True Colors | Ep. 293

Do you know what it means to “show your true colors”?

Showing your true colors means showing your true character: what you’re really like way deep down.

We’re about to meet a mean-hearted animal who shows his true colors. And as a result, his outside winds up matching his inside!

Our story this week is called “True Colors.” It’s inspired by tales told among indigenous groups in central, eastern and southern Africa, including the Bantu, Zulu and Tumbuka.

Voices in this episode include: Joe Hernandez, Kiran Kumar, Erika Rose, Mike Smith and Dawn Ursula, along with real-life couple Heather Burns and Ajay Naidu.

Ajay Naidu has appeared in countless theater productions, TV shows and movies, including the cult film “Office Space,” where he starred as Samir. Heather Burns has appeared in such movies as “Manchester by the Sea,” the “Miss Congeniality” films, “You've Got Mail” and “Two Weeks Notice” as well as the TV series “Bored to Death.” She has appeared in numerous plays in New York and London, and recently starred opposite Adam Driver in “Hold Onto Me Darling” at the Lucille Lortel Theater.

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

Imagine yourself as your favorite animal. If your feathers, fur, scales, hide or hair could be any color – or colors – what would you choose?

Find some paper and draw a picture showing your true colors. Let your imagination run wild.

When you’re finished, share your drawing with us! Grown-ups: snap a photo of your Circle Round fan and their artwork and email it to circleround@wbur.org. With your permission, we may feature you in an upcoming edition of the Circle Round newsletter!

Musical Spotlight: Mbira

Traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe, the mbira is a type of lamellophone: a musical instrument that produces sound by plucking thin, flexible metal tongues (“lamellae”) attached to a soundboard or resonator. The lamellae are all different sizes and play different notes.

Experts say the mbira dates back 3,000 years. However, in those early days the lamellae weren’t made of metal, but rather wood or bamboo.

As with the more modern mbira variant known as the kalimba (which you’ll hear in our episodes, “She Tells Seashells,” “The Young Healer” and “Sweet and Sour”), you hold the mbira’s board in your hands, then you pluck the metal lamellae with your thumbs. That’s why the western world often refers to the mbira as the “thumb piano”!

To learn more about the mbira, you can hear composer Eric Shimelonis talk about it in “What Am I Hearing?," our special music episode of Circle Round!

Script:

NARRATOR: Way back in the early times… when animals first appeared on the grassy plains known as the savanna… they were all the same color. Their hair, hides, scales, feathers and fur were all a dull, drab shade… of brown.

But there was one animal who looked different. And that animal… was Tortoise.

Granted, at first her leathery skin and thick shell were as brown as dried mud. But Tortoise was a creative sort. And one day, she got a creative idea. Using brushes made from tree bark and dried grass, and paints made from roots, leaves and berries, she set to work turning her body… into a canvas.

TORTOISE: (as she paints herself) Let’s see… I’ll use this brush to dab a little yellow over here… I’ll use this brush to add some black and cream over there… Oh! And what if I paint some shapes? And patterns! Yessss!

NARRATOR: When she was done, she shuffled to a nearby water hole and gazed at her reflection.

TORTOISE: Wow! Not too shabby for my first artistic effort! My skin is a creamy shade of gold. And the spots, dashes and streaks on my shell look really cool! I wonder if I should add just one more stripe to the – (gets interrupted)

HYENA: (taunting, bully-like) Hello there, SLOWPOKE!

NARRATOR: Tortoise turned her head and there was Hyena: the savanna’s most notorious troublemaker. The bushy-tailed rascal was always tricking the other animals and mocking them with his legendary laugh.

HYENA: (laughing) So! How’s it going, Tortoise? Other than SLOWLY, of course…! (laughter) I tell ya: if you moved any slower, you’d be going backwards! (laughter) In fact, you’re so slow even the snails tell you to hurry up! (laughter)

TORTOISE: (sarcastic) That’s very funny, Hyena. Such a quick wit you have.

HYENA: I DO have a quick wit, don’t I! Unlike YOU! You’re so slow, you don’t have a quick ANYTHING! (laughter)

TORTOISE: (sarcastic) Ha. Ha. Very clever.

HYENA: Thanks. And hey: nice colors on your shell and skin! Did you paint them yourself?

TORTOISE: Actually… I did!

HYENA: Cool! …Then that gives me an idea!

NARRATOR: Quick as a wink, Hyena grabbed Tortoise, lifted her up, and stuck her between the branches of an acacia tree! The thick, gnarled limbs were so close together that Tortoise was wedged in tight.

