![]() 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. Winding alongside the river was a ribbon of dirt road. Snaking through Mei Lien and Grandfather’s valley was a fast-running river. …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. 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. NARRATOR: Mei Lien and her grandfather lived in a wide valley surrounded by mountains. In the photo, you can see that Eric Shimelonis is playing a double bawu, which has two bawu bodies connected. Traditionally, the bawu is made from a tube of bamboo. As with the harmonica, you can play the bawu by either inhaling or exhaling. Thanks to its open holes, you can play the bawu with many ornamentation techniques, including turns, trills, and pitch bends. 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). Musical Spotlight: Bawu In modern times, the bawu has become a popular instrument in Chinese films and pop songs due to its expressive, melancholy sound. Once you’re done making your Kindness Chain, we invite you to share it with us! Snap a photo and email it to. ![]() Hang your Kindness Chain somewhere you can see it, as a reminder that every time you decide to be kind it can lead to other acts of kindness – and make our homes, communities, and world even more beautiful places to be!.When you’re done, take all your strips and tape them into a long paper chain.Examples might include being more patient with a sibling or friend, helping out around the house, or donating books or clothing to a charity. ![]() On each strip, write down one “kindness commitment”: an action you can commit to doing to make the world a kinder place.Have a grown-up help you cut the construction paper into strips: about two inches thick.You can commit to showing kindness by making your own Kindness Chain. Our resident artist is Sabina Hahn and you can learn more about her HERE. To access all the coloring pages for past episodes click HERE. We’re also keeping an album so please share your picture on Facebook and Instagram, and tag it with #CircleRoundPodcast. GROWN-UPS! PRINT THIS so everyone can color while listening. Original music and sound design is by Eric Shimelonis. This episode was adapted for Circle Round by Rebecca Sheir. 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. Our tale is called “The Valley Visitor.” It was inspired by legends from China, the largest country in East Asia. ![]() 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! Think about a time somebody showed you kindness.ĭid it inspire you to show kindness back? Or maybe, to “pay it forward” and show kindness to someone else? ![]()
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