Goodnight Sun | Ep. 312

Have you ever said something you came to regret? Maybe you snapped at a friend or family member, or called somebody a not-so-kind name.

It’s easy to get annoyed or flustered and say things we regret. That's what happens with a duck, rooster, and bluebird in today’s tale. And as a result, they have to eat crow!

Our tale is called “Goodnight Sun.” It was inspired by tales from the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam and the South Asian country of India.

We recorded this episode before a live audience of excited kids and grown-ups at the Glendale Performing Arts Center in Glendale, CA. Joining host Rebecca Sheir on stage was a star-studded cast of actors whom you’ve heard in many other Circle Round episodes: Feodor Chin, Mary Faber, Helen Hong, and Jessica Rau. And playing live music on the đàn tứ  (learn more about this Vietnamese stringed instrument below) was Eric Shimelonis.

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

What’s something you like to do in the sun?

Do you like going for a swim or running through a sprinkler? Perhaps you enjoy riding your bike or exploring nature!

Find some paper and draw you doing your favorite activity under the sun. Share your picture with someone you have fun with. And if you’d like, share it with us! With your permission, we may feature it in your monthly Circle Round newsletter, “The Lion’s Roar”! Grown-ups, you can email a photo of your Circle Round fan and their artwork to circleround@wbur.org.

Musical Spotlight: Đàn tứ

The traditional Vietnamese stringed instrument known as the đàn tứ is a short-necked lute derived from the Chinese yueqin.

Tứ means "four" in Sino-Vietnamese; as you might guess, originally the instrument had four strings! Other names for the instrument include đàn đoản and đàn tứ tròn. Đoản means "short," and the instrument's neck is rather stubby! Ttròn means "round," and traditionally the instrument had a round body or soundbox. A square-shaped đàn tứ became popular beginning in the 20th century, but you’ll see musicians playing both versions today.

Script:

NARRATOR: Way, way back… in the long-ago days when animals ruled the world… there were three best friends: Duck…

DUCK: (quack!)

NARRATOR: Rooster…

ROOSTER: (cock-a-doodle-doo!)

NARRATOR: …and Bluebird.

BLUEBIRD: (weet weet! tui-wit-weet!)

NARRATOR: And during these long-ago days, the friends spent a good portion of their days… complaining.

DUCK: Ugh! It’s HORRIBLE!

ROOSTER: It’s the WORST!

BLUEBIRD: It’s WORSE than “the worst”!

DUCK: You can say that again!

BLUEBIRD: (taking literally) It’s WORSE than “the worst”!

DUCK: Okay, so need to actually “say that again,” Bluebird. It’s an IDIOM! A figure of speech!

BLUEBIRD: (realizing) Ohhh!

NARRATOR: Anyway… You may be wondering: what was it that Rooster, Duck, and Bluebird thought was “the worst”...?

BLUEBIRD: (correcting Narrator) WORSE than “the worst”!

NARRATOR: Right. Well… it was none other than…

DUCK: / ROOSTER: / BLUEBIRD: …the SUN!

NARRATOR: Every morning the Sun would rise above the sea to the east. Every evening, she would set behind the mountains to the west. And during the hours between, as she blazed her fiery trail across the sky, the friends would grumble…

DUCK: The sun is too HOT!

NARRATOR: … and grouse…

ROOSTER: The sun is too BRIGHT!

NARRATOR: …and gripe.

BLUEBIRD: If only she would just STOP RISING! Then we could finally get a break!

NARRATOR: Duck, Rooster and Bluebird were not alone in their complaining. ALL the animals felt the exact same way.

But guess what? The sun could hear every word they uttered… and she was not pleased.

SUN: Uch! I can’t believe how much those animals bellyache about me! All they do is grumble! And grouse! And gripe!

NARRATOR: This lack of gratitude made the already-fiery sun fume with fury. Because after all: without her, the earth would be a cold, dark, desolate place!

SUN: You can say that again! (beat) Actually – CAN you say that again?

