The Round Mossy StoneBéchir Sylvain (Jurassic World Rebirth) stars as trickster Anansi in a West African tale about a magic stone, a major trick, and getting a taste of your own medicine.

Summary

Circle Round – "The Round Mossy Stone"

Host: Rebecca Sheir
Featured Voice: Béchir Sylvain as Anansi
Release Date: September 9, 2025
Length: Approximately 22 minutes (excluding ads and extra content)

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Episode Overview

In this West African folktale adaptation, Rebecca Sheir and the Circle Round team present the story of Anansi the spider, a legendary trickster who discovers a magical stone that puts anyone who reads its inscription to sleep. Using the stone's magic, Anansi tricks his fellow animals into giving up their prized fruits—until clever Bush Deer decides to turn the tables and teach Anansi a lesson about fairness and getting a taste of his own medicine. The story artfully explores themes of kindness, cunning, and justice, while engaging listeners with memorable characters, playful dialogue, and a participatory post-story activity inviting kids to stretch their imaginations.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Introduction: The Nature of Tricks and Folktales

[00:00-01:56]

• Host Rebecca Sheir introduces the idea that tricks can be fun or hurtful, setting up the story's focus on consequences and fairness.
• Anansi, an iconic figure from West African folklore often featured in Circle Round, is framed as the central character.

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2. Anansi Discovers the Magic Stone

[01:56-04:30]

• On a hot day, Anansi seeks water and soon begins craving fruit but is too lazy to collect any himself.
• He discovers a round mossy stone in the forest, engraved with words. When he reads the inscription aloud—

  “Behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big, round stone wrapped in moss of green.” (Anansi, 04:34)
  —he instantly falls asleep for an hour.

3. Anansi’s Trickster Plan

[05:37-06:13]

• Realizing the stone is magical, Anansi hatches a plot to trick the other animals into reading the inscription and falling asleep so he can steal their fruit.
• “If I play my cards right, then this stone could be my ticket to a free meal. Why, it's a trickster's jackpot... a trickster's buffet!” — Anansi, [05:58]

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4. The Trick in Action: Anansi vs. the Forest

[06:13-11:52]

• Target 1: Elephant and the Mangoes
  Anansi escorts the thirsty Elephant to the stream and encourages him to read the stone's words.

  “Behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big, round stone wrapped in moss of green.” (Elephant, 08:08)
  Elephant falls asleep; Anansi gleefully eats his mangoes.

• Other Animals Fall for the Trick
  Anansi repeats his scheme with lion (pineapples), monkey (bananas), antelope (avocados), buffalo (papayas), leopard (melons), and chimpanzee (guavas)—each time tricking them with the same magic spell.

  • Montage moments reinforce the pattern, with reactions from both Anansi and his victims.

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5. The Clever Bush Deer Steps In

[11:52-15:14]

• Bush Deer, unnoticed and quick-witted, observes Anansi’s misdeeds:

  “It isn't fair for Anansi to trick everyone out of their hard earned fruit. I'm going to give that sneaky spider a taste of his own medicine, and something tells me it'll be very hard to swallow.” — Bush Deer, [11:52]

• She collects plums, sets the scene, and awaits Anansi’s arrival.

6. Turning the Tables: Bush Deer’s Counter-Trick

[15:14-19:09]

• Anansi approaches Bush Deer, tries the usual trick with the stone—but Bush Deer plays along, pretending to misunderstand and repeatedly mispronouncing the inscription (moss of “greed”, “grain”, “groan”, etc.).

• Anansi grows exasperated and finally, in frustration, reads the inscription himself:

  “Well, crying out loud, Bush deer. Clearly it says behold and marvel like you've never seen. This big round stone wrapped in moss of green. Uh oh.” — Anansi, [19:20]

• Anansi falls asleep, giving Bush Deer the chance to right the wrongs.

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7. Justice and the Lesson Learned

[19:09-20:33]

• Upon waking, Anansi discovers his entire stolen fruit stash gone.

  “While I was asleep, Bush Deer must have called the animals together, invited them to come to my house and take back their fruit. Clearly, they enthusiastically accepted the invitation.” — Anansi, [20:21]

• With his trick exposed and his hoard returned, Anansi feels guilt and regret:
  He had been “wrapped with greed,” but now was “wracked with guilt.”

• Rebecca Sheir draws the story to a moral: the trickster becomes the tricked, and justice is served.

