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Hello, But Why listeners. It's me, Jane Lindholm, your host. This week, instead of our normal kind of episode, we're going to bring you something different. This is an episode from one of our favorite podcast friends, Circle Round. Circle Round brings you folktales from around the world, and we've chosen one that we think you're really going to enjoy.
You've heard Circle Round in our podcast feed before. We really love their mix of global folktales and how they incorporate listeners into the mix. They're going to ask you to do some things after you've heard the story. Okay, here's the show. What's one thing you've always wanted to do? Something you've dreamt about?
Maybe it's writing a book, visiting a foreign country, or ordering every single flavor at the ice cream shop. In today's story, we'll meet an animal who's told over and over that his dream will never come true. But he'll do whatever it takes to prove the naysayers wrong. Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo!
I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, where storytime happens all the time. Today, our tale is called Armadillo's Song. Versions of this story come from Bolivia, in Central South America. ♪
Some really great people came together to bring you our telling of this folktale, including Gad Elmaleh. Kids, you might recognize the Moroccan-French stand-up comedian and actor from such animated films as The Adventures of Tintin and A Monster in Paris. And grown-ups, you may know Gad from his first English-language comedy special, Gad Elmaleh, American Dream, available on Netflix. So circle around, everyone, for Armadillo's song. ♪
In Spanish, the word armadillo means little armored one. And if you've ever seen the animal known as the armadillo, you'll know why. Armadillos have four legs, a snout shaped like a shovel, and a long tail. But most importantly, they have armor, a bony shell that covers most of their body.
This armor is especially helpful when it comes to escaping predators. The armadillo rolls itself into a tiny ball and is protected by its tough shell. Pretty cool, right? But long, long ago, deep, deep in the rainforest, there lived an armadillo who thought his armor was anything but cool. Why? Because so many of the other animals made fun of it. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Here comes little armored one. The rest of us have soft fur. Or shiny feathers. Or smooth skin. But Armadillo's stuck with that funny little shell. Armadillo wished his shell could protect him from teasing as well as it protected him from predators. But no such luck.
So most of the time, Armadillo stayed in his burrow, snoozing away. Then, once each morning and once each evening, he'd get up...
and drag his shell out of his burrow to eat. Why do I feel like having some juicy beetles, perhaps? A colony of ants? Oh, I know. How about some tasty termites? But in Armadillo's mind, the best part about foraging wasn't the food. It was the music he heard while looking for that food. Oh, oh yeah, yeah.
The whistling and trilling of the parrots is especially beautiful today. And their crickets. How do they chirp so gently? Here come the frogs croaking back and forth, back and forth. Talk about a tight rhythm section. You see, more than anything else in the world, Armadillo loved music.
And, more than anything else in the world, he longed to be a musician. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be able to sing, if only I knew how. Armadillo's yearning grew and grew. Then, one day, he had an idea. I know.
What if I ask the other animals to teach me how to sing? They'll probably be so flattered that I asked. So the next time Armadillo went out hunting for food, he paused beneath the palm trees where the parrots were whistling and trilling. Hey, um, woo-hoo!
Excuse me. Parrots? Parrots, yeah, I know. Hi. I have a quick question for you. The parrots ceased their singing and peered down at Armadillo. Yes? What is it, little Armadwan? Well, you know, for a long time now, I've been admiring your whistling and trailing, and it's so very beautiful. So, I...
I have to ask, can you teach me how to sing like you? The parrots exchanged a look. Teach you sing?
to sing surely you must be joking everyone knows armadillos can't sing maybe you can find someone to play your shell like a drum that's not very nice i was just asking a simple question
You know what? It's okay. I'll go ask the crickets. Their chirping is so wonderfully gentle. They're bound to be more friendly. So Armadillo scuttled over to a patch of ferns where the crickets were chirping away. Hey, hi there.
Hey, crickets. How you doing? Look, I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a quick question for you. The crickets stopped their chirping and stared at Armadillo. Mm-hmm. What's up, little armad one? Well, guys, for a long time now, I've been enjoying your chirping. Oh, it's so lively and sweet, and I have to ask, I don't...
I mean, can you teach me how to sing like you? The crickets widened their eyes. Teach you? How to sing? You've got to be kidding. It's a well-known fact that armadillos can't sing. Maybe you should find someone to play your shell. Like a marimba. So much for gentle.
That was downright rude, but I'm not giving up. I'll go ask the frogs. Maybe they'll be more willing. So Armadillo made his way to the edge of the water, where the frogs were croaking back and forth as they lounged on lily pads. Hey, frogs. Woo. Hey, frog. Hey. How's it hanging? Good.
Listen, I wonder if I could ask you just a quick question? The frogs halted their croaking and gazed at Armadillo. Yep. What can we do for you, little armored one? Well, for a long time now I've been spellbound by your croaking.
The rhythm, the pacing, the musicality. I have to ask, can you teach me how to sing like you? Well, knowing what you know about how the parrots answered Armadillo's question, and the crickets, I'll bet you can guess what the frogs had to say. Teach you? How to sing? You must be pulling a leg. A singing Armadillo? Yeah, right. No.
Maybe you should find someone to play your shell. Like a maraca. Armadillo hung his head. Well, maybe they're right. Maybe this silly shell is the best I can hope for. I'll never be a singer. Never. Armadillo was about to creep back to his burrow and sleep when... Never...
He heard a voice. I wouldn't be so sure about never, little armored one. Stick with me, and you'll be a singer forever. What do you think the voice is talking about? And whose voice is it? We'll find out after a quick break. Welcome back to Circle Round. I'm Rebecca Shear. Today our story is called Armadillo's Song.
