Encore: Finding the Light

Summary

Podcast Summary: Circle Round – Encore: Finding the Light

Podcast: Circle Round (WBUR)
Episode Title: Encore: Finding the Light
Air Date: December 23, 2025
Host: Rebecca Sheir
Folktale Inspiration: Traditional tales from Alaska Native and First Nations communities in Canada
Featured Actor: Kennedy Kanagawa

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Overview

This episode revisits Finding the Light, a folktale adaptation for children and families. The story explores persistence, hope, and the courage to confront hardship for the greater good. Set in the far north, it follows a young man determined to rescue the world from endless darkness. Filled with music, lively performances, and an insightful guided activity, the episode celebrates how one brave act can bring light to many.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: A World Without Light

• The story takes place in a northern village where, after a fateful summer, the sun sets and never rises again, leaving the world plunged in darkness all year round.
  • [02:40] Young Man: "Grandmother, why is it always so dark in the world? Why don't we have any light?"
  • [02:46] Grandmother: "Way back when I was a young girl, we did have light...But then one summer, the light never came. The sun set and never rose again."

2. The Call to Adventure

• Inspired by his grandmother’s memories, the young man vows to find and return the lost light.
  • [04:27] Young Man: "Grandmother, I will bring back the light. I will bring back day and night and summer and winter. The world has been trapped in darkness long enough."
  • Grandmother, supportive but concerned, prepares her grandson for an uncertain quest.

3. Encounter with the Raven

• During his trek, the young man meets a clever raven in a snowy cave who offers both advice and a magical gift.
  • The Raven tells him to head south to find the light and offers a feather to help on his journey.
  • [06:00] Young Man: "A raven. You're a raven?"
  • [06:09] Raven: "But tell me, what's a human like you doing so far out on the tundra? You'll freeze to death out here, unless the darkness makes you all loopy first."
  • [06:52] Raven: "According to my grandparents legends, you must head to the south. You'll know it when you get there... Take this with you. It will help you on your journey."

4. Discovery of the Old Man and the Hidden Light

• The young man comes upon a snowy ring-shaped hill and finds light coming from a hut in a hollow.
  • An old man, discovered to have stolen and hoarded the light, explains his selfish reasoning.
  • [11:10] Old Man: "How about I answer your question with one of my own? Why are you building up this snow hill and hiding all the light from the rest of the world?"
  • [12:17] Old Man: "...I came up with a plan to steal the light. To have my own personal summer every day of the year. And now I do."

5. The Daring Rescue

• While the old man is distracted by laughter, the young man grabs the ball of light from the hut and flees.
  • The old man gives chase, shouting for the return of his light.
  • [13:24] Young Man: "It isn't your light. It belongs to all of us."

6. Transformation and Triumph

• In a crucial moment, the young man remembers the raven’s feather, puts it behind his ear, and transforms into a raven.
  • Flying above, he distributes pieces of light across the world, creating days, the seasons, and finally returning to his village.
  • [13:54] Rebecca Shear: "Remembering the raven's gift, the young man reached into the pocket of his parka and plucked out the feather. He tucked the feather behind his ear. And do you know what happened next? In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a raven."
  • [14:45] Young Man: "Good morning, everybody. Rise and shine."
  • His last act is to toss the remaining light into the sky, restoring the world’s natural cycle.

7. The Village Rejoices

• The people and his grandmother celebrate as sunlight returns, expressing joy and gratitude for his bravery.
  • [15:52] Young Man: "I did it, Grandmother. I brought back the light."
  • [15:56] Grandmother: "We see that, my dear. At long last, thanks to you, we see the light."

8. Reflection and Activity for Listeners

• Rebecca Sheir invites listeners to reflect on their favorite season, draw an activity they enjoy, and share their artwork—encouraging creative participation and intergenerational connection.
  • [16:05] Rebecca Shear: "Pick one of [the seasons] and think about things you love doing during that season. Then find a piece of paper and draw a picture of all your favorite winter, spring, summer or fall things to do..."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Our world was trapped in darkness." – Grandmother [02:46]
• "I will bring back the light." – Young Man [04:27]
• "Take this [feather] with you. It will help you on your journey." – Raven [06:58]
• "It isn't your light. It belongs to all of us." – Young Man [13:24]
• "In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a raven." – Rebecca Sheir [13:54]
• "After a cold snow, sunless winter, come the long golden days of summer when everyone gets to share and bask in the light." – Rebecca Sheir [16:05]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 02:40: Introduction and setting the story's world of darkness
• 02:40 – 04:08: Grandmother explains the loss of light
• 04:08 – 05:11: The young man resolves to find the light
• 05:29 – 07:26: Meeting the raven and receiving the magical feather
• 09:52 – 11:02: Discovery of the ring-shaped hill and the old man's hut
• 12:17 – 13:19: The old man's confession and the young man's daring act
• 13:54 – 15:56: Transformation, distributing the light, and triumphant return
• 16:05 – 16:55: Activity prompt for listeners

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Additional Highlights

• Music and Sound Design: The soundscape and original music by Eric Shimalonis add warmth and atmosphere to the tale.
• Cultural Context: The adaptation draws from indigenous oral traditions, honoring northern folktale motifs of transformation, seasonal cycle, and animal helpers.
• Listener Participation: A featured activity fosters deeper engagement among children and families.
• Closing Reviews: Young fans share their favorite Circle Round tales, creating a sense of community and belonging.

