Encore: The Patched-Up Coat

Support for WBUR comes from MathWorks, creator of MATLAB and Simulink software for technical computing and model-based design. MathWorks, accelerating the pace of discovery in engineering and science. Learn more at mathworks.com. Hi, Rebecca Sheer here. The new year is nearly upon us and we can hardly wait to circle around with you at our live recordings in Los Angeles on January 18th, Boston on February 7th, and Cleveland on March 14th. Visit wbur.org slash circle round to get your tickets today. For now, enjoy this encore edition of Circle Around, a super fun folktale you may have missed the first time around. We'll be back with a new story soon. Has there ever been a time when a friend or family member wouldn't share with you? Maybe they wouldn't let you play with a new toy, or they wouldn't give you a turn during a game? Think about how it made you feel. Not so good, right? Well, we're about to meet a character who feels exactly like you did until he takes matters into his own hands. I'm Rebecca Sheer and welcome to Circle Around, where story time happens all the time. Today our story is called The Patched Up Coat. Versions of this tale come from Russia, the largest country in the world. Some really great people came together to bring you our adaptation of this folktale, including Peter Segal, host of NPR's weekly news quiz, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. So, Circle Around, everyone, for The Patched Up Coat. At the edge of a small town, at the top of a steep hill, there lived a man and woman. The man and woman on the hill weren't especially rich, and they weren't especially poor. They weren't especially tall, and they weren't especially short. What they were, however, was especially selfish. If a neighbor was baking a cake and came up the hill to borrow a cup of sugar, the man and woman might respond like this. Oh, you can borrow a cup of sugar, all right? Provided you give us the cake when it's done. If a farmer's wagon broke down on the way to market, and he asked the man and woman for a ride in their cart, they might respond like this. Oh, we can give you a ride in our cart, all right? Provided you pay us ten silver coins for the trouble. So one brisk winter evening, when a weary traveler trudged up the hill to ask the man and woman for a bite of supper and a place to spend the night, they responded like this. Oh, you can have some supper and spend the night, all right? Provided you chop some firewood and feed the horses. The weary traveler was a soldier, making his long journey home after fighting battles in faraway lands. His feet were tired, his stomach was empty, and the coat he wore was threadbare and covered with patches. I appreciate the offer, folks. Thank you. So what's for supper? The man and woman exchanged a look. Well, my wife and I are having a hearty chicken soup. Mmm, it's been simmering on the stove all day. But you'll be eating cold porridge. There isn't enough soup for three. The soldier cast his eyes toward the stove, where an enormous iron pot was boiling and bubbling away. The pot seemed to hold more than enough steaming fragrant soup for three people. But the soldier just smiled and sat down at the table. While the soldier choked down his cold, lumpy porridge, the man and woman slurped up their hot chicken soup with gusto. Oh, this soup is scrumptious. Delictable! I'm going to have seconds. I'm going to have thirds. As the man and woman refilled their bowls again and again, it began to dawn on the soldier just how selfish this pair truly was. But he kept quiet and continued eating until his bowl was empty. Once the man and woman gobbled up the entire pot of chicken soup, they brought out dessert, a fresh baked apple pie. The soldier's mouth watered as he waited to be served a slice. But instead, the man and woman carved out two massive pieces for themselves. Mmm, this pie is just marvelous. Incredible! Oh, so flaky. So light. As the couple gulped down, bite after scrumptious bite, the soldier sheepishly piped up. Excuse me, folks, I was wondering, may I please have some pie? The man and woman stopped chewing and fixed their guest with an irritated stare. Have some pie, do you say? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. You have work to do, soldier. Didn't you promise that you'd chop firewood and feed the horses? So the soldier got up from the table and headed outside. The night air was bone achingly bitter. The soldier's hands trembled so hard he could barely hold the axe as he split logs. By the time he loaded the stable with hay, his arms and hands, legs and feet had all gone numb. The old coat he wore was so scruffy and ratty, it did nothing to protect him from the cold. After his chores, the soldier staggered back to the house, where the man and woman were licking pie crumbs off their fingers and sipping big mugs of piping hot tea. Oh, look! There he is. Took you long enough out there, soldier. We're about to turn in for the night. Glancing around the house, the soldier spied a plush sofa in the living room. It was covered with thick woolen blankets. Hitting the hay is fine by me, folks. I have been