When we left off, Armadillo was dreaming of becoming a musician. But when he asked other animals if they could teach him how to sing, the answer was more or less the same. Everyone knows Armadillos can't sing. It's a well-known fact that Armadillos can't sing. A singing Armadillo? Yeah, right. Then they cracked jokes about Armadillo's shell and how he should use that to make music.
Armadillo was about to give up when he heard a voice. A voice that told him he could be a singer forever. Hmm? Hey, excuse me. Who's that talking? Hey. Well,
Where are you? And what do you mean I can be a singer forever? Armadillo watched as out from under a bush crawled an old turtle. I mean exactly what I say, Armadillo. You can be a singer forever. The answer is in your shell. Armadillo rolled his eyes. Oh, I get it. You're making fun of me just like everyone else was. Hey, Armadillo.
Oh, Armadillo, use your shell as a drum, or a marimba, or a maraca. Sorry, but I'm not interested in that. Turtle laughed. Oh, Armadillo, look at me. I have a shell, too. The last thing I would do is make fun of yours. Huh, you've got a point there.
So, what's all this about? Using my shell to sing? Turtle cocked her head to one side. Tell me, Armadillo, what is it about music that you love? Turtle's question made Armadillo's heart flutter. Oh, what is it about music that I love? Oh, gosh, it's... I don't know, it's... What is it about music that I don't love? Well...
I love how music can take a heavy heart and make it light. I love how music can take everything you feel inside and bring it to bright and beautiful life. I love how music can last just a few moments yet live on forever. I don't know, does that answer your question? It does, Armadillo.
and you'll be able to do all those things and more, thanks to your shell. Okay, Turtle, now you've lost me again. Turtle smiled. Listen, Armadillo, here's what I want you to do. Go on, live your life, and come back to me when you are very, very old.
Then, and only then, I promise I will help you make music that, like you say, lives on forever. But for now, you must continue to enjoy the music of others. Are you okay with that? Armadillo thought about the parrots, and the crickets, and the frogs, and how they'd made fun of his shell. But then he thought about their beautiful music.
and Turtle's promise that one day he would make music like that too. He took a deep breath. "Alright, Turtle, I can be okay with that." Over the years that followed, Armadillo put up with his share of razzing about his shell, but it didn't bother him. Not when he knew that someday that shell would help him make glorious music. Eventually, Armadillo grew old.
His claws hurt, his snout ached, and it was getting harder and harder to drag his armor around to go foraging. One day, as Armadillo was about to trudge back to his burrow and rest, he heard a familiar voice. Hello, little armored one. Slowly, Armadillo turned around and smiled at his old friend. Hello, turtle.
"'Is it finally time to make music?' Turtle nodded. "'It is finally time to make music. "'Return to your burrow. "'Go to sleep, and we can begin.' So Armadillo did as Turtle said. He went back to his burrow and snuggled in tight. He fell asleep with a smile on his face and never woke up.
The next day, Turtle took Armadillo's shell and polished it till it gleamed. Then she took a set of guitar strings and strung them across the shell's hollow side. She attached a long wooden neck with tuning pegs at the top and created the very first charango, a Bolivian guitar that makes bright, beautiful music bursting with life.
Before long, many, many musicians were playing the charango all across the land. Eventually, most charangos were made of wood, not armadillo, but they were decorated to look exactly like that tough little shell. Oftentimes, the charango's music would reach the rainforest. And when it did...
The parrots would cease their whistling and trilling. The crickets would stop their chirping. The frogs would halt their croaking. And every single animal would sit and listen to the little armored one who, at long last, had finally learned to sing. Now it's your turn. Think about one thing you've always wanted to do.
It can be something simple like growing your own garden or something wild like taking a hot air balloon ride across the world. Whatever it is, find someone you like to have fun with, a family member or friend, and tell that person all about your goal. Then ask your relative or friend to describe something he or she has dreamt of doing. After that, put your heads together and brainstorm ways you both can make your dreams come true. ♪
This week's story, Armadillo's Song, was adapted by me, Rebecca Shear, and edited by Circle Round's executive producer, Jessica Alpert. Original music and sound design is by Eric Shimalonis. Our intern is Gabby Mirzoski. Our artist is Sabina Han. Sabina has created black and white illustrations for all of our Circle Round stories, and you can color them in.
Ask your grown-up to visit our website, wbur.org slash circleround, and then click on Coloring Pages. Print some out, color them in, and if you'd like, have your grown-up share them with us on Instagram. We're at instagram.com slash circleroundpodcast. Special thanks to this week's actors, Evan Casey, Dolores King-Williams, James Konacek, Anne Underland, Tom Whaley, and Gad Elmaleh.
Grownups, you can see Gad's first English language special, Gad Elmaleh, American Dream, on Netflix. And right now, Gad is traveling the world, making audiences around the globe laugh on his stand-up comedy dream tour. The featured instrument in today's story was the charango. You can read about this stringed instrument and see a picture on our website. Again, that's wbur.org slash circleround.
Have you subscribed to Circle Round yet? If not, find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please write us a review. It helps other people find the show. Circle Round is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station. I'm Rebecca Shear. Thanks for circling round with us. Thank you so much for listening, and thanks to Circle Round for sharing that episode with us. It's great to share with friends, isn't it?
But Why will be back with an all-new episode in two weeks. In the meantime, if you have a question about anything, have an adult record it and send it to questions at butwhykids.org. Don't forget to tell us your first name, where you live, and how old you are when you record your question. It's easy to do if you have an adult who has a smartphone. I'm Jane Lindholm. From PR.