Summer Camp: The Parakeet’s Promise

Summary

Circle Round Podcast – “Summer Camp: The Parakeet’s Promise”

Release Date: June 30, 2026
Host: Rebecca Scheer, with guest actors Lorna Courtney and Shobha Narayan
Episode Theme: Generosity and the transformative power of kindness, adapted from an Indian folktale, “The Parakeet’s Promise.”

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Episode Overview

In this special summer camp episode of Circle Round, host Rebecca Scheer presents “The Parakeet’s Promise”—an enchanting folktale from India. The story follows a farmer who jealously guards her abundant millet. After repeated visits from a persistent parakeet, the farmer learns an unexpected lesson about generosity, family, and the ripple effect of compassionate giving.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Setting the Stage: The Farmer’s Selfishness

• [00:56] Rebecca Scheer introduces the story’s theme, reflecting on the importance of generosity in strengthening relationships.
• We meet a farmer who, despite a lush and overflowing millet field, refuses to share her surplus with neighbors or travelers.
• Quote (Farmer, 03:02):
  “This is my millet, and I may do with it as I choose. And what I choose is to keep it all for me.”

2. The Parakeets’ Visits and the Farmer's Frustration

• [03:14 – 05:58]
  Each morning, flocks of parakeets descend on the farmer’s field, eating her millet.
  The farmer repeatedly chases them away, but a single parakeet with a red and black necklace of feathers always lingers, filling its beak before quietly flying off.
• The farmer grows increasingly annoyed by this one persistent bird.
• Quote (Farmer, 06:15):
  “Oh, that bird. Not only did it stick around after all of its friends left, but it flew away with a beak full of millet. My millet. If I see that greedy creature again, I'll make sure it never comes back.”

3. The Trap and the Talking Parakeet

• [08:22 – 11:59]
  On the third day, the farmer feigns kindness to lure the parakeet near. She catches it, intending to imprison it as punishment.
• Quote (Farmer, 09:27):
  “You're going right into my house, bird, where you'll spend the rest of your life...trapped in a cage so that you'll never steal from me again.”
• Instead of struggling, the bird remains calm. To the farmer’s shock, it begins to speak.

4. The Parakeet’s Three Promises

• [12:19 – 15:40]
  The parakeet explains the millet is not for itself, but to fulfill three promises:
  • Repay a Debt:
    To its elderly parents, who once cared for it, the parakeet now feeds them to “pay back” all that they gave.
    • Quote (Parakeet, 13:37):
      “Every day I gather millet in my beak and bring it home for them to pay them back for all the times they gave me food and shelter and love.”
  • Grant a Loan:
    To its young chicks, the parakeet provides food—knowing they, in turn, will care for it in old age.
    • Quote (Parakeet, 14:27):
      “I gather millet to feed my little ones as a loan. After all, just like I do with my parents, my children will take care of me when I am frail and feeble.”
  • Give a Gift:
    The parakeet makes a promise of charity, feeding other birds in need without expectation of return.
    • Quote (Parakeet, 15:07):
      “I always promise to save some grains of millet for them as an act of kindness, of generosity, of charity. And really, what greater gift is there than that?”

5. The Farmer’s Transformation

• [15:40 – 16:09]
  Touched by the parakeet’s words, the farmer releases the bird.
• Quote (Farmer, 15:59):
  “Goodbye, my parakeet friend. Go keep your three promises and come back anytime.”
• The next harvest, the farmer allocates her millet into three portions:
  • One for herself
  • One for the parakeets
  • The largest for the community and the needy

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Memorable Quotes

• Rebecca Scheer [00:56]:
  “When we give to others, they’re not the only ones who benefit. Showing generosity can strengthen our relationships and make us feel more happy and positive.”
• The Parakeet [15:07]:
  “What greater gift is there than that?”
• The Farmer [15:59]:
  “Go keep your three promises and come back anytime.”

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Interactive Segment – Activity for Listeners

• [16:09]
  Rebecca Scheer encourages young listeners and families to reflect on and share “three promises” they can make to help others—examples include donating items, helping siblings, being generous with time, or sharing toys.
• Quote (Rebecca Scheer, 16:09):
  “Maybe you can promise to donate clothing or toys to a shelter or books to a library… Think about your three promises, then share them with a grown-up in your life. Then ask them to share three promises of their own.”

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Notable Moments & Additional Features

• Guest Stars: Lorna Courtney (from & Juliet) and Shobha Narayan (from Aladdin) voice key roles.
• Musical Highlight: The episode features the Bansuri, a bamboo flute from India, with information available on the Circle Round website.
• [19:35] Listener Favorite Segment: Young listeners share their favorite previous Circle Round stories and moments—a cute, community-building feature.

