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Can you name one thing that helps us build, helps us write, helps us eat, helps us breathe,

helps countless other animals on the planet. If you said a tree, you are right. Trees are

such an important part of our world. But we're about to meet a man who learns that lesson,

the hard way. I'm Rebecca Scher and welcome to Circle round, where story time happens all

the time. Today our story is called The Laws of Nature. Versions of this folk tale come

from Estonia and Finland in Europe. Some really great people came together to bring you

our adaptation of this tale, including Mo Raka, correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning

and host and creator of the cooking channels My Grandmother's Ravioli. You public radio

fans will recognize Mo from the NPR weekly news quiz. Wait, wait, don't tell me. So Circle

round everyone, for The Laws of Nature.

Long ago, in a peaceful country far up north, there lived a farmer named Hendrick. All day

long, Hendrick kept busy plowing and planting his fields. Then, as the sun went down, he

pulled his wagon into the forest, where he gathered fallen tree branches for firewood,

so that his farmhouse would stay warm and snug all night long. This routine went on for

years and years. Plowing, planting, gathering wood. Plowing, planting, gathering wood. And

...