[buzzing]
[meows]
[inhales deeply, sighs]
[Karl chuckles]
-Hi, Stillwater. -Hi, Stillwater.
-Stillwater. -Hello, Karl. Hello, Addy. Hello, Michael.
We baked bread.
Did you?
Yeah, and we brought you some.
Hot from the oven.
[sniffs] Oh, it smells wonderful. How kind of you. Thank you.
It was pretty easy too. Just flour, yeast, water and salt.
Isn't it interesting how a few simple ingredients
can turn into something amazing?
You know, I was just about to feed some of my pets.
Would you like to help me?
Then we can try your amazing bread.
Sure! I'll get the fish food.
I know how much you like to feed the koi in my pond, Karl,
but those aren't the pets I'm thinking of.
They're not?
Is it Jasper?
No, it's not Jasper.
Well, the bird feeder looks full, so it can't be that.
What pet could it be?
Do you have a pet dinosaur?
[chuckles] I don't think so.
Are you dog sitting Yuko?
No, that's your job, Michael.
I know! You got a llama.
It's not a llama.
Aw. I love llamas.
I give up.
[chuckles] Yeah, me too.
All right, then. Follow me.
Here we are.
Your pets are in here?
They are.
Come. Have a look.
[inhales deeply, sighs]
[all sniff deeply, sigh]
What do you notice when you do that?
I notice…
[sniffs deeply] …a clean smell.
Yeah. It's like wet dirt but different.
I like dirt.
[chuckles] We know.
[all laugh]
Hidden in here are some very special creatures.
Are you ready to meet them?
Worms?
You can have worms for pets? Do they do any tricks?
Only one, and it's really quite remarkable.
These little red worms eat my kitchen scraps
and then turn them into rich, dark soil I add to my vegetable garden.
They're actually kind of cute, in a wormy sort of way.
I think so too.
Worms play an important part in the cycle of life,
turning old and decaying things into something that helps new things grow.
It's good for the planet, and it's good for my veggies.
How is it good for the planet?
Growing your own food means fewer trips to the market.
I guess that would save on gas.
That's true. Though, I like to ride my bicycle when I go to the market.
Hey, Stillwater.
What's this for?
Ah, you've noticed something new. It's called a rain chain.
Do you swing on it?
[chuckles]
No, but raindrops that land on my roof slide down it and into this urn.
This way, I don't have to use the tap to water my flowers.
That's probably good for the planet too, since you're using water you already have.
Very true.
I like to try and do something every day to help our Earth. Even little things.
Like what?
Like this.
On nice days, I let the sun dry my laundry. That saves energy.
I always turn off the lights when I leave a room.
I do that.
I turn off the tap when I brush my teeth. That saves water.
[Stillwater] You see? You're already helping to do your part.
Even little things make a difference.
Just like one drop of rain can make an ocean.
It can? That seems impossible.
Only those who try can achieve the impossible.
Right, Stillwater?
[chuckles] That's right, Karl.
And I have a story about a raindrop who did just that.
High up on a mountain,
a little drop of rain fell from the sky and landed on a leaf.
Not long after, he was joined by several other little drops of rain.
[sighs] I like this place. I'm gonna stay here forever.
Well, I'm not. I'm gonna be an ocean.
An ocean?
Yep, see ya.
But you're just one drop of rain!
[Stillwater] Lucky for that little drop of rain,
he met another that shared the same dream.
Hi. I'm gonna be an ocean.
Me too. [gasps] We should be an ocean together.
[Stillwater] So, the two raindrops continued down the mountain…
[raindrops] Whee!
…where they soon found other raindrops that shared their dream.
Are we an ocean yet?
Nope. I think we're still just a little tiny brook.
[Stillwater] As they continued, that brook met another,
and even more raindrops joined in the journey.
Are we an ocean yet?
No. I think we're only a stream.
[Stillwater] And when that stream joined another, their numbers grew.
