The Seamstress and the Deev | Ep. 291

This episode is one of two recorded live with musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. in August 2025.

There’s an old proverb (or saying) from Afghanistan that goes: “A real friend is one who takes the hand of his friend in times of distress and helplessness.”

In other words, if you are truly friends with someone, your friendship goes way  beyond the good times. A real friend will stick with you when times get tough.

In today’s story, times get very tough for our main character. And the friend who helps her out doesn’t just give her his hand… he gives her his paw!

Our story is called “The Seamstress and the Deev.” It’s inspired by a folktale from the Central Asian country of Afghanistan. And if you’re wondering what a “deev” is, we’ll find out soon!

Providing musical accompaniment for this live episode at Tanglewood, under the direction of composer Eric Shimelonis, was a world-class ensemble from the BSO: Cathy Basrak on viola, Christopher Elchico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass, Suzanne Nelsen on bassoon, and Rachel Childers on horn.

Joining host Rebecca Sheir on stage was a star-studded cast of actors: Michael Bobbitt, Marielle Heller, Omar Offendum and Jorma Taccone.

Michael Bobbitt is a theater director, choreographer, playwright and Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council. His plays and musicals include “Make Way for Ducklings,” “Jumanji," “Caps for Sale," “Bob Marley's Three Little Birds," and “Mirandy and Brother Wind.”

Marielle Heller has directed such films as “The Diary Of A Teenage Girl” starring Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” starring Melissa McCarthy, and “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks. She co-starred on the hit TV series, “The Queen’s Gambit.”

Jorma Taccone is a writer, actor, director, musician and comedian much-adored by fans as part of the comedy trio, “The Lonely Island.” He's author of the children's book, “Little Fox and the Wild Imagination,” and you can hear him on “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast.”

Omar Offendum has performed the world over as a rapper and poet, from the Ford Amphitheater in Los Angeles to the FIFA World Cup festivities in Doha. His off-Broadway hit "Little Syria" explores life in America’s first Arab-American neighborhood.

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

If you could shapeshift into anything – and not get gobbled up by a talking cat – what would it be? Get some paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, draw a picture of yourself, as you currently are. On the other, draw a picture of whatever you’d like to shapeshift into. Let your imagination run wild, and when you’re done, show your picture to someone you love.

Then if you’d like, share it with us! Grown-ups, snap a photo of your Circle Round fan and their drawing and email it to circleround@wbur.org. We may feature you in an upcoming edition of the Circle Round newsletter!

Script:

NARRATOR: Amina the seamstress lived with her cat Mittens in a small village in the country. Amina had lived there all her life, and was eager to get out and see the world.

AMINA: Mittens! After all these years stitching and sewing clothing, I’ve managed to save a decent amount of money. How about we get away for a while?

MITTENS: (agreeing) Meow!

AMINA: And have ourselves an adventure?

MITTENS: (agreeing) Meow!

AMINA: By sailing across the sea!!!! 

MITTENS: (not so sure) Meow…?

AMINA: I know, I know. As a cat, you’re not a big fan of water. …But it’ll be fun! We’ll sail somewhere exotic and have a grand old time! (beat) You in?

MITTENS: (I’m IN!) Me-OW!

AMINA: That’s the spirit!

NARRATOR: So Amina and Mittens journeyed to the seaside. They found a big cargo ship, then paid the crew a couple of coins to hitch a ride.

It was smooth sailing out of the harbor. But once they reached open water, a storm blew in, and gusts of wind tossed the ship like a ping pong ball!

Amina stuffed Mittens into her apron and held on tight. Next thing she knew, it was morning… and she and Mittens were waking up on an empty beach.

AMINA: Mittens! We survived! We’re okay!

MITTENS: (‘Okay…?’) Meow…?

AMINA: Fine. So maybe “okay” is an over-statement. We’re absolutely drenched and there’s no sign of the cargo ship… to say nothing of our bags! … But at least we’re alive! You hungry?

MITTENS: (agreeing) Meow!

AMINA: Me too. How about we catch some fish…? Or dig up some clams…? (beat) In fact…

NARRATOR: Amina reached down and grabbed a large white shell.

AMINA: …this looks like a tasty clam right here!

NARRATOR: But when she pried the shell open, there was no ‘tasty clam’ inside.

Instead, there was a cloud of gray smoke! It came spiraling out of the opening… curling, twisting and swirling… before coalescing into…?

AMINA: (surprised/scared) …a DEEV!

MITTENS: (‘a deev?’) Meow?

NARRATOR: Amina thought back to the childhood stories she had read about the supernatural creatures known as “deevs.” Deevs possessed evil powers, and could shapeshift into any form. THIS deev was huge… and hairy… with horns on his head, tusks on his chin, and angry red eyes, which he fixed on Amina and Mittens.

