The Long Crimson Thread | Ep. 249

There’s an old saying that goes: “A little body often harbors a great soul.”

In other words, even if we’re physically small, we can possess big intelligence, character and inner strength.

In today’s tale, this expression comes to life with help from a curious young woman, a devastating drought, and a tiny critter with a delicious secret!

Our story is called “The Long Crimson Thread.” Versions of this tale come from the country of Wales, in the United Kingdom.

Voices in this episode include Jessika Van and Mark Pellegrino. Mark Pellegrino has starred in the TV shows “Lost” and “Supernatural,” and currently appears in “American Rust” on Amazon. Watch for Mark in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley,” coming to Netflix on July 3rd. Jessika Van has starred in the feature films “Seoul Searching” and “A Hollywood Christmas.” She’s also starred in “Rush Hour” on CBS, the MTV comedy "Awkward," and recently guest-starred on "Justified: City Primeval" on FX.  

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!

You can make your own mouse friend by creating a mouse finger puppet!

Here’s how:

Musical Spotlight: Crwth

The bowed lyre known as the crwth (a.k.a. crowd, rote, crotta) was part of the Welsh musical tradition for at least a thousand years. The old Welsh crwth had six strings: four above the fingerboard (to be played with a bow), and two to the side (to be plucked with the thumb). Each string had a name: llorfdant, byrdwn y llorfdant, crasdant, byrdwn y crasdant, cyweirdant, and byrdwn y cyweirdant.

By the end of the eighteenth century, the crwth all but disappeared. It was overshadowed by the fiddle: a modern instrument which was lighter, more versatile and easier to play.

The crwth languished in obscurity until fairly recently, when a small group of enthusiasts reclaimed it as a contemporary musical instrument. And that’s no small task. After all, no books of crwth tunes or techniques exist anymore – if, in fact, they ever did!

Story Transcript:

NARRATOR: Catrin and her father live in a cozy, thatched-roof cottage in a country town. The town was surrounded by rolling pastures, where the townspeople raised cattle and horses, and grew fields of wheat and potatoes.

One summer, the weather turned unusually hot and dry. And though the townspeople kept their eyes on the sky, desperately searching for just one rain cloud, all they could see was the endless sun, its bright, scorching rays baking their crops and turning their pastures to dust.

As the summer wore on, everyone grew weaker and weaker with hunger - including Catrin and her father.

FATHER: Catrin! Our cupboards are so empty, there’s nothing for breakfast but this one potato!

CATRIN: That’s alright, Father. You can have it. I’m happy to give up my share.

FATHER: (with a smile) That’s my Catrin: her heart’s always full, even when her stomach is empty. (beat) But no way, daughter. You are a growing girl, and you need your nourishment. So YOU eat this potato and I’ll – (GASP!!!!) EEEEEEK!

NARRATOR: The potato dropped to the floor as Father lept onto his chair.

CATRIN: Father?!?? What’s wrong???

NARRATOR: Father didn’t respond. He just swallowed hard, then thrust a quivering finger over Catrin’s head. When she turned to see what he was pointing at, what should she spy crouched in the corner of the room, but a small, white, whiskery…

CATRIN: …MOUSE!!!!! (beat) Oh Father! It’s so adorable!

FATHER: (terrified, but in a fun animated way) “Adorable”?!? (beat) I’ve never told you this, Catrin. But ever since I was a boy, I’ve been TERRIFIED of… of… (can’t bring himself to say the word)

CATRIN: …of MICE????

FATHER: Ugh! Please don’t say that word! Just HEARING that word makes me shiver all over. (beat) So please, Catrin. Can you take that… that THING outside while I go lie down? My heart’s racing faster than a jackrabbit!

NARRATOR: As Father staggered off to his bedroom, Catrin gazed at the mouse. Its eyes were bright and round, its nose pointed and twitching.

CATRIN: Listen, little fella. You heard what Father said just now; I need to take you outside. (beat) But before I do, tell me something: did you come into our house because you’re hungry?