traveling all day and I am beat. May I sleep on your sofa then? The couple shook their heads. Oh, no, no, no, soldier! Our house cat fluffy sleeps on the sofa. She just loves snuggling up with all those cozy blankets. You'll be sleeping on the floor! The soldier felt his heart clenched, where there truly no limits to this man and woman's stinginess. That's fine. Just fine. But the sofa's right next to the fireplace and it seems the fire's gone out. Would you mind if I started it back up again? Even as the soldier asked this question, he suspected he already knew the answer, and he was right. Start the fire again, you say? And waste all of our precious firewood? No way, soldier! Just use that ready coat of yours as a blanket. Then the man and woman breathed into their snug cozy bedroom and slammed the door. The soldier lay down on the living room floor, beside the unlit fireplace. As a chill, whished down the chimney, he curled himself into a ball, pulling his patched up coat even tighter around his quivering body. Naturally, the shabby old frock didn't do a lick of good. Ah, I cannot believe these people. They have plenty of supper to share yet they don't. They've plenty of dessert to share yet they don't. They have a whole extra sofa to sleep on, but do they share that, of course not, to say nothing of parting with their precious firewood? Somebody really ought to teach these selfish scoundrels a lesson. And I know just the one to do it. What will the soldiers do next? What would you do if you were the soldier? We'll find out what happens after a quick break. The reviews are in and super fans like you are loving the Circle Around Club, an exciting opportunity to support public radio and get cool stuff, including ad-free episodes and a personalized birthday message from me. What I like about the Circle Around Club is that Rebecca Shoe sends extra messages and it supports the show and there are no ads. Grown-ups support public radio and sign up today at wbur.org slash Circle Around Club. Welcome back to Circle Around, I'm Rebecca Shoe. Today our story is called The Patched Up, Code. Before the break, a man and a woman allowed a poor traveling soldier to spend the night in their home, but the selfish couple made him sleep on the floor with nothing but his shabby patched up coat to keep him warm. The winter's night grew darker and colder, and before long the soldier's entire body felt frozen, but his brain was on fire as he cooked up a plan to teach the greedy pair a lesson. Right around midnight, he leaped to his feet and raced to the kitchen. He plunged his hand into a big jar of butter and smeared the thick greasy stuff all over his face, then he put on his coat and knocked at the man and woman's bedroom door. What is it, soldier? How dare you wake us up in the middle of the night? I am so sorry to disturb you, but it is so hot and stuffy in the living room. The man and woman gaped at the soldier's drippy sticky face. The living room was the draftiest part of the house, especially when the fireplace wasn't lit. And yet this soldier, with his tattered ragged coat, was sweating so much he needed to open a window? The couple was confused, but they agreed to their guests request. And when a burst of wind swept through the living room, they scurried back to their snug cozy bedroom and slammed the door. But then, an hour later, the soldier came knocking again. What is it now, soldier? We're trying to get some sleep. I know, and I apologize, but even with the window open, I'm so hot I could pass out. Would you mind opening the front door? The man and woman's jaws dropped. With the window open, the living room felt frosty as an icebox. Yet the soldier wanted to open the door? Are you out of your mind, soldier? With the door open, the house will freeze. The soldier shrugged. Well, I guess I'll just take off my coat then. Perhaps I'll be more comfortable without it. The man and woman watched as the soldier removed his scruffy, worn-out coat, and laid it on the floor. There, that is so much better. So sorry to bother you, folks. I'll see you in the morning. For the rest of the night, the man and woman couldn't sleep a wink. The soldier had them positively flimics. How could the fellow possibly stay so warm? Was it really that shabby patched up coat of his? Could it be... magic? When morning came, the man and woman found the soldier in the living room, lacing up his boots and getting ready to go. Good morning, you two. I trust you slept well. As for me, I slept like a baby. Once I took off my coat, that is. The man and woman flashed the soldier a smile. Yes! About that coat. We were wondering... Could we trade you for it? This was the moment the soldier had been waiting for. He stifled a giggle and fained surprise. My coat, you say. You want to trade for my coat? Indeed we do. We want to trade it for this lovely goose down jacket here. It's too bulky to wear while chopping wood or feeding the horses or driving to market. But your coat would be perfect. It's so nice and light. Yet so nice and warm. The soldier gazed at the goose down jacket. It truly was beautiful, but he pretended to hesitate. I don't