TORTOISE: (interspersed with efforting sounds as she tries to free herself) Hyena! Please get me out of this tree! I can’t move! I’m stuck!

HYENA: So it seems! But hey! You’re a painter, right?

TORTOISE: (interspersed with efforting sounds as she tries to free herself) Yes…?

HYENA: Well… now that you’ve gotten yourself into a tricky situation with no easy exit, I guess you could say that you’ve painted yourself into a corner! (laughing) Get it? (laughing) See you around, slowpoke! (barking/laughing)

TORTOISE: Wait! Hyena! Hyena…? (beat) Uch. He’s gone. How am I going to get down? (calling out) Hello??? Can somebody help me? Please? I’m trapped in a tree!

NARRATOR: As Tortoise writhed and wriggled, squirmed and squiggled, Leopard wandered past, and brought his sinewy brown body to a halt.

LEOPARD: Tortoise? What are you doing up there? What happened to you?

TORTOISE: HYENA happened to me! He stuck me up here as a joke. Too bad he was the only one laughing.

LEOPARD: Typical hyena. That scoundrel is a bad lot. With a bad sense of humor. (beat) Here! Let me help you!

NARRATOR: Leopard clambered up the trunk and used his powerful paws to pull Tortoise free from the branches.

TORTOISE: Whew! Thank you, Leopard! I thought I’d be lodged in that tree forever! (beat) How can I repay your kindness?

LEOPARD: Oh! There’s no need to repay me for any –

NARRATOR: Leopard paused and cocked his brown head.

LEOPARD: Tortoise? Your skin! And your shell! I didn’t notice when you were up in the tree, but they’re no longer a dull, drab brown! Like the rest of us animals! They’re colorful! And patterned! They’re… magnificent!

TORTOISE: Thank you, Leopard! I painted them myself! (beat) And actually… if you’d like… I could paint YOU, too!

LEOPARD: Me?

TORTOISE: Yes! I could use my paints to decorate your fur! Give it something special!

LEOPARD: Well… if you really mean it… then yes! Please! Work your magic!

NARRATOR: Tortoise fetched her art supplies and got to work coating Leopard’s brown body with yellow, gold, and orange paint. Then she gave him a smattering of black, rose-shaped speckles, from the top of his head to the tip of his tail.

LEOPARD: Wow! Look at these colors! And look at these spots!

TORTOISE: I call them “rosettes,” since they’re shaped like little roses! I thought they would be a fun touch.

LEOPARD: They are! They're wonderful! Thank you, Tortoise!

TORTOISE: It's the least I can do. After all, you saved my life. (beat) Now go! Wear your colors with pride!

NARRATOR: Tortoise was cleaning up her brushes and paints when another animal came walking over. It was Zebra, with her tufted brown tail swishing behind her and her spiky brown mane standing on end.

ZEBRA: Hiya, Tortoise! I just ran into Leopard and I HAD to ask him about that glorious new coat of his. He said YOU made it for him!

TORTOISE: I did! (bashful/humble) I guess I’m becoming a bit of an artist…

ZEBRA: “A BIT of an artist”...? That’s an understatement. You’re really good, Tortoise! (beat) Say…

NARRATOR: Zebra tilted her brown head.

ZEBRA: …any chance you’d give ME a new coat, too?

TORTOISE: It would be my honor, Zebra! And I know JUST what kind of coat to give you!

NARRATOR: Tortoise uncovered her black and white paints and began streaking Zebra’s body… with stripes. She used more of the black paint to tint Zebra’s mane and hooves.

ZEBRA: (gasp!) Look at me! With these gorgeous stripes and my black mane and hooves, I am a sight to behold! Thank you, Tortoise! (beat) How can I repay you?

TORTOISE: There’s no need for that. Your kindness and praise are payment enough!

ZEBRA: Well if you don’t mind, I am going to tell all the other animals about your spectacular skills. We all want to stand out in our own way. And with your help, now we can!

NARRATOR: Thanks to Zebra, in no time at all one plain brown animal after another came flocking to Tortoise, in hopes of receiving their own colors, patterns, and designs.

Little did they know, but their painting party would be interrupted by an unwelcome guest: a malicious, mischievous scamp whose true colors were about to be revealed!

Who do you think will come and crash the painting party?

We’ll find out who it is – and what happens next – after a quick break.

