Over the Sea | Ep. 311

Think about the place you call home.

What does your home look like? What does it feel like? Is it comfy and cozy? Welcoming and warm?

We’re about to meet some animals whose home is none of those things. So they decide to settle someplace new. Little do they know, but they’ll have a whale of a time getting there!

Our story is called “Over the Sea.” 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: Feodor Chin, Susannah Mars, Jessica Rau, and Tatyana Ali.

Tatyana Ali is an actress, singer and producer who’s appeared in many films and TV series, including "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Abbott Elementary.” As part of Scholastic’s Rising Voices series, Tatyana has written a new children’s book titled "Aszi and the Octopus." She also has a line of handmade baby quilts called Baby Yams. 100% of the proceeds go to Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas. You can also hear Tatyana’s one-of-a-kind voice in our episode, “Top Banana”!

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

Think about a time you helped a friend or family member solve a problem. Maybe you offered helpful advice or lent a hand when something broke around the house.

Draw a picture of how you helped someone get out of a bind. Then draw a picture of how you – and they – felt afterwards.

Helping and being helped can feel amazing. And as Starfish showed us, we all can be helpers – no matter how big or small we happen to be!

Grown-ups: email a photo of your Circle Round fan and their drawings to circleround@wbur.org. With your permission, we may feature you in your Circle Round newsletter, “The Lion’s Roar”!

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 episodes, "Tiddalick Drinks Up," “At First Light” and “Little Frog’s Big Voice.”

NARRATOR: Long ago… in the world’s earliest days… the animals that you’ll find in what we now call Australia lived somewhere else entirely.

Koala, Kangaroo, Platypus, and all the rest resided in a distant land across the sea. It was a flat, windblown place… desolate and barren. So it wasn’t exactly home sweet home.

Then, one day, Eagle came gliding down from the sky with an announcement.

EAGLE: Listen up, everyone! Today I flew far, far across the sea – farther than I’ve ever flown before. And guess what? I found us a new home! And it’s AMAZING!

KOALA: What does it look like, Eagle?

EAGLE: It’s BEAUTIFUL, Koala! It has grassy plains and dazzling beaches! Red deserts and lush rainforests! It also has majestic mountains, winding rivers, and the most crystal-clear lakes you ever did see!

KANGAROO: So… if we moved to this new land… there would be plenty of food for us to eat?

EAGLE: Gobs of it, Kangaroo! This land is as fertile as can be!

PLATYPUS: But… how do we GET there?

EAGLE: Well, Platypus… THAT’s where we’re in a bit of a pickle. This land is very far across the sea. If we all wish to travel together, I have no idea how we’ll make the trip!

NARRATOR: There was a moment of silence as the animals pondered this dilemma. Until…

STARFISH: How about… we float???

NARRATOR: All eyes turned… to Starfish. Back when our story takes place, the arms radiating from Starfish’s body were straight and smooth – not curved and bumpy like they are today – and she wiggled all of them with excitement.

STARFISH: We could cross the sea in a canoe! And you know who has a big bark canoe that could fit all of us inside it, right? (beat) WHALE!

NARRATOR: The animals traded an uneasy glance. They all knew about Whale’s legendary canoe. They also knew about Whale’s legendary selfishness. The big, bossy sea creature never shared anything with anyone!

EAGLE: Uhhh… we appreciate the suggestion, Starfish…

KOALA: … But you know how stingy Whale is!

KANGAROO: He’s the most tight-fisted among us! … Not that he technically HAS fists…

PLATYPUS: Not once has he EVER let that canoe out of his sight! He would never lend it to us!

STARFISH: But it wouldn’t hurt to ask, would it? I’ll simply say that all of us animals are moving to a new land across the sea, so could he please lend us his canoe! He may very well be into it!

NARRATOR: Unfortunately, when Starfish went and made her proposal…

STARFISH: Good day Whale! All of us animals are moving to a new land across the sea, so could you please lend us your canoe?

NARRATOR: …Whale was NOT “into it.”

WHALE: Not a chance, Starfish! Nuh-uh! No way!

NARRATOR: Whale gave his head a shake. Back in those early days, his head was smooth and flat, with no blowhole on top. But it was every bit as gigantic, so when he shook it from side to side, he nearly caused a tidal wave!

WHALE: My canoe is my treasure! My jewel! My pride and joy! Just look at her!

NARRATOR: He motioned toward a sleek vessel tethered to a jagged rock near the shore. The canoe was crafted from a long sheet of bark folded and tied at the ends with rope.

WHALE: Isn’t she a beaut? I would never let you borrow her, Starfish. NEVER.