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8. Interactive Activity for Listeners

[20:33 onwards]

• Encourages listeners to invent their own magical object and create a story (or drawing) of its spell.
• “Now it's your turn. Pick an object, any object. Then think about a spell it might cast if you use it in a certain way…” — Rebecca Sheir, [20:33]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Why, it’s a trickster’s jackpot. Or more appropriately, a trickster’s buffet. I can’t wait to dig in.” — Anansi, [05:58]
• Elephant hesitating to trust Anansi, conveying prior knowledge of the spider’s ways:

  “All right, Anansi, lead the way.” — Elephant, [07:26]

• Bush Deer’s clever dialogue, feigning confusion to frustrate Anansi:

  “Oh, that’s curious. I’ve never seen such a tall tree.” — Bush Deer, [17:08]
  “No, that’s not right. Wronged.” — Bush Deer, [18:07]

• Anansi, in peak frustration, walks right into his own trick:

  “Well, crying out loud, Bush deer. Clearly it says behold and marvel like you’ve never seen. This big round stone wrapped in moss of green. Uh oh.” — Anansi, [19:20]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Episode setup & theme introduction
• 01:56 – Anansi finds the stream and the magic stone
• 03:27 – Anansi formulates his trickster’s plan
• 06:13-09:07 – Tricking Elephant & first successful theft
• 10:03-11:52 – Montage: other animals fall victim
• 11:52-15:14 – Bush Deer’s plan takes shape
• 15:14-19:09 – Anansi gets pranked by Bush Deer
• 19:09-20:33 – The lesson and resolution
• 20:33 onward – Listener activity invitation

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Tone and Style

• The storytelling maintains a light, upbeat, and humorous tone throughout—playful with a sense of moral justice.
• Dialogue is rich, accessible, and lively—perfect for families and young listeners.

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Conclusion

This episode of Circle Round offers a captivating retelling of the Anansi legend, underscored by the themes of fairness, cleverness, and accountability. Kids and adults alike are drawn in by the rich characters, musical soundscape, and gentle lesson about treating others with respect. The interactive post-story segment extends the fun and reflection beyond the story itself—true to the Circle Round mission of nurturing conversation and creativity.

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For more Circle Round tales and activities, visit WBUR.org/CircleRound.

Transcript

[Rebecca Shear]

Hi, Rebecca Shear here inviting you to Circle Round with us live. Circle Round is hitting the road this fall with live episode recordings in Parker, Colorado, Boston, Massachusetts and Charlotte, North Carolina. Get your tickets at WBUR.org CircleRound we're announcing more tour stops soon. Join the Circle Round Club and you'll be first in line for tickets. Club members are also invited to a special meet and greet with me and Eric Shimonis after each show. Visit WBUR.org CircleRound now. WBUR podcasts Boston has anyone ever played a trick on you? Playing tricks can be harmless, even funny, but they can also be harmful because feelings get hurt. And that's not funny at all. In today's tale, a sneaky spider pulls a fast one on his friends. A little does he know, but the tables are about to be turned. I'm Rebecca Scheer, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today, our story is called the Round Mossy Stone. Versions of this story come from West Africa and feature a character you've met in many Circle Round episodes, Anansi. Some really great people came together to bring you our version of this folktale, including Bashir Sylvain, who co stars in the sci fi action movie Jurassic World Rebirth. So circle around, everyone, for the Round Mossy Stone. It was a sizzling summer morning, and Anansi the spider was walking through the forest.

[Anansi]

Oh, it's a real scorcher today. Even in the shade, it's as hot as blazes. I need a cold drink. There gotta be a creek or a stream around here somewhere.

[Rebecca Shear]

Wiping the sweat from his eight eyes, he quickened his stride through the undergrowth until he chanced upon a shallow stream with water so clear you could count the pebbles on the sandy bottom. Setting his eight legs in motion, he scurried over and took a big drink.

[Anansi]

Oh, this water is so cool, so refreshing. I no longer feel the least bit hot, but I sure feel hungry.

[Rebecca Shear]

The truth is, Anansi always felt hungry. For a small critter, he had an enormous appetite.

[Anansi]

Boy, what I wouldn't give for some delicious ripe fruit like a mound of mangoes or. Or a bunch of bananas. Of course, that means I'd have to pick fruit, which means I'd have to do work, and goodness knows I don't want to do that.

[Rebecca Shear]

It was true, as much as Anansi loved eating, he despised working. But he was a clever spider with a mischievous mind. And as he paced alongside the stream, he began spinning ideas like a web.