[BREAK]

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

Before the break, Hyena stranded Tortoise in the crook of a tree. When Leopard came along and freed her, she thanked him by painting his plain brown coat with beautiful colors and rosettes.

Once the other animals caught wind of Tortoise’s artistic talents, the dull brown critters were excited – and grateful – to receive makeovers of their own.

GIRAFFE: Thanks for these cool spots and patches, Tortoise! I can’t believe you managed to paint them all the way up my long neck!

TORTOISE: You’re welcome, Giraffe. It wasn’t easy, but it was my pleasure.

GUINEAFOWL: I am loving these dark gray feathers with these tiny white speckles! And my blue face looks so sharp! Thank you, Tortoise!

TORTOISE: You’re welcome, Guineafowl. If you’re happy, I’m happy.

PYTHON: I had no idea I would look sssssso ssssuperb in yellow and green, Tortoisssse! And I can’t thank you enough for the dark zigzagssss on my back! They’re sssssplendid!

TORTOISE: You’re welcome, Python. It’s great to have another satisfied customer!

NARRATOR: On and on it went, with animal after animal oohing and ahhing over their new colors. Until…

HYENA: What’s shakin’, folks?

NARRATOR: Everyone froze… and stared at Hyena.

HYENA: So! Are you dullards holding the world’s most boring party? No wonder I wasn't invited! After all, I’m a barrel of laughs! (laughing) (beat) (sobering up) Wait a minute.

NARRATOR: He scrunched up his round black eyes.

HYENA: Why does everybody look so… different? I mean, Giraffe has spots and patches now? Guineafowl is dark grey with white speckles? Python is yellow and green?

PYTHON: With zigzagsssss on my back! Aren’t they ssssnazzy?

HYENA: Honestly? They’re a little showy and tacky for my taste. But they suit you.

PYTHON: (annoyed) Thankssssss.

HYENA: Listen, you chuckleheads! I want spiffy colors too! Where’d you get them?

NARRATOR: There was a long pointed pause. And then…?

TORTOISE: They got them from ME!

NARRATOR: Hyena leveled his gaze… on Tortoise.

HYENA: Well well well! If it isn’t our little artiste! How long did it take you to paint each of these animals, SLOWPOKE? A hundred years? (beat) And how did you manage to get out of that acacia tree? I was hoping you’d be STUCK up there for a hundred years! (laugh)

TORTOISE: I got help from a friend, Hyena. Not that you would know what a friend is, given how mean you are to everyone.

HYENA: Listen, slowpoke. Give me my own colors, or I’ll put you back in that tree – and I’ll make sure you never come down!

GIRAFFE: How dare you threaten her, Hyena!

GUINEAFOWL: Tortoise has been nothing but kind and generous…

PYTHON: …to all of usssssss!

TORTOISE: Thanks, friends… but I can handle this myself.

NARRATOR: Tortoise took a breath and stared straight at Hyena.

TORTOISE: Alright, Hyena. You want your own colors? I’ll give you your own colors. I’ll paint you a one-of-a-kind coat that will show off your unique personality, your distinctive character!

HYENA: I like the sound of that!

TORTOISE: Good! Please have a seat… and close your eyes. These colors are going to be so very special, I want them to be a surprise.

NARRATOR: Now, as you can imagine, Tortoise had painted all of the other animals with focus and concentration, carefully applying one color here, another color there.

With Hyena, however, all of that care and concentration went out the window! Instead, Tortoise's paintbrush slopped and splashed as she smeared color after color on his coat. Yellow, gray, black, white… she spattered and splattered, sploshed and smudged, until finally…

TORTOISE: Okay! You can look now!

NARRATOR: Hyena opened his eyes and bounded to a water hole. But the moment he saw his reflection…

HYENA: Aggggghhhh! What have you done, Tortoise? My fur! It’s all blotted and blotchy and smeared! It looks like I’ve been rolling around in mud and pebbles and filth! I’m a mess!

TORTOISE: Well, Hyena… I did say I would paint you a coat that showed off your unique personality and distinctive character. And since your personality and character are so unpleasant and unseemly… I gave you a coat that’s unsightly! One that shows off your true colors!

NARRATOR: Hyena didn’t say a word. He took one more glance at his sloppy, slapdash coat, then slunk away… with his bushy, blotchy tail between his legs.

That was the last time Hyena appeared in the light of day. From then on, he became nocturnal: only coming out in the dark of night, so he wouldn’t have to show his coat, or his character, to the world.