STARFISH: Never EVER?

WHALE: Never ever EVER!

STARFISH: Never ever ever EVER?

WHALE: Never ever ever ever… EVER! Now leave me alone before I lose count of evers!

NARRATOR: Starfish knew she couldn’t win this debate. So she turned and shuffled away, her many arms slumped in defeat.

STARFISH: Well! That was a whale of a rejection. (beat) The other animals were right: Whale is too selfish to share with us. But I would give my right arm to use that canoe of his! …And my upper right arm! …And my left arm! …And my upper left arm! Crikey! I would give ALL my arms! (GASP) That’s it!

NARRATOR: Starfish gave her arms a flex.

STARFISH: Whale may be up in arms about sharing his canoe. But I have a plan. And if it works, I’ll get my hands on that canoe… using MY ARMS!

NARRATOR: What is Starfish planning? What might YOU plan if YOU were Starfish?

We’ll hear what happens, after a quick break.

[BREAK]

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

Before the break, the animals were desperate to leave their cold, barren country and move to a new land across the sea. When Starfish asked Whale if she and her friends could borrow his canoe for the trip, the super-sized – and super-selfish – sea creature said no.

So Starfish cooked up a Plan B. She gathered Eagle, Koala, Kangaroo and Platypus together and laid out her plot.

STARFISH: You were right, everybody. Asking Whale for his canoe got me nowhere. (beat) That’s why YOU… are going to TAKE it!

NARRATOR: The animals' beaks, jaws and bills dropped open.

EAGLE: Starfish! How are we supposed to take Whale’s canoe when he never lets it out of his sight?

KOALA: Eagle’s right! He’s always guarding over it!

KANGAROO: He sure is, Koala! If he sees us trying to steal it away, we’re toast!

PLATYPUS: Worse than that, Kangaroo! We’re BURNT toast!

STARFISH: Look, friends. I can assure you. Whale will NOT see you making off with his canoe. Because I am going to distract him. Keep him occupied. When I give you the signal, you hop into the boat and start paddling! (beat) Okay?

NARRATOR: The animals reluctantly agreed. And Starfish – wearing her most winning smile – headed back to the coast. As usual, there was Whale, with his big bark canoe moored to its jagged rock.

STARFISH: Hi there, Whale! I’ve come to do you a favor!

NARRATOR: Whale rolled his grapefruit-sized eyes.

WHALE: A “favor,” you say? And does this “favor” have anything to do with my canoe?

STARFISH: Actually… it has something to do… with your LICE.

WHALE: My WHAT?

STARFISH: Your lice! Those pesky little critters crawling all over your head!

NARRATOR: Whale gave his smooth, flat head a twitch.

WHALE: Now that I think about it, my head IS kind of itchy. But I don’t see any lice!

STARFISH: That’s because the lice are so tiny! (beat) Though technically they’re not really “lice”; they’re small crustaceans known as “cyamids” who live and feast on the skin of whales and other marine mammals.

WHALE: Ewwww! Gross!

STARFISH: I know! And that’s why I’m here! To help you chase those pesky parasites away!

WHALE: And how might you do that, Starfish?

STARFISH: Easy! …With these!

NARRATOR: Starfish stuck out her smooth, straight arms.

STARFISH: I’ll use my arms to pluck off all your lice. You’ll be much comfier – and cleaner – when I’m done!

NARRATOR: Whale thought for a moment.

WHALE: Alright. Fine. …But make it quick!

NARRATOR: He lowered his smooth head so Starfish could clamber on. Once she was in place, she put her many arms to work, plucking off the lice one by one.

STARFISH: Crikey! There are more of these buggers than I thought! There must be thousands of them! Millions, even! This could take a while.

WHALE: How long?

STARFISH: Long enough that you might just want to close your eyes and take a nap! It’ll make the time go faster!

NARRATOR: Whale mulled the notion over.

WHALE: Actually… …that’s not a bad idea. Promise you’ll wake me up when you’re done?

STARFISH: Of course I will!

WHALE: Then I’ll just nod off then… Good night!

NARRATOR: Whale’s eyes fluttered shut. He grew very still. The moment Starfish was certain he was out cold, she waved her arms toward the shore.

STARFISH: (stage whisper) Okay, team! Time to jump into action!

NARRATOR: In a flash, Eagle, Koala, Kangaroo, and Platypus popped out from behind a boulder. They bustled to the jagged rock and began untying the canoe. As they did, they were joined by a bunch of other animals. Wombat and Echidna, Wallaby and Emu… all of them worked together to undo the knots and push Whale’s canoe into the sea.