NARRATOR: You mean, ‘without her, the earth would be a cold, dark, desolate place’?

SUN: Yes! (beat) I mean, think about it! I’m the one who heats the world! Who keeps it warm! To say nothing of how I help the plants and trees grow! So maybe the world SHOULD “be a cold, dark, desolate place”!

NARRATOR: As in, you shouldn’t rise anymore…?

SUN: Yes! Didn't Bluebird say that I am “worse than the worst”?

NARRATOR: More than once, actually.

SUN: Mm-hm! She also said I should “just stop rising”! (beat) So you know what? That’s exactly what I’ll do! Instead of rising above the sea to the east each morning, I will sit tight! I’ll kick back! Settle in and chill. Though in truth, it’ll be Bluebird and her friends who are “chilling”! As they SHIVER in the DARK!!!

NARRATOR: And guess what? That’s exactly what happened. The sun stopped rising and blazing across the sky, and the animals were left trembling and stumbling around. So now they had a whole new reason to grumble…

DUCK: It’s too COLD!

NARRATOR: … and grouse…

ROOSTER: It’s too DARK!

NARRATOR: …and gripe.

BLUEBIRD: If only the Sun would rise again! Then we could finally get a break!

NARRATOR: The animals knew they couldn’t go on like this.  So Duck, Rooster, and Bluebird decided they would visit the Sun and ask her to come back.

DUCK: After all, life without the Sun is HORRIBLE!

ROOSTER: It’s the WORST!

BLUEBIRD: It’s WORSE than “the worst”!

DUCK: You can say that again!

BLUEBIRD: (taking literally) It’s WORSE than the – Oh. Right. “IDIOM.”

ROOSTER: You know, friends? I am all for visiting the Sun. Truly! I am! (beat) But the Sun is hanging out all the way to the east! Which is really, really far!

DUCK: / BLUEBIRD: So???

ROOSTER: SOOO… Ducks can fly! Bluebirds can fly! But a rooster’s wings aren’t meant for long-distance travel. And a rooster’s body isn't meant for swimming.

DUCK: Well…? A DUCK’S body is TOTALLY made for swimming! So how about I swim… and you ride on my back?

BLUEBIRD: And I can fly above you, leading the way! If it’s too dark to SEE me, you can follow my voice! I’ll chirp! (ad-libs bluebird “tu-a-wee” a few times)

ROOSTER: What if Duck and I fall behind…?

DUCK: Then I’ll quack! (QUACK!)

ROOSTER: (a-ha moment) And I’ll crow! (ad-libs rooster cock-a-doodle-do) Think you’ll hear that, Bluebird??

BLUEBIRD: I think it’s impossible NOT to! (beat) So come on, friends; let’s go see the Sun. Hopefully she’ll be burning to come back to us – and won’t give us the cold shoulder!

NARRATOR: Will the three friends make it all the way to the Sun? If so, will she take a shine to their request?

We’ll find out, after a quick break. 

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: I’m Rebecca Sheir. Welcome back to Circle Round, live at the Glendale Performing Arts Center in Glendale, California. Today our story is called “Goodnight Sun.”

Before the break, the Sun stopped rising above the sea to the east. Tired of complaints that she was “too bright” and “too hot,” she left the animals in a world that was dark and cold.

Duck, Rooster and Bluebird were determined to bring the Sun back. So they set out across the sea… with Duck swimming, Rooster riding on her back, and Bluebird flying ahead.

DUCK: Hey, Bluebird! Do you see the Sun yet?

BLUEBIRD: Not yet, Duck!

ROOSTER: How about now?

BLUEBIRD: Not yet, Rooster!

DUCK: How about NOW?

BLUEBIRD: I told you, Duck! Not yet! Can you cool your jets?

DUCK: “Cool my jets”? If my jets were any cooler, I’d be a duck-sicle! This water is freezing! And Rooster weighs a ton!

ROOSTER: Correction! An elephant weighs a ton! A whale weighs a ton! I’m as light as a feather!