[Anansi]

Alright, let's think about this the animals in the forest are always picking their own fruit, right? Collecting a nice big stash to eat as they please. So what if I trick one of them into picking fruit for me? Or I could convince them that their fruit has gone bad and I'll volunteer to dispose of it for them, or.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi fell silent. For ahead of him, in the shade of a tree, was a stone. The stone was big and round and covered with green moss, so vibrant, so vivid it practically glowed. The green moss reached all the way around the stone, save for one bare spot in front, which seemed to be engraved with words.

[Anansi]

Hmm. It's not every day that you see an engraved stone in the forest. It's not every day that you see an engraved anything in the forest. Let's see what it says.

[Rebecca Shear]

He scuttled over and began to read.

[Anansi]

Behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big, round stone wrapped in moss of green.

[Rebecca Shear]

Well, no sooner had he uttered those words than he fell to the ground in a faint and was out cold. Anansi slept for an entire hour. When he woke up, he tried to piece together what happened.

[Anansi]

Oh, let's see. The last thing I remember is coming across this mossy stone, then reading the words engraved on it. You know, behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big, round stone wrapped in moss of green.

[Rebecca Shear]

And just like that, he was out like a light again. When he came to an hour later, he also came to a realization.

[Anansi]

That's it. The words on the stone must be a spell, a magic spell. If you read them out loud, which I definitely will not do ever again, then you fall fast asleep. Wait a minute.

[Rebecca Shear]

A crafty grin spread across the spider's face.

[Anansi]

If I play my cards right, then this stone could be my ticket to a free meal. Why, it's a trickster's jackpot. Or more appropriately, a trickster's buffet. I can't wait to dig in.

[Rebecca Shear]

The unscrupulous arachnid took off through the forest until he found his first unwitting victim. Elephant was piling up mangoes with his long gray trunk. One look at the luscious fruit and Anansi's mouth watered.

[Anansi]

Good day, Elephant. What beautiful mangoes you have.

[Elephant]

Oh, thank you, Anansi. I picked them all myself.

[Anansi]

That sounds like hard work. You must be exhausted and thirsty, what with this brutal heat and all.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi held his breath, hoping Elephant would say what he hoped he would say. And guess what he did.

[Elephant]

You know, Anansi, I am rather parched. I would love to Quench my thirst with a nice cool drink.

[Anansi]

Well, you're in luck, Elephant, because I just found the clearest stream you ever did see, with the coolest water you ever did drink. Shall I take you there?

[Rebecca Shear]

Elephant paused. He knew all about Anansi and his tricks, but the idea of sipping clear, cool water on a sweltering hot day was irresistible.

[Elephant]

All right, Anansi, lead the way.

[Rebecca Shear]

The moment Anansi and Elephant reached the stream, Anansi stuck out a leg and let out a gasp.

[Anansi]

Elephant, check out that round, mossy stone. Does it have words engraved on it?

[Rebecca Shear]

Elephant turned to where Anansi was pointing.

[Elephant]

Actually, yes, I believe it does. How odd. I wonder what it says.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi shrugged.

[Anansi]

Why don't you read it, Elephant?

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi tingled with anticipation as Elephant trundled over to the stone and began to read.

[Elephant]

Behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big, round stone wrapped in moss of green.

[Rebecca Shear]

Well, the second those words left Elephant's mouth, you can guess what happened, right? The mammoth creature tumbled to the ground and conked right out. Anansi could hardly contain his glee.

[Anansi]

My plan worked. Now that Elephant is snoozing away, I'll go back and make off with his mangoes.

[Rebecca Shear]

And wouldn't you know it, he did. Anansi gobbled down at least a dozen mangoes, then brought the rest back to his house so he could snack on them later. Meanwhile, back at the stream, an hour went and Elephant woke up.

[Elephant]

What just happened? Was I so thirsty that I passed out from dehydration? What do you think, Anansi? Anansi?

[Rebecca Shear]

He stumbled to his wobbly feet and glanced around.

[Elephant]

Anansi, where are you? Oh, well, he must have left while I was sleeping. But now that I'm up, I'll have some of this cool, clear water, then go home.

[Rebecca Shear]

But when Elephant got back to his house, he made a most distressing discovery. His mangoes were missing, and it didn't take long to figure out why.

[Elephant]

Anansi must have stolen my mangoes while I was sleeping. I never should have trusted that sneaky spider.

[Anansi]

Never.

[Rebecca Shear]

Well, in the meantime, that sneaky spider was playing the exact same trick on the other animals in the forest. One by one, he showed them the round, mossy stone. They read the magic spell, and after they were down for the count, he scooped up all their fruit. First, he tricked lion out of her pineapples. Behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big, round stone wrapped in moss of green. Then he tricked Monkey out of his bananas. Behold. A marvel like you've never seen. This big round stone wrapped in moss of green. He tricked antelope out of her avocados.

