Diamonds in the Sky

Summary

Podcast Summary: Circle Round – "Diamonds in the Sky"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Circle Round
• Host/Author: WBUR
• Episode: Diamonds in the Sky
• Release Date: February 25, 2025
• Description: Circle Round adapts folktales from around the world into engaging radio plays for children and families. Each episode explores important moral and social issues, concluding with an activity that fosters deeper conversations between children and adults.

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Introduction

In the February 25, 2025 episode of Circle Round titled "Diamonds in the Sky," host Rebecca Shear introduces listeners to a captivating Filipino folktale. The story centers on sibling rivalry, kindness, and the profound consequences of our actions. This episode, enriched with sound and music, brings to life the characters of Arau and Buon, two sisters whose differences lead them on a transformative journey.

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Characters

• Arau: The elder sister, portrayed as kind-hearted and generous. She embodies warmth and goodwill.
• Buon: The younger sister, characterized by her cold and prickly nature. She often clashes with Arau.
• Mother: The caring parent who wishes for her daughters to coexist peacefully.
• Batala: The divine Creator Spirit, representing wisdom and justice.

Notable Voices:

• Mila Harris as Arau
• Carriona Crowder as Buon
• Joe Hernandez as Mother
• Jessica Rau and Kiryanna Cratter in supporting roles

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Plot Summary

Setting: The story unfolds on a mystical island in the Philippines, a land steeped in legend where the sky is perpetually bathed in twilight, lacking the traditional cycles of day and night.

Sibling Rivalry: Arau and Buon are introduced as stark contrasts—Arau is benevolent and caring, while Buon is resentful and mischievous. Their constant bickering is evident from the outset:

• [02:07] Arau: "Look at this bouquet of lilies I picked for mother. Buon. Don't they smell lovely?"

• [02:18] Buon: "These flowers smell like bad perfume or are you trying to make mother sick? Because I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies."

Buon's antagonistic behavior escalates as she accuses Arau of being a "goody two shoes" and even blames her sister for household mishaps.

Mother's Intervention: Frustrated by their incessant fighting, their mother implores them to reconcile:

• [03:18] Mother: "Look, girls, I love both of you so much, and all I want is for my two favorite people in the world to peacefully coexist. So I'll tell you what. Why don't you go to the market together and pick up some groceries? You can have a nice talk along the way."

Arau approaches the task with a positive attitude, while Buon reluctantly agrees, dreading the interaction.

Encounter with Batala: During their market journey, the sisters meet a beggar who transforms into Batala, revealing his divine nature. He rewards Arau's kindness with a magnificent diamond but denies Buon due to her unkindness:

• [06:38] Batala: "This diamond is for you, Arau, for treating me and everyone with such kindness."

• [07:22] Buon: "Um, hang on. Where's my gift? Don't I get a diamond too?"

Batala explains that Buon's lack of compassion prevents her from receiving any reward, sparking Buon's jealousy and resentment.

Buon's Quest: Reeling from the injustice, Buon embarks on a quest to Batala's celestial kingdom to steal a diamond, believing she is as worthy as her sister. Her journey leads her to the peak of the tallest mountain, where she successfully claims a dazzling diamond.

Conflict and Consequences: Upon her return, Buon attempts to claim Arau's diamond, leading to a fierce confrontation that disrupts the household. Their mother, in desperation, calls upon Batala to restore peace. Batala intervenes by separating the sisters and transforming their diamonds into the sun and moon:

• [15:15] Batala: "What must be done must be done."

Their diamonds ascend to the heavens, symbolizing their fractured relationship and the new celestial order.

Resolution: Buon, now embodying the moon, experiences remorse and seeks reconciliation, while Arau represents the sun, shining brightly in the sky. The story concludes with a reflection on sharing and the importance of kindness.

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Key Themes

1. Sibling Rivalry: The tension between Arau and Buon highlights common familial conflicts and the challenges of differing personalities.

2. Kindness vs. Selfishness: Arau's generosity contrasts sharply with Buon's selfishness, demonstrating the moral that kindness is rewarded, while selfishness leads to isolation.

3. Consequences of Actions: Buon's decision to steal leads to irreversible changes, emphasizing that our choices have lasting impacts.

