Pride and Proverbs | Ep. 263

“Knowledge is power.” “Haste makes waste.” “All that glitters is not gold.”

These statements are all well-known proverbs: short sayings that give us a piece of advice or wisdom to help teach us a lesson.

In today’s story, we’ll meet a farmer who has a way with proverbs… and a queen who has a way with pride!

Our story is called "Pride and Proverbs.” It was inspired by tales told in Ghana, a country in West Africa, as well as Georgia and Kazakhstan: two nations in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Voices in this episode include David Giuntoli and Elizabeth Tulloch: real-life couple and co-stars of “Grimm” on NBC. David starred on the ABC family drama “A Million Little Things,” and plays the title character in the animated films “Batman: Soul of the Dragon” and “Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.”  Elizabeth stars as Lois Lane on the CW’s “Superman and Lois.” The fourth and final season premiered on October 7th.

This episode was adapted for Circle Round by Rebecca Sheir. It was edited by Dean Russell. 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!

Proverbs are short, catchy, timeless statements that provide a nugget of wisdom and truth. They often have figurative, or colorful, language. And you can write a proverb of your own!

Start by making a list of values that you think are important. Your list might include love, friendship, honesty and generosity. Now pick one of those values, and find a creative way to write a proverb about it. Once you’ve written your proverb, draw a picture to go along with it.

Share your proverb and picture with someone you have fun with. Then if you like, share them with us!

Grown-ups, snap a photo of your Circle Round fan with their proverb and picture and email it to circleround@wbur.org. With your permission, we may feature you in “The Lion’s Roar,” the monthly newsletter for members of the Circle Round Club! You can learn more about this super-fun opportunity for super-fans like you here.

Musical Spotlight: Accordion

This week’s instrument is sometimes referred to as a “squeezebox.”

Why?

Because to make music with it, you do a whole lot of squeezing!

The accordion is a box-shaped instrument with pleated bellows in the middle. You push (or compress) and pull (or expand) the bellows while pressing buttons or keys. The reeds inside the accordion then vibrate to produce sound.

The accordion is popular in many parts of the world. In Europe, many conservatories actually have classical-accordion departments, and in the United States, the piano accordion (i.e. the particular type of accordion we used in this week’s story) is the official city instrument of San Francisco, CA!

You can hear Eric Shimelonis playing the accordion in many other Circle Round stories, including “Misery Loves Company,” “The Bright Side” and “100 Rooms.”

Story Transcript:

NARRATOR: In a faraway village, in a faraway land, there lived a farmer. And the farmer did more than grow crops and raise livestock. He also solved problems.

The farmer was known throughout the village for his wisdom and wit. So any time a neighbor was stumped by a question or plagued by a puzzle, they came knocking at his door for advice.

Word of the farmer's wisdom eventually spread beyond the village… and across the land… until it reached the royal ears of the queen.

The queen was a proud person, and fancied herself to be a wise one as well. The wisest, in fact! She wanted people to come knocking at HER door for advice – not that of a simple farmer!

QUEEN: …After all, I am the most powerful ruler in the land! With the most powerful MIND in the land! And now… I shall prove it! (beat) Courier?

NARRATOR: The queen snapped her fingers, and her head messenger stepped forward.

QUEEN: Courier. I want you to fetch this farmer I’ve been hearing so much about. Ride out to his village and bring him to the palace. NOW.

NARRATOR: The courier jumped on her horse and galloped away. Within hours she and her horse were trotting back, with the farmer and his horse following behind. When the farmer walked into the throne room, he greeted the queen with a respectful bow. She greeted him with a frosty smile.

QUEEN: Welcome to my palace, farmer! I appreciate you coming here on such short notice.

FARMER: I appreciate the invitation, Your Majesty! I am honored to be in your presence.

QUEEN: (salty) From what I’ve been hearing… it seems I should be honored to be in YOUR presence!

FARMER: Pardon me?