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Concluding Reflection

Finding the Light is a luminous retelling about loss, hope, discovery, and the selfless act of sharing one's gifts for the good of all. Its gentle humor, evocative narration, and engrossing sound design make it ideal for listeners of any age. The story encourages courage and perseverance—reminding us that sometimes bringing back the light starts with one small, determined act.

Transcript

[Rebecca Shear]

Hey, Circle Round fans, we've added stops to our 2025, 2026 circle round live tour, and you're invited. Join us for live episode recordings in Los Angeles on January 18, Boston on February 7, and Cleveland on March 14. We can't wait to circle round with you live. Get your [e-mail] CircleRound. Hi, Rebecca Shear here. With the winter holidays upon us, the Circle Round team is taking time off to and to gear up for a bunch of live events in the new year, including new episode recordings in Los Angeles on January 18th, Boston on February 7th, and Cleveland on March 14th. Get your tickets at WBUR.org CircleRound and now enjoy this favorite story from the Circle Round archives. We'll be back with a new episode soon. Have you ever faced a challenge that felt pretty near impossible, yet you refused to give up? We're about to meet a character who knows how you feel, and when he refuses to give up, the results are dazzling. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where story time happens all the time today. Our story is called Finding the Light. It's inspired by traditional tales told among Alaska Natives in the United States and First nations communities in Canada. Some really great people came together to bring you our folktale, including Kennedy Kanagawa, currently starring as Milky White in the hit Broadway revival of into the woods at the St James Theatre. So circle around, everyone for finding the light. Way up north, where glaciers gleam and mountains loom and the tundra stretches on for miles, summer days are long. So long the sun shines high in the sky past midnight. And in the winter, well, in the winter, there's hardly any sunlight at all. In some places, there's none whatsoever. But once upon a time, long, long ago, the whole world was bathed in darkness all year round. And during this time of eternal night, in a village way up north, there lived a young man and his grandmother.

[Young Man]

Grandmother, why is it always so dark in the world? Why don't we have any light?

[Grandmother]

Well, my dear, way back when I was a young girl, we did have light. In the summer. We enjoyed long, beautiful days filled with sun. Some nights, the sun would never even set. Then winter would come, and the sun would barely even rise. Every year, we patiently waited for sun, summer to return so that we could bask in all of that radiant, luminous light. But then one summer, the light never came. The sun set and never rose again. And from that day forward, or should I say that night forward, our world was trapped in darkness.

[Young Man]

But what happened, Grandmother? What happened to the light?

[Grandmother]

Nobody knows My dear, nobody knows. One day the light just vanished. Disappeared without a trace.

[Young Man]

Has anyone tried to find it and bring it back?

[Grandmother]

Oh, a few brave or foolish souls have ventured out onto the tundra to try and bring back the light, but none have succeeded. They've either come back empty handed or never come back at all.

[Rebecca Shear]

The young man shivered, partly from the cold and partly from the thought of being forever lost in the wide open wilderness. But then, all at once, he felt something warm stirring in his heart. A tiny flame. A fire of determination.

[Young Man]

Grandmother, I will bring back the light. I will bring back day and night and summer and winter. The world has been trapped in darkness long enough.

[Rebecca Shear]

Grandmother furrowed her brow.

[Grandmother]

But how will you do it? How will you know where to look and which way to go?

[Young Man]

I don't know, but I'll figure it out.

[Rebecca Shear]

Grandmother could see how resolute her grandson was. So she packed the young man a basket of food, then bundled him into the war warmest parka they owned.

[Grandmother]

Good luck, my boy. Stay safe and when you return, I look forward to seeing that light.

[Rebecca Shear]

As the young man left his village and ventured into the inky black tundra, he squinted his eyes.

[Young Man]

Wow. And I thought the village was dark. At least there we can light lamps to show us the way. But out here in the wild, I can barely see a thing.

[Rebecca Shear]

The young man walked until he could no feel his feet. Then he dug a little cave in the snow, crawled inside, and went to sleep. When he woke up, he found himself staring into a pair of glittering round black eyes.

[Young Man]

Who's there? Who are you?

[Raven]

Only a poor creature who ventured into your cave to find some warmth. I hope I didn't startle you.

