The Well of Honor

Summary

Circle Round Podcast Summary: "The Well of Honor"

Podcast Information

• Title: Circle Round
• Host/Author: WBUR
• Episode: The Well of Honor
• Release Date: February 11, 2025
• Description: Circle Round adapts folktales from around the world into engaging radio plays for children and families, exploring themes like kindness, persistence, and generosity. Each episode concludes with an activity to foster deeper conversations between children and adults.

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Introduction

In the February 11, 2025 episode of Circle Round titled "The Well of Honor," host Rebecca Shear presents a captivating adaptation of a Middle Eastern folktale. Recorded live at Boston's Symphony Hall, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the episode features a stellar cast and rich musical accompaniment, enhancing the storytelling experience for listeners aged 3 to 103.

Opening Remarks: Rebecca Shear introduces the episode with a nod to an Egyptian proverb:

"A lie has no legs. In other words, a lie and untruth has no legs to stand on. And with nothing to support it, it's bound to come crashing down."
(00:01)

She emphasizes the theme of honesty by stating:

"We're about to meet a character who tells a lie so big, so whopping, he comes crashing down."
(00:11)

Story Summary

The Well of Honor revolves around four animal friends—Sheep, Goat, Goose, and Donkey—who decide to cultivate barley, a prized grain absent from their fertile valley. The narrative explores their collaborative efforts, the challenges of unequal participation, and the eventual consequences of dishonesty.

Setting the Scene: Rebecca Shear paints the lush environment of the valley where the animals live:

"In a wide green valley, there lived four animal friends. Sheep, Goat, Goose, Honk and Donkey. The soil in the animals valley was rich and fertile."
(02:46)

The Decision to Farm: Driven by their desire for barley, the friends commit to farming together:

Sheep: "That way we can eat as much barley as we want."
(03:47)
Goat: "We'll plant it, grow it and harvest it ourselves."
(03:51)
Goose: "We sure will go. As long as we split the harvest evenly between us."
(03:57)

Division of Labor: While Sheep, Goat, and Goose work diligently, Donkey consistently shirks responsibilities, offering excuses such as fatigue and discomfort:

Donkey: "I'm too tired or I'm too hungry, or I'm too sore. I must have slept weird last night because I am aching all over."
(05:00)

Despite Donkey's lack of effort, the barley thrives, culminating in a bountiful harvest. However, when it comes time to divide the barley, Donkey's true character emerges as he greedily consumes not only his share but also his friends' portions, leading to his swollen, incapacitated state:

Donkey: "Just one more."
(08:40)

Confrontation and Consequences: The next morning, Sheep, Goat, and Goose confront Donkey, suspecting his involvement in the disappearance of the barley. To resolve the conflict and restore honor, they devise a plan involving the mystical Well of Honor—a legendary site that discerns truth from deceit.

The Well of Honor Test: Each friend takes a turn jumping over the well while declaring their innocence:

Sheep: "I hereby swear I did not eat the barley."
(16:28)
Goat: "I hereby swear I did not eat the barley."
(16:53)
Goose: "I hereby swear I did not eat the barley. Honk."
(17:20)

Donkey, unable to conceal his guilt, fails the test by falling into the well:

Donkey: "I hereby swear I did not."
(18:16)

Resolution: Imprisoned in the well, Donkey experiences remorse and sincerely apologizes to his friends. The story concludes with a moral lesson on the importance of honesty, sharing, and not overstepping one's means:

"Donkey learned the importance of sharing and being honest and never, ever biting off more than you can or should chew."
(18:42)

Themes and Moral

The episode highlights several key themes:

• Honesty and Integrity: Donkey's downfall serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of dishonesty.
• Collaboration and Fairness: The initial cooperation among the friends underscores the value of working together and sharing resources equitably.
• Responsibility and Accountability: Donkey's failure to uphold his commitments ultimately leads to his realization and remorse.

Rebecca Shear reinforces these lessons by encouraging listeners to reflect on their own experiences with sharing:

"Think about the last time you shared something... find some paper and draw a picture of your sharing moment."
(09:12)

Characters and Performances

The episode features a talented cast bringing the animal characters to life:

• Josh Gondelman as Sheep: Provides a strong and compassionate voice.
• Hari Kondabolu as Goat: Delivers both humor and sincerity.
• Faith Salee as Goose: Adds a gentle and thoughtful tone.
• Bethany Van Delft as Honk: Portrays the quacking character with charm.
• Donkey: Portrayed with nuance, capturing the character's initial reluctance and eventual remorse.