[Bush Deer]

Behold a marvel like you've never seen.

[Rebecca Shear]

This big round stone wrapped in moss of green. He tricked buffalo out of his papayas, he tricked leopard out of her melons, and he tricked a chimpanzee out of his guavas. But there was one animal Anansi hadn't yet fooled, and that was Bush deer. Bush deer had the cloven hooves of a deer, the pointed snout of a mouse, and the rounded body of a bunny. Bush deer was small, no bigger than a chihuahua, so she could easily escape notice as she scurried around the forest. And as Anansi pulled his prank on animal after animal, Bush deer saw everything.

[Bush Deer]

It isn't fair for Anansi to trick everyone out of their hard earned fruit. I'm going to give that sneaky spider a taste of his own medicine and something tells me it'll be very hard to swallow.

[Rebecca Shear]

What do you think Bush deer is planning? What would you do if you were bush deer? We'll find out what happens after a quick break.

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[Rebecca Shear]

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 Club Members]

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[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 the Round Mossy Stone. Before the break, Anansi the sneaky spider discovered a round mossy stone engraved with a magic spell. Read the words out loud and you dropped right off to sleep. One by one, Anansi tricked the other animals into reading the and one by one he bustled back to their houses and stole their fruit. What he didn't Know is that all this time someone had been watching fleet footed, swift minded Bush Deer.

[Bush Deer]

Now that Anansi has hoodwinked every other animal in this forest, it's only a matter of time before he tries pulling a fast one on me. But I'll be ready.

[Rebecca Shear]

Bushtir raced over to a stand of plum trees and set to work gathering the juicy red fruit. Got it. She brought the plums home, then settled down to wait. And sure enough, who should come ambling over but Anansi? Just as Bush Deer had hoped, his eight eyes lit up when he saw her freshly picked fruit.

[Anansi]

Good day, Bush dear. What succulent plums you have there.

[Bush Deer]

Thank you, Anansi. I collected them myself.

[Anansi]

Then you must be downright drained. Not to mention thirsty.

[Rebecca Shear]

Bush Deer smiled to herself. So far things were going according to Anansi's plan. Little did he know, but they would soon go according to hers.

[Bush Deer]

Actually, Anansi, I've never been so thirsty in my life. What I wouldn't give for a cool, clear drink of water.

[Anansi]

Then it's your lucky day, Bush Deer. Deep in the forest, I discovered the clearest stream you ever did see. With the coolest water you ever did drink. Shall I take you there?

[Rebecca Shear]

Yes, please.

[Bush Deer]

Let's go.

[Rebecca Shear]

The moment Anansi and Bush Deer reached the stream, the spider pulled his usual stunt, pointing at the stone and letting out a gasp.

[Anansi]

Look, Bush Deer, isn't that a curious sight?

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi paused, waiting for the usual response. Instead, all he heard was slurping as Bush Deer plunged her pointed snout into the stream and lapped up the cool, clear water. So Anansi tried again.

[Anansi]

I said, isn't that a curious sight?

[Rebecca Shear]

But again, no response.

[Anansi]

For goodness sake, Bush Deer, would you get your snout out of the stream and listen to me?

[Rebecca Shear]

Bush Deer took one more slurp, then glanced up.

[Bush Deer]

Oh, I'm sorry, Anansi. Did you say something?

[Anansi]

Yes, Bush dear, I did say something. I said, isn't that a curious sight?

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi turned toward the mossy. Bush Deer followed his gaze.

[Bush Deer]

Oh, wow. That is a curious sight. I've never seen such a tall tree.

[Anansi]

A tree.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi stamped one of his eight feet.

[Anansi]

I'm not talking about a tree, Bush dear. I'm talking about that.

[Rebecca Shear]

Again he gestured toward the stone.

[Bush Deer]

Oh, the thorny bush. No, the creeping vine.

[Anansi]

No, I'm talking about the stone Bush Deer. The round mossy one engraved with words.

[Bush Deer]

Oh, that. Sure. I guess it's kind of curious.

[Anansi]

It's very curious. I wonder what it says. Can you Read it, Bush Deer.

[Rebecca Shear]

Bush Deer gave an eager nod, then pranced over to the stone and began to read.

[Bush Deer]

Behold, a marvel like you've never seen. This big round stone warped.

[Rebecca Shear]

No, that's not right. Wronged.

[Circle Round Club Members]

No.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi clenched his jaw.

[Anansi]

Wrapped. Wrapped, it says. Rapt Bush dear.