[Rebecca Shear]

The young man blinked, trying to get a better look at his unexpected companion.

[Young Man]

A raven. You're a raven?

[Raven]

In the flesh and feather.

[Rebecca Shear]

The raven ruffled its jet black wings.

[Raven]

But tell me, what's a human like you doing so far out on the tundra? You'll freeze to death out here, unless the darkness makes you all loopy first.

[Rebecca Shear]

The young man smiled.

[Young Man]

Well, actually, I've come out here to find the light and bring it back so that the world is no longer trapped in darkness.

[Raven]

Oh, the light. My grandparents tell wonderful stories about the light they saw when they were fluffy little chicks. Are you really going to bring it back?

[Young Man]

I am if I can find it. Do you know which way I should go?

[Raven]

Well, according to my grandparents legends, you must head to the south. You'll know it when you get there.

[Rebecca Shear]

But wait. The raven plucked out one of its feathers and placed it in the young man's hand.

[Raven]

Take this with you. It will help you on your journey.

[Young Man]

Thank you Raven. It's a beautiful feather, but what do I do with it?

[Raven]

It's simple my friend. You put it on.

[Young Man]

But this feather's only as big as my hand. How can I put it on?

[Rebecca Shear]

The raven's eyes twinkled.

[Raven]

Don't you worry about that. You'll know what to do when the time comes. Now off you go and good luck.

[Rebecca Shear]

Then the raven spread its wings and flew out of the cave before soaring up toward the endless pitch black sky. What do you think? Will the young man find the light? And how might the raven feather come in handy? We'll find out what happens after a quick break. Support for Circle Round comes from audible. Get ready for Harry Potter like you've never heard it before In a captivating new audio production that brings the wizarding world magically to life. You'll hear footsteps echoing down the halls of Hogwarts and the whoosh of a golden snitch as it zips past your ear. With a new musical score and an A list cast of voices, it's a delightful way to introduce the Harry Potter stories to a new generation. Harry potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is available now. Listen on [e-mail] HP1 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.

[Circle Round Fans]

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

[Rebecca Shear]

Grown ups support public radio and sign up [e-mail] CircleRoundClub. Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Scheer. Today our story is called Finding the Light. When we left off, a young man up north was determined to bring back the light that had gone missing from the sky years ago. On his travels, he met a raven who offered him a feather and told him to head south. The young man tucked the feather in the pocket of his parka, then began heading south. After hours of trudging through the darkness, he reached a tall snowy hill, and when he scrambled and clambered to the top, he made a very surprising discovery.

[Young Man]

This hill, it's shaped like a ring. It's perfectly round and sloping down toward a deep hollow inside. I wonder what's down there?

[Rebecca Shear]

As the young man cast his eyes downward, he saw an astonishing sight. Light. That must be light indeed. Down in the middle of the ring of snow was a flickering, blazing ball of yellow and orange and red. The young man sat on his backside and slid down the hill. As he neared the bottom of the hollow, he realized he was seeing the light through a window. The window of a little hut. The hut was surrounded by snow on all sides. And standing outside the hut was an old man. The old man was stooped over and shoveling snow. The young man watched as the aged fellow thrust his shovel into the ground, then flung heap after heap of snow onto the tall hill all around him.

[Young Man]

That explains it. This old man's mound of snow is blocking light from the rest of the world.

[Circle Round Fans]

Wow.

[Young Man]

He must have been shoveling a long time to make a hill this high.

[Rebecca Shear]

Suddenly, the old man stopped shoveling and turned toward the young man.

[Old Man]

Hey, you. What are you doing here?

[Rebecca Shear]

The old man sounded angry, but the young man was not afraid.

[Young Man]

How about I answer your question with one of my own? Why are you building up this snow hill and hiding all the light from the rest of the world?

[Old Man]

Hiding the light? Is that what you think I'm doing? I'm just clearing the snow from my doorway?

[Young Man]

Maybe so, but you're keeping the light for yourself. I can see it in your hut.

[Rebecca Shear]

The old man glanced toward his hut. Then he glared at the young man.

[Old Man]

All right, fine. Maybe I am keeping the light for myself. But can you blame me?

[Young Man]

What do you mean?

[Old Man]

You see, I grew up in a village far, far north of here. And when I was a young man, we'd have these endless summer days, so long and glorious, sometimes the sun would never set.

[Young Man]

I've heard about those days from my grandmother. They sound positively magical.

[Old Man]

And they were. But then winter would come and the sun would disappear. It was nighttime all day long. So I came up with a plan to steal the light. To have my own personal summer every day of the year. And now I do.

[Rebecca Shear]

The old man exploded into peals of laughter. As he doubled over, hooting and hawing and clutching his sides, the young man made a split second decision. He lunged forward and made a dash for the hut. The old man was laughing so hard, he didn't notice the young man sneak inside. Nor did he notice him grab the ball of light and tuck it into his parka. Quietly and quickly, the young man took off running. But he didn't get far before the old man recovered from his laughing fit and saw that his hut had gone dark and the light was missing.