4. Redemption and Regret: Buon's eventual remorse underscores the possibility of change and the value of reconciliation.

5. Symbolism of Celestial Bodies: The transformation of their diamonds into the sun and moon serves as a metaphor for their enduring connection and the balance between light and darkness.

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Notable Quotes

• Arau on Kindness:

  • [02:07] Arau: "Look at this bouquet of lilies I picked for mother. Buon. Don't they smell lovely?"

• Buon on Resentment:

  • [02:18] Buon: "These flowers smell like bad perfume or are you trying to make mother sick? Because I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies."

• Batala's Judgment:

  • [07:26] Batala: "The fact of the matter is, I was hoping to give you a diamond, Bhuwan. I was hoping that if I came down from my kingdom in the sky and I disguise myself as a penniless beggar, you might open your heart and show some kindness. But alas, your heart remains closed, locked up tight and clouded with anger and scorn. So I shall give you nothing."

• Buon's Plea for Fairness:

  • [08:09] Buon: "Okay, that was totally crazy and totally unfair. My goody two shoes sister gets to go home with that amazing diamond while I go home with nothing."

• Mother's Desperation:

  • [14:04] Mother: "What are you two doing? Wrestling. Stop it right now."

• Batala's Final Decree:

  • [15:15] Batala: "What must be done must be done."

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Conclusion

"Diamonds in the Sky" is a poignant tale that weaves together themes of generosity, envy, and the transformative power of remorse. Through the journey of Arau and Buon, listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own actions and the importance of sharing and kindness. The episode culminates with an activity prompt, urging families to engage in acts of sharing and to visualize their commitments through drawing, fostering meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Activity Prompt: Think about one thing you can do this week to share. Maybe you can share a toy with a sibling or friend. Perhaps you can share time with a relative you haven't seen in a while. Or you can share clothing or food by donating to a charity. Think about how you'll share. Then find some paper and draw a picture of it. Hang your picture where you can always see it and over the next week make that vision come true.

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Credits:

• Adapted by: Rebecca Shear
• Edited by: Dean Russell
• Music and Sound Design: Eric Shimalonis (featuring the Ken Dong)
• Artwork: Sabina Hahn
• Voice Actors: Joe Hernandez, Jessica Rau, Mila Harris, Kiryanna Cratter

Stay Connected: Listeners are invited to join the Circle Round Club for exclusive content, ad-free episodes, and more. Engage with the community through coloring pages, bonus stories, and interactive activities available on WBUR.org/CircleRound.

Listener Feedback: The episode concluded with enthusiastic listener testimonials, showcasing the widespread appreciation and personal connections fans have with Circle Round stories.

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This detailed summary captures the essence and key elements of the "Diamonds in the Sky" episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have not yet listened.

Transcript

[Rebecca Shear]

WBUR Podcasts Boston have you ever had a tough time getting along with someone? It happens to all of us. We have that sibling or friend or classmate we always seem to be bumping heads with. We're about to meet two sisters who have trouble getting along. And what happens to these quibbling siblings is out of this world. Rebecca Round I'm Rebecca Scheer and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today our story is called Diamonds in the Sky. It was inspired by tales told in the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country consisting of more than 7,000 islands in the South China, Philippine and Celebes seas. Some really great people came together to bring you our version of this folktale, including Mila Harris and Kiryanna Cratter. Mila Harris stars in the recent Netflix film Mary. She'll next be seen in the sci fi action movie World Breaker. Carriona Crowder has appeared on the Disney comedy series Bunk'd and the CBS sitcom the United States of Al. She most recently starred in Star Skeleton Crew on Disney. So circle around everyone for Diamonds in the sky. Sky Long, long ago, when the world was much younger than it is now, two sisters lived on an island with their mother. The sisters names were Arau and Buon and they were as different as day and night. Not that the sisters would have known what day and night were because long, long ago, day and night didn't exist. There was no sun, no moon either. So the sky always took on a dim cast of twilight. Now, like we said, Arau and Buon were very different. Arou was warm hearted and good natured.

[Arau]

Look at this bouquet of lilies I picked for mother. Buon. Don't they smell lovely?

[Rebecca Shear]

Buon, on the other hand. Smell lovely was not.

[Buon]

These flowers smell like bad perfume or are you trying to make mother sick? Because I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies.

