04x09 - Myth Me?/TD's Myth Take

[bunniefuu]

MAN:
♪ Martha was an average dog ♪

♪ She went... and... and... ♪
(barking, growls)

♪ When she ate
some alphabet soup ♪

♪ Then what happened
was bizarre... ♪

On the way to Martha's stomach,
the letters lost their way.

They traveled to her brain,
and now...

♪ She's got a lot to say ♪

♪ Now she speaks... ♪

How now, brown cow?

♪ Martha speaks ♪

♪ Yeah, she speaks
and speaks and speaks ♪

♪ And speaks and speaks... ♪

What's a caboose?

When are we eating again?

♪ Martha speaks... ♪

Hey, Joe, what do you know?

My name's not Joe.

♪ She's not always right, but
still that Martha speaks... ♪

Hi, there.

♪ She's got the voice,
she's ready to shout ♪

♪ Martha will tell you
what it's all about ♪

♪ Sometimes wrong,
but seldom in doubt ♪

♪ Martha will tell you
what it's all about ♪

♪ That dog's unique... ♪

Testing, one, two.

♪ Hear her speak ♪

♪ Martha speaks and speaks
and speaks and speaks and... ♪

♪ Communicates, enumerates,
elucidates, exaggerates ♪

♪ Indicates and explicates ♪

♪ Bloviates and overstates
and... ♪

(panting)

♪ Hyperventilates! ♪

♪ Martha-- to reiterate--
Martha speaks. ♪

We made it, Martha.

We're in Greece.

Did you enjoy the flight?

Whew! I can't believe
we flew first class.

It's first class
all the way on this show.

What are we doing here, anyway?

Today's story is about myths
from ancient Greece.

Watch for words like "myth,"
"legend," "moral" and "fate."

This must have cost
a fortune!

I think so.

Then I can't wait
to see this show!

If they went to this expense,

I bet there'll be breathtaking
special effects

and globe-spanning chase scenes
and a cast of thousands.

Actually, it all takes place
in our basement.

Oh.

(Martha groans)

There is nothing interesting

going on around here today
at all.

(sighs)

(sighs)

(sighs)

(sighs)

(whimpers)

This day is
so boring!

It feels like it's
lasting forever.

(all sigh)

We can't just sit here.

Let's put on a show.

What kind
of show?

A... (gasps)

A lot of shows come from books,
so that must be easy to do.

Could this one be a show?

This is a book of Greek myths.

Myths? What's myths?

Is that like when
you're at school

and I "myth" you
because you're not here?

No, that's "miss."

Myths are stories about
heroes and adventures.

Greek ones come
from Greece.

TRUMAN:
Yeah!

They're usually made-up stories

about why things happen,

like the story of where fire
came from.

Let's do it!

TD:
I vote no.

Myths aren't stories.

They have no endings.

What's the next book?

Ow!

And thank you.

This is an atlas.

It's a book of maps.

Not a lot of laughs.

This one's a dictionary.

A dictionary is filled
with all the great words!

I love words.

If I had a show of my own,
it would be all about words.

We can do a show
about every word.

Yeah!
What's
the first word?

The first word is...

A.

Uh, we're
doing myths.

Absolutamente.

(groans)

HELEN:
Our first Greek myth is
the story of Sisyphus.

(horn honks)

Trust me, these
aren't really stories.

TD! Don't be
a stick in the mud.

There's no mud here.

Then don't be
a stick in the basement.

Stick?
Where's a stick?

It's an expression.

It means someone who doesn't
like to try new things.

"Stick in the basement"
is an expression?

Since when?

(clears throat)

And now, the legend of Sisyphus.

Legend? What's legend?

A legend is an old story that's
been told for a long time...

...but nobody knows if
it's true or not

because it comes
from so long ago.

It's a legend,
not a fact.

(Skits grumbles)

Not yet, Skits.

Now, with no further ado,
the legend of Sisyphus,

starring Skits.

Here's the setting:

Sisyphus was a man who thought
he was more clever than Zeus.

I am Zeus, the boss level head
guy of the Greek gods.

I rule Mount Olympus
and I make thunder.

(thunder booms outside)
(Carolina screams)

(lightning crackles,
thunder booms)

Wow, great production.

Yeah, if that was real thunder,
I'd be terrified.

Uh, yeah.

Good fake thunder, guys.

Sisyphus tried to fool me.

His punishment is that he
must push this heavy boulder

up this hill.

The part of the
boulder is played

by Helen's clowny ball.

Skits-yphus, push
the heavy boulder

to the top
of the steep hill.

MARTHA:
That's not much
of a punishment.

It looks easy.

CAROLINA:
Oh, yeah?

When he reaches the top
he has to do it again.

(Carolina laughs evilly)

And he'll have to do it over
and over again forever!

(laughs)

(whimpers)

And that is the
legend of Sisyphus.

The End.

That's the ending?

He does that
over and over?

I warned you.

No ending.

TRUMAN:
You didn't like that story, TD?

No. Stories need endings.

If it goes on forever,
it doesn't end.

It has to end with "The End"!

HELEN:
Our next Greek myth is
Prometheus.

(horn honks)

Ugh!
(giggles)

Just a second...

Ready!

And now, the myth
of Prometheus!

Our setting:
long ago.

A time when people didn't know
how to make their own fire.

(shivering)

I am cold.

You're not
shivering, TD-theus.

I am very cold.

If only someone would invent
socks to wear with sandals,

we'd all be
a lot warmer.

Not socks!

We need fire!

But only mighty
Zeus can make fire

and he won't
give us any.

Hows about I go ask Zeus nicely
to share with us?

