Hi, Rebecca Shear here. Before we get to our story, exciting news.
Circle Round is going back on tour. with live recordings across the united states our first stop Sunday, October 5th in Parker, Colorado at the Pace Center.
And Circle Round Club members are invited to a special post-show meet and greet with me and composer Eric Shimalonis.
Get your tickets at wbur.org slash circle around and click on events.
We're announcing more tour stops soon, so stay tuned.
We look forward to circling around with you live.
WBUR podcasts, Boston. The Circle Round episode you're about to hear is an extra special one.
Recorded on August 27th, 2022 at Tanglewood. the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
This live event featured musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and all-star cast.
Plus, as you'll hear, a fantastic audience of energetic kids and grownups.
You can learn more about our Tanglewood musicians and actors on our website, wbur.org slash circleround.
Enjoy the story. When someone says, my word is my bond.
Do you know what that means? What they're saying basically is, you can trust me.
I'll never break a promise. We're about to meet a character who makes a promise with the best of intentions.
He's just a bit flighty. when it comes to following through.
I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome to Circle Round Live at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Today our story is called Fair Feathered Friends.
Versions of this folktale come from the Burmese people of Southeast Asia.
Joining me on stage is an amazing quintet of all-star actors.
William Christian, Josh Gondelman, Rishikesh Hereway, Tina Packer, and Faith Saley. and providing musical accompaniment is a world-class quartet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Rachel Childers on horn, Clint Foreman on piccolo, Ben Levy on double bass, and Suzanne Nelson on bassoon.
So circle around, everyone, for Fair Feathered Friends.
Have you ever heard the song of the bird known as the thrush?
The Song of the Thrush has been called one of the most beautiful bird songs there is. soaring and spiraling up and down.
Thing is, while the Thrush's song may be beautiful, its feathers are rather plain.
Drab. They're a dull, dusky gray, the color of smoke or ashes.
But according to legend, it wasn't always that way.
You see, long, long ago, the thrush's feathers sparkled and shimmered with every shade and hue of the rainbow.
Thrush was the most colorful bird in the forest, and his very best friend, was owl.
Thrush was and is diurnal, meaning he's awake during the day and he sleeps at night.
Owl, on the other hand, was and is the opposite of diurnal.
Does anyone know what that's called when an animal sleeps all day, comes out at night?
That's right! Nocturnal! So, every evening right at sunset, Before Thrush went to sleep and Owl went off to hunt for mice, frogs, and snakes, the two birds would meet.
Good evening, Thrush. Are you ready for our evening flight together?
You bet I am, Al. I've been looking forward to it all day.
Thrush was a teeny tiny bird and Owl was much larger.
But the feathered friends managed to stick together as they swooped through the forest. with Thrush singing his beautiful song. and owl hooting away.
Every evening, the birds chose a different path through the trees.
And one night, as they sang and hooted and winged their way around the forest, They came upon a clearing bathed in glowing light.
Wow! Look at this clearing, Owl! It's so bright!
Yet there's no moon out tonight, and the sky is perfectly dark.
Where's all this light coming from? The birds looked this way and that, until they spied a big rocky cave at the clearing's edge.
Spilling out from the cave's narrow entrance was a wash of light.
But the light wasn't flickering or flashing like a fire.
This light was constant and strong. Shall we go inside, do you think, and see what's creating that beautiful glow.
Sure, let's do it. The birds flapped their wings and glided toward the cave.
Once they made their way through the narrow opening, they could hardly believe their eyes.
Owl, look! This entire cave is filled with treasure!
Yes! Precious gemstones twinkling so brightly You'd think it was daytime.
I see red rubies. Green emeralds. Blue sapphires.
Purple amethysts. These jewels are nearly as colorful as my feathers.
Why, I dare say they're even more colorful than your... Who goes there?
Who dares enter our cave? Without being invited.
Owl and Thrush exchanged a nervous glance, then pressed their bodies into a nook in the cave's wall, hoping not to be seen.
We heard your voices! We know you're in here.
Best to come out and show yourselves. Owl and Thrush peeked out from their nook, and what they saw sent a shiver through their bodies—
Lumbering out from the back of the cave were three enormous ogres The creatures had white fangs and claw-like fingernails with red eyes that glowed like fire. as they scanned their cave for intruders.
We heard you talking about our jewels, you know.
Our red rubies! Our green emeralds! Our blue sapphire!
Our purple amethysts! You weren't trying to steal them from us, were you?
Owl and Thrush knew it was just a matter of time before the ogre's fiery eyes caught sight of them.
So what else could the birds do but take a deep breath, then emerge from their hiding place?
Oh, greetings, friends. I am the owl. And I am Thrush.
And we are so sorry to intrude on your home.