[Rebecca Shear]

Bhuwan was cold and prickly with just about everyone, especially her sister. She was always picking on Araw and pushing her buttons.

[Buon]

She teased her, you're such a goody two shoes, Aral. It's more like goody 200 shoes.

[Rebecca Shear]

She messed with her stuff.

[Buon]

I borrowed your new dress, Arouse and I spilled juice all over it. Guess you'll need another one.

[Rebecca Shear]

She even blamed her for her own misdeeds.

[Buon]

Mother Arow was playing ball inside the house and she broke your favorite vase.

[Rebecca Shear]

I did not.

[Arau]

Bhuwan was the one with the ball.

[Buon]

Bhuwan was the one with the ball.

[Arau]

Are you mimicking me?

[Buon]

Are you mimicking me? Stop it. Stop It.

[Rebecca Shear]

I said stop It.

[Buon]

I said stop.

[Mother]

Enough. By the power of Batala, the Creator Spirit himself, I wish the two of you could get along.

[Arau]

We could get along, Mother, if Bhuwan was nicer to me.

[Buon]

Oh, so it's my fault? I'm the bad guy?

[Arau]

That's not what I'm saying.

[Buon]

Sure sounds like it.

[Mother]

Look, girls, I love both of you so much, and all I want is for my two favorite people in the world to peacefully coexist. So I'll tell you what. Why don't you go to the market together and pick up some groceries? You can have a nice talk along the way.

[Rebecca Shear]

Mother flashed her daughters a smile. Arau smiled back. Bhuwan, ugh, did not.

[Buon]

Fine, we'll go to the market together. I'm sure it'll be a blast.

[Mother]

That's the spirit. Here's a purse full of money for each of you. I'll see you when you get back.

[Rebecca Shear]

Buon rolled her eyes, then followed her sister down the road. As they rounded a sharp bend, they heard a voice.

[Batala]

Excuse me, might you have some money to share with the poor? Just a few coins.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sitting in the dirt by the side of the road was an old man. He was haggard and disheveled, with a tangled beard, ragged clothing, and shabby shoes. Arau instantly reached for her purse.

[Arau]

I can share more than a few coins, sir. Here, take everything.

[Batala]

Thank you, miss.

[Rebecca Shear]

The man grinned as Arau emptied her purse into his weathered hands. Then he turned his gaze toward Buan.

[Batala]

Might you have a few coins to spare?

[Rebecca Shear]

Bhuan wrinkled her nose.

[Buon]

Are you serious? Like I'm gonna share any of my money with a beggar like you? Look, Mr. My Goody Two Shoes Sister already gave you an entire purse full. You're getting nothing from me.

[Batala]

Is that so? I'm getting nothing from you. Then you are getting nothing from me either.

[Rebecca Shear]

Bhuan let out a laugh.

[Buon]

You're a poor beggar. What could you possibly offer anyone?

[Rebecca Shear]

The man said nothing. Instead, he raised his arms into the air and closed his eyes. Suddenly there was a puff of smoke and the beggar was gone. In his place was a tall, regal looking man, his entire body glowing with light.

[Batala]

I suppose I ought to introduce myself. I am Batala, the divine creator of all things. But before I showed my true face, what was it you asked me?

[Rebecca Shear]

Batala fixed his eyes on Bhuan.

[Batala]

Ah, yes. You asked what I could possibly offer anyone. The answer is this.

[Rebecca Shear]

The powerful spirit extended a glimmering arm. In his hand was a diamond the size of a grapefruit the giant gem twinkled brighter than anything the sisters had ever seen.

[Batala]

This diamond is for you, Arau, for treating me and everyone with such kindness.

[Arau]

Really? Wow. Thank you, Batala. I will treasure and honor this gift.

[Rebecca Shear]

Arau took the diamond and made a low, deep bow. Bhuan looked on with outrage.

[Buon]

Um, hang on. Where's my gift? Don't I get a diamond too?

[Rebecca Shear]

Batala fixed Bhuan with a hard stare.

[Batala]

The fact of the matter is, I was hoping to give you a diamond, Bhuwan. I was hoping that if I came down from my kingdom in the sky and I disguise myself as a penniless beggar, you might open your heart and show some kindness. But alas, your heart remains closed, locked up tight and clouded with anger and scorn. So I shall give you nothing.