Musical Accompaniment

Under the direction of Eric Shyamalonis, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's sextet enhances the storytelling with a rich soundscape:

• Kathy Basrak on viola
• Chris El Chico on clarinet
• Clint Foreman on flute
• Ben Levy on double bass
• Suzanne Nelson on bassoon
• Austin Ruff on horn

The music underscores the emotional beats of the story, from the harmony of friendship to the tension of Donkey's deceit and the resolution of reconciliation.

Listener Interaction

Circle Round fosters community engagement through the Circle Round Club, offering listeners exclusive content and activities. During the episode, Rebecca Shear invites listeners to participate by sharing their artwork related to the story's moral:

"With these questions in mind, find some paper and draw a picture of your sharing moment... email it to circleroundbur.org."
(19:25)

Listeners' testimonials highlight the show's impact:

"One thing I like about Circle Round Club is all the bedtime stories. They're really fun and almost like mini Circle Round stories."
(11:41)

Conclusion

"The Well of Honor" successfully weaves a traditional folktale into a modern narrative, imparting timeless lessons on honesty and cooperation. Through engaging storytelling, dynamic performances, and evocative music, Circle Round continues to resonate with families, encouraging meaningful conversations and personal reflections.

Final Notes: Rebecca Shear wraps up the episode by acknowledging the creative team and inviting listeners to explore more stories and resources on the Circle Round website:

"You can find all of our Circles Round stories, plus links to the Circle Round Club, picture books, coloring pages, and oh, so much more on our website, WBUR.org/CircleRound."
(24:25)

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Credits:

• Adaptation and Editing: Rebecca Shear and Dean Russell
• Music Direction: Eric Shyamalonis
• Cast: Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu, Faith Salee, Bethany Van Delft
• Orchestra Members: Kathy Basrak, Chris El Chico, Clint Foreman, Ben Levy, Suzanne Nelson, Austin Ruff
• Artistic Contributions: Sabina Hahn (coloring pages)

Circle Round remains a cherished resource for storytelling and family engagement, blending cultural tales with universal morals to inspire young minds and foster intergenerational connections.

Transcript

[Rebecca Shear]

WBUR podcasts Boston this Circle Round episode was one of two recorded in February 2025 at Boston's Symphony hall, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. To be first in line for upcoming Circle Round events, including our annual Tanklewood show this summer, join the Circle Round Club Grown ups. Sign up your super fans [e-mail] circleroundclub and now, on with the story. There's an old Egyptian proverb that says a lie has no legs. In other words, a lie and untruth has no legs to stand on. And with nothing to support it, it's bound to come crashing down. We're about to meet a character who tells a lie so big, so whopping, he comes crashing down. Too.

[Donkey]

Foreign.

[Rebecca Shear]

I'm Rebecca Scheer and welcome to Circle Round live at Symphony hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Today, our story is called the well of Honor. You'll find versions of this tale from Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia and parts of the Middle East. Joining me on stage is a star studded cast of actors Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu, Faith Salee and Bethany Van Delft. Providing musical accompaniment under the direction of our own Eric Shyamalonis is a world class sextet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Kathy Basrak on viola, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass, Suzanne Nelson on bassoon and Austin Ruff on horn. So circle around everyone for the well of Honor.

[Donkey]

Sa.

[Rebecca Shear]

Once upon a time, in a wide green valley, there lived four animal friends. Sheep, Goat, Goose, Honk and Donkey. The soil in the animals valley was rich and fertile. So Sheep, Goat, Goose and Donkey had plenty of grasses, weeds and other yummy plants to nibble and graze. But there was one plant that did not grow in the rich, fertile valley. A rather delicious plant which the four friends craved. And that plant was barley. Barley is a type of grain. It has a long thin stem and a spiky top that turns into kernels you can eat. Barley has sort of a nutty flavor. And Sheep, Goat, Goose and Donkey were nutty for it. So the four friends decided to start their own barley farm.

[Sheep]

That way we can eat as much barley as we want.

[Goat]

You betcha, sheep. We'll plant it, grow it and harvest it ourselves.

[Goose]

We sure will go. As long as we split the harvest evenly between us. Isn't that right, Donkey?

[Donkey]

That's right, Goose. We'll split the crops four ways. Now let's get started.

[Rebecca Shear]

The first thing the animals did was.

