Copper pieces?

[The Baker]

Yes. What I am petrified of more than anything are copper pieces.

[Tengu 1]

Whatever for?

[Tengu 2]

Yeah, what's so scary about a copper piece?

[The Baker]

Only everything. Do you know what would happen if I had a mess of copper pieces in this cottage? I'll tell you what would happen. Villagers would be knocking at my door all day long, begging to borrow from me or sell me things that I neither want nor need. Robbers and thieves would come sneaking over at night. It would be awful.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker let out a long, shaky breath.

[The Baker]

But hey, enough about me. What are you two afraid of?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu folded their brawny arms across their burly chests.

[Tengu 1]

What? We aren't afraid of anything, we told you.

[Tengu 2]

We're big and mean and cast spells.

[Tengu 1]

Like the spell we're going to cast on you tomorrow.

[The Baker]

Right, I get it. The two of you are powerful. So powerful that you're going to come back here tomorrow and cast a spell on yours truly. But come now, Everyone is afraid of something. Surely there's one thing that scares you and you might as well tell me about it. Cause once you cast your spell, I won't be able to breathe a word of it.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu grew quiet. Judging by the sheepish looks on their faces, the baker knew she had struck a nerve.

[Tengu 1]

All right, fine. If you must know, there is one thing that scares us.

[Tengu 2]

And that thing is. Oh, I can't say it. It gives me the creeps.

[Tengu 1]

Well, I can't say it either.

[Tengu 2]

Then how are we going to tell her?

[Tengu 1]

How about we say it together?

[Tengu 2]

That could work.

[Tengu 1]

Okay. The one thing that scares us is.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

Oh, you know what that music means. We'll find out what scares the pants off those tricky Tangu. After a quick break, The reviews are in and super fans like you are loving the Circle Round Club, an exciting opportunity to support public radio and get cool stuff, including ad free episodes and a personalized birthday message from me.

[Listeners / Fans]

What I like about the Circle Round Club is that Rebecca Shear sends extra messages and it supports the the show. And there are no ads.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

Grown ups support public radio and sign up [e-mail] CircleRoundClub. I'm Rebecca Scheer and welcome back to Circle Round Live at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. Today. Our story is called Copper and Dumpling. Before the break, the baker convinced the hairy winged goblins known as Tengu to put off casting a spell on her by one day. The clever old woman somehow shifted the conversation to things that scared her or supposedly scared her. Her two worst fears, she claimed, were copper pieces and the sweet sticky rice dumplings she once baked and sold for a living. When it was time for the Tengu to admit their worst fear, they were so petrified they had to say it together.

[Tengu 1]

The one thing that scares us is thickets.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker tilted her head.

[Tengu 2]

Thickets?

[The Baker]

You're afraid of thickets?

[Tengu 1]

Yes.

[Tengu 2]

Do you have to say it so many times?

[The Baker]

Say what?

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

Thickets.

[Tengu 1]

You did it again.

[Tengu 2]

You've got to understand. Those dense clumps of twisty, thorny brambles and brush are dreadful.

[Tengu 1]

They get all tangled in our wings and our hair. They catch us and trap us.

[Tengu 2]

It's terrible.

[Tengu 1]

It's horrible.

[Tengu 2]

It's no good and very bad.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker handed the Tengu a tissue. They blew their rolling pin sized noses so loudly it shook the walls.

[The Baker]

I hear what you're saying, gentlemen. If I were in your shoes, I too would be afraid of thickets.

[Tengu 2]

Even whispering it is scary.

[The Baker]

Anyway, I should Call it a night, gentlemen. This old gal needs some sleep. And you do too, if you're going to cast a doozy of a spell on me tomorrow. A little rest is just the ticket.

[Tengu 1]

She said it again.

[Tengu 2]

No, you doof. She said ticket.

[Tengu 1]

Oh.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu wiped their noses, then lumbered out the door. And once they had disappeared into the forest, the baker bundled into her coat and boots, grabbed a pair of gardening shears and stepped outside. She meandered through the trees, using her shears to cut through the thick, thickly tangled underbrush. Then, one armful at a time, she hauled the brambles back home. The baker worked hard, and when the Tengu came back at sunrise to cast their evil spell, they made a terrifying discovery. Every inch of the baker's cottage and yard was covered with twisty, thorny thickets.

[Tengu 1]

She said the word.