Are we an ocean yet?
[drop] No. I think we're a river now.
[Stillwater] Then one day, all of those little raindrops
who landed on leaves and ran down branches and became brooks,
then streams, then rivers, finally reached the end.
They were an ocean?
We're an ocean! Ha-ha!
I want to be a raindrop too.
So do I.
I wonder what else we could do to help the earth.
I think I'd like to keep some earthworms for pets,
so they can eat our kitchen scraps too.
Wonderful. I'll even give you some to start.
Can I make a garden?
Of course you can.
It just takes sunlight, water, good soil and patience.
I can grow something yummy to eat and have less trips to the store.
I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet,
but I'm gonna think of something that really makes a difference.
I'm sure you will, Michael.
Um, Stillwater, can I feed the fish now?
You certainly may.
After watching us eat your delicious bread, I suspect they may be hungry.
Here you go, little wormies. Enjoy your new home.
Oh, I almost forgot. Lunch. I hope you like pears.
This one got a little too squishy.
I'm ready to plant my garden. Do you have any seeds I can use?
Hmm. Why don't you check inside the shed?
♪ Planting seeds, planting seeds I love, love, love to plant my seeds ♪
♪ I sure hope they don't have weeds I love to plant and plant my seeds ♪
Do you need any help planting?
Nope, but thanks for helping me dig up all the dirt.
Sure. It's nice that you found something to do with this part of our yard.
Just remember to water your seeds.
I will.
♪ Watering, watering I love watering ♪
♪ Seeds, seeds, seeds Drinking all the watering ♪
Did you know that worms also eat tea bags? But they don't like oranges.
That's interesting.
Have you figured out your project yet?
I've been trying. I've looked through all of these books.
I talked to Mom and Dad. There's just too many choices.
What if I pick the wrong one?
Remember what Stillwater said.
Even a little thing can make a difference.
I know.
I've been doing all the things Stillwater says,
like turning off the water and lights.
I just wanna do something more. Maybe I should talk to Stillwater.
That's not a bad idea.
[tapping]
-[taps] -Hmm.
Hi, Stillwater. What's that piece of wood for?
Hello, Michael. This is a walking stick, made from an old fallen branch.
I saw it hanging from my coat hook and it inspired me to take a walk.
Would you like to join me?
Sure.
[sighs]
This is one of my favorite times to take a walk.
Birds are settling in for the evening.
If you listen, you can hear them saying their "good nights."
[chirping]
Oh, yeah.
The sky turns the most amazing color.
[inhales deeply, sighs]
The air is cooler, and the evening dew makes everything seem to glow.
[gasps] Those light beams passing through the trees
almost look as if you can climb them.
[pants, grunts]
[chuckles] Nope, you can't climb them.
[chuckles] It was worth a try.
Is there something on your mind?
Sort of. Karl and Addy both have these great ideas.
You know, things to do to help the planet.
I want something I can be excited about too,
but I haven't thought of anything yet.
Thinking is the first step in acting, so it's important too.
It is?
Sometimes, when I think about the world and all the things in it,
I'm reminded that all of us are in this together.
That's enough to move me to act.
Hmm.
Are you thinking? What are you reminded of now?
[Stillwater] A story.
[Stillwater] It was a cold spring day.
But August had a nice fire and a big kettle of water.
But all he had for his soup that day was a smooth, round stone.
[Michael] You can't make soup out of a stone, can you?
[Stillwater] It seems August did.
Oh. Hey, what are you making?
The most delicious soup.
Oh. [chuckles] What's in it?
A stone. It's a round one.
Ah.
It turns out, the neighbor also knew what it was like to go without.
Uh, I-- I have an onion.
Perhaps if you add it to your soup, we could share.
I like that idea.
What's in the soup?
A stone.
And an onion.
It's not much, but I have a carrot.
[Stillwater] Before long, that stone, onion and carrot
were joined by a parsnip, a potato and another carrot.
