WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

Think about a time you returned a favor, a time when someone did something kind for you,

so you turned around and did something kind for them.

In today's tale, when a tiny critter has the chance to return a favor,

she finds a colossal way to give back.

I'm Rebecca Sheer, and welcome to Circle Round,

where story time happens all the time.

Today, our story is called In the Willow Tree.

Versions of this tale come from the East Asian country of Taiwan.

Some really great people came together to bring you our adaptation of this folktale, including

Stephanie Canig and Patrick Lewis. Grownups, you may know Stephanie Canig from the English

teacher on FX and the Apple TV Plus miniseries Lessons in Chemistry. And Patrick Lewis stars

as Axel in Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid sequel series on Netflix.

So circle around everyone.

For In the Willow Tree.

In the Middle of a Forest, beside a swift, sparkling stream, there grew a graceful willow tree.

On the forest floor beneath the tree, inside a rotting log that had been moldering for years, there lived a humble aunt.

Though aunt lived below the willow tree,

she spent a lot of time scurrying up and down its trunk

so she could feast on the honeydew.

Mmm, yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy.

Now, you may know honeydew as a juicy melon,

...