[Sheep]

Weed yank up those unwanted vines and creepers. Friends, we need a clear plot.

[Rebecca Shear]

The Second thing they did was plow.

[Goat]

Everybody grab a stick and loosen up the soil.

[Rebecca Shear]

The third thing they did was plant.

[Goose]

Go up and down the rows, friends, and sow those seeds.

[Rebecca Shear]

And all the while, as they tended their growing crops, the animals worked hard. Or most of the animals worked hard. While Sheep, Goat and Goose kept their noses and snouts and beaks to the grindstone. Donkey came up with excuse after excuse for why he couldn't lend a hand or a hoof.

[Donkey]

Like, I'm too tired or I'm too hungry, or I'm too sore. I must have slept weird last night because I am aching all over. You guys do all the work today, okay? I'll help out tomorrow.

[Rebecca Shear]

And yet, when tomorrow rolled around, my.

[Donkey]

Eyes are watery, my tummy is cool, easy.

[Rebecca Shear]

So did another excuse.

[Donkey]

My hair is itchy. I think I'm getting fleas.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep, Goat and Goose wanted to trust Donkey. He was their friend after all. But as the excuses piled up, their patience wore thin. Still, they kept working. And after some months of sun and rain, the animals field was billowing with tall yellow stalks of barley.

[Donkey]

This barley looks amazing, friends. Surely we can eat it now, right? After all of our hard work.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep, Goat and Goose gave Donkey a bristly look.

[Sheep]

Did you just say all of our hard work?

[Goat]

Because you hardly lifted a finger or a hoof.

[Sheep]

So if you want to eat some of this barley, you have to work.

[Goose]

For it by harvesting the crop and dividing it up.

[Rebecca Shear]

As you can imagine, the last thing Donkey wanted to do was work. He was far more interested in eating. But if he had to work in order to eat, then so be it.

[Donkey]

All right, I'll harvest the crop. Then I'll divide it four ways, just like we promised. See you back here tomorrow morning.

[Rebecca Shear]

Pleased by their friend's sudden agreeableness, Sheep, Goat and Goose walked, trotted and waddled home. Donkey, meanwhile, buckled down and got to work. He used his sharp teeth to cut the barley stalks, gnawing and slicing the stems from the roofs. Then he began dividing the stalks into four even piles.

[Donkey]

One for Sheep, one for goat, one for Goose, one for me. One for Sheep, one for Goat, one for Goose, one for me.

[Rebecca Shear]

By the time Donkey was done, night was falling and he was falling asleep.

[Donkey]

I have never been this exhausted in my life. And come to think of it, I've never been this hungry either. I'll take one little nibble from my share of the crop just to tide me over until morning.

[Rebecca Shear]

So Donkey took a nibble from his share of barley.

[Donkey]

Mmm. Yummy. But I'm still hungry. How about one more little nibble?

[Rebecca Shear]

So he took another nibble.

[Donkey]

Delicious.

[Rebecca Shear]

Which led to another nibble.

[Donkey]

Scrumptious.

[Rebecca Shear]

Which led to another.

[Donkey]

Oh man, this barley is the best.

[Rebecca Shear]

On and on it went. Donkey kept swearing he'd take just one more nibble. But he couldn't help himself. And before long, he hadn't just polished off his share of barley.

[Donkey]

Just one more.

[Rebecca Shear]

He had polished off his friends shares too. The field was now empty and Donkey's stomach was full. So full it was swollen like a balloon and he could hardly move. He tried dragging his bloated body away from the field and back home, but after just one or two heavy halting steps, he sank to the ground.

[Narrator]

And.

[Rebecca Shear]

Dropped off to sleep. The next morning, Donkey was still snoozing away when Sheep, Goat and Goose came back. The moment they spied the empty field and Donkey's full belly, they immediately knew what happened.

[Sheep]

Donkey ate all of our barley and.

[Goat]

Now it's in his swollen stomach.

[Goose]

We must wake him up and make him admit his crime.

[Rebecca Shear]

Honk.

[Sheep]

But what if he refuses to fess up?

[Goat]

We need a plan.

[Goose]

Yes, Honk. A plan.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep, Goat and Goose huddled together. They tossed around idea after idea until at they had a plan. And if their strategy worked, it wouldn't just make their balloon bellied friend confess, it would burst his balloon too. What are Sheep, Goat and Goose cooking up? Will their plan succeed? We'll find out what happens after a quick break.

