The Valley Visitor | Ep. 230

Think about a time somebody showed you kindness.

Did it inspire you to show kindness back? Or maybe, to “pay it forward” and show kindness to someone else?

Scientists have proven that kindness is actually contagious! As we’ll hear in today’s story, kindness spreads from a humble farmer to a mysterious visitor… then back again!

Our tale is called “The Valley Visitor.” It was inspired by legends from China, the largest country in East Asia.

Voices in this episode include Feodor Chin, Ryan Dalusung, and Ailsa Chang: an award-winning journalist whom you NPR fans will recognize as the co-host of All Things Considered.

This episode was adapted for Circle Round by Rebecca Sheir. It was edited by Sofie Kodner. Original music and sound design is by Eric Shimelonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn.

GROWN-UPS! PRINT THIS so everyone can color while listening. We’re also keeping an album so please share your picture on Facebook and Instagram, and tag it with #CircleRoundPodcast. To access all the coloring pages for past episodes click HERE. Our resident artist is Sabina Hahn and you can learn more about her HERE.

Now it’s your turn!

You can commit to showing kindness by making your own Kindness Chain.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Once you’re done making your Kindness Chain, we invite you to share it with us! Snap a photo and email it to circleround@wbur.org.

Musical Spotlight: Bawu

The bawu comes from southern China, and sounds not unlike a clarinet crossed with a bagpipe (if you were to play just the chanter and not the drones)! Although it is shaped and held like a flute, it’s actually a reed instrument with one single metal reed (hence its clarinet-and bagpipe-like sound). Thanks to its open holes, you can play the bawu with many ornamentation techniques, including turns, trills, and pitch bends. As with the harmonica, you can play the bawu by either inhaling or exhaling.

Traditionally, the bawu is made from a tube of bamboo. In the photo, you can see that Eric Shimelonis is playing a double bawu, which has two bawu bodies connected. It’s able to play in the key of C or G.

Story Transcript:

NARRATOR: Mei Lien and [MAY LEEN] her grandfather lived in a wide valley surrounded by mountains. Their little wooden house was the only abode for miles and miles, and beyond its plank-wood fence was a patchwork of fields where Mei Lien and Grandfather grew crops.

…Or where they tried to grow crops, anyway! It hadn’t rained all summer long, so the soil was dry and crumbly, and the fields were all but bare, save for a few scraggly weeds.

Snaking through Mei Lien and Grandfather’s valley was a fast-running river. Winding alongside the river was a ribbon of dirt road. People rarely came down the river or the road, so Mei Lien was surprised when… early one morning… she was awoken by a curious sound.

MEI LIEN: Are those hoofbeats I hear in the distance? We get so few travelers passing through this valley! I wonder who it could be!

NARRATOR: She quickly got dressed and ran out to the plank-wood fence. Coming down the road was a traveler… and he was unlike any traveler Mei Lien had ever laid eyes on.

MEI LIEN: I see a man on a horse… and he’s dressed from head to toe… in yellow! He’s also holding a big yellow umbrella over his head… though it isn’t raining... (beat) How curious!

NARRATOR: But things got even more curious as the man and horse drew closer. Because as Mei Lien got a better look, she realized that the horse… wasn’t just any horse. Instead…

MEI LIEN: (gasp!) …it’s a GOLDEN horse! Shimmering and glimmering in the sun! And it isn’t covered with hair, as other horses are. This one is covered… with scales! 

NARRATOR: Mei Lien watched, mesmerized, as the golden horse and yellow-clad rider cantered toward her house. When they reached the gate, the man in yellow smiled, revealing a pointy set of bright white teeth.

MAN IN YELLOW: Good morning! I have been riding around for quite some time and I’d love to take a rest. Might you have some food you could share?

NARRATOR: Mei Lien knew that thanks to her fallow fields, the kitchen had been near-empty all summer. But she was too kindhearted to turn her visitor away.

MEI LIEN: I would be happy to share with you, sir! (beat) My grandfather is sleeping inside. So if you don’t mind waiting in the yard, I’ll bring something out.

NARRATOR: The man tethered his horse to the fence and, yellow umbrella in hand, crossed through the gate into the yard. Mei Lien, meanwhile, rushed to the kitchen and rummaged through the drawers and cupboards. She managed to scrounge up a handful of noodles, then brought them outside.

