
Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this story with roots in India and Vietnam follows a trio of birds on an illuminating adventure to bring back to the sun.
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Rebecca Sheer
Wbur podcasts, boston.
Narrator/Announcer
This Circle Round episode was recorded live at the Glendale Performing Arts center in Glendale, California on January 18, 2026. You can learn more about our live events and all things Circle Round, including our picture book, Circle Merch newsletter and Circle round club at WBUR.org CircleRound.
Rebecca Sheer
Have you ever said something you came to regret? Maybe you snapped at a friend or family member, or called somebody a not so kind name? It's easy to get annoyed or flustered and say things we regret. In today's tale, a duck, Rooster and Bluebird say something they regret, and as a result, they have to eat crow. I'm Rebecca Scheer, and welcome to Circle Round live at the Glendale Performing Arts center in Glendale, California. Today. Our story is called Goodnight Sun. It was inspired by tales from Vietnam and India. Joining me on stage is a quartet of talented actors, Theodore Chin, Mary Faber, Helen Hong, and Jessica Rao. Providing musical accompaniment is the one and only Eric Shimalonis. So circle around, everyone for Goodnight Sun. Way, way back in the long ago.
Narrator/Announcer
Days when animals ruled the world, there.
Rebecca Sheer
Were three best friends, Duck, Rooster and Bluebird.
Narrator/Announcer
And during these long ago days, the.
Rebecca Sheer
Friends spent a good portion of their days complaining, it's horrible.
Rooster
It's the worst.
Bluebird
It's worse than the worst.
Duck
You can say that again.
Bluebird
It's worse than the worst.
Duck
Okay, so no need to actually say that again. Bluebird. It's an idiom, a figure of speech.
Bluebird
Oh.
Rebecca Sheer
Anyway, you may be wondering, what was it that Rooster, Duck and Bluebird thought was the worst?
Bluebird
Worse than the worst, Right.
Rebecca Sheer
Well, it was none other than the sun. Every morning, the sun would rise above the sea to the east. Every evening, she would set behind the.
Narrator/Announcer
Mountains to the west.
Rebecca Sheer
And during the hours between, as she blazed her fiery trail across the sky, the friends would grumble, the sun is too hot.
Rooster
And grouse, the sun is too bright.
Bluebird
And gripe, if only she would just stop rising, then we could finally get a break.
Rebecca Sheer
Duck, Rip, Rooster and Bluebird were not alone in their complaining. All the animals felt the exact same way. But guess what? The sun could hear every word they uttered, and she was not pleased.
Audience Member/Listener
Ugh.
Sun
I can't believe how much those animals belly ache about me. All they do is grumble and grouse and gripe.
Rebecca Sheer
This lack of gratitude made the already fiery sun fume with fury. Because, after all, without her, the earth would be a cold, dark, desolate place.
Sun
You can say that again. Actually, can you say that again?
Rebecca Sheer
Oh, you mean without her, the earth would be a cold, dark, deep, desolate Place?
Bluebird
Yes, yes.
Sun
I mean, think about it. I'm the one who heats the world, who keeps it warm. To say nothing of how I help the plants and trees grow. So maybe the world should be a cold, dark, desolate place.
Rebecca Sheer
As in, you shouldn't rise anymore.
Bluebird
Yes.
Sun
Didn't Bluebird say that I am worse.
Rebecca Sheer
Than the worst more than once?
Sun
Actually, she also said I should just stop rising. So you know what? That's exactly what I'll do. Instead of rising above the sea to the east each morning, I will sit tight. I'll kick back, settle in and chill. Though in truth, it'll be Bluebird and her friends who are chilling as they shiver in the dark.
Rebecca Sheer
And guess what? That's exactly what happened. The sun stopped rising and blazing across the sky. And the animals were left trembling and stumbling around. So now they had a whole new reason to grumble.
Bluebird
It's too cold.
Rooster
And Grouse, it's too dark.
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And gripe.
Bluebird
If only the the sun would rise again, then we could finally get a break.
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The animals knew they couldn't go on like this. So Duck, Rooster and Bluber decided they would visit the sun and ask her to come back.
Duck
After all, life without the sun is horrible.
Rooster
It's the worst.
Bluebird
It's worse than the worst.
Narrator/Announcer
You can see.
Duck
Say that again.
Bluebird
It's worse than the oh, right. Idiom.
Rooster
You know, friends, I am all for visiting the sun. Truly I am. But the sun is hanging out all the way to the east, which is really, really far.
Audience Member/Listener
So.
Rooster
So ducks can fly, bluebirds can fly. But a rooster's wings aren't meant for long distance travel. And a rooster's body isn't meant for swimming.