[Sponsor]

Support for Circle Round comes from Indeed. You just realized that your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. There's no need to wait. You can speed up your hiring with Indeed and Circle Round listeners will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com just go to indeed.com Circleround right now and support the show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.comCircleround terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

[Rebecca Shear]

Circle Round superfans have been raving about the Circle Round Club, an exciting way to support our public radio podcast and get ad free episodes, exclusive swag, early access to events and bonus bedtime stories. Check out this rave review.

[Narrator]

One thing I like about Circle Round Club is all the bedtime stories. It's really fun and they're almost like a mini sort of Circle Round story, except they're much shorter.

[Rebecca Shear]

Grown ups. Get your Circle Round superfans signed up [e-mail] CircleRoundClub I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome back to Circle Round live at Symphony hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Today, our story is called the well of Honor. Before the break, Donkey ate all the barley that Sheep, Goat, and Goose worked so hard to grow. Then he fell asleep in the field. When Sheep, Goat, and Goose realized what happened, they came up with a way to make Donkey confess. But first, they had to wake him up.

[Goose]

Honk. Honk. Honk.

[Rebecca Shear]

Honk.

[Goose]

Honk.

[Donkey]

Cool it with the racket, will ya?

[Rebecca Shear]

Donkey blinked open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was his swollen, gurgling stomach. The second thing he noticed were his glowering, glaring friends. Clearly, Sheep, Goat, and Goose had discovered the missing barley, and he was the prime suspect.

[Donkey]

Hi there, friends. Sorry to snap at you, but I'm feeling rather poorly. After harvesting and dividing our barley crop, I fell ill. So ill I was moaning and groaning all night. I'm still pretty queasy. So why don't you go ahead and bring your shares of barley home, and I'll get mine later.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep, Goat, and Goose exchanged a look.

[Sheep]

We would bring our shares of barley home, Donkey.

[Goat]

But they're all gone because you ate them.

[Goose]

Honk.

[Donkey]

I ate them?

[Rebecca Shear]

Donkey's heart began to hammer. His stomach continued to churn.

[Donkey]

Oh, what are you talking about, Friends? How could I possibly eat anything when I feel so wretched? I mean, look at me. My belly is so puffed up, I can barely move. If the barley is really gone, maybe one of you snuck in overnight and ate it.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep, Goat, and Goose exchanged another look. Clearly, it was time to put their plan into action.

[Sheep]

Okay, Donkey. If you truly think one of us bolted down the barley, then we should.

[Goat]

All put ourselves to the test by.

[Goose]

Visiting the well of Honor.

[Donkey]

The well of Honor?

[Rebecca Shear]

Donkey held back up Burp.

[Donkey]

What is the well of Honor?

[Sheep]

It's a magical well with special powers.

[Goat]

All you have to do is jump.

[Goose]

Over it, and it will determine the guilty from the innocent.

[Rebecca Shear]

Donkey cringed. He knew full well that he was the guilty one. But he wasn't about to confess. So he staggered to his feet, then dragged his bulging belly along the ground as Sheep, Goat, and Goose set off across the countryside. They stopped at a high, round wall of stones with a big, deep hole in the middle.

[Sheep]

This is the well of Honor.

[Goat]

Tell the truth while jumping over it, and you'll make it to the other side.

[Goose]

But tell a lie and you'll fall in and splash down to the water below.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep volunteered to jump first. She took a running start, then sprang into the air.

[Sheep]

I hereby swear I did not eat the barley.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sheep Soared over the well before landing safely on the other side. Look at that.

[Sheep]

Guess I'm innocent. Goat, why don't you go next?

[Narrator]

Goat agreed.

[Rebecca Shear]

He lowered his head, broke into a trot, then took a leap.

[Goat]

I hereby swear I did not eat the barley.

[Rebecca Shear]

Goat whizzed over the well. Then he too safely landed on the other side.

[Goat]

Hey, looks like I'm innocent too. Goose, why don't you go next? And no flying, okay?

[Rebecca Shear]

Goose nodded. She fluffed her feathers and waddled toward the well before launching off the ground.

[Goose]

I hereby swear I did not eat the barley. Honk.

[Rebecca Shear]

Goose gracefully glided over, then landed on the other side with Sheep and Goat.

[Goose]

Gosh. It appears I'm innocent too. Donkey, why don't you go next?

[Rebecca Shear]

Me? Donkey shook his head.