[Tengu 2]

Who cares about the word? We've got the real thing. It's all over the cottage. All around it, too.

[Tengu 1]

There's no way I'm touching that stuff.

[Tengu 2]

Me either. But we can't cast a spell on the baker in if we can't get her.

[Tengu 1]

You're right. So we won't get her. Instead, we'll get revenge.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker, who could see and hear everything through a gap in the window, watched the Tengu fly off. When they returned, each one held a very large, very full sack. The goblins beat their wings and flew into the air, hovering over the chimney on the bramble covered roof.

[Tengu 1]

I'll empty my sack into the chimney first. And when the baker sees what's inside, she'll be scared out of her wits.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The baker shuffled to the hearth and waited. The fire had long since died down, and when she saw what came castle skating down the chimney, she smiled, though she pretended to scream.

[The Baker]

My fireplace is filling up with rice dumplings. Sweet, sticky rice dumplings. It's my second worst nightmare come true.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

Up on the roof. The Tengu grinned as they called down the chimney.

[Tengu 1]

You think that's bad human cause?

[Tengu 2]

We're about to send your worst nightmare.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

The Tengu emptied the other sack down the chimney. And can you guess what came tumbling into the baker's hearth? That's right. Copper pieces.

[The Baker]

Oh, no. Oh, dear. I'm scared out of my wits. I'm quaking in my boots. I wish those copper pieces would stop pouring down. Someone make them stop, please.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

But the copper pieces kept coming, clinking and clanking as they formed a big shiny pile. Now that the baker's hearth was bursting with rice dumplings and copper pieces, the Tengu flew away, satisfied with their supposed revenge. As for the baker, well, she was satisfied too. After all, thanks to the hairy winged goblins, she now had thousands of rice dumplings to sell at the market and thousands of copper pieces to save for a rainy day. And from then on, she lived in comfort and contentment and never tangled with the Tengu again. Now it's your turn. When you feel afraid, what can help you feel safe? Can you hug a stuffed animal? Sing your favorite song? Maybe you can cuddle with a grown up and tell them what's on your mind. Find some index cards or cut some paper into rectangles and make your own courage cards. On each card, draw one thing that gives you courage and makes you feel safe. Next time Fear pays a visit, take a breath, pull out a courage card and use it to help you through. This week's story. Copper and Dumplings was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Dean Russell and performed by Nina Domingue, Xavier Hype and Bob Keefe. Eric Shimalonis composed our original music and played it live on the Koto. You can learn more about this Japanese stringed instrument and see a photo of Eric playing one on our website WBUR.org Circleround Circle Round's artist is Sabina Hahn. 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 CircleRound and click on coloring pages. And while you're at WBUR.org CircleRound you can check out our Circle Round Picture Books Circle Round Club and sign up for your monthly Circle Circle Round newsletter. The Lion's Roar. Find it [e-mail] CircleRound Grown Ups if you enjoy Circle Round, please leave us a 5 star rating or review on your favorite podcast app. And if social media is your jam, please join our communities on Facebook and Instagram. Our handle is CircleRound Podcast. We'd love to stay in touch. Circle Round is a production of WBUR Boston's npr. I'm Rebecca. 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.

[Listeners / Fans]

My name is Viv and I'm from New South Wales, Australia and my favourite story is over the Sea and my favorite part is when the Starfish tricks the whale by scratching in his ears. I'm in Manila and I live in San Jose, California and my favorite circumstance story is the Zodiac Swell and I like the part when the rod pushes the cat in the water.

[Tengu 2]

My name is Nala, I live in

[Tengu 1]

C

[Tengu 2]

and my favorite circle round story is Chameleon Concert. I like the part when he got his croissant gown.

[Listeners / Fans]

I'm Martine, I'm from Rainforest, Illinois. My favorite toy is the Fairy Folk. My name is Rose, I live in Portland. My favorite circle arm stories is Unique. My name is Rocco, I live in Portland, Oregon. My favorite story is Pricemaster. I like when Pricemaster Prizemaster hi, my name is Levi, I'm from Boise, Idaho and my favorite Circle round episode is the three Legged Pot. Why I like the three Legged Pot is when it goes skippity skip skip skip. My name is I live in Boise, Idaho and my favorite circle round story is the Farmer's Coin. My favorite part in it is when she cuts open the fish and finds the coin.

[Narrator / Rebecca Shear]

Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry grown ups. 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 CircleRound.