Chicken Scratches | Ep. 323

Have you ever jumped to conclusions?

We’ve all done it: made a judgment about something or someone before we learn or consider all the facts.

In today’s tale, a flock of feathered friends jump to conclusions at a big feast. And as a result, all they wind up eating is humble pie!

Our story is called “Chicken Scratches.” It’s inspired by tales from the American South.

Voices in this episode include Kiran Kumar, Dawn Ursula, Matt Zambrano, and Hrishikesh Hirway.

As a singer-songwriter, Hrishikesh Hirway recently released his latest album, “In the Last Hour of Light.” As a podcast host and creator, his podcasts include “The West Wing Weekly,” “Home Cooking” and “Song Exploder” (which was made into a Netflix original series!).

And if you’ve been listening to our podcast for a while, you may recognize Hrishikesh from a bunch of Circle Round episodes, including “The Head and the Heart,” “Misery Loves Company" and “The Whole Cart.”

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

Next time you’re tempted to jump to conclusions, try using the PAD method.

“P” is for pause. Before you do anything, stop and take a breath.

“A” is for ask. Pose the following questions to yourself:

“D” is for decide. Decide what judgment you’ll make, now that you’ve separated proof from guesses and facts from assumptions!

Musical Spotlight: Mandolin

Though the mandolin is classified as a member of the lute family, it’s tuned like a violin. A high-pitched descendant of the ancient oud (which composer Eric Shimelonis played in “The Unwelcome Guest,” “The Sultan’s Figs,” “The Fire Within,” “The Spotted Goat” and “Laughing and Crying”), the mandolin evolved in Italy sometime in the 1500s and 1600s.

As with the oud, the mandolin has a hollow wooden body, and you use a pick to pluck strings on the fingerboard. You’ll hear the mandolin in all sorts of music, including bluegrass, blues, classical, country, folk, jazz and rock.

You can also hear Eric playing the mandolin in such Circle Round episodes as “The Hat, The Horn, and the Purse,” “The Head and the Heart,” “Crocus-Pocus” and “Buried Treasure.”

Script:

NARRATOR: One fine summer day, the animals in the barnyard were invited to a party at the farm up the road.

When the invitation arrived, Cow let out an exuberant moo.

COW: MOO! I can hardly wait for the MUSIC!

NARRATOR: Horse let out a joyful neigh.

HORSE: NEIGH! I can hardly wait for the DANCING!

NARRATOR: Pig let out an elated oink.

PIG: OINK! I can hardly wait for the EATING!

NARRATOR: But Rooster let out an irritated grunt.

ROOSTER: (ad-lib irritated grunt) I’m sorry. But have you seen the farm up the road? It’s nowhere near as nice as ours! The barn is leaky and crumbling… the fence is rotten and broken-down … there’s no way this party could be any good.

NARRATOR: Cow, Horse, and Pig exchanged a glance. They knew how judgmental Rooster could be, always looking down his nose – or beak – at everyone else.

COW: Come now, Rooster!

HORSE: We’ve never been to a party up the road before!

PIG: Surely you can agree that we should give our neighbors a chance?

ROOSTER: No! I don’t! And neither do the chickens! Isn’t that right, ladies?

NARRATOR: The chickens’ bright red combs flapped and wobbled as they bobbed their heads up and down.

CHICKEN 1: It’s ABSOLUTELY right, Rooster!

CHICKEN 2: The party up the road is destined to be dull!

CHICKEN 3: A total snooze-fest!

NARRATOR: Cow, Horse, and Pig tried to hide their exasperation.

COW: I’m in no MOOOOOd to argue… but Rooster? Chickens? Your assumptions aren’t very fair!

HORSE: Yeah! I say we give our NEEEEIIGHbors a chance! After all, you know the old saying: “You can't judge a book by its cover”?

PIG: In other words: (OINK!) You shouldn't judge someone, or something, just from what you see on the outside!

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

ROOSTER: Fine! We’ll go to the party!

CHICKEN 1: But don’t blame us if it’s a bummer!

CHICKEN 2: We gave you fair warning!

CHICKEN 3: So if it’s an absolute bust, it’s all on you!

NARRATOR: When the barnyard animals arrived at the farm up the road, they saw that Rooster was right: the fence was rotten and broken-down… but now it was covered with festive streamers. And the barn was leaky and crumbling… but the ceiling was strung with twinkling lights, and the walls were adorned with colorful quilts.

