The Underestimated Beetle | Ep. 307

Do you know what it means to “underestimate” someone?

It means you assume that they're less capable than they truly are. You sell them short, by not realizing their actual abilities, or intelligence or potential.

In today’s story, a larger animal underestimates a smaller one – in a rather high-flying way!

Our tale is called “The Underestimated Beetle.” It's inspired by tales from Brazil, the largest country in South America.

We recorded this episode before a live audience of excited kids and grown-ups at the Dale F. Halton Theater in Charlotte, NC. Joining host Rebecca Sheir on stage was a trio of local actors: Frank Dominguez, Caroline Ly and Phil Vavra. And playing live music on the cavaquinho (learn more about this Portuguese instrument below) was Eric Shimelonis.

This episode was adapted for Circle Round by Rebecca Sheir. It was edited by Amory Sivertson. 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 were an animal wearing the coat (or shell) of your dreams, what would you look like?

Find some paper, and plenty of things to color with, then draw a picture showing your spectacular coat.

Share it with someone you love, then share it with us! With your permission, we may feature it in your monthly Circle Round newsletter, “The Lion’s Roar”! Grown-ups: please snap a photo of your Circle Round fan and their drawing and email it to circleround@wbur.org.

Musical Spotlight: Cavaquinho

The small classical guitar known as the cavaquinho originated in Portugal. Thanks to this four-stringed instrument’s compact size and ease of playing, sailors and other globetrotters wound up carrying it around the world, from Madeira, the Azores, and the Cape Verde Islands to Hawaii (where it evolved into the ukulele!).

When the cavaquinho reached Brazil, it became an important part of local music, especially the Choro and Samba. Like any guitar-type instrument, you can play the cavaquinho with a pick/plectrum or your fingers. Fun fact: the name “cavaquinho” means “little wood splinter” in Portuguese!

You can also hear the cavaquino in our episode, “The Glittering Gourd.”

Script:

NARRATOR: Visit the lush rainforests of Brazil, and you may see a rather distinctive insect known as the Imperial Tortoise Beetle. 

Now, all beetles have a hard, protective shell, right? And the Imperial Tortoise Beetle’s shell – (gets interrupted)

BEETLE: (stage-whisper) Exoskeleton!

NARRATOR: What was that?

BEETLE: (regular voice) My shell is actually called an exoskeleton. 

NARRATOR: Riiight! Thank you, Imperial Tortoise Beetle.

BEETLE: You can just call me “Beetle.” (beat) (sheepish) Did I enter the story too early?

NARRATOR: No! We were just getting to the part about what makes you so distinctive. You know: (simultaneous with below) …Your SHELL?

BEETLE: (simultaneous with above) …My EXOSKELETON?

NARRATOR: Right! Exoskeleton. It’s really quite the sight! All shimmering gold and emerald green and sapphire blue? So bright and sparkly it looks like a precious jewel?

BEETLE: Yeeeess… But it didn’t always look this way.

NARRATOR: And that’s the tale we’re about to tell. (beat) Are you ready?

BEETLE: To tell the tale of my exoskeleton? I’m ALWAYS ready to tell the tale of my exoskeleton! (beat) Though – now that I think of it – “exo-skeleton” doesn’t exactly roll off the hypopharynx.

NARRATOR: Roll off the what?

BEETLE: The tongue! An insect’s tongue is called a “hypopharynx.”

NARRATOR: Oh!

BEETLE: So, since “exoskeleton” is kind of unwieldy, let’s just say “shell.”

NARRATOR: Works for me! (beat) So. Long, long ago… back when the world was ruled by animals… Beetle’s shell was brown.

Dull, drab brown.

Beetle didn’t mind her plain hue. Yet every now and again, she would look at the other animals in the rainforest and feel a sense… of yearning.

BEETLE: (yearning) Oh! If only I had bright colors like Toucan! With her orange and yellow beak! …Or Scarlet Macaw! With feathers as red as the sun! …And while Poison-Dart Frog may be extremely, well, poisonous… his bright blue spots are incredible!

NARRATOR: The animal whose colors Beetle admired most… was Parrot.

BEETLE: Could Parrot’s plumage be any more stunning? His feathers are shimmering gold! And emerald green! And sapphire blue! So bright and sparkly they look like precious jewels! (SIGH!) But why yearn for something I’ll never have?

NARRATOR: One day, Beetle decided to explore a new part of the rainforest. She was crawling beside a winding stream, heading toward a great big Brazil nut tree, when all of a sudden…

AGOUTI: (rude, snide) Well well well! What do we have HERE?