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: I can’t really tell if that’s a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ But given this awful drought, I’ll assume it’s a ‘yes.’  After all, it isn't just us villagers who are starving. The horses are so skinny you can count their ribs. And the cows haven’t been able to give milk in weeks! (beat) So here.

NARRATOR: She picked up the potato and cut off a slice.

CATRIN: Have a snack!

NARRATOR: Catrin assumed the critter would grab the food in its tiny claws and start nibbling away. But it didn’t! It just kept staring at her with those bright round eyes.

CATRIN: Sooooo... you’re NOT hungry?

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: But how is that possible? I mean, I’M so hungry I could eat my shoe, yet your belly is round, your white fur is shiny, and you’re – (gets interrupted by FATHER)

FATHER: Catrin? Have you gotten rid of that… that…

CATRIN: (calling to other room)…that MOUSE???

FATHER: Uch! I told you not to say that word!

CATRIN: (calling to other room) Sorry!

NARRATOR: Quickly, Catrin scooped the mouse into her hand and walked out the door. A wall of heat closed around her as she stepped into the blazing sun.

CATRIN: Okay listen, friend. I know it’s like a zillion degrees out here, but you can’t stay in my house. Father will have nightmares for weeks. (beat) You do understand, right?

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: Good.

NARRATOR: Catrin knelt down and set the mouse on the burnt grass. The furry creature fixed her with a long and meaningful gaze. Then it let out another squeak… 

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: …and went scuttling away.

Catrin didn’t expect to see her fuzzy friend again. Little did she know, the well-fed critter would make another appearance: one that would change everything!

What do you think will happen next?

We’ll find out, after a quick break.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: Welcome back to Circle Round. I’m Rebecca Sheir. Today our story is called “The Long Crimson Thread.”

Before the break, Catrin and her father were visited by a mouse. A rather well-fed mouse – which was interesting, given that a drought was raging and everyone in town – people and animals included – had grown hungry and thin.

The next morning, while Father went out searching for food, Catrin sat at the table, reading her favorite book. Or at least trying to read her favorite book!

CATRIN: Ugh! I’m so hungry I can’t focus! I keep reading the same sentence over and over and over and – (gets interrupted)

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: Catrin looked up. Standing on the table before her… was the white mouse! Clutched in its claws was a yellow grain of wheat. The mouse tilted its head, then dropped the wheat on top of Catrin’s open book.

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: Thank you, fella! But where did you get this wheat? The fields are so bone-dry, no one’s been able to grow a thing!

NARRATOR: The mouse stared at Catrin with its bright, round eyes. Then it tipped its furry head to one side…

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: …and scurried away.

Fifteen minutes later…

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: … the mouse came back! And dropped a second grain of wheat on Catrin’s book!

CATRIN: Thank you, fella!

NARRATOR: Then the mouse returned with a third grain.

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: Then a fourth.

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: Then a fifth.

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: When the mouse returned again, bringing with it a sixth grain of wheat, Catrin lifted the creature into her hand.

CATRIN: Listen, fella. I want to tell you how much I appreciate these fresh grains of wheat! (beat) As you know, the wheat in our fields shriveled up and died weeks ago. So can you tell me where you’ve been finding these grains?

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: Right. Of course you can’t. But… you can SHOW me where you’ve been finding them, right?

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: I’m going to take that as a ‘yes.’ But to be on the safe side, I need you to stay still for just a moment.

NARRATOR: Catrin nestled the mouse in her pocket, then found a spool of bright crimson thread. She snipped off a long length, then knotted one end around the mouse’s leg.

CATRIN: Okay, fella. This may be a harebrained idea, but it’s worth a shot. (beat) Off you go now!

NARRATOR: Catrin placed the mouse on the floor. It stared at her for a moment, before letting out a squeak…

(Mouse squeaks.)

NARRATOR: …and scampering toward the back door. Then it flattened its slender body, squeezed beneath the crack, and disappeared, with the long crimson thread trailing behind.

Catrin didn’t miss a beat. She raced to the door, threw it open, and followed the mouse – and thread – as they sped across the backyard.