It wasn't our intention at all. For what it's worth, We were not trying to steal your jewels.
We were just admiring them. The ogres stared at the birds with their fanged mouths wide open.
Howl and Thrush began to tremble and shake.
Were the two friends about to be eaten? by three angry ogres?
Oh, you know what that music means. We'll find out what happens to Owl and Thrush in the Ogre's Cave after a quick break.
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I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome back to Circle Round, live at Tanglewood.
Today our story is called Fair Feathered Friends.
Before the break, Owl and Thrush discovered a cave filled with Jewels more colorful than Thrush's rainbow-hued feathers.
Turns out the cave was home to three ogres.
Three ogres who were not fond of intruders.
But when Owl and Thrush introduced themselves, the ogre's big fanged faces broke into big, wide grins.
So you are Owl? And you are Thrush? We are like your biggest fans.
Seriously! We listen to you every evening.
Before we go to bed. The way your hoot echoes through the forest, Owl.
And the way your song rings through the trees, Thrush.
Together, they're like a wonderful lullaby.
We couldn't fall asleep without you. Owl and Thrush were floored.
Was this really happening? Were these giant ogres really fawning all over them?
Listen. We don't mean to be total fanboys.
Or fangirls. But... We'd like to thank you for all the music you've made.
So, please. Take home some of our jewels.
Owl and Thrush exchanged a look. Take home some of your jewels?
Really? Of course! You can use them to decorate your nests!
Or just admire their magnificent beauty.
They truly are spectacular. So we want you to come back every evening.
And... Please, take some jewels home with you.
Owl and Thrush could hardly believe what they were hearing.
Take some of these glittering, gleaming jewels home.
Every evening, the two birds flashed the ogres a grateful smile.
Thank you very much, friends. We'd be honored to take home some jewels.
You are welcome. But before you start gathering your treasure... We ask that you follow. one rule.
You must never try to take more than your own weight.
In jewels. If you try taking more than your own weight, you will be...
Punished. Do you understand? Owl and Thrush nodded their feathery heads.
Of course we understand. You have our word.
And with that, the two birds collected their respective body weights and jewels, then flew off With rubies and emeralds, sapphires and amethysts clutched tightly in their beaks and feet, After that, when Owl and Thrush met up for their evening flights...
They sang, hooted, and winged their way across the forest and over to the light-filled clearing.
They slipped through the entrance to the ogre's cave, then flitted and fluttered about, picking up priceless gems always making sure to take no more than their own body weight.
But as time passed, Thrush found himself growing troubled.
I can't help but notice that every time Owl and I collect jewels from the ogre's cave, Her load of treasure is always larger than mine.
I mean, obviously that great big bird of prey weighs more than I do.
So she's allowed to take more. But it isn't fair.
The ogres love my song every bit as much as they love her hootings.
Why should she have an advantage? Thrush tried to ignore his envy, to shake it off.
But his feeling of jealousy grew and grew until at last the little bird made a decision.
That's it. I'm taking matters into my own hands.
Or wings. Tomorrow, I will return to the cave during the day when Owl and the ogres are asleep Then I will collect as many jewels as I please.
The ogres will never know. So the next day, while the sun shone high above and owls snoozed away in her nest, Thrush made his way across the forest.
When he reached the ogre's cave, he glided through the entrance. then began loading up his beak and feet with jewel after jewel.
Once he had all the treasure he could carry, and then some, he tried flying back to the cave's entrance.
But his load was too heavy. He was so weighted down with jewels he couldn't take flight.
Still, Thrush refused to give up. He flapped his wings.
And flapped them some more. Until... Thrash!
Is that you? What in the world do you think you're doing?
At the sound of the ogre's enraged voices, Thrush dropped his jewels, spun around, and flashed the ogre's a nervous scream.
Oh, hi folks. I thought you were sleeping.
But listen, I can tell you exactly what I'm doing.
It's just, uh, you know. Just trying to sneak off?
With more than your body weight in jewels?
Thrush felt his tiny bird heart leap into his tiny bird throat.
Oh, you have it all wrong. I was actually trying to... To break your promise?
No, no, I would... To go back on your word?
Ooh, me? Thrush? Your buddy? Buddy Thrush! break the one condition we'd put on our generosity?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. As Thrush searched frantically for an excuse, He noticed that the ogre's red eyes were glowing with anger.
Like, literally glowing. They were getting brighter and brighter and redder and redder until...
They began shooting out sparks of fire. Thrush flapped his wings and tried flying away, but he wasn't fast enough.
The ogre's sparks had ignited a blaze. The ogres let out a laugh.
Ha ha ha ha ha! Then they turned on their massive heels and rushed away, disappearing through an opening in the back of the cave.