The man in yellow put down his umbrella and slurped up the noodles with a grin.

MAN IN YELLOW: These noodles hit the spot! Thank you, miss! I appreciate your kindness. (beat) Now… how can I repay you?

NARRATOR: Mei Lien shook her head.

MEI LIEN: There’s no need to repay me! I just wish I could have shared more than a few measly noodles. The truth is, it’s been a tough summer. With so little rain, the soil in our fields has been all dry and crumbly, and we can hardly grow a thing!

MAN IN YELLOW: I’m sorry to hear that. (a bit mysterious) But I promise: some day I will return the kindness. Some day soon. (beat) For now… farewell!

NARRATOR: The man gave Mei Lien a low bow, then walked back toward his horse. As he passed through the gate, Mei Lien couldn’t help but notice that he turned his yellow umbrella upside-down. He flipped it right-side up again once he reached the road. Then he hopped on to his golden-scaled steed and galloped off toward the mountains.

As Mei Lien watched him ride away, she thought about what a strange visit it had been. Little did she know, things were about to get stranger. Because when the man and his horse reached the foot of the mountains, do you know what happened?

They lifted off the ground… and began floating into the air!

MEI LIEN: And now they’re flying up the mountainside! Toward the rain clouds that are gathering at the top! They’re flying higher… and higher… (GASP) and now they’re gone! (beat) I can’t wait to tell Grandfather about THIS!

GRANDFATHER: About what, my child?

NARRATOR: Mei Lien spun around and there was Grandfather, blinking his bespectacled eyes in the summer sun as he shuffled out of the house.

MEI LIEN: Grandfather! I must tell you what just happened. I can’t make heads or tails of it!

NARRATOR: As Mei Lien shared the story of her encounter with the man in yellow… and his golden-scaled horse… Grandfather’s wrinkled face crinkled into a grin. His eyes twinkled behind his spectacles.

MEI LIEN: What do you make of it, Grandfather? Who do you think the man was?

GRANDFATHER: I actually know who the man was, Granddaughter! You just received a visit… from the Yellow Dragon!

MEI LIEN: The Yellow Dragon! You’ve told me stories about him. He’s the powerful spirit who controls time! And the seasons! But that man didn’t look like a dragon to ME…

GRANDFATHER: That's because he was appearing in his earthly form! He was dressed all in yellow, yes?

MEI LIEN: Yes…

GRANDFATHER: And he was riding his golden dragon horse?

NARRATOR: Mei Lien thought back to the horse’s glittering scales.

MEI LIEN: (realizing) I suppose he was riding his golden dragon horse! (beat) But… what about the umbrella? The Yellow Dragon was holding a big yellow umbrella! And before he left, when he crossed through our gate, he turned the umbrella upside-down.

NARRATOR: Grandfather stroked his whiskery chin.

GRANDFATHER: Hmmm…. That one I’m not sure about. But it seems like some sort of sign. A good sign! I think… (beat) But we should go inside, Mei Lien. See those storm clouds gathering over the mountain? They’re spreading across the valley, like spilled ink! Looks like some much-needed rain is on its way!

NARRATOR: And indeed… it was!

The moment Mei Lien and Grandfather stepped inside, there was a crash of thunder…

NARRATOR: …and the storm clouds unleashed a downpour!

NARRATOR: The walls of the little wooden house rattled as gusts of wind howled across the valley. Sheets of rain pounded the roof, and streaks of lightning zig-zagged and crackled across the sky. Mei Lien and Grandfather stood huddled by the window. And as yet another dazzling bolt lit up the valley below, Mei Lien pointed toward the river.

MEI LIEN: Grandfather! Look at the river that runs through the valley! See how high it’s rising?

GRANDFATHER: Dear me! I’ve never seen it gush and swell like this. If the storm doesn’t let up soon, the water will overflow the banks!

MEI LIEN: But Grandfather… If the water overflows… then the valley will flood! And our little wooden house will flood, too – if not get swept away completely!

GRANDFATHER: We’ll just have to wait and see, Mei Lien. (beat) Wait… and see… and HOPE!

NARRATOR: What do you think: will the river overflow and flood the valley?