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|---------------------------------------------| | 00:56 | Generosity theme introduction | | 03:02 | Farmer’s possessiveness | | 05:23 | Introduction of the unique parakeet | | 09:06 | Farmer catches the parakeet | | 12:19 | Parakeet speaks, reveals its promises | | 13:37 | Repaying a debt (to parents) | | 14:27 | Granting a loan (to chicks) | | 15:07 | Giving a gift (to community) | | 15:40 | Farmer’s transformation | | 16:09 | Listener activity prompt (make promises) | | 19:35 | Listener segment: Favorite Circle Round tales|

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Final Reflection

The Parakeet’s Promise delivers a heartwarming lesson about empathy, reciprocity, and the profound impact of small acts of kindness—reminding all ages that generosity feeds not just the body, but the spirit and community as well.

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For coloring pages, story books, and more activities from this episode, visit WBUR.org/CircleRound.

Transcript

[WBUR Announcer]

Wbur podcast boston.

[Erica Henningson]

Greetings, listeners. Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp. I'm your camp counselor, Erica Henningson. This season we are revisiting some of our best stories about life in the great outdoors. And do you know who really enjoys being outside? Our fellow feathery friends, the birds, who every day get to spread their wings and soar to new places and new people. Today's episode is called the Parakeet's Promise, and in it, we'll hear wisdom from one of those friends, wisdom that may just change how you see the world. So circle round, everyone, for the Parakeet's Promise.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Think about a time you did something generous for someone. Maybe you gave them some help or some kindness. When we give to others, they're not the only ones who benefit. Showing generosity can strengthen our relationships and make us feel more happy and positive. We're about to meet a character who believes that being generous is for the birds. Until she meets an actual bird who helps her see things in a whole new light. I'm Rebecca Scheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today, our story is called the Parakeets Promise. Versions of this folktale come from the Southeast Asian country of India. Some really great people came together to bring you our story, including Broadway stars Lorna Courtney and Shobha Narayan. Lorna Courtney plays the title role in the brand new Broadway musical and Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. And Shobha Narayan is currently starring in the Broadway production of Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theater. So circle around, everyone, for the Parakeets Promise. There once was a farmer who spent her days herding her sheep, milking her goats, and tending her field of millet. Small seeds, seed like grains that grow on tall, grassy plants. The farmer's field was so lush and fertile that it produced far more millet than she actually needed. Yet instead of giving her extra millet to hungry families in the village, say, or sharing it with weary travelers who came wandering past her big, roomy farmhouse, the farmer kept it all to herself.

[The Farmer]

This is my millet, and I may do with it as I choose. And what I choose is to keep it all for me.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Well, early one morning, hours before the farmer usually got out of bed, she was startled awake by an unusual sound outside her window.

[The Farmer]

What is all that commotion? It sounds like it's coming from the millet field.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer threw on her work clothes and hurried outside. When she reached the millet field, she discovered it was swarming with hundreds upon hundreds of birds. Parakeets to be Exact, flittering, twittering parakeets with sleek feathers as green as an unripe banana and curved beaks as red as the setting sun.

[The Farmer]

My goodness. Where did all of these parakeets come from? And look at them. They're gobbling up my millet. I have to stop them.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer yanked off her hat and waved it around as she zigged and zagged up and down the field.

[The Farmer]

Hey, you pesky birds. That's my millet you're devouring. Get out of here. Go. Go.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The air erupted with a great flapping and fluttering as hundreds of alarmed parrots, the parakeets, scrambled to take wing.

[The Farmer]

There you go. Shoo, Sue. Find someone else's field to plunder.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Once it seemed like all the parakeets were gone. The farmer gazed at her millet field. Or what was left of it anyway. Many of the plants were trampled, and the ground was littered with millet grains that the birds had either spit out or dropped in their haste to leave.

[The Farmer]

Well, those pesky parakeets left a mess, but at least they're gone. Now I can finally get on with the rest of the things I need to. Oh, no.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Out of the corner of her eye, the farmer saw something that made her heart drop. It was as green as an unripe banana with a curved beak as red as the setting sun. And it was filling that curved beak with grain after grain of millet.

[The Farmer]

Oh, looks like I spoke too soon. One of those pesky parakeets is still here. And it's loading up on even more millet. Hey, bird, that's my millet, not yours. Now spit it out and scram.

[Rebecca Scheer]

But the parakeet did not scram. It just stood there, cramming its scarlet beak with millet. Around its neck was a ring of red and black feathers.

[The Farmer]

Um, bird, did you hear me? I said beat it.