DEEV: You detestable human! …And contemptible cat!

MITTENS: (‘excuse me?’) Meow-meow?

DEEV: How dare you rouse me from my slumber????? I have been sleeping inside this shell for one-thousand years! And I was hoping to sleep for a-thousand more!

NARRATOR: Amina suppressed a shudder.

AMINA: I am so sorry, deev! I only opened the shell because my cat and I were looking for food! Isn’t that right, Mittens?

MITTENS: (‘right!’) Meow!

AMINA: You see… the two of us got shipwrecked, and we were washed up on this beach, and we were terribly hungry so – (gets interrupted)

DEEV: (interrupting) Silence! I don’t care about your shipwreck and I don’t care about your hunger. You ruined my nap. And now you must pay. (beat) I think I’ll turn you both into stone! 

AMINA: Into stone???

MITTENS: (“into stone??”) Meow-meow-meow?

AMINA: Oh, please don’t do that, deev! I’ll give you anything! Anything you ask!

NARRATOR: The deev stroked his tusked chin.

DEEV: Ohhhh! So you’ll give me “anything,” will you…? (beat) In that case… I want your SOUL.

AMINA: Come again?

MITTENS: (“come again?”) Meow-meow-meow?

DEEV: Don't look so shocked. It's only your soul. You’ll get to keep living. But your life won’t be your own. You'll be forced to do my bidding. For the rest of your days!

NARRATOR: Amina searched her mind for a way out of this predicament. And that’s when she remembered something from her childhood tales: a deev could never take a soul by force. It must be given willingly. So she began improvising… a plan.

AMINA: (plotting) Alright, deev. You win. I will give you my soul.

MITTENS: (‘you’ll do what now?’) Meow-meow-meow…?

AMINA: …On one condition.

MITTENS: (relieved) Meow-meow-meow!

AMINA: (making it up as she goes) You must wait until the day that I… become… a QUEEN! (beat) Yes! A queen. It's either that, or you'll just have to turn me into stone. And what good am I to you as a stone? How could I ever do your bidding?

NARRATOR: Amina knew the chances of her becoming a queen were next to none. After all, she was a humble seamstress! Stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere! But the deev took the bait.

DEEV: It’s an interesting proposition… and I’ll accept it. You will give me your soul on the day you become a queen! And from then on, you will be forced to do everything I – (gets interrupted)

MITTENS: (seeing boat in the distance) Meow! Meow-meow-meow!

NARRATOR: Mitten jumped onto his hind legs and thrust a paw toward the sea. Amina looked where he was pointing, and that’s when she saw it. A sailboat! Heading their way!

Not wishing to frighten the crew, the deev used his powers to shapeshift into a little yellow bird. He hovered near Amina’s head and tweeted in her ear.

DEEV: (tweeting bird voice) Remember your promise, human! On the day you become a queen, you will give me your soul! And then… you will be MINE!

NARRATOR: The deev fluttered off just as the boat came ashore. The sailors helped Amina and Mittens climb on, then they set sail.

They docked at a sprawling harbor bustling with people. When Amina and Mittens disembarked, they noticed that all eyes were glued on a tall-masted ship in the port. At that moment, a man appeared on the ship’s deck, and the crowd let out a rousing cheer.

KING: (calling out to people no dock below) Thank you for the warm welcome! (beat) My good people. It is an honor to end my travels and return to this beautiful land! As your loving and devoted king, I am delighted to be back home!

NARRATOR: Amina’s jaw dropped. A king??? She had never seen a king before! Her wide eyes followed him as he marched down the gangplank and into a waiting carriage. But when he climbed inside, a small gold purse tumbled out of his pocket and landed on the ground.

AMINA: (gasp!) Oh no! The king dropped his purse! And no one seems to have noticed! Should we fetch it, Mittens? And give it back?

MITTENS: (agreeing) Meow!

NARRATOR: Amina pushed her way through the crowd. By the time she got to the purse and snatched it up, the carriage had rolled away.

AMINA: Well? We’ve got the purse! Now we just have to find a way to return it to the – (falls silent)

NARRATOR: Amina fell silent. For all at once, she spied one of the king’s guards – and he was galloping her way! When he saw the purse in her hands, he reached down, yanked the seamstress and her cat off the ground, and plopped them onto his saddle!

Next thing Amina knew, she and Mittens were at the palace… locked inside a narrow, stuffy cell in the dungeon.

AMINA: Oh Mittens! Can you believe it? That guard assumed we were stealing the king's purse! And now we’ve been arrested!

MITTENS: (sympathetic) Meow-meow-meow!