NARRATOR: Beetle looked up. Crouched beneath the tree, cracking brazil nuts with a mouthful of sharp teeth, was an animal she had never seen before. He was brown and furry… with long whiskers, thin legs, and a prominent rump. He looked to be some sort of rodent – like a cross between a squirrel and a guinea pig.

AGOUTI: I’ve gotta say: I’ve never seen anything like you, little one! When I spied you inching this way – and I DO mean “inching” – you were crawling so SLOWLY I thought you were Snail! But Snail is a sprinter compared with YOU! (laugh) If he challenged you to a race, you would be eating his dust! (laugh) Or his trail of SLIME! (laugh)

BEETLE: Mucus!

AGOUTI: What???

BEETLE: That “SLIME” is called “MUCUS”! A complex, watery gel made of proteins and mucopolysaccharides!

AGOUTI: Made of WHAT???

BEETLE: Never mind. (beat) Look. My name is Beetle. I don’t usually visit this part of the forest. And for your information, I’m not that slow. I move quickly enough!

AGOUTI: (skeptical, snide) DO you though? I mean, I know we just met. But something tells me that when you started your journey to this part of the forest, this Brazil nut tree was still a sapling! (laugh) If not a SEED! (laugh)

NARRATOR: Beetle cringed. Thanks to this rude rodent, her blood was beginning to boil!

BEETLE: (stage-whisper) Hemolymph!

NARRATOR: (stage-whisper) What?

BEETLE: (stage-whisper) Beetles don’t have BLOOD! We have HEMOLYMPH!

NARRATOR: (stage-whisper) Oh! Okay! (regular voice) …her HEMOLYMPH was beginning to boil!

BEETLE: Look, mister. I have had it with your insults! Who are you anyway?

NARRATOR: The rodent puffed out his furry chest.

AGOUTI: Agouti is my name… and speed is my game. (beat) Don’t let my appearance fool you. I may have skinny legs and a plump rump… but I can run faster than a rabbit!

NARRATOR: Beetle began to wonder which was greater: Agouti's speed, or his smugness!

BEETLE: You may be fast, Agouti. But if I need to get somewhere quickly, I always find a way!

AGOUTI: (laugh) “Get somewhere quickly”???? YOU???

BEETLE: Yes! I can move fast if I have to!

AGOUTI: (not believing her) Really? Okay. Then how about you prove it? And put your money where your mouth is?

BEETLE: You mean my mandibles, maxillae, labium and labrum? 

AGOUTI: Your WHATCHA WHAT??

BEETLE: I don't actually have a MOUTH. As an insect, I have mandibles, maxillae, a labium, and a labrum!

AGOUTI: Whatever! (beat) The point is, I challenge YOU… to a RACE! Through the rainforest!

NARRATOR: Beetle blinked her eyes.

BEETLE: You want ME…? To race YOU…?

AGOUTI: (like, “duh”!) Uhhhh, yeah! (beat) That is, unless you’re too SCARED! (condescending) Do you have butterflies in your tummy?

BEETLE: ABDOMEN!

AGOUTI: What?

BEETLE: My “tummy” is called an “abdomen.” And no, I’m not scared!

AGOUTI: Great! Then let’s talk about prizes! The winner of the race has GOT to receive a prize!

PARROT: Is that so…?

NARRATOR: Agouti and Beetle glanced up. And there… fluttering down from the top of the brazil nut tree… was Parrot! The dappled light streaming through the branches made his gold, green and blue feathers sparkle.

PARROT: I believe I heard that you two are holding a RACE!

AGOUTI: You bet we are, Parrot!

BEETLE: Agouti wants to see which one of us is faster.

AGOUTI: Oh I KNOW which one of us is faster! I just want to watch you chew on my fumes! With your mannequins, maximums, laboratories and libraries!

BEETLE: You mean my mandibles, maxillae, labium and labrum? [MAN-dib-lz, mack-SILL-ee, LAY-bee-um and LAB-rum?]

AGOUTI: Whatever!

PARROT: Well… if you two really are holding a race, then Agouti is right. The winner should receive a prize. And I would like to offer one.

BEETLE: (humble) That isn’t necessary, Parrot!

AGOUTI: Oh yes it IS! Tell us about the prize! I bet it’s a really fancy item!

NARRATOR: Parrot cocked his head.

PARROT: The prize isn’t so much an ITEM… as a choice!

BEETLE: / AGOUTI: A choice????

PARROT: Yes! Whoever wins the race shall get to make a CHOICE. A very special choice. (dramatic) And once you make it, trust me: things will never look the same!

NARRATOR: What choice will Parrot offer the winner? And who will that winner be?

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

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: I’m Rebecca Sheir. Welcome back to Circle Round, live at the Dale F. Halton Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina! Today our story is called “The Underestimated Beetle.”

Before the break, quick and agile Agouti made the acquaintance of little brown Beetle.