[Rebecca Shear]

No sooner had the God uttered these words than there was another puff of smoke and he was gone.

[Buon]

Okay, that was totally crazy and totally unfair. My goody two shoes sister gets to go home with that amazing diamond while I go home with nothing.

[Arau]

Perhaps we could share the diamond, Buon. You could keep it in your room for a week. Then I'll keep it in mine.

[Narrator]

No way.

[Buon]

I'm not sharing. I want a diamond of my own.

[Rebecca Shear]

Buon gritted her teeth and stomped away. But she didn't go to the market and she didn't go back home. Instead, she made her way to the tallest mountain on the island and began to climb. You see, according to island lore, if you climbed the tallest peak on the tallest mountain, you could magically enter Battala's kingdom in the sky. And that was precisely what Buon was planning to do.

[Buon]

If Batala won't give me my own diamond, then I'll sneak into his kingdom and take one. I'm every bit as worthy as my sister, and now I'm going to prove it.

[Rebecca Shear]

Will Buon succeed in snow stealing from Batala? We'll find out after a quick break.

[Narrator]

Support for Circle Round comes from Indeed. You just realized that your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. There's no need to wait. You can speed up your hiring with Indeed and Circle Round listeners will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more [e-mail] circleround just go to indeed.com circleround right now and support the show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.comCircleround terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

[Rebecca Shear]

Circle Round superfans have been raving about the Circle Round Club an exciting way to support our public radio podcast and get ad free episodes, exclusive swag, early access to events and bonus bedtime stories. Check out this rave review.

[Listener]

One thing I like about Circle Round Club is all the bedtime stories. It's really fun and they're almost like a mini sort of Circle Circle Round story, except they're much shorter.

[Rebecca Shear]

Grown ups get your Circle Round superfans signed up [e-mail] CircleRoundClub I'm Rebecca Scheer. Welcome back to Circle Round today. Our story is called Diamonds in the Sky. Before the break, Batala, the Creator's spirit, rewarded kind hearted Arau with a sparkling diamond the size of a grapefruit. He gave nothing to her cold hearted sister, Buon. So Buon decided she would visit Batala's kingdom in the sky and steal a diamond. She summited the tallest mountain on the island, and when she pushed through the clouds surrounding the tallest peak, what should she spy glittering all around her? Jackpot but diamonds. Hundreds and thousands of sparkling gemstones. Seizing the biggest, brightest diamond she could find, she scrambled back through the clouds and down the mountain, laughing all the way. Back at home, the house was quiet. Arau and Mother were fast asleep in their rooms. Clutching her new prize in her hand, Bhuan crept to her sister's bed. Beside it was the diamond Batala had given her. As Bhuan compared her own diamond with her sister's, her face fell in dismay.

[Buon]

My diamond is nowhere near as big as Arouse's or as brilliant. This is so unfair.

[Rebecca Shear]

Buon's outburst roused Arau from her sleep.

[Arau]

Buon, what's the matter?

[Buon]

The matter is you. It's always been you. You're so nice, so good. Even my diamond can't measure up. I snuck up to Batala Sky Kingdom and stole the very best one I could find. And yours is still better.

[Arau]

You stole a diamond from Batala? You shouldn't steal from anyone, especially a God.

[Buon]

Well, if it helps at all, now I regret it. Because your diamond is better. Which is why I'm going to make it mine.

[Rebecca Shear]

Bhuwan stretched out her arms and lunged toward Arau's diamond. But Arau stopped her. Grabbing her sister's hands and holding them tight, Buon struggled to break free.

[Buon]

Let go of me. I'm taking that diamond.

[Arau]

It isn't yours to take. I offered to share it.

[Buon]

I told you I don't want to share. Give me that diamond.

[Arau]

Stop.

[Rebecca Shear]

The sisters began to tussle, rolling around and around on the bed Let go of me.

[Arau]

Only if you leave my diamond alone.

[Buon]

But it's mine. Mine.

[Rebecca Shear]

The ruckus eventually awakened Mother. When she raced into Arau's room, her eyes widened.

[Mother]

What are you two doing? Wrestling. Stop it right now.

[Rebecca Shear]

But the girls wouldn't stop. Buwan fought tooth and nail to grab the diamond, and Arau fought tooth and nail to defend it. The sisters rolled off the bed and landed on the floor. But still they fought. They kicked, they jabbed, they poked. Mother tried pulling them apart.

