The Seal of Fate | Ep. 235

Do you know what it means if someone’s “fate is sealed”?

Fate is kind of like destiny: this idea that something will definitely happen to us in the future. And if something “seals” our fate, it ensures that whatever happens will be unpleasant.

We’re about to meet a dishonest character who seals her own fate… by making a most ill-fated decision!

Our story is called “The Seal of Fate.” It was inspired by tales from the Persian Empire, in what is now the West Asian country of Iran.

Voices in this episode include Feodor Chin, Gamalia Pharms, Jessica Rau and Ahmed Mawas. Grown-ups, watch for Ahmed in"The Recruit” and "Human Resources" on Netflix. And check him out in the recent Hallmark Channel movie, "Rescuing Christmas.”

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!

Think about someone you trust: someone you know you can count on, no matter what. It could be a friend or a family member; it could be a teacher or librarian.

Find some paper, and make a card for this person. You can write words, draw pictures, make decorations with sequins or glitter – anything to show this person how much you appreciate how trustworthy they are.

When you’re done, put your card in an envelope and send it to your person. You can even seal it with wax first – if a grown-up can help!

Musical Spotlight: Balaban

This hollow, cylindrical, double-reed wind instrument is traditionally played in eastern Azerbaijan in Iran and in the Republic of Azerbaijan (the former Soviet Azerbaijan), where it is also called düdük. It’s also known in different parts of Azerbaijan as mey and balaman. The word balaban combines two Azerbaijani-Turkish words: bal and ban. Bala means “small or fragile” and ban is an older word meaning "voice."

The balaban’s appearance could be compared with that of the western oboe. The body is traditionally made from one piece of wood from an apricot, walnut, pear or mulberry tree; apricot is often preferred, since it does not absorb moisture. The double reed is made out of a single tube of cane and is pressed flat at one end. There are seven finger holes and one thumb hole.

The performer uses air stored in their cheeks to keep playing the balaban while they inhale air into their lungs. This “circular breathing” technique is commonly used with all the double-reed instruments in the Middle East.

Story Transcript:

NARRATOR: Once upon a time… in a land of steep, rugged mountains and high sweeping plains… there lived a candlemaker.

In a workshop teeming with wicks of all sizes and wax of all colors, the candlemaker crafted beautiful candles for everything from lanterns to candelabras to birthday cakes.

One day the candlemaker received some very exciting news. His brother was getting married....

CANDLEMAKER: … and he wants ME to be his best man! How wonderful! (beat) Of course, since my brother lives way up in the mountains, and I’m down here in the city, it’ll take me a good while to get there. So the sooner I leave, the better. (beat) (GASP!) But wait!

NARRATOR: The candlemaker’s gaze fell on the closet. Unbeknownst to anyone else, stuffed inside that closet was a big leather sack. And stuffed inside the sack was the candlemaker's entire life savings: one-thousand silver coins.

CANDLEMAKER: What if someone busts into my workshop while I’m gone, finds their way into the closet, then runs off with my silver coins? I should leave the sack somewhere safe. (beat) But where?

NARRATOR: The candlemaker gave it a good think, then decided he would put his savings in the care of the most trustworthy person he knew.

CANDLEMAKER: The JUDGE! She makes her LIVING being trustworthy, so she’d be the perfect one to hold on to my savings. (beat) But – to make doubly sure my coins are safe, there’s one thing I need to do...

NARRATOR: The candlemaker went over to his stove, and began heating up some wax.

CANDLEMAKER: I’ll use WAX to SEAL my leather sack SHUT! If anyone tries tearing the sack open, the leather will be ruined, and I’ll know my coins have been tampered with.

NARRATOR: So the candlemaker closed up his sack with a wax seal. While the wax was wet, he stamped it with a picture of a candle. Then he brought the sack to the town hall, where the judge greeted him with a wide, warm smile.

JUDGE: (with a big smile) Good day, my friend! How may I help you?

CANDLEMAKER: Well, Your Honor… see this leather sack here? It contains my entire life savings. I’m going on a journey to the mountains, and I don’t want to leave the sack in an empty workshop. (beat) So… could you please keep an eye on my savings until I return?

