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At First Light | Ep. 286
Have you ever woken up early enough to watch the sunrise?
It’s pretty magical, right? Watching those first glimmers of daylight as they start to peek out from the horizon?
Today’s tale is all about how the first sunrise came to be: way, way back in the earliest (and darkest and coldest!) of times.
Our story is called “At First Light.” It comes from the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia, who have lived on this continent between the Pacific and Indian Oceans for over 50,000 years.
Voices in this episode include Amy Brentano, Terrance LaMonte, Jr., Erika Rose and Natalie Dormer.
You grown-ups may know Natalie from such TV shows as “Game of Thrones,” “The Tudors” and “Elementary,” as well as “The Hunger Games” movies. Her new film, “Audrey’s Children,” tells the true story of Dr. Audrey Evans: the first female to head her department at the world-renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the co-founder of Ronald McDonald House. “Audrey’s Children” is in theaters now!
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!
You can work as a team artistically by doing a Scribble Swap!
- Find a partner and make sure you each have a piece of paper and something to draw with.
- Close your eyes and draw a scribble.
- Once you’re done, trade papers, look at your partner’s scribble, and use it to create a full picture. Think about what the scribble reminds you of. How might you add to it? Let your imagination run wild!
When you’re both finished, share your pictures with each other. And if you’d like, share them with us! Ask a grown-up to snap a photo of you and your Scribble Swaps and email it to circleround@wbur.org. With your permission, we may feature it in “The Lion's Roar,” the monthly newsletter of the Circle Round Club!
Musical Spotlight: Didgeridoo
Experts believe Aboriginal peoples in Australia played the first didgeridoos 40,000 years ago. Back then, they fashioned these wind instruments out of fallen eucalyptus branches that had been hollowed out by termites! Today, didgeridoo makers craft their instruments from eucalyptus, bamboo and agave.
Fun fact: the didgeridoo can be both a pitched and percussion instrument! You can blow into it to make tones and to create rhythm and keep time. You can hear Eric Shimelonis playing the didgeridoo in our earlier episode, “Little Frog’s Big Voice.”
Story Transcript:
NARRATOR: A long time ago… back when animals ruled the earth… the world was a dark place. A cold one, too.
The reason… was clouds!
The entire planet was covered with clouds. And unlike the clouds we know, which float in the air high above us, these clouds hung right above the ground. What’s more, they were dense and thick and solid… like a low, hard ceiling!
So the animals had to spend their days – or nights; it was hard to tell the difference – trapped in this thin layer of chilly darkness, shivering and figuring out ways to get around.
Nowadays, Kangaroo hops and springs from place to place, right? Well, back in those early times, the poor pouched marsupial had to crawl on all fours!
KANGAROO: Oh! What I wouldn’t give to jump! And bound! And leap! (GROAN/SIGH)
NARRATOR: The tall bird known as Emu couldn’t possibly extend her long, narrow neck. Instead she had to walk around all hunched over.
EMU: Oy - such a crick in my neck! And my back! If only I could stand up straight!
NARRATOR: And Koala! There was no way he could climb up and down eucalyptus trees… because in the darkness, he couldn’t see the trees!
KOALA: Hmmm… is this a tree?
KANGAROO: (as Koala bumps into her) Ow! No, Koala! It’s Kangaroo!
KOALA: Oh! …Is this a tree?
EMU: No! It’s Emu! Watch yourself, Koala!
KOALA: (sarcastic) Um, I’m sorry, but how can I “watch” ANYTHING when I can’t SEE anything?
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: (ad-lib chatty quibbling, quarreling)
NARRATOR: The animals were miserable. And the more miserable they became, the more they quarreled, their moods turning as dark and frosty as the earth itself.
The one creature who tried seeing the bright side, so to speak, was the black-and-white bird known as Magpie.
MAGPIE: Oh! How I dream of lifting off the ground and flying! But one flap of my pointy wings and I’ll bump against a cloud! There must be some way to bring light to the world – warmth, too! There must!
NARRATOR: So Magpie called all the animals together, to see what they could do.
