Encore: The Seamstress and the Deev

Circle Round

Amina, a humble Afghan seamstress, and her adventurous cat Mittens survive a shipwreck only to be confronted by a powerful Deve, a supernatural creature who demands her soul in exchange

Key takeaways

• True friendship is tested in hardship, as seen through Amina and Mittens' bond.

Main topics

• Friendship
• Courage in adversity

Notable quotes

"A real friend is one who takes the hand of his friend in times of distress and helplessness."

Conclusion

Amina's honesty and courage ultimately lead to her exoneration, setting

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:01) Well, hello there, Circle Round listeners. I'm Erica Henningsen, and even though summer camp is over, I'm going to be sticking with you for a bit as we revisit some of our favorite Circle Round stories, like today's tale, which is all about friendship. September is when many of us go back to school. I always love this time of year because we get to see friends we might not have seen in a while. But friendships can be tricky. And that is certainly the case in this next story. So circle around, everyone, for The Seamstress and Ledeve. WBUR Podcasts, Boston. This Circle Round episode was recorded in August 2025 at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And now, on with the story! Speaker 1 (1:10) There's an old proverb or saying from Afghanistan that goes, a real friend is one who takes the hand of his friend in times of distress and helplessness. In other words, if you are truly friends with someone, your friendship goes way beyond the good times. A real friend will stick with you when times get tough. In today's story, times get very tough for our main character. And the friend who helps her out doesn't just give her his hand. He gives her his paw. I'm Rebecca Shear, and welcome to Circle Round, live at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Today our story is called The Seamstress and the Deve. It comes from Afghanistan and Central Asia. And what's a deeve? We'll find out soon. Speaker 1 (2:05) Joining me on stage is a star-studded cast of actors, Michael Bobbitt, Marielle Heller, Omar Effendam, and Yorma Tacone. Providing musical accompaniment under the direction of our own Eric Shimalonis is a world-class ensemble from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Kathy Basrak on viola, Rachel Childers on horn, Chris El Chico on clarinet, Clint Foreman on flute, Ben Levy on double bass, and Suzanne Nelson on bassoon. So circle around, everyone, for the seamstress and the div. Speaker 1 (3:21) lived with her cat Mittens in a small village in the country. Amina had lived there all her life and was eager to get out and see the world. Mittens, after all these years stitching and sewing clothing, I've managed to save a decent amount of money. How about we get away for a while? Meow. And have ourselves an adventure? Meow. By sailing across the sea. Meow? I know, I know. As a cat, you're not a big fan of water. But it'll be fun. We'll sail somewhere exotic and have a grand old time. You in? Meow. That's the spirit. So Amina and Mittens journeyed to the seaside. They found a big cargo ship, then paid the crew a couple of coins to hitch a ride. It was smooth sailing out of the harbor. But once they reached open water... Speaker 1 (4:19) A storm blew in, and gusts of wind tossed the ship like a ping-pong ball. Amina stuffed Mittens into her apron and held on tight. Next thing she knew, it was morning, and she and Mittens were waking up on an empty beach. Speaker 1 (4:40) Mittens, we survived. We're okay. Meow? Fine, maybe okay is an overstatement. We're absolutely drenched, and there's no sign of the cargo ship to say nothing of our bags. But at least we're alive. You hungry? Meow. Me too. How about we catch some fish or dig up some clams? In fact... Amina reached down and grabbed a large white shell. This looks like a tasty clam right here. But when she pried the shell open, there was no tasty clam inside. Instead, there was a cloud of gray smoke. It came spiraling out of the opening, curling, twisting, and swirling before coalescing into... A thief! Meow! Speaker 1 (5:35) Amina thought back to the childhood stories she had read about the supernatural creatures known as Deves. Deves possessed evil powers and could shapeshift into any form. This Deve was huge and hairy, with horns on his head, tusks on his chin, and angry red eyes, which he fixed on Amina and Mittens. You detestable human! And contemptible cat. Uh, meow meow? How dare you rouse me from my slumber? I have been sleeping inside this shell for 1,000 years. And I was hoping to sleep for 1,000 more. Amina suppressed a shudder. I am so sorry, Deve. I only opened the shell because my cat and I were looking for food. Isn't that right, Mittens? Meow. Speaker 1 (6:29) You see, the two of us got shipwrecked, and we were washed up on this beach and were terribly hungry, so... Silence! I do not care about your shipwreck, and I don't care about your hunger. You ruined my nap, and now you must pay. I think I'll turn you both into stone. Into stone? Meow, meow, meow. Oh, please, please, don't do that, Deve. I'll give you anything. Anything you ask. The deev stroked his tusked chin. Oh, you'll give me anything, will you? In that case, I want your soul. Come again? Meow, meow, meow? Don't look so shocked. It's only your soul you'll get to keep living. But your life won't be your own. You'll be forced to do my bidding for the rest of your days. Amina searched her mind for a way out of this predicament. And that's when she remembered something from her childhood tales. A dave could never take a soul by... Speaker 1 (7:40) force. It must be given willingly. So she began improvising a plan. All right, D. You win. I will give you my soul. Meow, meow, meow? On one condition. Meow, meow, meow. You must wait until the day that I become a queen. Yes, a queen.