[Old Man]

Stop, young man. Stop. You come back here with my light.

[Young Man]

It isn't your light. It belongs to all of us.

[Rebecca Shear]

The old man began chasing the young man. But the young man didn't stop. The young man ran until his legs felt like still. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw the old man was in close pursuit.

[Young Man]

This old man is faster than I expected. Oh, if only I could fly away from here so that he doesn't catch up with me. Wait a minute. Maybe I can fly.

[Rebecca Shear]

Remembering the raven's gift, the young man reached into the pocket of his parka and plucked out the feather. He tucked the feather behind his ear. And do you know what happened next? In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a raven. Clutching the ball of light in his claws, the young man flapped his wings and took off into the sky, leaving the old man far behind and far below.

[Old Man]

You come back here with my light. Come back.

[Rebecca Shear]

But the young man did not come back. Instead, he soared through the air. As he flew, he tore off a hunk of light from the ball and flung it down to earth. In a flash, that part of the earth lit up, radiant and bright in the light of day.

[Young Man]

Good morning, everybody. Rise and shine.

[Rebecca Shear]

The young man flew until he was in darkness again. Then he threw down another hunk of light and created another day. He did this again and again and again. Sometimes the young man waited a while before tossing down another piece of light. In doing so, he created the long nights of winter. But sometimes he flung the light down quickly, over and over and over, thus creating, creating the long days of summer. When the young man finally reached his village, he descended to the earth and tossed the very last bit of light high up into the sky. Immediately, everything came into view. The people, the huts, the glittering snow. The villagers burst into a cheer. Then the young man took off his feather, turned from his raven form back into a human. And ran straight into the warm, welcoming arms of his grandmother.

[Young Man]

I did it, Grandmother. I brought back the light.

[Grandmother]

We see that, my dear. At long last, thanks to you, we see the light.

[Rebecca Shear]

Ever since then, the lands far up north have seen both light and dark. After a cold snow, sunless winter, come the long golden days of summer when everyone gets to share and bask in the light. Now it's your turn. Thanks to the sun, we have four seasons. Winter, spring, summer and fall. Pick one of them and think about things you love doing during that season. Then find a piece of paper and draw a picture of all your favorite winter, spring, summer or fall things to do. Share your artwork with someone you have fun with. And if you like, share it with us grown ups. You can snap a photo of your kiddo and their drawing and email it to circleroundbur.org. This week's story, Finding the Light was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Circle Round's supervising producer, Nora Sachs. Our original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn. Want to color while you listen? Sabina has created a black and white picture for every single Circle Round story and you can color them in grown ups. You can Download more than 180 circle round coloring pages on our website, WBUR.org CircleRound Special thanks to this week's actors, Theodore Chin, Jessica Rao, Dawn Ursula and Kennedy Kanagawa. Kennedy Kanagawa plays the endearingly lovable cow, Milky White in the new Broadway revival of into the woods at the St. James Theater. Our featured instrument this week was the electric guitar. You can learn more about this electrically amplified stringed instrument and see a photo of Eric Shimalonis playing it on our website. Again, that's WBUR.org CircleRound and while you're there you can find links to the Circle Round picture books, the Circle Round T shirt, coloring book, tote bag and water bottle. You can also find transcripts for every single Circle Round story in case you'd like to print them out and act them out yourself and grown ups. If you enjoy what you hear on Circle Round, please write us a five star review on your favorite podcasting app and tell your friends about the show. You can also follow us on social media, on Instagram and Facebook. We are CircleRound podcast. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Scheer. 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 about the Circle Round stories they like best. Take a listen. Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours too.

[Circle Round Fans]

My name's Alice and I'm from Heartland and my favorite Circle Round story is the Cobbler Hill because my favorite part is when the damp hole gets stuck to a tree. My name's Luke and I'm from Portland, Oregon. My favorite Circle Round is Stella and the Dragon where Stella has 100 kids and they're so playful. My name is Hayes and I live in Phoenix, Arizona and my favorite story is Strong Mind and Kind Heart and I like the part when Strong Mind wakes up in the creaky old shack. Hi, my name is Felicity. I live in Seattle, Washington and my favorite circle round story is all of them. My name is Joanna and I live in Kansas. My favorite circle round episode was Stella and the Dragon and my favorite part was when Stella said I am Stella the Powerful. My name is Nora from Ollie, Virginia and my favorite circle round story is the Cobbler's Soul and my favorite part is when the devil gets stuck on the stool and he can't get off. My name is Simon Bimaldi, Virginia and my favorite story is the Cobbler's Soul and my favorite part is when he shakes all the apples down the tree and he just keeps shaking from on and on and on.

[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.