MAGPIE: Thanks for accepting my invitation, friends! I would say I’m happy to SEE you… but given how dark it is, that’s pretty much impossible. (little laugh) (beat) Anyway… I’m glad you’re here.
KANGAROO: This better be worth it, Magpie. Emu stomped on my tail on the way over, and it won’t stop throbbing!
EMU: That’s because Koala smashed into me! And I lost my balance!
KOALA: I only smashed into you because (a) I couldn't SEE you, and (b) I was shivering so hard! Haven’t you noticed how dark and cold it is around here?
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: (ad-lib chatty quibbling, quarreling)
MAGPIE: (trying to quiet them down) Friends! Friends! PLEASE! (beat) Listen. I called us together because we can’t go on living like this. We need light! And heat! I believe it’s high time we take action, and chase the clouds away!
NARRATOR: Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala exchanged a skeptical look. At least, they WOULD have exchanged a skeptical look, were they able to see each other’s faces.
KANGAROO: “Chase the clouds away”...?
EMU: And just how are we supposed to do that, Magpie?
KOALA: Do you have any brilliant ideas?
MAGPIE: The truth is… I DON’T. But I’ll bet we could come up with some ideas as a group! All we have to do is put our heads together!
NARRATOR: There was a long pointed pause. And then…?
KANGAROO: No way, Magpie!
EMU: We’re too busy BANGING our heads together to brainstorm ideas!
KOALA: So you’re on your own.
KANGAROO: When it comes to finding a way to chase off those clouds…
EMU: …all of us are in the dark.
KOALA: And we always WILL be.
NARRATOR: To Magpie’s dismay, Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala turned around and stomped away in the murky gloom, stumbling and bumbling all the while.
KANGAROO: Ouch! Watch it!
EMU: No! YOU watch it!
KOALA: I told you! None of us can “watch” ANYTHING!
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: (ad-lib chatty quibbling, quarreling)
MAGPIE: (SIGH) Alright. Fine. If the other animals won’t help me, I’ll find an answer on my own. I’ll put on my thinking cap… I’ll mull it over… (dramatic) And, with any luck – it won't be long before I see the light!
NARRATOR: What ideas will Magpie come up with?
Do you have any suggestions for the black-and-white bird?
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 “At First Light.”
Before the break, Magpie was determined to bring light and warmth to the earth, by banishing the dark, solid clouds that hovered uncomfortably close above.
But when Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala refused to help her formulate a plan, Magpie knew she was on her own.
MAGPIE: Okay. Think, Magpie. Think!
NARRATOR: The black and white bird racked her brain for an idea…
MAGPIE: Hmmmmm… Huhhhh… Mmmmm…
NARRATOR: … but her mind felt empty.
MAGPIE: …Come to think of it, my STOMACH feels empty too! It’s time for a snack.
NARRATOR: She stuck out her beak and began pecking around in the darkness, hoping to find a spider, worm, or cockroach to gobble down.
MAGPIE: Come on, little critters! I know you’re here somewhere! …At least I HOPE you are…
NARRATOR: The hungry bird pecked and pecked – until she struck something!
MAGPIE: (as her beak strikes something hard) Oh!!!
NARRATOR: Only it wasn’t a spindly spider or squishy worm or crunchy cockroach. Instead, it was something long, and rough, and spiky. She couldn't see it, of course. But when she ran her wings over it, she immediately knew what it was.
MAGPIE: It’s a stick! A nice hefty stick. Must have snapped off a tree branch.
NARRATOR: Obviously the stick was no substitute for food. But all at once, it gave Magpie some precious food for thought.
MAGPIE: (GASP!) I’ve got it! I know how to chase the clouds away!
NARRATOR: Once again, she called the animals together. Once again, they came fumbling and bumbling over.
KANGAROO: Careful with that beak, Emu!
EMU: Koala knocked into me! AGAIN!
KOALA: Nuh-UH! YOU nearly ran me over!
NARRATOR: Once Magpie sensed the other animals were close by, she began the speech she had so carefully prepared.
