W-B-U-R Podcasts, Boston.

Ever heard the saying,

ever heard the saying,

one person's trash is another person's treasure.

What it means is what one person might see as useless,

another person might see as priceless.

In today's story, this saying doesn't just come to life. It sprouts to life. I'm Rebecca Sheer and welcome to Circle Round, where story time happens all the time.

Today our story is called Riches to Rags.

Versions of this tale come from the European country of the Netherlands.

Some really great people came together to bring you our folk tale, including two veteran and very funny panelists on Wait Wait Wait Don't Tell Me the NPR News Quiz Tom Bodette and Roxanne Roberts.

Tom Bodette has written numerous books and regularly contributes to the Moth Storytelling Series.

Roxanne Roberts is a long time feature writer at the Washington Post.

So, circle around everyone. Riches to Rags. On the northern coast of the Netherlands lies a small sleepy seaside hamlet known as Stivoran. But once upon a time, Stivoran was neither small nor sleepy. And it wasn't just a hamlet. It was a hopping, thriving port city, a wealthy one too. With so many fishing boats and

merchant ships bringing goods in and out of the harbour, Stavoran was brimming with prosperous people, all of them eager to put their

wealth on display. Their mansions and manor houses boasted no less than a dozen chimneys

a piece, and each grand abode was adorned with glittering gold

from the golden locks on the doors to the golden shingles on the roofs.

Amongst Tuverin's very well to do was a woman named Frederica.

Frederica's wealth came from a large fleet of trading ships that had been in her family for generations.

And yet, despite Frederica's riches, her soul thought day and

night was how she might further increase her bounty. I want to be the envy of everyone in this town and

everyone in the world. I want to have the greatest fortune of all.

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