NARRATOR: The farmer furrowed his brow.

FARMER: I’m afraid I don’t understand!

QUEEN: (salty) You don’t understand??? Really? Because from what I’ve been hearing, you understand EVERYTHING! (beat) You’ve earned quite the reputation as a wise man, farmer! A real sage. People near and far have been praising your brilliant mind. They say you can solve any puzzle.

NARRATOR: The farmer blushed.

FARMER: Well…I do enjoy sharing whatever wisdom I can. After all, you know the old proverb: “Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden.”

NARRATOR: The queen paused.

QUEEN: (lying) Uhhh, right! Of course I know that old chestnut. (beat) My point is, farmer… you are the talk of the town! Nay – the talk of the land! You must be very proud of yourself!

FARMER: Proud…?

NARRATOR: The farmer shrugged.

FARMER: Perhaps I’m flattered, Your Majesty – if anything. But as for “proud”... you know the old proverb: “If you fill your head with pride, you will lack space for wisdom.”

NARRATOR: The queen blinked her eyes, then fixed the farmer with a steely look.

QUEEN: Be that as it may... I must see if you truly are as wise as people say you are. So I am giving you an assignment. You must come back and see me tomorrow. And when you do, you must follow some rules.

FARMER: Rules, Your Majesty?

QUEEN: Yes! Rules! First: you must come neither by horse, nor by foot.

FARMER: (repeating so as to absorb) Neither by horse, nor by foot…?

QUEEN: Correct! AND you must come neither through fields, nor on the road.

FARMER: (repeating so as to absorb) Neither through fields, nor on the road…?

QUEEN: Correct again!

FARMER: Is there anything else…?

NARRATOR: The queen’s lips curled into a crafty grin.

QUEEN: No. I believe that should suffice. (beat) I shall see you tomorrow, farmer. So goodbye for now… and good luck.

NARRATOR: How do you think the farmer will answer the queen’s challenge? What would you do if you were the farmer?

We’ll find out what happens, after a quick break.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: Welcome back to Circle Round. I’m Rebecca Sheir. Today our story is called “Pride and Proverbs.”

Before the break, a prideful queen ordered a wise farmer to come back and see her at the palace. And when he did, he must follow some rules:

QUEEN: …You must come neither by horse, nor by foot. And you must come neither through fields, nor on the road.

NARRATOR: That evening, back in the village, the farmer paced around his hut and thought about the queen’s challenge.

FARMER: My my my. It’s clear as day that the queen is envious of me. But there’s an old proverb: “From the well of envy, only a fool drinks the water”!

NARRATOR: The farmer sat down at his table and put his mind to work. And the next morning, do you know what he did?

First, he went out to his barn and fetched not his horse… but his donkey. He led the donkey through the field to the right side of the road. He made sure the animal’s left legs were on the road, and its right legs were on the field. Then, with the donkey straddling both field and road, the farmer climbed onto its back and began to ride.

FARMER: Attaboy, fella. Slow and steady. You know the old proverb: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

NARRATOR: When the farmer reached the palace gates, he called out to the queen.

FARMER: Your Majesty! I have returned! And as you can see, I’ve come neither by horse, nor by foot. I’ve come by donkey! And I’ve come neither through fields, nor on the road! Because my donkey is walking on both!

NARRATOR: The queen came bustling outside. When she laid eyes on the farmer and his donkey, she tried hard to mask her disappointment.

QUEEN: Congratulations, farmer. I’m beginning to see why people speak so highly of you!

FARMER: Thank you, Your Majesty. But like I said, I don’t let it go to my head. You know the old proverb: “What is inflated too much will break into fragments.”

QUEEN: Of course! Right! Whatever! (beat) However, farmer… it occurs to me that I haven’t seen enough of your supposed brilliance. If you really are as wise as people say you are, then surely you can do one more thing for me.

NARRATOR: The farmer grinned.

FARMER: I can try! After all, you know the old proverb: “You must act as if it is impossible to fail.”