Each a meager offering on its own,
but with everyone adding their one little thing…
[Michael] It turned into one big thing.
[Stillwater] It didn't take long
for the aroma of the soup to bring out the entire village,
and everyone had something to share.
A bit of flour here and there turned into loaves of fresh baked bread.
And from one single stone, an entire feast emerged.
-So yummy. -[chattering]
[pheasant] Who knew this would be so good?
[blows]
I like how everyone worked together.
It makes you feel like you're part of something, I don't know, bigger.
I like that feeling.
Hello, little wormies. How are you today?
Wow. You must really like pears.
There's nothing left but a stem.
Addy, where's Michael? You have to see this!
I grew a radish!
[gasps] It's so cute.
Michael, look.
That's great, Karl.
You know, even one little radish can be part of something bigger.
I learned that from Stillwater.
I have lots more. Like a gazillion of them.
-You do? -Come on, I'll show you.
See?
-[gasps] -Whoa!
Here's another one.
I had no idea your vegetable garden was so big.
How many seeds did you plant?
All of them.
[chuckles] No wonder.
That's enough seeds for an entire radish farm.
I think that's what Karl has now.
[chuckles] I don't even know if I like radishes.
Well, now is your chance to find out.
I do like radishes.
Mmm. Me too.
I don't think I can eat this many by myself, Michael.
Stone soup.
You wanna make soup out of all these radishes?
[chuckles] No, but Karl has more than enough to share.
What if we found other neighbors that had their own things they've grown?
It would be like having a farm but spread out across the entire neighborhood.
That is a great idea.
And I get to be the farmer?
One of them.
Woo-hoo!
♪ Old MacKarl had a farm, E-I-E-I-O ♪
[meows]
What do you think?
I think it's perfect.
When's everyone coming?
It should be soon.
I hope.
Don't worry, Michael. It's going to be great.
Here comes Stillwater.
Hello, everyone.
I just harvested my tatsoi. That's a kind of cabbage.
You can put them in my row, Stillwater.
Hmm.
There's not a lot of room.
Your garden has been very productive.
This spot right here should be fine.
What a wonderful idea, Michael.
It's a whole new kind of community garden.
All it needs is the community.
People are coming!
Hi, Mrs. Wilson. Welcome to our neighborhood farm.
Feel free to pick anything you want.
[chuckles] And I don't even need to dig in the dirt.
Who knew my old persimmon tree could be put to such good use?
Radishes! Get your nice, fresh radishes! Farmer Karl's radishes!
Would you like to pick some radishes, Mrs. Wilson?
I would. Radishes are my favorite.
What's your secret to such beautiful red radishes?
Worms.
Oh. [chuckles]
I found my one drop, and it became an ocean.
It certainly did. I'm happy for you, Michael.
All this food grown within steps of our front doors
is a good thing for our planet.
[Karl] Guess what? All my radishes got picked!
But I saved some for you, Stillwater.
-Thank you, Karl. -You're welcome.
Michael, everyone in the neighborhood loves your garden.
People are saying they love coming together to share what they've grown.
They wanna do it every month.
[gasps] I need to plant more radishes.
Stillwater, do you have any more seeds I can borrow?
[chuckles] Have a look inside the shed.
Right!
We can use more of my worm compost.
Would you like to help me pick my supper?
Sure. What are you cooking?
[chuckles] I'm suddenly craving stone soup.
Me too.
["Never Ending Dream" playing]
♪ With our spirits We were floating through the trees ♪
♪ Like creatures, we were soaring high Blowing off some steam ♪
♪ Or a mountain And its effervescent green ♪
♪ A never-ending dream ♪
♪ I found a little bit of honey ♪
♪ And now I'm a little sweeter inside ♪
[singing in Japanese]
♪ It's just a little bit funny ♪
♪ But now I have the world on my side ♪
[singing in Japanese]
[song fades]