[Mother]

Girls, please.

[Rebecca Shear]

But she wasn't strong enough and got knocked to the floor.

[Mother]

Oh, by the power of Batala, I wish my daughters would stop this fight.

[Rebecca Shear]

No sooner had she desperately uttered those words than there was a puff of smoke. And who should appear right there in the room but Batala himself.

[Batala]

Oh, dear. What have we here?

[Rebecca Shear]

Mother was so shocked, she nearly fainted. Patala stared at the scrapping, skirmishing sisters and made a decision.

[Batala]

What must be done must be done.

[Rebecca Shear]

He raised his arms high and closed his eyes. All of a sudden, a Rao and Buuwon were flung off the floor, out the open window and in to the sky. Their two diamonds, the gifted and the stolen, flew into the sky with them. And there they remained. A Rao and her diamond became the sun and lit up the sky during what we now call day. Buon and her diamond became the moon and glowed and shimmered during what we now call night. After this cosmic incident, Buwan was flooded with an unexpected emotion. Remorse. Now that she was up in the sky, separated from her family, she felt regrets about how she had treated or mistreated her sister. In fact, she felt so ashamed that to this day, Buon the moon doesn't always show her full face. Sometimes she shows just a sliver or a quarter or a half. Once a month, if you gaze up at the sky, the moon doesn't show her face at all. Araw knows how bad her sister feels. So every now and again, she invites bullets to share the sky with her. That's why you'll sometimes see both the sun and the moon floating above. But you'll never see them fighting. Instead, they coexist, gracing the heavens with their radiant jewels in peace. Now it's your turn. Think about one thing you can do this week to share. Maybe you can share a toy with a sibling or friend. Perhaps you can share time with a relative you haven't seen in a while. Or you can share clothing or food by donating to a charity. Think about how you'll share. Then find some paper and draw a picture of it. Hang your picture where you can always see it and over the next week make that vision come true. This week's episode Diamonds in the sky was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Dean Russell. Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. Eric's featured instrument this week was the Ken Dong. You can learn more about this double headed drum and see a photo of Eric playing one on our website. That's WBUR.org CircleRound's artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has created a black and white coloring page for every Circle Round story and you can put print them out and color them in Grown Ups. Visit our website WBUR.org CircleRound and click on coloring pages. Special thanks to this week's actors, Joe Hernandez, Jessica Rau, Mila Harris and Kiryanna Cratter. You can see Kirriyanna Crowder star as the ever perceptive youngling KB on the Disney series Star Skeleton Crew and Grown Ups. Watch for Mila Harris and the upcoming sci fi action movie World Breaker. If you love Circle Round and want to Circle Round with us in even more ways, we invite you to join the Circle Round Club. As a member, you'll get ad free episodes, bonus bedtime stories, a monthly newsletter, super fun swag, plus early access to our live events. You can also add cool perks like our snuggly Circle Round lion and a personalized birthday message from me. Sign up today and support the public radio podcast you love on our website. Again, that's WBUR.org CircleRound and Grown Ups. If you have a moment, please leave us a five star 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.

[Listener]

Hello, my name is Griffin and I live in Helsinki, Finland. My my favorite Circle Round story is the World of Music. My name is Theo and I live in Lexington, Virginia. And my favorite Circle Round story is Coyote's Flame. And my favorite part is when Coyote steals the fire from the Fire Beast. My name is Paxton. I live in California. My house is in Loma Linda and my favorite Circle Round star is seeing the sky. I like the part when seeing the sky fight. I'm Helen, I live in McLeansville, North Carolina. And my favorite story is the Granny Snowstorm. And I love the part when the one who's telling the story says that's actually how it's written. And the boy says yes. My name is Lorenzo. I'm from Miami, Florida. My favorite story is the Upside Down Tree. I like when the hyena takes the tree out of the ground. Hi, my name is Haru and I live in la. My favorite story is the Buffalo Shadow. My favorite part of the story is when the judge says, here is your just compensation. My name is Ezra and I live in Florida. And my favorite story is Lightning and Thunder. And I like the part when lightning knocks down all the houses. My name is Vera and I'm from Georgia and I can't choose a favorite Circle Round episode.

[Buon]

They're all so good. I can't choose.

[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.