Duck
Well, a duck's body is totally made for swimming. So how about I swim and you ride on my back and I can.
Bluebird
Fly above you, leading the way? If it's too dark to see me, you can follow my voice. I'll chirp, win, toot toot.
Rooster
What if Duck and I fall behind?
Duck
Then I'll quack, quack.
Rooster
And I'll crow.
Bluebird
Cock a doodle doo.
Rooster
Think you'll hear that, blue bird?
Bluebird
I think it's impossible not to. So come on, friends, let's go see see the sun. Hopefully she'll be burning to come back to us and won't give us a cold shoulder.
Rebecca Sheer
Will the three friends make it all the way to the sun? If so, will she take a shine to their request? We'll find out after a quick break.
Narrator/Announcer
I'm Rebecca Shear.
Rebecca Sheer
Welcome back to Circle Round Live at the Glendale Performing Arts center in Glendale, California. Today, our story is called Good Night, Sun. Before the break, the sun stopped rising above the sea to the east. Tired of complaints that she was too bright and too hot, she left the animals in a world that was dark and cold. Duck, Rooster and Bluebird were determined to bring the sun back. So they set out across the sea, with Duck swimming, Rooster riding on her back, and Bluebird flying ahead.
Duck
Hey, Bluebird, do you see the sun yet?
Bluebird
Not yet, Duck.
Rooster
How about now?
Bluebird
Not yet, Rooster.
Duck
How about now?
Bluebird
I told you, Duck. Not yet. Can you cool your jets? Cool my jets?
Duck
If my jets were any cooler, I'd be a ducksicle. This water is freezing, and Rooster weighs a ton.
Rooster
Correction. An elephant weighs a ton. A whale weighs a ton. I'm as light as a feather.
Duck
Yeah, a ton of feathers.
Bluebird
Listen, you two. Fighting won't help us reach the sun any faster, so can you please pipe down and look at that on the horizon? I see the tiniest, faintest hint of light. We're nearly there.
Rebecca Sheer
The friends picked up their pace, and before they knew it, they were staring into the bright, blazing, irritated face.
Sun
What do you want of the sun? Have the three of you traveled all the way out here to tell me how horrible I am? How I am worse than the worst?
Rebecca Sheer
The trio exchanged a sheepish glance.
Duck
No, son, we're not here to tell you that.
Rooster
We're here to tell you you're better.
Bluebird
Than the best, and we want you to come back.
Duck
The world is so dark without you and so cold.
Bluebird
Will you please start rising again?
Sun
Start rising? You want me to start rising? I believe it was you, Bluebird, who wished I would stop rising, even though it was I who lit your way, who heated your world, who helped your plants and trees grow. But did you ever once thank me?
Bluebird
No.
Sun
Instead, you grumbled and groused and griped and were sorry.
Rooster
It was wrong to treat you that way.
Bluebird
From now on, we'll do better.
Duck
You can say that again.
Bluebird
From now on, we'll. Ugh. When will I learn?
Rooster
Anyway? We need you, son.
Duck
We're lost without you.
Bluebird
Like, really lost. It's so dark, and none of us has good night vision, so we're always stumbling around, and I meant lost.
Duck
As in we love her and can't live without her. That kind of lost.
Bluebird
Oh, right.
Audience Member/Listener
That too.
Duck
So, what do you say, son?
Bluebird
Will you accept our apology and come back to us, please?
Rebecca Sheer
There was a long, simmering pause as the sun weighed the bird's words. And then, yes.
Sun
Yes, I will accept your apology. And yes, I will come back all right. However, I'm afraid there's one problem. You see, happy as I am to come back to you, it's been so long since I made my daily trek across the sky, I'm worried I'll forget to rise.
Rebecca Sheer
The birds were quiet. Then Rooster broke the silence.
Rooster
You know what? There's no need to worry, son. As a rooster, I've got a nice loud voice. So every morning when it's time for you to rise, I'll wake you up with a crow.
Bluebird
Cockle doodle doo. I can help too. As a bluebird, my voice isn't as strong as Rooster's, but once he wakes you up, I'll chirp and you'll know it's time to start your trip across the sky.
Duck
And in case you need more reminding, after Bluebird makes her call, I will.
Sun
Let out a quack quack.
Rebecca Sheer
The sun loved the idea, and ever since she, Rooster, Bluebird and Duck have kept their bargain. When Rooster crows, the sun knows it's time to wake up.
Rooster
Cockle doo doo doo.