NARRATOR: Suddenly, there was a jingling of keys… and the door to the cell flew open. Another palace guard stepped in, motioning for Amina to follow him.

Scooping Mittens into her arms, she followed the guard out of the dungeon and through a maze of corridors. Eventually, they stepped into a large, cavernous room. On the far end… seated on a magnificent throne draped in velvet… was the King!

KING: So! YOU are the one who was arrested for stealing my purse!

NARRATOR: Amina gave a low, quivering bow.

AMINA: (nervous) I am, Your Majesty. My name is Amina.

MITTENS: (‘what about me?’) Meow…?

AMINA: …and this is Mittens.

MITTENS: (satisfied) Meow!

AMINA: …And I WAS arrested for stealing your purse. But the truth is… I SAVED it! I saw you drop it when you boarded your carriage. So I picked it up! So I could give it back! (beat) I hope Your Majesty believes me?

NARRATOR: Amina waited for the king’s response. She waited… and waited… until finally, he opened his mouth and –

[live theme music in]

NARRATOR: Oh! You know what that music means!.

We’ll find out what the king said… and what happens with the seamstress and the deev –

MITTENS: (indignant; ‘what about me?’) MEOW…?

NARRATOR: Oh! And Mittens too… after a quick break!

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: I’m Rebecca Sheir. Welcome back to Circle Round, live at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Today our story is called “The Seamstress and the Deev.”

Before the break, a menacing deev wanted to take Amina’s soul. The seamstress told him he could have it… on the day she became a queen. One thing led to another, and eventually Amina wound up in the palace dungeon, wrongfully accused of stealing the king’s purse.

When she pleaded her case… insisting that she was trying to SAVE the purse, not STEAL it… the king… smiled!

KING: I believe what you say, Amina! As it happens, a group of fishermen witnessed your heroic act at the harbor and rushed to the palace to tell me about it! Therefore, I am convinced of your innocence, and you may go free. (beat) Unless there’s something I can do for you first…? To make up for the trouble you’ve been through?

NARRATOR: Amina shook her head.

AMINA: That won’t be necessary, Your Majesty. I'm just thrilled to go free. If anything comes to mind, I’ll let you know.

NARRATOR: But just as she turned to leave…

DEEV: (menacing, mosquito-like whisper) Where do you think you’re going????

NARRATOR: Amina shifted her eyes. Buzzing beside her ear… was a mosquito!

But it wasn’t an actual mosquito! Do you know who it REALLY was?

[audience guesses]

NARRATOR: That’s right! It was the shapeshifting deev!

DEEV: (menacing mosquito-like whisper) Amina! You promised you would give me your soul on the day you became a queen! And how will you ever become a queen if you leave this palace? You may never meet this king again! You may never meet ANY king again!

NARRATOR: Amina sighed and turned back to the throne.

AMINA: Actually, Your Majesty… Now that I think of it… there is something you can do for me. You see, I need a job. I’m sure you have a talented team of seamstresses and tailors here in the palace. So I wonder… might I join their ranks? I have decades of experience, and I work harder and faster than anyone you’ve ever known!

NARRATOR: The king's face stretched into a grin.

KING: I would be honored to hire you, Amina! We shall find you and Mittens a room in the tailors’ and seamstresses’ quarters, and you’ll start work in the royal workshop first thing tomorrow!

NARRATOR: Amina quickly grew fond of her new job. After all, she got to handle sumptuous fabrics like silk, satin, and velvet… and she got to sew and stitch with priceless thread spun from silver and gold.

But it wasn’t just her job Amina adored. You see, after she was hired, the king kept finding reasons to drop by the shop. Sometimes, he had a button to fix…

KING: I don’t know why these pesky things keep popping off!

NARRATOR: Sometimes he had a garment to hem…

KING: I must be shrinking, because this robe keeps getting longer!

NARRATOR: Sometimes he had a tear to mend

KING: Somehow I ripped my trousers again! Clumsy me!

NARRATOR: …and though he had an entire staff at his disposal, he always went straight… to Amina.

KING: You’re the best of the best, Amina. I hope you don’t mind taking on another job?

NARRATOR: Amina didn’t mind at all. She enjoyed the tasks… and the company. The king sat with her while she worked, and they spent hours talking and laughing and joking. Before Amina knew it, the king professed his love… and asked her to marry him.

Amina’s heart fluttered with joy. But her head filled with dread. She had grown to love the king… but if she accepted his proposal, she would become a queen…! And would have to give her soul to the deev!

AMINA: Your Majesty! Before I answer your proposal, I need some time. To think things over.

KING: Of course you do! Take all the time you need. After all, becoming a queen is no small matter!

AMINA: You’ve got that right!