MAGPIE: Thanks for joining me again, friends. I called us back together because I’ve been thinking. And at long last, I know how to chase the clouds away! (beat) But it’s going to take ALL OF US to do it. We’re going to have to work together.
KANGAROO: (not thrilled at the idea) “Work together”?
EMU: Not a chance, Magpie!
KOALA: We could NEVER work together.
MAGPIE: Well I beg to differ. And I can PROVE it.
KANGAROO: There’s no point in even trying, Magpie!
EMU: Kangaroo's right! All we do is bicker!
KOALA: And squabble!
KANGAROO: And quibble!
EMU: We’re constantly butting heads!
KOALA: Sometimes LITERALLY! Because of how we stumble through the darkness!
KANGAROO: (amused laugh) Ha! That’s a good one, Koala! And SO true.
EMU: TOTALLY true!
KOALA: Right? It’s absolutely ridiculous!
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: (ad-lib excitedly agreeing with each other about how dark and cold it is, what a bummer it is, etc.)
MAGPIE: (over the other animals’ voices) Okay, I hear you. But friends! FRIENDS!
Do you realize what happened just now? The three of you didn’t bicker! You didn’t squabble! You didn’t quibble or butt heads! (beat) You actually agreed on something!
KANGAROO: Waaaait….
EMU: We AGREED on something?
KOALA: Really?
MAGPIE: Really! You agreed on the fact that you never agree!
NARRATOR: Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala paused.
KANGAROO: Soooo… what you’re saying is… we CAN agree after all???
EMU: We don’t always have to butt heads???
KOALA: We can actually… get along???
MAGPIE: Absolutely! You just proved it to be true! (beat) So now…what do you say? Are you ready to work together? And bring light and warmth to the world?
NARRATOR: Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala knew that clever Magpie had them right where she wanted them. So what else could they do but, once again, agree?
KANGAROO: Count me in, Magpie!
EMU: Me too!
KOALA: Me three! (beat) What do we do first?
MAGPIE: First we make a big pile of WOOD. Branches, sticks, fallen tree limbs… the longer and stronger, the better.
NARRATOR: Kangaroo, Emu, and Koala did as they were told. They scurried through the darkness, feeling around for wood and tossing it into a pile.
MAGPIE: Great work, friends! Now that we have a nice big pile, each of us must hold as many pieces of wood as we can. Then we’ll use the sharp, pointy ends to PUSH UP!
KANGAROO: Push up?????
EMU: If we push the sticks up…
KOALA: …they’ll bump against the sky!
MAGPIE: Indeed they will! And that’s exactly what we want. So GO!
NARRATOR: The animals grabbed as much wood as they could. Then they began… to push.
KANGAROO: (ad-lib pushing efforting sounds)
EMU: (ad-lib pushing efforting sounds)
KOALA: (ad-lib pushing efforting sounds)
MAGPIE: (ad-lib pushing efforting sounds)
NARRATOR: They pushed…
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: / MAGPIE: (ad-lib pushing efforting sounds)
NARRATOR: And they pushed…
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: / MAGPIE: (ad-lib pushing efforting sounds)
NARRATOR: And after a little bit of time… and a whole lot of teamwork… do you know what happened?
The solid clouds… began to lift! Up they rose, higher and higher, until they were towering far above the earth!
KANGAROO: / EMU: / KOALA: / MAGPIE: (ad-lib cheering)
NARRATOR: For the time ever, the animals were free to move and roam. Kangaroo began to bound around… Emu extended her long, narrow neck… and Koala scurried up into the branches of a eucalyptus tree.
As for Magpie, she burst into song.
Her joyful warbling rang out loud and clear. SO loud and clear, in fact, that it woke up… the sun!
The golden orb began rising in the east, filling the sky with shimmering shades of yellow, orange and red… and finally, finally, beaming light and warmth to the earth below.
Ever since then… in certain parts of the world… it’s Magpie’s voice that ushers in the dawn. If you wake up early enough, and you step outside, you just might hear the clever bird sing out and awaken the sun, so we all can delight in a brand new day.