NARRATOR: The judge’s smile grew wider.

JUDGE: OF COURSE I can keep an eye on your savings! I assure you: I will be as watchful as a spider in its web! 

NARRATOR: The candlemaker felt a wave of relief as he left the judge’s office. Over the weeks that followed he celebrated with his family in the mountains. And when he returned to the city, his first stop was the town hall, where the judge greeted him with another wide, warm smile.

JUDGE: (with a big smile) Welcome back, my friend! I promised I’d keep an eye on your sack, and here it is!

NARRATOR: She pulled open a drawer and took out the leather sack. To the candlemaker’s delight, the sack looked just as it did before he left: plump and full and sealed with wax.

CANDLEMAKER: Thank you, Your Honor! I appreciate your help!

NARRATOR: The candlemaker’s heart felt light as a feather as he carried the sack back to his workshop. But when he broke open the wax seal…

CANDLEMAKER: Oh no!

NARRATOR: …his heart felt heavy as lead.

And do you know why?

Because when he turned the sack upside-down onto his table, he didn’t see a whole mess of silver come spilling out. Instead, he saw a whole mess of…

CANDLEMAKER: …COPPER?!?

NARRATOR: That’s right! Piled in front of him was a dull mound of copper coins.

CANDLEMAKER: These copper coins are practically worthless compared with all my silver! What happened to my savings???? I must ask the judge!

NARRATOR: The candlemaker stormed back to the town hall. Just like the last time, and the time before, the judge greeted him with a wide, warm smile.

JUDGE: (with a smile) Hello again, friend! Did you forget something?

CANDLEMAKER: No! I didn’t forget ANYthing. But YOU apparently DID! You forgot to return my savings!

NARRATOR: The judge’s wide, warm smile cooled into a fierce, frosty scowl.

JUDGE: (scowling) What are you talking about?!?? You gave me your sack for safekeeping, and I gave it back to you!

CANDLEMAKER: Sure… but when I opened it, all I found inside were copper coins – not one piece of silver to be found!

JUDGE: Silver?!? What’s this talk of silver? You didn’t show me a single silver piece the day you visited You handed me a leather sack sealed with wax, which I returned to you with the seal intact! Whether that sack was filled with silver, copper, or tigers’ teeth, what’s it to me? (beat) Now get out of my office!

NARRATOR: The stunned candlemaker turned on his heel and staggered out of the building – his heart thumping, his lower lip wobbling, and the lump in his throat growing larger and larger with every step he took. When he got to the town square, he collapsed onto the cobblestoned ground…

CANDLEMAKER: (ad-lib sobbing)

NARRATOR: …and let out a sob. The miserable fellow was snuffling and sniffling so loudly, that he almost didn’t hear…

KING: Excuse me? 

NARRATOR: … a voice.

KING: Are you alright, sir? I hope I’m not prying, but when I saw you weeping, I simply had to come over and ask what’s wrong.

NARRATOR: The candlemaker wiped his eyes and looked up at the man standing before him.

CANDLEMAKER: I appreciate you asking! I would tell you what’s wrong, but you’d never believe me.

KING: Never believe you…?

NARRATOR: The man plopped down beside the candlemaker.

KING: Try me!

NARRATOR: So the wretched candlemaker drew a deep breath... and told the story of his leather sack, his wax seal, and the copper coins that had mysteriously replaced his silver ones.

CANDLEMAKER: When I first gave my savings to the judge, she promised she would be “as watchful as a spider in its web.” But now I feel like a poor helpless fly who’s been caught in that web! And I’ll never get out! (beat) Because let’s face it: the judge is right. The wax seal was intact when I got my sack back. But I’m telling you: the silver coins were gone! Replaced by cheap copper! (beat) What should I do?

NARRATOR: Now, little did the candlemaker know, but he was actually posing this question… to the king! The king had always been interested in the lives of his subjects, and had lately taken to dressing as a common citizen, and walking unknown amongst his people so as to observe them better.