NARRATOR: Amina couldn't sleep a wink that night. Mittens was curled up at the foot of the bed, peacefully dozing away. But the seamstress was tossing and turning.

AMINA: Uch! I want to marry the king, but I don’t want to give the deev my soul! Nor do I want to be turned into stone! The very thought gives me the shivers!

MITTENS: Tell me about it!

NARRATOR: Amina froze.

AMINA: Um - who said that?

MITTENS: I did! (beat) You think I’m crazy about the idea of becoming a cat statue????

AMINA: A CAT statue…?????

NARRATOR: Amina stared straight ahead, and there was Mittens… sitting on his furry haunches… flicking his fluffy tail… and speaking!

MITTENS: I mean… don’t get me wrong, Amina! I would make a beautiful cat statue. Simply gorgeous! But still: not the way I want to spend eternity. Ya know?

NARRATOR: Amina’s jaw dropped so low it practically touched the bedsheets.

AMINA: Um, Mittens…? Are you actually TALKING???? All these years together, and I had no idea you could SPEAK!!!!

MITTENS: Oh, I’ve ALWAYS spoken! And you usually seemed to understand! Which is no small feat, given the legendary difficulty of “Meow-ese”! …Ya know: Cat Language…?

AMINA: (still in shock) Uh-huh…?

MITTENS: Thing is, given our current predicament, I need to make sure you understand every word I say. Because I have a plan, Amina. A brilliant plan that will make all your troubles go away. So listen up!

NARRATOR: Mittens nestled onto Amina’s lap and laid out his strategy. And the next morning, Amina hurried to the king’s chambers and threw herself into his arms.

AMINA: The answer is YES, my darling! Yes! I WILL marry you!

KING: You will? This is the best news ever! Let’s celebrate our engagement over breakfast! I’ll have the steward bring us some food!

AMINA: That sounds wonderful, dear. But I need to attend to something first. I’ll be with you shortly.

NARRATOR: Amina sprinted back to her room. Mittens was still snuggled up in bed. But he wasn’t alone. Hovering above him was the deev, in his original hulking, hairy form.

DEEV: So! It’s finally happening! You are going to become a queen! (beat) And when you do, your soul is MINE!

NARRATOR: The deev shot Amina a menacing look, expecting her to shudder. Instead, she shrugged.

AMINA: I don’t know, deev. All this talk about taking people’s souls… and turning them into stone… I mean, are you REALLY all that powerful?

NARRATOR: The deev placed his hairy hands on his hairy hips.

DEEV: Of course I’m “all that powerful”! I’m a deev! I have destroyed lives with my magic! I have turned countless people into stone! And… lest you forget… I also know how to SHAPESHIFT!

AMINA: Yeah… about that. I’ve seen you shape-shift a couple of times now. But only into little things, like a bird… a mosquito… Surely you can turn into something more impressive… right?

DEEV: “Something more impressive”??? I can shape-shift into anything under the sun! You name it, I can become it!

AMINA: (pretending to think) Okayyyy…

NARRATOR: Amina pretended to think.

AMINA: Then how about…  a sharp-fanged python?

NARRATOR: No sooner had she said those words than the deev was gone. In his place… was a long, scaly, sharp-fanged python!

DEEV: (hissss)

AMINA: Not bad! Bet you couldn’t do… a wild boar!

NARRATOR: Now the python disappeared… only to be replaced by a bristly wild boar!

DEEV: (boar grunt)

AMINA: An angry wolf?

DEEV: (wolf howl)

AMINA: A ferocious lion?

DEEV: (lion roar)

AMINA: A great big bear?

DEEV: (bear growl)

AMINA: Wow! Looks like I’ll have to think of something more challenging for you to shapeshift into! Something that’ll leave you stumped! (beat) (GASP!) Oh! I know! How about… a MOUSE???

NARRATOR: The great big bear shot Amina a “Seriously? Is that the best you can do?” look. Then he vanished… and in his place was a small white mouse, its whiskers wiggling and its ears twitching.

DEEV: (mouse squeak)

NARRATOR: Amina didn’t waste a second. She motioned toward Mittens, who immediately went leaping off the bed…

MITTENS: (springing) Meow!

NARRATOR: …pouncing onto the mouse…

MITTENS: (pouncing) Meow!

NARRATOR: …before swallowing it! Whole!

MITTENS: (gulp/swallow) (proudly) Meow!

NARRATOR: Amina let out a cry of joy. At last, the deev was gone and her nightmare was over. …Though Mittens’ indigestion was just beginning.

MITTENS: (BURP)NARRATOR: Later that year, Amina and the king were married. She made a truly wonderful queen, ruling her people with kindness, curiosity, and compassion. Ever the hard worker, Amina poured her soul into her job… and believe me: not once did she ever take that soul for granted!