Episode notes
NPR's Peter Sagal (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) stars in this Russian story about how fantastically priceless a little generosity can be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Podcast
Circle Round
WBUR · Kids & Family · English
WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 3-103. Each 15 to 25-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.
More from Circle Round All episodes →
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S9 · E27 · 3 Feb 2026 · 24 min
The Noise Next Door
Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this Haitian tale about two blacksmiths whose banging, clanging, clinking and clanking cause a presidential uproar. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E26 · 27 Jan 2026 · 20 min
Goodnight Sun
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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E25 · 20 Jan 2026 · 23 min
Over the Sea
Tatyana Ali (Abbott Elementary, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) stars as a savvy starfish who outwits a wily whale in this tale from Aboriginal Australia. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E24 · 13 Jan 2026 · 28 min
The Fourth Post
Jeff Meacham (Black-ish, Vampirina) plays a hapless hero whose life turns upside-down in this humorous tale from Great Britain, Italy, Russia and the Philippines. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E23 · 6 Jan 2026 · 22 min
Encore: The Fairy Fort
Taylor Richardson (The Gilded Age) and Alison Wright (The Americans, Snowpiercer) co-star in this Irish tale about mischievous fairies and the power of music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E21 · 23 Dec 2025 · 20 min
Encore: Finding the Light
Kennedy Kanagawa (Into The Woods) plays a young man who brings light to a dark world in this tale with roots in Alaska Native and First Nations legends. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E20 · 16 Dec 2025 · 27 min
Python’s Drum
Gabe Kunda (Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends) and Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus, Insecure) co-star in a Ugandan legend about friendship, rivalry, and making music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E19 · 9 Dec 2025 · 25 min
Birbal's Barrels
Ravi V. Patel (Animal Control, LEGO Masters Jr.) headlines this Indian tale about distinguishing need from greed with help from grain, gold, and a barrel of lies. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E18 · 2 Dec 2025 · 21 min
The Underestimated Beetle
Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Brazilian tale pits a round-rumped, fleet-footed critter against a teeny-tiny insect in a surprisingly high-flying race. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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S9 · E17 · 25 Nov 2025 · 20 min
A Sticky Situation
Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Japanese legend about a rhyming pine tree puts a (literally) sappy new spin on "poetic justice." Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
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