Thrush, however, was stuck surrounded by a flurry of flames.
The little songbird darted this way and that until, all of a sudden, A bright orange spark licked his tail, and his brilliant multicolored feathers began to smoke!
Oh no! Thresh dove to the cave's floor and began rolling around in the dirt, hoping to smother the flames.
Ah! I... Oh, hot wings! But it was too late.
Each and every one of his feathers had already been singed.
And by the time the fire was out and the smoke had cleared, Thresh's brilliant, rainbow-hued body had become a dull, dusky gray, the color of smoke, or, yes...
Ashes. And it's been that way ever since.
Thanks to Thrush's broken promise, the angry ogres shut off the entrance to their cave. and neither Thrush nor Owl could ever return again.
Owl never forgave Thrush for what he did.
And I'm sorry to say that the two birds were never again friends.
In fact, this very day, when owls go out hunting at night, They don't just search for mice, frogs, and snakes.
They also chase after thrushes. So come evening time.
If you're out in the wild and you hear the thrush start his splendid song, And then you hear the thrush suddenly stop his splendid song.
It might be because Owl is close by, determined to get revenge on the drab bird with the beautiful A voice who broke her trust.
Thank you. Thank you. Now it's your turn.
Bird, what would you look like? Would you be big?
Small? And what color would you be? Yellow as the shining sun, black as the night sky, Perhaps, like Thrush originally was, you'd be every color of the rainbow.
Find a piece of paper and draw a picture of you as a bird.
And then, if you'd like, share your picture with us.
Grownups, you can email a photo of your kiddo and their artwork to circleround at wbur.org.
This week's story, Fair Feathered Friends, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear, and edited by Circle Round's supervising producer, Nora Sachs.
Eric Shimalonis composed our original music and conducted our quartet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
You heard Rachel Childers on horn, Clint Foreman on piccolo and flute, Ben Levy on double bass, and Suzanne Nelson on piano. bassoon.
Sound engineering and recording at Tanglewood was provided by Emily Jankowski and David Corsello.
Special thanks to our actors, William Christian, Faith Saley, Josh Gondelman, Tina Packer, and Rishikesh Hirway.
William Christian is a Washington, D.C.-born actor known for his roles in All My Children, Days of Our Lives, The January Man, and Prison Break.
Faith Saley recently starred in her off-Broadway solo show, Approval Junkie.
She's a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, a storyteller for The Moth, and a regular panelist on the NPR News Quiz Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Josh Gondelman is also a Wait Wait regular.
The Emmy Award And Desus and Miro. His debut stand-up special People Pleaser is available for streaming now.
Tina Packer co-founded the world famous Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts.
She has directed every single one of Shakespeare's plays and taught the entire canon at over 30 colleges.
Rishikesh Hirway is a singer-songwriter who hosts the podcast and Netflix show Song Exploder.
He's also the creator and co-host of the podcast Home Cooking with Chef Samin Nasrat. and the West Wing Weekly with actor Josh Molina.
Circle Round's artist is Sabina Hahn. Sabina has created a black and white picture for every Circle Round story, and you can color them in.
Visit our website, wbor.org, circle around and click on Coloring Pages.
And have you heard? Circle Round has gone from podcast to the page.
Our first two picture books, A Taste of Honey and The Tale of the Unwelcome Guest, are out.
Visit our website to get your copies and to pre-order our third book, The Great Ball Game.
Again, that's wbur.org slash circleround.
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Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening right now.
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Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling around with us.
We'll be right back. Circle Round fans have been telling us about their favorite Circle Round stories, and we're excited to share some of their voices My name is Louis.
I live in Ireland. I'm my favorite circle around. is Grandfather Stone.
It's because Grandfather Stone tells the boy all the stories.
My name is Mel. I live in Boise, Idaho, and my favorite shop around It's song on the horse because I like it. when he sings to the horse.
My name is Bodie. I'm from Virginia. My favorite story is the red velvet purse And I like the part where the farmer returns the purse.
My name is Saffron. My favourite Stoke Around story is The never-ending story because I love when Sokka hears the story spirits talking for revenge.
Hi, my name is Hazel and I'm from Syracuse, New York.
And my favorite circle round story is the leather shoes.
And I like the part when the shoemaker gives the leather shoes to the beggar.
My name is Gabe. My favorite circle around. the early bird because I like when the hobby bird says that In fact, she's the fastest, but actually she's wrong.
My name is Eli. I live in Medford, Oregon.
My favorite Instagram story is the very busy face.
I need the power in all of my senses. I'll take a half a pizza tonight.
But you're it. Did someone mention an episode you missed?
No problem. You can find every single Circle Round story on our website.
That's wbur.org slash circleround. or wherever you and your grownups get your podcasts.