[Donkey]

Come on, friends. Do you honestly believe in magical wells that can separate the guilty from the innocent? I mean, why don't we just forget about this whole thing and go?

[Sheep]

No way, Donkey.

[Goat]

The rest of us jumped over the well of honor.

[Goose]

Now it's your turn to give it a go.

[Rebecca Shear]

Donkey knew he was stuck, so he took a deep breath, said a little prayer, then lumbered toward the well. But when he sprang into the air.

[Donkey]

I hereby swear I did not.

[Rebecca Shear]

His ballooning belly was so heavy he couldn't make it to the other side. And instead, he fell into the well.

[Donkey]

Eat the barley.

[Rebecca Shear]

And landed at the bottom with a splash.

[Donkey]

Yee haw.

[Rebecca Shear]

Sitting in the water in the dark, Donkey felt a wave of remorse. And after his friends ever so generously extracted him from the well, he gave each one of them a sincere apology. Because Donkey learned an invaluable lesson that fateful day. He learned the importance of sharing and being honest and never, ever biting off more than you can or should chew. Now it's your turn. Think about the last time you shared something. Then think about these four questions. One, what did you share? Two, who did you share it with? Three, how did it make that person feel? And four, how did it make you feel? With these questions in mind, find some paper and draw a picture of your sharing moment. Show your drawing to someone you have fun with and if you'd like, show it to us. Ask a grown up to snap a photo of you and your artwork and email it to circleroundbur.org with your permission, we we may feature you in the Lion's Roar, the monthly newsletter of the Circle Round Club, our membership program for super fans like you. Learn more on our website WBUR.org CircleRound this week's story, the well of Honor was adapted by ME Rebecca Shear. It was edited by Dean Russell. Circle Round's composer is Eric Shimalonis who conducted our world class sextet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Kathy Basrak on viola, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass, Suzanne Nelson on bassoon and Austin Ruff on horn. Special thanks to everyone at the BSO including Chad Smith, Tony Fogg, Mark Rulison, Angie Di Sossio, Dana Falloon, John Stanton, Steven Ponchack, Amy Aldrich and Jason Lyon. And a big Circle round of applause for our actors at Symphony Hall, Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu, Faith Salee and Bethany Van Delft. Josh Gondelman is a stand up comedian and Emmy Award winning writer who can often be heard on the NPR News quiz Wait, Wait, don't tell Me you Grown Ups can find his comedy special People Pleaser streaming online. Hari Kondabolu is also a regular panelist on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. His comedy specials include Vacation Baby on Hulu and Warn youn Relatives on Netflix. Most recently. Recently he hosted the Netflix food competition show Snack vs Chef. Faith Saley is a writer, actress, comedian and Emmy award winning contributor to CBS Sunday Morning. She is also a regular on NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me. Her one woman show approval Junkie is available on Audible. Bethany Van Delft is an award winning stand up comedian and a regular host and storyteller for the Moth. She also co hosted the Nova series Parental Circle Round's artist is Sabina Hahn. 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 grown ups. Visit our website WBUR.org CircleRound and click on coloring pages. 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 the Circle Round stories they like best. Take a listen. Maybe one of their favorites is one of yours too.

[Narrator]

Hi, my name is Amelia and I live in Hawaii and my favorite Go Round toy is the Oni. I like the part when the humans give the white tape to the oni. My name is Calvin. I live in Seattle, Washington. My favorite circle around is Amos and the Ogre. My favorite part is when Amos beats the Ogre. My name is Holla. I live in Jackson, Wyoming. My favorite Circle Round is the Basilisk there. Because I like the part when Natalia says, oh, basilisk. My name is Nora and I've been in the Netherlands. And my favorite episode is called Buried Treasure. And I like the part where they're like, you want us to do that? No. You gotta be kidding, right? My name is Hay in my favorite circle stories, the 96. And my favorite part is when the EPO stole the 96 from the Queen. My name is Felicity and I live in Sisters, Oregon. And my favorite episode of Circle Round is Granny Snowstorm. And my favorite part is when the the girl shakes the mattress and it begins to snow. Hi, my name is Milo and I live in Detroit, Michigan. My favorite circle Round story is the Young Healer. I like the part when the healer says. Okay, river, let's see what you got.

[Rebecca Shear]

Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry, grown ups. You can find all of our Circles Round stories, plus links to the Circle Round Club, picture books, coloring pages, and oh, so much more on our website, WBUR.org CircleRound.