Rebecca Sheer
When Bluebird chirps, the sun knows it's time to begin her trek across the sky. And just in case she slips, Duck lets out a quack quack. To this very day, if you live in certain parts of the world, come early morning you'll hear the three friends call out in this very order. And when they do, the sun wakes up and rises to the east, showing her much needed and much appreciated face to the world.
Narrator/Announcer
Now it's your turn.
Rebecca Sheer
What's something you like to do in the sun?
Narrator/Announcer
Do you like going for a swim or running through a sprinkler? Perhaps you enjoy riding your bike or exploring nature. Find some paper and draw you doing your favorite activity under the sun. Share your picture with someone you have fun with and if you'd like, share it with us. With your permission, we may feature it in your monthly Circle Round newsletter. The Lion's Roar Grown Ups. You can email a photo of your Circle Round fan and their artwork to circleround bur.org.
Rebecca Sheer
This week's story, Goodnight sun, was adapted.
Narrator/Announcer
By me, Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Dean Russell and performed by Theodore Chin, Mary Faber, Helen Hong and Jessica Rao. Eric Shimalonis composed our original music and played it live on the Dan th.
Rebecca Sheer
You can learn more about this Vietnamese.
Narrator/Announcer
Stringed instrument and see a photo of Eric playing one on our website WBUR.org 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 while you listen. Grown Ups, Visit our website to WBUR.org CircleRound and click on coloring pages. And while you're at WBUR.org circle round, you can check out our Circle Round picture books, live events and sign up for your Circle Round newsletter. The Lion's Roar. Again, it's all@wbur.org CircleRound looking for more ways to Circle Round with us? Join the Circle Round Club and you can support your favorite public media podcast while getting all Circles sorts of cool stuff including ad free episodes, bonus bedtime stories, exclusive swag, and the chance to add on goodies like our Snuggly Lion Stuffy and a personalized birthday message from me. Grown ups. Visit WBUR.org CircleRound and click on Circle Round Club. One more thing Grown Ups if you enjoy Circle Round, please leave us a five star rating or review on your favorite puppet podcast app. Every rating and review will help us keep Circling Round with you for years to come. Circle Round is a production of WBUR Boston's npr. I'm Rebecca Scheer. Thanks for Circling Round with us. Now that you've made it to the.
Rebecca Sheer
End of this Circle Round episode, we want to know what's your favorite Circle Round story? Thousands of fans just like you have.
Narrator/Announcer
Been telling us about the Circle Round stories they like best.
Rebecca Sheer
Take a listen.
Narrator/Announcer
Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours too.
Audience Member/Listener
Hi, my name is Dalia. I live in Montreal. My favorite Circle Round story is the First Counselor. I liked the part when all the counselors were shocked that Anders was the first first Counselor. My name is Kate, I live in Bothell, Washington and my favorite sophomore is out of Time because I like the part when the two suspects tell the story. My name is Jude, I live in White Plains, New York. My favorite episode is the Blizzard wizard and my favorite part is when the Blizzard wizard says My Victory. My name is Maeve and I'm from Gilbert, Arizona. And my favorite story is the Desolate Stair and my favorite part is where Natalia saves her brother. My name is Eli and I'm from Portland, Oregon and my favorite silk around Shore is Fiona. And the figurines the when Fiona finally gives the fairy their cake. My name is Quinn and I live in Brooklyn, New York and my favorite Circle Round podcast is the Starfruit Tree. My favorite part is when the girl lives in the old Land. My name is Sabine, I'm from Brooklyn, New York. My favorite Circle Circle Round story is the Elephant in the Room. I like the part where the elephant freaks out the man in blue so he admits he's the culprit. We love Circle Round.
Narrator/Announcer
Did someone mention a story you've missed?
Rebecca Sheer
Not to worry, grown ups.
Narrator/Announcer
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.
WBUR | Released: January 27, 2026
Episode recorded live at the Glendale Performing Arts Center, CA
In this live-recorded episode of Circle Round, host Rebecca Sheir and a group of talented actors perform “Goodnight Sun," an adaptation of folktales from Vietnam and India. The story explores the themes of gratitude, the impact of our words, and taking responsibility for mistakes. Young listeners learn how three friends—Duck, Rooster, and Bluebird—regret their rash words, must make amends, and find a creative way to restore light to their world. The episode concludes with a creative activity for children and grown-ups to share.
Listener Activity (for families):
This episode is a sound- and music-rich, engaging retelling of a meaningful folktale, perfect for sparking conversations about the power of gratitude, the impact of words, teamwork, forgiveness, and creative problem-solving. The story is presented in a fun, interactive way—an excellent listen for families or classrooms.