Seeing how slowly Beetle crawled, the speedy rodent challenged the insect to a race. Parrot overheard the conversation, and offered the winner a prize.

PARROT: Whoever reaches the finish line first may choose a new coat! Of any color! Tell me what you wish, and I’ll have it made to order!

NARRATOR: Agouti’s whiskered face lit up.

AGOUTI: What a cool prize! I love how fast I am, but I’ve never been a fan of my coat. It’s all brown! And boring! I want a coat like Jaguar’s, with its yellow fur and black spots!

BEETLE: I don’t mind being plain brown. But I do like the idea of a bright, beautiful coat! Or shell…

NARRATOR: Parrot stuck out his beak, and marked a line in the dirt.

PARROT: This is the starting line! Right here in front of the Brazil nut tree. When I say GO, the two of you shall take off from this line and race through the forest! You shall follow the winding stream until it empties into the river! And whoever reaches that spot first is the winner!

NARRATOR: Beetle and Agouti got into position. Parrot stretched his gold, green and blue wings out to either side.

PARROT: Alright, racers! (beat) On your mark…? Get set…? GO!

NARRATOR: The moment Parrot brought his wings down, Agouti took off like a shot.

AGOUTI: Woohoo! Here I go!

NARRATOR: The round-rumped, fleet-footed rodent ran faster than he ever had before. He blazed past glossy-leafed mahogany trees...

AGOUTI: (as he goes) I’m blazing! I’m blazing!

NARRATOR: …and bolted through thickets of ferns..

AGOUTI: (as he goes) I'm bolting! I’m bolting!

NARRATOR: He hurtled over moss-covered rocks…

AGOUTI: (as he goes) I’m hurtling! I’m hurtling!

NARRATOR: …and hustled under clinging vines.

AGOUTI: (as he goes) I’m husting! I’m hustling!

NARRATOR: The terrain was tough – and his feet were burning – but Agouti was determined to walk away with that brand new coat.

AGOUTI: (heavy breathing, as he runs) Don’t you mean RUN away? Check out this speed!

NARRATOR: At last, Agouti came to the place where the stream met the river… and where Parrot was waiting.

PARROT: Welcome to the finish line, Agouti!

BEETLE: Yes! WELCOME!

NARRATOR: Agouti’s mouth dropped open. Because Parrot was not alone! Standing by his side… was Beetle!

AGOUTI: What is going on here? How did you manage to BEAT me, Beetle? I ran that race like my rump was on fire!

BEETLE: I know you did! …But that’s the thing. I DIDN’T run!

AGOUTI: Well you didn't exactly crawl if you finished the race before I did!

BEETLE: I didn’t CRAWL either! Instead… I used… THESE!

NARRATOR: She gave her brown body a wiggle. And just like that, out from her sides popped two tiny wings.

BEETLE: Nobody ever said anything about having to run the race, Agouti. So I flew!

NARRATOR: She beat her wings and lifted into the air. Agouti’s eyes went wide as saucers.

AGOUTI: You can fly????? I didn't know you could fly!!!!!

BEETLE: There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Agouti! (beat) Isn't that right, Parrot?

PARROT: It sure is! (beat) Agouti! When you saw this little creature crawling around, you made a big assumption! You assumed she was slow. You assumed she would be eating Snail’s dust.

BEETLE: Or mucus!

PARROT: The point is, you judged her only by what you observed in that moment! Therefore, you underestimated her!

AGOUTI: I UNDER-what-a-what?

NARRATOR: We explained it at the start of the story. It means you assumed that she was less capable than she truly is!

PARROT: Exactly! (beat) But here’s the thing, Agouti. If you take the time to get to know someone, you’ll learn what they’re REALLY like. You’ll learn about their abilities! Their assets! The things that make them tick… or FLY! (beat) If you don’t take that time, you’re just judging a book by its cover. …And now? Beetle’s cover is about to look a whole lot different!

NARRATOR: Parrot gazed over at Beetle.

PARROT: Tell me, Beetle. What kind of coat – or shell – would you like?

BEETLE: In truth? I’d like to look like YOU, Parrot! All shimmering gold and emerald green and sapphire blue! So bright and sparkly I look like a jewel!

PARROT: Very well. Consider your wish granted! (beat) And Agouti…? (beat) Consider your lesson learned.

NARRATOR: Agouti hung his head and skulked away, vowing never to jump to conclusions again.

As for Beetle… she FLEW away, proudly displaying her brand new prize.

And ever since, the Imperial Tortoise Beetles of the Brazilian rainforest have been gold and green and blue… so bright and sparkly they look like a jewel.

It's all thanks to an eensy-weensy underestimated insect who soared to victory.