If so, what will become of Mei Lien and Grandfather?

We’ll find out what happens, after a quick break.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: Welcome back to Circle Round. I’m Rebecca Sheir. Today our story is called “The Valley Visitor.”

NARRATOR: Before the break, Mei Lien shared the last of her noodles with a mysterious visitor dressed in yellow. Before he and his golden-scaled horse disappeared into the storm clouds, he had turned his yellow umbrella upside-down, then right-side up again.

Grandfather told Mei Lien the visitor was actually the Yellow Dragon: the spirit who controls time and the seasons. Shortly after his departure, a vicious storm rolled in, and raged all day long and well into the night.

Somehow, despite the roaring thunder, whistling wind, and driving rain, Mei Lien and Grandfather managed to fall asleep.

When they awoke the next morning, they were pleased to discover the storm had passed. All was quiet, and rays of warm sunshine streamed through the windows of their little wooden house by the river.

GRANDFATHER: And what’s more, the house is dry, Mei Lien! It didn’t flood, or float away!

MEI LIEN: Which is pretty amazing considering what it looks like outside. The entire valley is covered with water!

NARRATOR: Grandfather fiddled with his spectacles as he peered out the window.

GRANDFATHER: Goodness gracious! It is covered with water! It looks more like an ocean than a valley. It’s flooded completely!

MEI LIEN: And yet our house is completely dry, Grandfather! (beat) In fact…

NARRATOR: Mei Lien’s jaw dropped.

MEI LIEN: (amazed) …our yard is dry, too!

GRANDFATHER: Great heavens, you’re right! The flood waters go right up to our plank-wood fence, then they stop! Just like that! As if they’re held back by an invisible wall!

MEI LIEN: But Grandfather! [I don’t understand!] We just lived through a storm so powerful, the river overran its banks and flooded our valley! And yet our house and our yard aren’t the least bit wet? It’s impossible! It’s like the whole world has turned upside-down! It’s – (stops herself) (GASP!) Wait a minute!

NARRATOR: Mei Lien’s eyes grew bright.

MEI LIEN: What was it you said yesterday, Grandfather…? When I told you the Yellow Dragon turned his umbrella upside-down as he passed through our gate…?

GRANDFATHER: I said… it might be a sign.

MEI LIEN: Yes! A GOOD sign. (beat) And now look! Our house and yard have been spared from the flood! So you were right! (beat) Except…

NARRATOR: Mei Lien’s voice trailed off.  Her shoulders slumped.

GRANDFATHER: Except what, Mei Lien? What is it?

MEI LIEN: Well… even if the Yellow Dragon was kind enough to spare our house from the flood… our yard, too… what about our fields? You said it yourself, Grandfather: the valley looks more like an ocean! How will we ever get our crops to grow now?

GRANDFATHER: Well… to be fair… our crops weren’t exactly growing like gangbusters before… (beat) But let’s wait for the flood waters to recede, then we’ll see what happens.

NARRATOR: Over the days that followed, Mei Lien and Grandfather watched as the water outside shrank from an ocean… to a lake… to a pond… to a puddle.

And when the fields were once again clear, and Mei Lien and Grandfather went out to check on them, they were wonderstruck.

MEI LIEN: / GRANDFATHER: Woooowwwwwww!

NARRATOR: Because spread out as far as their astonished eyes could see… were plants! Thriving, flourishing crops sprouting from the rich, moist earth and stretching up toward the sky!

So…what happened to the dry, crumbly soil, barren save for a few scraggly weeds…?

Well… the river had overflowed its banks, right? And when a river overflows like that, it takes all the stuff it’s been carrying downstream and dumps it onto the surrounding land. So all the sand, the silt, and – most importantly – all the minerals and nutrients, they get absorbed into the earth. As a result, when the flood waters subside, the soil is healthier and more fertile than ever!

MEI LIEN: So that’s why the Yellow Dragon flooded our fields! To save them! (beat) He said he wanted to return my kindness…

GRANDFATHER: …and now he has! (beat) (moved, touched, grateful) Now… he has.

NARRATOR: From then on, Mei Lien and Grandfather never had to worry about fallow fields again. I’m pleased to say that their crops were healthy, and their bellies were always every bit as full as their hearts.