DUCK: Yeah… A TON of feathers!!

BLUEBIRD: Listen, you two. Fighting won’t help us reach the Sun any faster. So can you please pipe down and – (GASP!) Look at that! On the horizon! I see the tiniest, faintest hint… of LIGHT! We’re nearly there!

NARRATOR: The friends picked up their pace. And before they knew it, they were staring into the bright, blazing, irritated face…

SUN: (annoyed) What do YOU want?

NARRATOR: …of the SUN!

SUN: Have the three of you traveled all the way out here to tell me how "horrible" I am? How I am “worse than the worst”?

NARRATOR: The trio exchanged a sheepish glance.

DUCK: No, Sun! We’re not here to tell you that!

ROOSTER: We’re here to tell you you’re BETTER than the BEST!

BLUEBIRD: And we want you to come back!

DUCK: The world is so dark without you!

ROOSTER: And so cold!

BLUEBIRD: Will you please start rising again?

SUN: “START rising"?? …You want me to “start rising”??? I believe it was YOU, Bluebird, who wished I would STOP rising! Even though it was I who lit your way! Who heated your world! Who helped your plants and trees grow! (beat) But did you ever once thank me? No! Instead you grumbled! And groused! And griped!

DUCK: And we’re sorry!

ROOSTER: It was wrong to treat you that way!

BLUEBIRD: From now on, we’ll do better!

DUCK: You can say THAT again!

BLUEBIRD: From now on – (realizing) Ugh! When will I learn?

ROOSTER: Anyway…! We need you, Sun!

DUCK: We’re lost without you!

BLUEBIRD: Like, REALLY lost! It’s so DARK and none of us has good NIGHT VISION so we’re always stumbling around and – (gets cut off by DUCK)

DUCK: (interrupting) I meant “lost” as in ‘we love her and can’t live without her’! THAT kind of “lost”!

BLUEBIRD: (realizing) Ohhhh! Right! That too!

ROOSTER: (to SUN) SOOO…??

DUCK: Whaddya say, Sun?

BLUEBIRD: Will you accept our apology and come back to us? PLEASE???

NARRATOR: There was a long, simmering pause as the Sun weighed the birds’ words. And then…?

SUN: Yes! (beat) Yes I WILL accept your apology. And yes, I WILL come back.

DUCK: / ROOSTER: / BLUEBIRD: (ad-lib cheering sounds)

SUN: HOWEVER! I’m afraid there’s one problem. You see, happy as I am to come back to you… it’s been so long since I made my daily trek across the sky… I’m worried I’ll forget to rise!

NARRATOR: The birds were quiet. Then Rooster broke the silence.

ROOSTER: Ya know what? There’s no need to worry, Sun. As a rooster, I’ve got a nice, loud voice. So every morning, when it’s time for you to rise, I’ll wake you up with a CROW! (cock-a-doodle-doo!)

BLUEBIRD: I can help, too! As a bluebird, my voice isn’t as strong as Rooster’s… But once he wakes you up, I’ll chirp! And you’ll know it’s time to start your trip across the sky! (weet weet! tui-wit-weet!)

DUCK: And in case you need more reminding, after Bluebird makes her call I will let out a quack! (QUACK!)

NARRATOR: The sun loved the idea. And ever since, she, Rooster, Bluebird and Duck have kept their bargain.

When Rooster crows, the Sun knows it’s time to wake up.

ROOSTER: (cock-a-doodle-doo)

NARRATOR: When bluebird chirps, the Sun knows it’s time to begin her trek across the sky.

BLUEBIRD: (weet weet! tui-wit-weet!)

NARRATOR: And just in case she slips, Duck lets out a quack.

DUCK: (quack!)

NARRATOR: To this very day… if you live in certain parts of the world… come early morning you’ll hear the three friends call out in this very order. And when they do… the Sun wakes up and rises to the east, showing her much-needed – and much-appreciated – face to the world.