A band of Squirrels and Rabbits had come in from the fields to entertain the guests with music. Cow, Horse, and Pig immediately got on the dance floor to boogie down.

COW: Woohoo!

HORSE: Oh yeah!

PIG: Let’s cut a rug!

NARRATOR: Rooster and the chickens remained on the sidelines, their beaks in the air, their wings crossed over their chests.

Some time later, the dinner bell rang.

Once the party’s hosts bustled out of the barn to fetch the meal, Rooster and the chickens traded a smirk.

ROOSTER: Let’s hope the food isn’t terrible!

CHICKEN 1: Seriously! If only they could bring us mashed potatoes! With gravy drizzled on top!

CHICKEN 2: And candied sweet potatoes! With buttered corn and green beans and okra!

CHICKEN 3: And a fresh-baked slice of pecan pie! (beat) But, like you said, Rooster. This farm is nowhere near as nice as ours!

NARRATOR: When the hosts returned, each one carried a gigantic platter. And heaped high atop each platter was something none of the guests expected – in more ways than one!

What do you think the guests are being served?

We’ll learn more about their mystery meal, after a quick break!

[BREAK]

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

Before the break, the barnyard animals were attending a party at the farm up the road.

Cow, Horse, and Pig were excited to celebrate with their neighbors. But Rooster and the Chickens predicted that the bash would be a bust.

After much music and dancing, the party’s hosts bustled into the barn with giant platters. And piled high atop those platters… was fluffy, golden-brown, corn bread!

Cow, Horse, and Pig licked their chops.

COW: Mmmmm! That corn bread looks delicious!

HORSE: You said it, Cow! It looks downright scrumptious!

PIG: I can hardly wait to dig in!

NARRATOR: Rooster and the Chickens rolled their eyes.

ROOSTER: Mn mn mn! We were invited over for a feast… and all we’re being served is corn bread?

CHICKEN 1: This is insulting!

CHICKEN 2: What kind of hosts serve nothing but corn bread?

CHICKEN 3: Fine birds like us deserve better hospitality than this!

ROOSTER: Yes we do! Chickens? Let’s get out of here and go home!

NARRATOR: Rooster spun on his spur and strutted out of the barn. The chickens followed.

Cow, Horse, and Pig watched them go, then turned to their corn bread and began to dig in. But after a few bites, they gasped!

COW: / HORSE: / PIG: (GASP!)

NARRATOR: Because what should they discover hidden underneath the corn bread, but a cornucopia of other foods!

COW: MOO! Look at these mashed potatoes with gravy drizzled on top!

HORSE: NEIGH! And these candied sweet potatoes! And buttered corn! And green beans! And okra…

PIG: OINK! There’s even a fresh-baked slice of pecan pie!

NARRATOR: Rooster and the Chickens had reached the road by now. But when they heard the commotion inside the barn, they stopped in their tracks.

ROOSTER: What’s going on in there?

CHICKEN 1: Perhaps our fellow barnyard animals are grumbling about how we ditched them?

CHICKEN 2: That doesn’t sound like grumbling to me. It sounds like the opposite!

CHICKEN 3: Yeah! They sound happy as clams! Should we go back in, Rooster?

ROOSTER: I have no desire to return to the party. But perhaps it wouldn’t hurt if we took a little peek…?

NARRATOR: Rooster scurried back to the barn and peered through a hole in the leaky, crumbling wall.

ROOSTER: (GASP!) You ladies aren’t going to believe this… but there’s all sorts of food hidden under the cornbread!

NARRATOR: The chickens waddled over and gazed inside.

CHICKEN 1: (GASP!) I see mashed potatoes! With gravy drizzled on top!

CHICKEN 2: And candied sweet potatoes! With buttered corn and green beans and okra!

CHICKEN 3: And pecan pie! Freshly-baked! (beat) Was all that food hidden under the corn bread…?

NARRATOR: Rooster and the chickens grew quiet. Very quiet. They would never say it out loud, but they sure felt foolish for jumping to so many conclusions!

Trouble is, they also felt proud. TOO proud to go back to the party and apologize for their behavior!

So instead, they went back home… with humbled hearts and empty bellies.

And to this day, whenever roosters and chickens see food in front of them, they’ll keep pecking and scratching at it… over and over and over… even after it appears to be gone!

That way, they won’t miss any hidden morsels buried underneath. Because now they know the hard – and hungry – consequences a hasty judgment can bring.