The disguised king bowed his head, as if in deep thought. When he looked up again, his eyes were sparkling.

KING: Good sir. I appreciate you sharing your story. And I wish to help. (beat) Please, let me borrow your leather sack for a while, and I promise: if the judge is indeed guilty, I will see to it that her fate… is SEALED! 

NARRATOR: What do you think the king is planning?

How would you help the candlemaker if you were the king?

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

[BREAK]

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

NARRATOR: Before the break, a candlemaker entrusted the judge with one-thousand silver coins sealed in a leather sack. The judge returned the sack with the wax seal intact… but the silver coins had been replaced with copper!

When the judge denied making the swap, the distraught candlemaker told his story to a concerned stranger – not realizing he was actually the king!

The disguised king promised the candlemaker he would help. So he brought the sack back to his palace, where he gave it a full examination, carefully inspecting it from all sides.

KING: (as he inspects it) Hmmmm… Let’s see… Huh. Very interesting!

NARRATOR: That evening, come bedtime, the king retired to his chamber – but he didn’t go to sleep. Instead, he waited until the middle of the night. Then he slipped out of his feather bed, tucked the leather sack under his arm, and snuck out the door.

KING: Everyone else in the palace should be fast asleep at this hour. Perfect time to put my plan into action!

NARRATOR: The king tiptoed down the corridor to his throne room. The cavernous space was dark with shadows, save for a single moonbeam that bathed the throne in a silvery glow.

The king crept over to his throne: a regal, high-backed seat carved from gleaming mahogany. It was cushioned with a soft pillow, sewn from shimmering silk and embroidered with golden thread.

The king knelt down and shoved the leather sack beneath the throne. After that, he took a pair of scissors from his pocket…

KING: Here goes!!!

NARRATOR: …and cut a slit in the silk cushion!

KING: Perfect!

NARRATOR: Then he put the scissors away, scurried back to his chambers, and went to sleep.

The next morning, when he breezed into his throne room to commence his royal affairs for the day, he was stopped by the palace’s housekeeper – who looked uncharacteristically frenzied and frazzled.

HOUSEKEEPER: Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please. Before you go to your royal throne and sit down, I must tell you. There’s been… an incident. (beat) With your cushion. 

NARRATOR: The king’s eyes widened, as if he was surprised by the news.

KING: (playing innocent throughout) An incident with my cushion…? Whatever do you mean?

HOUSEKEEPER: Well, Your Highness… Somehow, your silk cushion… has torn. There’s a slit in the silk, as if someone has sliced it with scissors. Take a look!

NARRATOR: The housekeeper held up the cushion. The king’s hand flew to his mouth.

KING: (feigning surprise) My goodness! The silk cushion IS torn, isn’t it? And from what I understand, silk is very hard to repair. You can sew it back up again, but the seam will always be visible. Am I right?

HOUSEKEEPER: That is usually the case, Your Majesty.

KING: Hmmmm… Do we happen to know of a tailor in this land who could fix it? Someone who is so skilled, so gifted, they could mend just about anything?

NARRATOR: The housekeeper thought for a moment.

HOUSEKEEPER: Actually… yes! I don’t know why it didn’t come to me earlier! There’s this one tailor in the city, and he is an absolute legend. This fellow can take anything – silk, satin, velvet, linen, you name it – and he can fix it to look like new!

KING: Anything, you say…?

NARRATOR: The king tapped his chin.

KING: (as if it’s just occurring to him) What about… I don’t know… LEATHER? Could he fix leather to look like new? Even if it’s been torn…?

NARRATOR: The housekeeper nodded.

HOUSEKEEPER: He absolutely could, Your Majesty! Once this fellow works his magic, even torn leather would look utterly pristine!

NARRATOR: The king felt a surge of joy. His plan was working out!

KING: This tailor certainly does sound like a magician! And the ideal individual to mend my cushion. Summon him at once!

HOUSEKEEPER: As you wish, Your Majesty.

NARRATOR: The king waited with bated breath. By the time the tailor reached the palace and entered the throne room, the king was buzzing with excitement.