But the moment they hopped in and started paddling, do you know what happened?

Whale… woke up!

WHALE: (GASPS as he wakes up suddenly) What was that??? Did I just hear paddles in the water? Is somebody riding my canoe?

NARRATOR: Starfish put on her most reassuring face.

STARFISH: Your canoe is just fine, Whale! You must be hearing things. After all, your EARS are crawling with lice! Don't you worry, though! I’ll fix that in a jiffy.

NARRATOR: She set to work scratching around Whale’s ears, in hopes of silencing the splash of canoe paddles as the animals floated away.

WHALE: Ooooo! That scratching feels nice! Is it helping, Starfish?

STARFISH: It sure is, Whale! It’s more helpful than you know! (beat) Now why don’t you close your eyes again and get some rest?

WHALE: Nah! I’m feeling all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed now. And besides, I don’t want to miss out on this heavenly scratching! Any chance you can go to my other end and give my tail a scuff?

NARRATOR: Whale turned his head and gestured toward his flukes. But the moment he did, his grapefruit-sized eyes grew as big as watermelons!

WHALE: What on earth????? My canoe is gone! Somebody made off with my canoe!

NARRATOR: He peered out to the horizon. And that’s when he saw it: the vanishing shape of his beloved canoe… chock full of paddling animals!

WHALE: I’ve been tricked! Conned! Sucked in! You were trying to distract me, Starfish! So that your friends could steal my canoe!

NARRATOR: Starfish trembled with indignation.

STARFISH: STEAL??? It wasn’t so much “steal”... as “borrow”! Like I told you, Whale: we found this incredible new home across the sea and the only way to get there was to – (gets cut off)

WHALE: (interrupting) To swipe my canoe? Nick it? Pinch it? Well, I’m about to give YOU a swipe, nick and pinch you’ll never forget!

NARRATOR: Whale gritted his teeth and plunged under the waves. Then he heaved his massive body up and out of the sea… spiraling in mid-air before landing again and sending the water churning!

[SOT: SPLASH]

NARRATOR: Starfish dug her arms into Whale’s head and held on tight. SO tight, in fact, that she actually punctured the skin! And broke right through! Left behind was a gaping hole… and all of a sudden, what should come blowing OUT of that hole but a spurt of water!

[SOT: water spurt]

WHALE: What in the world was that? What happened to my head?

STARFISH: It was an accident, Whale! I just – I – I – (gets cut off)

NARRATOR: But Starfish could say no more. Because at that moment, Whale breached again, leaping out of the water and propelling himself even higher. Starfish tried to maintain her grip, but it was no use. Her little body was tossed way up toward the sky!

STARFISH: Whoooaaaa!

NARRATOR: She went sailing through the air… soaring in a big arc before landing on a rock – the same jagged rock where Whale once tied his canoe.

STARFISH: Owwwwww!

NARRATOR: Starfish ached all over. When she was finally able to lift an arm, she let out a gasp.

STARFISH: (gasp!)

NARRATOR: Because what was once a straight, smooth appendage was now curved and bumpy! Thanks to her fall, ALL of her arms were curved and curly and covered in tiny spines.

Just like they are today!

Meanwhile… as Starfish was beholding her accidental makeover… Whale was pursuing the canoe. The steamed-up sea mammal streamed through the waves, squirting water through his blowhole. The animals dug their paddles into the sea, straining every muscle to make the canoe go faster. Eagle was at the helm.

EAGLE: Whale is gaining on us, friends! If he catches us, we’ll be drowned! We have to pick up the pace!

KANGAROO: I’m doing my best, Eagle! But my arms are too short!

PLATYPUS: I’m with Kangaroo! As a platypus, I barely even HAVE arms! (beat) Can YOU help, Koala?

KOALA: Well my arms are nice and long! Maybe they can paddle us to safety!

NARRATOR: What Koala said was true: her arms were long. But in those early days of the world, they were also skinny and scrawny. But she tightened her grip and began paddling as hard as she could.

KOALA: (ad-lib efforting sound)

NARRATOR: And guess what? Within moments, the canoe picked up speed! Koala worked the paddle with so much force that her skinny, scrawny arms grew strong and muscular… just like they are today!

In no time flat the animals reached their new home: the beautiful, fertile land we now call “Australia.”

They were eventually joined by Starfish. But she didn’t choose to live with them on land. Instead, she made her home on the bottom of the sea. That way, she could stay hidden from Whale, who – to this day – swims up and down the Australian coast, searching for the starfish who put the blow hole on his head, and pulled the wool over his eyes!