[Bush Deer]

Oh, thanks. Behold a marvel like you've never seen. This big round stone wracked in.

[Rebecca Shear]

Wrapped. Wrapped.

[Bush Deer]

Ah, of course. This big round stone wrapped in moss of greed. No grain, no groan.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi let out a groan of his own.

[Anansi]

It's grain. Bush Deer wrapped in moss of grain.

[Bush Deer]

Oh, that makes sense. One more time. Behold a marvel like you've never seen. This big round stone wrapped in moss of. I'm sorry, what did you say the last word was?

[Anansi]

Green. The last word is green.

[Rebecca Shear]

Are you sure? Anansi's eight eyes blazed with frustration. His brow grew so furrowed you could have played. Planted an orchard of fruit trees in it.

[Anansi]

Well, crying out loud, Bush dear. Clearly it says behold and marvel like you've never seen. This big round stone wrapped in moss of green. Uh oh.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi felt a rush of panic, but only for a moment. Because you know what happened next, right? His eight legs gave out, his eight eyes snapped shut, and he flopped to the ground, senseless to the world. When he woke up an hour later, he was all alone. Bush Deer was nowhere in sight. And when he went home, guess what else was nowhere in sight? His stolen stash of fruit. Gone were the dozens and dozens of pilfered mangoes, pineapples, bananas, avocados, papayas, melons, and guavas. And do you know why? Anansi sure did.

[Anansi]

While I was asleep, Bush Deer must have called the animals together, invited them to come to my house and take back their fruit. Clearly, they enthusiastically accepted the invitation.

[Rebecca Shear]

Anansi let out another groan and hung his head in shame, because not so long ago he had been warped with greed. But now he was wracked with guilt. Just as Bush Deer had hoped, the tables were finally turned. The score was finally settled, and the prankster was finally the pranked. Now it's your turn. Pick an object, any object. Then think about a spell it might cast if you use it in a certain way. Perhaps there's a magic banana peel where slipping on it makes you chatter like a monkey or a bicycle that makes you croon like an opera singer every time you push the pedals. Now, find some paper and draw a picture of your object and the spell it casts. Once you're done, share your picture with someone you have fun with and if you'd like share it with us, email it to circleroundbur.org and we may feature you in the Circle Round newsletter. This week's episode, the Round Mossy Stone, 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 Chora. You can learn more about this stringed instrument from West Africa 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 your favorite Circle Round stories and you can print them out and color them in grown Ups. You can download all of our coloring [e-mail] CircleRound Special thanks to this week's actors Evan Casey, Adalynn Phelps, Jessica Rao, Mike Truesdale, Dawn Ursula and Bashir Sylvain, who co stars in the sci fi action flick Jurassic World Rebirth. And if you're listening to this story the week it comes out, please join me in wishing a very happy happy Birthday to Bashir, who celebrates his big day on September 16th. Hope you get to have your cake and eat it too, Bashir, without Anansi sneaking over and stealing it. If you're a Circle Round superfan and are looking for more ways to circle round with us and to support public media during its most challenging time ever, I invite you to join the Circle Round Club. To show our thanks, we'll send you a welcome package with exclusive exclusive Swag plus ad free episodes, bonus bedtime stories, presale tickets to live events, and an invitation to meet me and Eric Shimalonis after each show. You can also add on other goodies like our Snuggly Lion Stuffy and a personalized birthday message from me, sign up for the Circle Round Club today and show your love for public [e-mail] circle round click grown ups. If you enjoy Circle Round, please spread the word. And if you have a sec, please leave us a five star rating or review on your favorite podcast app. 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. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around 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.

[Circle Round Club Members]

My name is Perry and I live in Adelaide, South Australia. And my favorite circle round story is Friends in High Places. And my favorite part is when Rhino says I can think of one thing. Run. My name is Nova and I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. And my favorite circle round story is the Peach of Life. I like to play when that old man says good day. Hi, my name is Lu. I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. My favorite stick around is One Good turn. And my favorite part is when Snake is chasing rabbit. I'm Madeline and I'm from Ridgefield, Connecticut. I like the story in the Willow Tree. Hi, my name is Sydney, I'm from New Jersey. And my favorite circle is story is the Basilisk Stair because I like the part when the older sister uses her father's shield to turn the basilisk to stone. My name is Whitney, I'm from New Dozy. My favorite episode is the Piece of Life. Hi, my name is Winnie and I live in Cedar Hills, Utah. My favorite circle ant is Crocus Pocus. My favorite part part is when the old lady turns into a young lady.

[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.