NARRATOR: The queen gritted her teeth.

QUEEN: Farmer. I beg you. Can you please cool it with the proverbs?

FARMER: But Your Majesty! “A wise man who knows proverbs, reconciles difficulties”!

QUEEN: Let me guess. Another proverb?

FARMER: Yes! “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten"!

QUEEN: Is that another one? If so, the meaning is lost on me.

FARMER: Well then, you know the OTHER proverb! “When the fool is told a proverb, its meaning has to be explained.”

QUEEN: Excuse me? Just who do you think you - (gets cut off mid-sentence)

FARMER: (cutting her off) ANYWAY, Your Majesty… back to this thing you wish me to do. May I ask what it is? Because you know the old proverb: “A child who asks questions does not become a fool.”

QUEEN: (sigh) Okay. Enough already. Here is your task, farmer. (beat) I want you to bring me… a COW.

FARMER: A cow…? My village is full of cows! I can easily bring any one of them your way!

QUEEN: Oh but I don’t want “any one” of them, farmer! There are some rules about the cow I want you to bring. First: the cow must not be black… and it must not be white.

FARMER: (repeating so as to absorb) Not be black, and not be white…

QUEEN: It must not be brown… and it must not be gray.

FARMER: (repeating so as to absorb) Not be brown, and not be gray…

QUEEN: It must not be striped… and it must not be spotted.

FARMER: (repeating so as to absorb) Not be striped, and not be spotted…

QUEEN: In fact, this cow must not be any color at all!

FARMER: (repeating so as to absorb) Not be any color at – (realizing) Wait a minute! You want me to bring you a cow of NO COLOR?

QUEEN: No, farmer. I don’t WANT you to bring me a cow of no color. I ORDER you to bring me a cow of no color! (beat) Bring me a cow of no color in three days time – or I shall banish you to my dungeon.

NARRATOR: The farmer’s ears rang with the queen’s threat as he rode his donkey back home.

FARMER: (ad-lib expression of angst) I’d better solve this puzzle in three days, unless I want to live the rest of my life as a prisoner! And I’ll use every minute I have to figure this one out. After all, you know the old proverb: “Wisdom does not come overnight”!

NARRATOR: Once again, the farmer put his mind to work. And after three days, he returned to the palace… empty-handed.

QUEEN: Farmer! You’re back! But I don’t see the cow I requested. Where might she be…?

FARMER: Well, Your Majesty. After three days of mulling it over, I have decided that if you wish to receive your cow of no color, then you must come to my house in the village and fetch it yourself.

QUEEN: Fetch it myself? 

NARRATOR: The queen shook her head.

QUEEN: Don’t you realize I have servants to do that sort of thing?

FARMER: I DO realize, Your Majesty. But I humbly request that you fetch it yourself. And when you do, you must follow some rules.

QUEEN: Rules?

FARMER: Yes! Rules! First: you must not come in the morning, and you must not come in the evening.

QUEEN: Not come in the morning, and not come in the evening…?

FARMER: You must not come at dawn, and you must not come at dusk.

QUEEN: Not come at dawn, and not come at dusk…?

FARMER: You must not come in the afternoon, and you must not come in the dead of night.

QUEEN: Not come in the afternoon, and not come in the dead of night…?

FARMER: In fact, if you wish to fetch your cow of no color… you must come at no time at all!

NARRATOR: The queen was dumbstruck. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t quite string together a sentence.

QUEEN: But I couldn’t… but you couldn’t… I don’t see how it’s possible to – (gets cut off)

NARRATOR: The farmer held up a finger.

FARMER: There’s no need to say anything, Your Majesty. After all, you know the old proverb: “The fool speaks, the wise man listens.”

NARRATOR: The farmer smiled and gave a low bow. Then he swept out the door, leaving the queen behind to mull over his words… and to ponder the lesson he had so quickly, easily, and wisely taught her… in no time at all.