[Rebecca Scheer]

This time the parakeet did beat it, but not before giving the farmer a long, thoughtful look and stuffing a few more grains of millet into its curved red beak. Then the parakeet flapped its wings, lifted into the air, and disappeared into the clouds.

[The Farmer]

Oh, that bird. Not only did it stick around after all of its friends left, but it flew away with a beak full of millet. My millet. If I see that greedy creature again, I'll make sure it never comes back.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer spent the rest of the day tending her millet field, herding her sheep and milking her goats. She came back to her farmhouse for a hearty dinner before drifting off to sleep. But can you Guess what woke her with a jolt early the next morning. That's right.

[The Farmer]

The birds. They're back.

[Rebecca Scheer]

They sure were. Just like yesterday. The farmer's field was teeming with parakeets, all of them nibbling away on millet. And so once more, the farmer darted outside.

[The Farmer]

Get out of here, birds.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Scoot. Much to the farmer's relief, the birds did indeed scoot, spreading their wings and taking to the sky. But much to the farmer's dismay.

[The Farmer]

Oh, no.

[Rebecca Scheer]

One of the birds stayed behind. The one with the red and black ring around its neck.

[The Farmer]

You again?

[Rebecca Scheer]

Look at you.

[The Farmer]

All your friends have moved on, yet you're still, still cramming your beak with millet. Don't you know when enough is enough? Get out of here, you selfish bird.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Go. The parakeet loaded several more grains of millet into its beak. Then it gave the farmer a long, thoughtful stare and flew away, its bright green body growing smaller and smaller as it soared into the sky. The farmer hoped that was the last she had seen of the parakeets, especially the one who always stayed behind and pecked around until its beak was overflowing. And yet, early the next morning.

[The Farmer]

Oh, no. Not again.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Once again, the farmer dashed outside and chased the birds away. And once again, one of them stayed behind, the one with the red and black neck feathers. As usual, it was loading its beak with even more millet. Anger flared across the farmer's face. But then suddenly, she got an idea. She took a breath, put on her sweetest smile, then knelt down on the ground right near the parakeet.

[The Farmer]

Why, hello there, bird. You must love this millet, huh? Always taking so much with you when you go. Who knew my farm could do such a brisk takeout business?

[Rebecca Scheer]

The parakeet paid the farmer no mind. It just kept gathering millet in its beak.

[The Farmer]

You know what, bird? Go ahead. Take all the millet you want. Because even though you're loading up, you're not flying away.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Quick as a wink, the farmer stretched out her hand, seized the parakeet and held it tight.

[The Farmer]

You're going right into my house, bird, where you'll spend the rest of your life trip. Trapped in a cage so that you'll never steal from me again.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer leaped to her feet and began speeding toward her farmhouse. But she didn't get far before something happened that made her freeze right in her tracks. What do you think happened to the farmer? And what will become of the parakeet? We'll find out after a quick break.

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[Rebecca Scheer]

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[WBUR Announcer]

100 years from now in a land far, far away. Hang on, it's not so far away at all, actually. Hey, Circle Round families. We're here to share a new listening experience from wbur, the Midnight Rebellion. It's a climate podcast adventure for kids 8 and up. Time traveling, problem solving, laughs, and danger is here. Follow the feed to listen. Oh, and bring your goggles and boots. That's the Midnight Rebellion in your feed or wherever you get podcasts.

[Rebecca Scheer]

I'm Rebecca Scheer. Welcome back to Circle Round today. Our story is called the Parakeets Promise. Before the break, a well to do farmer seized a green parakeet who had been flying, flying off with her millet. But as the farmer clutched the bird in her hand, she was shocked to see that the creature didn't struggle. It stayed perfectly still.

[The Farmer]

My, you're an odd one. You don't seem the least bit scared or the least bit sorry about stealing my millet. I mean, what do you do with all those grains you carry away each day? Are you hoarding them in your own little storehouse?

[The Parakeet]

Actually, no.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer gasped. The last thing she expected was for the parakeet to actually answer her question.

[The Farmer]

Wait, what?

[The Parakeet]

I said. Actually, no. I don't have my own little storehouse. All I have is my promise.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Now, the farmer was both surprised and. And confused.

[The Farmer]

Your promise? Yes.

[The Parakeet]

My pledge, my word, my guarantee.

[The Farmer]

I know what a promise is, bird, but what does making promises have to do with making off with my millet?

[The Parakeet]

Well, it isn't just about making promises. It's about keeping them. And thanks to your millet, I'm not just keeping one promise. I'm keeping three.

[The Farmer]

Three promises? What on earth are you talking about?

[The Parakeet]

Allow me to explain. The first promise is to pay back a debt. The second promise is to grant a loan. And the third promise is to give a gift.

[The Farmer]

Okay, bird, now you've lost me.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The parakeet blinked its bright round eyes.