KING: Greetings, good tailor! I have heard you’re quite gifted at your trade. Word has it you are such a wizard with a needle and thread that you could mend anything. Why, you could even stitch torn leather so that the repair is invisible to the eye. (beat) Is that true?

NARRATOR: The tailor offered a sheepish grin.

TAILOR: (sheepish, humble) Well, Your Majesty… I’m not one to toot my own horn. But yes. It’s true. (beat) Just the other week I mended a leather SACK!

KING: A leather sack…?

NARRATOR: The king’s heart quickened.

KING: And what can you tell me about this leather sack?

TAILOR: Well… to be honest, Your Highness… it was the strangest job I’ve ever gotten! The top of the sack was sealed shut with wax. But there was a slit in the bottom of the sack.

KING: As if someone had… torn it?

TAILOR: Yes! (beat) And it was my job to repair it, and make the sack look brand new again. So I did! (beat) But the strangest part is this: first, I was told to stuff the sack… with copper pieces. 

NARRATOR: The king’s heart was thumping now.

KING: Hmmm… And if, say, you were to lay your eyes on this sack again… would you recognize it?

TAILOR: Surely I would! Like I said, it was an unusual job.

KING: Well then…

NARRATOR: The king reached under his throne

KING: …this wouldn’t be the sack you were talking about… would it?

NARRATOR: When the tailor saw the sack, he bobbed his head up and down.

TAILOR: That’s it! That’s the one! (beat) It was actually the judge who brought it to me for repair! And I’ll never forget it!

KING: Oh! The judge, you say? How intriguing!

NARRATOR: The king hopped down from his throne and shook the tailor’s hand.

KING: Well, tailor. I thank you very much for your time. And I thank you in advance for mending my silk cushion. If anyone can fix it, it’s you!

NARRATOR: The tailor bowed, grabbed the cushion, then went on his way. Once he was gone, the king slid the sack back under his throne, took a seat, and asked his guards to bring him the judge.

When the magistrate appeared, she was smiling her usual wide, warm smile, and making one deep bow after another.

JUDGE: (obsequious) It is an honor to be here, Your Majesty! An absolute privilege! I was so delighted – no, thrilled! NO! Tickled PINK when I received your invitation. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?

KING: I’ve invited you here to pose a question. Tell me: did you cheat one of my subjects out of a-thousand silver coins which he put in your safekeeping?

NARRATOR: The judge tried to keep smiling, but her eyes shifted from side to side.

JUDGE: (playing dumb, a little nervous laughter) Did I cheat one of your subjects…?!? I would never do such a thing! I mean, there was this one candlemaker who cooked up a cockamamie story about me exchanging the so-called silver coins in his sack for copper ones. But how could I have done that without breaking the wax seal? That rapscallion sought to get rich at my expense. He’s the one who cheated! NOT me!

KING: Is that so? Then how do you explain… THIS?

NARRATOR: Once again, the king pulled out the sack. The judge was definitely not smiling now!

JUDGE: (no idea what to say) Um… ‘how do I explain it,’ you ask? (ad-lib hemming/hawing, such as:) Well… um… I, uh… you know…

KING: (jumping in) How about I explain it FOR you??? (carefully) When the candlemaker gave you this SEALED LEATHER SACK for safekeeping… you TORE IT OPEN! So that all of his silver coins would come tumbling out! (beat) Then… you took those coins – one-thousand of them, by the way – and you pocketed them for yourself. (beat) Next, you brought the torn sack to the tailor. You told him to fill the bag with COPPER coins, then sew it back up again! (beat) Is that about right…?

NARRATOR: The judge knew better than to lie again.

JUDGE: Yes, Your Majesty. That’s about right.

KING: And what you did was WRONG! As a judge, you of all people should know not to cheat others! So now… you must pay.

NARRATOR: And… she did! Escorted by the king’s guards, the judge returned to the town hall and filled the sack with the candlemaker’s one-thousand silver coins. Then she went to the candlemaker’s workshop and offered him two things: his money… and a sincere apology.

Because after vowing to watch over his hard-earned savings like a spider in its web, the judge now knew exactly how it felt to be caught!