The mouse moved much faster than Catrin did; mice are zippy creatures, after all. But thanks to the bright red string, Catrin was able to trace the mouse’s path.

CATRIN: (as she runs) Okay… it’s running through the backyard… it’s moving across the garden… Oh boy. Now it’s going through a hole in the stone wall. Guess I’d better climb over!

NARRATOR: Summoning all of her strength, Catrin went clambering over the wall. When she reached the other side, she caught a glimpse of the long crimson thread moving into the forest.

CATRIN: Boy oh boy! This is some wild GOOSE chase! Or wild MOUSE chase??? In any case, I’d better quicken my step!

NARRATOR: Catrin followed the thread through the woods. She crunched through leaves, hopped over tree roots and jumped over fallen logs, before emerging into a grassy field. The grass was crunchy and brown, which didn’t surprise Catrin at all. But what she saw in the middle of the field made her jaw drop!

CATRIN: It’s a huge mound of earth! And the mouse just disappeared inside it! (beat) But wait. It’s coming back. And look!

(Mouse squeaks.)

CATRIN: It’s got another grain of wheat in its claws! (beat) (a-ha moment) (GASP!) Oh my goodness. I must get Father!

NARRATOR: Catrin spun on her heel and went hurrying back the way she came. She was so weak with hunger, and so exhausted from running, that her lungs felt like they might explode and her legs felt like they might fall off. But eventually she reached her thatched-roof cottage, where Father greeted her with a smile.

FATHER: Catrin! There you are! I didn’t find any FOOD this morning, but I’m happy I found YOU! I was wondering where you’d gone.

CATRIN: (exhausted but excited) Father. I need you to fetch two shovels, and come with me.

FATHER: What?

CATRIN: There’s no time to explain. Just find two shovels and let’s go!

NARRATOR: Father grabbed two shovels, then followed Catrin as she hurried through the backyard, across the garden, over the stone wall, through the forest, into the grassy field and over to the great earthen mound.

FATHER: (out of breath from running) Catrin! Where are we? And what are we doing here?

CATRIN: Well… as for where we are, I actually have no idea. But as for what we’re doing, well…? I THINK we’re about to save our village from starvation. So grab one of these shovels… and DIG!

NARRATOR: Father did as he was told, and he and Catrin set to work plunging their shovels into the ground.

The hole they dug got deeper… and wider… until…

…their shovels struck something hard!

FATHER: It looks like… a door!

CATRIN: A CELLAR door! Made of stone! Let’s open it!

NARRATOR: Together, Catrin and Father took hold of the heavy door. When they heaved it open…

… they discovered it led to a crumbling stone stairway. Slowly, they crept down the uneven steps. At the bottom was a cool, dry room made of stone. It WAS a cellar. And what’s more, it was filled floor to ceiling with great big piles of…

FATHER: …WHEAT?? And it's so fresh! So yellow! (beat) Catrin. How did you know about this place?

CATRIN: (coy) A little friend told me. Or showed me, anyway. And look! There he is now!

FATHER: (gasp!) EEEK!

NARRATOR: At the sight of the white mouse, Father leaped into Catrin's arms. 

FATHER: (scared, but in a funny way) Catrin! Are you telling me you learned about this place from a… from a… (can’t bring himself to say it)

CATRIN: …from a MOUSE?

FATHER: Uggghhh! I told you not to say that word!

CATRIN: Sorry! (beat) But yes. My new friend here helped me find this place. And now he’ll help us save our village!

NARRATOR: Once word spread of the mysterious underground granary, everyone in town flocked to the grassy field. Using bags and buckets, wheelbarrows and carts, they scooped out as much grain as they could, then used it to make enough bread, cakes, and biscuits to keep everyone well-fed for months – until they were able to replant their fields and grow more food for themselves.

Nobody knew who had hidden all that wheat in the secret granary. But before long, they all knew who had FOUND it. And from then on, the white mouse was always welcome in everyone’s house.

(Mouse squeaks.)

FATHER: (gasp!) EEEK!

NARRATOR: Well, maybe not ALWAYS welcome. But it was always respected and honored, as the bold little creature who saved the town in a big way.