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)

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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]

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]

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

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.

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.

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