know, folks. This coat has been with me a long time. I'm not sure I'm ready to par with it. To the soldier's delight, the man and woman took the bait. We understand. Completely. That's why we'll sweeten the deal. We'll give you one of our finest horses. Plus an entire bag of silver coins. What do you say? The soldier acted like he was thinking it over. The man and woman waited. And waited. Until, at last, the soldier's face broke into a grin. I say you've got yourself a deal, folks. Thank you. So the soldier treated his ragged, tattered coat for the man and woman's goose down jacket. Then he mounted his fine new horse, slung his bag of silver coins over his shoulder, and rode down the hill. Warm, snugly, and laughing all the way. Once he was gone, the woman pulled on the patched up coat and went out to the stable to tend to the horses. It was a nippy, snowy morning. And by the time she was done brushing and feeding the animals, her cheeks were bright red, her lips were pale blue, and she was shaking like jelly. Husband, the soldier's magic coat doesn't seem to be working for me. Oh, perhaps you should give it a try. All right, I'll wear it to market. So the man put on the soldier's coat, harnessed a horse to the cart, then set off down the hill. The snow was falling in great clumps now, and each biting, cutting, gust of wind felt like the sting of a bee. The man's teeth shattered. He could barely move his mouth. And when he lost all feeling his fingers and toes, he turned right back around and headed home. But he didn't go alone. He was so freezing cold that he picked up some travelers along the way, just so we could huddle up next to a warm body or two. It was the first free ride the selfish man had ever given. And you know what? It wouldn't be his last. When the shivering man returned to his home on the hill, he told the woman how the soldier had tricked them. And from that day forward, the couple vowed to change their ways, and never give anyone the cold shoulder. Now it's your turn. What's one thing you can do this week to help someone in need? Maybe you can go through your closet and donate clothing you no longer wear. You can collect canned goods for a food bank, or you can volunteer your time at a soup kitchen or animal shelter. Think about one thing you can do, then go out and do it. When we help others, we help make the world a warmer, sunnier place. This week's story, the Patch Chop Coat, was adapted by me Rebecca Scheer. It was edited by Circle Rounds Supervising Producer, Amary Sebritzon. Circle Rounds original music and sound designed by Eric Chamalones, our artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has created a black and white illustration for every single Circle Rounds story, and you can print them out and color them in. Ask a grown-up to visit wbur.org slash circle round, then click on Sound Track and Coloring Pages. And while you're at wbur.org slash circle round, you can find a link to the Circle Rounds coloring book and t-shirt, the Circle Rounds sound track and a transcript for each and every Circle Rounds tale. Special thanks to this week's actors, Theodore Chin, Jessica Rao, and Peter Segal. Peter is the host of Weight Weight Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. He's also the author of The Book of Vice, naughty things and how to do them, and the incomplete book of running. A memoir about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and other adventures while running long distances. Our featured instrument this week was the Goosley. You can read more about this stringed instrument and see a picture on our website. Once more, that's wbur.org slash circle round. Never want to miss an episode of Circle Round? Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Circle Rounds are a production of WBUR Boston's NPR News Station. I'm Rebecca Sheer. 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. My name is Lula. I live in Anchorage, Alaska. My favorite Circle Round Story is Princess and the Bee. I like the part where the bee surprises the Princess because the bee can actually help her. My name is Lula Flynn and I live in Salt Lake City and my favorite circle round is Vista de Bastille. My favorite part is when the Tiger Games heard the best day. My name is Hazel and I live in Idaho. And my favorite story is the Basilisks Stair. I like the part when it totally saves Conrad. Hi, my name is Siaela and I live in Beacon, New York. My favorite Circle Round episode is the Sea and the Sky. And my favorite part is when the kite tricks the sea and the sky into making land. My name is Georgia. I live in Kansas City. My favorite Circle Round Story is the salmon famine. And my favorite part is when the Tayao di teaches the giant Sir Lesson. Hi, my name is Aurelia and I live in Washington. And my favorite Circle Round Story is the horse or a hire. I like when he is mad if he's yelling. My name is Baya. I live in Washington. My favorite story is the Pena. I like when he's mad. That golden stuff was not golden. Did someone mention a story you've missed? Not to worry. Grownups, 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 wbruar.org slash Circle Round.