[The Parakeet]

Let's begin with the first promise. Paying back a debt. You see, I live with my parents. Selfless, loving birds who spent years caring for me before they grew so frail and feeble that they could hardly care for themselves. So every day I gather millet in my beak and bring it home for them to pay them back for all the times they gave me food and shelter and love.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer felt her heart give a little ping. To her surprise, she found she was a little bit moved by the bird's devotion.

[The Farmer]

So you're paying a debt back to your parents? That's very sweet. But what about the second promise? The one about granting a loan? How do you explain? Explain that?

[The Parakeet]

Well, I don't just live with my parents. I live with my children too. 10 young chicks who can't yet fly and leave the nest. So I gather millet to feed my little ones as a loan. After all, just like I do with my parents, my children will take care of me when I am frail and feeble.

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer couldn't help but smile.

[The Farmer]

Okay, so I understand the debt and the loan. But that third promise you mentioned, the gift? What's that about?

[Rebecca Scheer]

The parakeet cocked its feathery green head.

[The Parakeet]

Well, I may share a nest with my parents and children, but I share a forest with hundreds of other birds, thousands even. And many of those birds are unable to get out and gather their own food. They're going through their own struggles and hardships. So I always promise to save some grains of millet for them as an act of kindness, of generosity, of charity. And really, what greater gift is there than that?

[Rebecca Scheer]

The farmer didn't answer the parakeet's question. Instead, she was quiet, for then she held out her hands, uncurled her fingers, and let the tiny, big hearted bird fly away.

[The Farmer]

Goodbye, my parakeet friend. Go keep your three promises and come back anytime.

[Rebecca Scheer]

Well, from that day forward, the farmer no longer kept all of the millet she grew. Instead, she divided her field into three parts. She set aside a small section for herself. She set aside a larger section for the parakeets. And she set aside the largest section of all for the community. Anyone in the village, town or countryside who was struggling to get by and could use the gift of a full belly and an even fuller. Now it's your turn. What are three promises you can make to help benefit others? Maybe you can promise to donate clothing or toys to a shelter or books to a library. Perhaps you can promise to be more patient with a younger sibling or to help a grown up with some chores. Maybe you can promise to take turns with a friend when you're playing your favorite game. Think about your three promises, then share them with a grown up in your life. Then ask them to share three promises of their own. After that, make a pact that you'll both go out there and make your promises come true. This week's story, the Parakeets Promise was adapted by me, Rebecca Scheer. It was edited by Nora Sacks. Our original music and sounds design is by Eric Shyamalonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has drawn 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. Head to our website WBUR.org CircleRound and click on coloring pages. And while you're at WBUR.org CircleRound you can find a link to our brand new picture books. We've adapted several of your favorite Circles Circle Round episodes as fun, colorful books and you can find them [e-mail] CircleRound just click on books Special thanks to this week's actors Lorna Courtney and Shobha Narayan. Lorna Courtney plays the title role in the brand new Broadway musical and Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre and Shobha Narayan is currently starring in the Broadway production of Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Our featured instrument this week was the Bonsuri. To learn more about this bamboo flute from India and to see a picture of Eric Shyamalanis playing it, visit our website Once more, that's WBUR.org CircleRound Grown Ups. If you enjoy what you hear on our podcast, please write us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to Circle Round. It helps keep Circle Round going strong so we can continue Circling Round with you for years to come. Circle Round is a production of wbur, Boston's NPR News station. I'm Rebecca Scheer. Thanks for Circling Round with us. One of the best things about creating Circle Round is hearing from listeners like you. Circle Round fans have been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories and we're excited to share some of their voices with you.

[Circle Round Listeners]

Hi, my name is Karen and I live in Ghana and my favorite Circle Round story is the Charming Flute and my favorite part is when Anastasia played her flute and all the animals came. My name is Cora Zone. I live in Manhattan. My favorite Circle Round story is the King of the Forest and I the Pool where a cricket tells Kiko the forest that he's gonna bring his mosquito heads. I'm Francis. I'm from Austin, Texas. My favorite story is fighting like cats and dogs. I like the part when the man cries pulled up the queen of the river gate. Hi, my name is Maude and I live in Vermont. My favorite circle round is Stella and the Dragon because I like the part when Stella has no children and then she has 100 children. And I also like dragons. My name is Lincoln. I'm from San Jose. I like the song for the spirit and I like the part when the fisherwoman gets the treasure. Hi, my name is Ellie. I'm from Minneapolis and I like the episode about the gloomy pine tree because it keeps changing. Hi, my name is Sian and I live in India. My favorite sock around story is Magic Touch.

[Rebecca Scheer]

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