Oh, Zeus, exalted father
of all the gods,

you who are so
mighty and great,

so clean and
smelling of the nice,

and compared to whom
I am a dog...

All true,
all true!

What do you want?

Look, could you share some
fire with us, the cold,

the miserable and the freezing
with the chattering of the teeth

and the knocking of the knees,
and the shivering of the...

(shivers)?

No way.

Prometheus, go home.

HELEN:
But Prometheus
did not go home.

He waited until Zeus slept.

(snoring)

Prometheus has fire!

Yay, Prometheus!

(barks)

They used Zeus' fire to
start their own campfire.

Wish I had a
marshmallow.

We have to thank
Zeus for sharing.

You shouldn't
mention it.

In fact, now
that we have fire,

maybe we should move to,
like, the North Pole.

HELEN:
Then Zeus woke up and
discovered his fire was gone.

Who took Zeus's fire?

What was that?
Was that thunder?

Zeus! Thanks
for sharing fire.

You stole my fire,
Prometheus, you dog!

(whimpers)

Yeah, well,
I'm sorry.

HELEN:
Zeus was angry.

For taking what isn't yours,
and for playing with fire,

you must be punished.

HELEN:
Now our scene shifts to the
punishment of Prometheus.

Zeus was so angry he chained
Prometheus forever.

And that is the story
of Prometheus.

The End.

Wait! Hold it!

That's really the ending?

I'm chained up in
the yard forever?

What did I tell you?

Actually, Prometheus
was chained to a rock.

MARTHA:
Forever?

Forever.

It has no point.

It's not a story,
just a bunch of scenes.

Sí tiene
un punto.

It has a point and I say it is
a story because it has a moral.

It has more what?

A moral.

The moral of a story is
what you learn from it,

about what you should
or should not do.

If Prometheus hadn't
stolen Zeus' fire,

he wouldn't have
been punished.

So the moral is, "If you steal,
you'll be punished."

That's the point of the story.

I think the moral is
don't call a myth a story

because a story has
to have an ending.

Maybe it doesn't.

Then why do you
say "The End"?

You make a good point.

Let's move on
to the next myth.

MARTHA:
Uh, guys?

Hey, you're not really leaving
me out here forever, are you?

HELEN:
Sorry. Coming!

HELEN:
The myth of Narcissus.

Our setting: a pond.

Thirsty Narcissus
went to get a drink

and noticed
his reflection.

Is that my reflection?

HELEN:
Yes.

A reflection is what you see
when you look in the mirror.

That's your reflection.

Who's a pretty doggie?

Who's a pretty doggie?

HELEN:
Narcissus fell in love
with his reflection.

He didn't do anything else
but look at it.

Hey, Narcissus,
want to play?

Go away. I'm busy.

Ohhh yeah.

HELEN:
Then he got thirsty.

But he discovered
that when he drank

his reflection went away.

(gasping):
Oh, no!

If I drink, I cannot see myself!

HELEN:
So, even though he
was terribly thirsty,

he stopped drinking
and just sat there...

Oh, no!
Don't say it!

...forever!

Okay, I think TD may be right.

What's the point?

The moral of the story is, if
you fall in love with yourself,

you'll be thirsty
and lonely.

The End.

I understand how Narcissus felt.

That was a good story.

But it's not a story!

(groaning):
Why are you doing this to me?

HELEN:
The myth of Orpheus,
featuring Cerberus.

The setting: Hades.

I, Orpheus, am going down
into dingy old Hades

to rescue my wife, the
hard-to-pronounce Eurydice.

That's her.

I'll just go get her.

Stop!

I... we am... are Cerberus,

the dog with one, two, three...
three heads!

Grr.

(barks)

He says give up.

Go back from where
you came from.

(barks)

And watch out
for Teddy.

He's the crazy one.

I have to get my wife.

But how can I get past
a creature

with three times more teeth
than the average dog?

I always think better
when I'm playing music.

♪ I think I'd really like
to meet a llama ♪

♪ A llama pajama ping pong
kangaroo ♪

Orpheus's song soothes
the savage Cerberus!

Music makes me meek.

(yawning)

♪ In Hades you won't find
a ripe banana ♪

♪ But there's some hot
and spicy vindaloo ♪

I... we am...
are falling asleep...

Ready?

Wrong way!

Okay, good enough.
(snores)

Hurry! While Cerberus sleeps
we shall swiftly escape.

Finally. That is a story.

He faced a monster,
he rescued his wife.

Now you can say "The End".

But that's not the end.

There was a rule
Orpheus had to obey.

He was not allowed to look back
at Eurydice

until they were back home.

But he was so worried
about her...

Are you okay back there?

Orpheus!
Noooo!

HELEN:
And so, because Orpheus
broke the rules,

Eurydice had to stay
in Hades...

forever!

You've got to be
kidding me!

Qué triste!

That's such a sad story.

Where are you going?

I can't take any more
stories that don't ever end.

This day feels like
it's lasting forever.

Do you think you could
write better stories

than the ones
we did?

You bet I could!

Instead of saying the same thing
over and over, just do it.

Okay, I will.

Want to help me, Truman?

Sure!

Hi, guys.

Dad? What are you
doing home?

It's dinner time.

Dinner time?

We spent the whole
day doing myths?

MARTHA:
You didn't even feel
the time passing.

Guess you were
having fun, TD.

We could still do better.

We'll be back tomorrow
with a real story.

MARTHA:
Think they can do it?

It'll probably take
them forever.

TD:
No forever!

I don't want to hear the word
"forever" ever again.

So you don't want
to hear it... forever?

TD:
(groans)

So I guess stories don't really
need endings to be fun, do they?

Nope. The End.

Characters in Greek myths sure
had some terrible fates.

And names.

And what happened to them
wasn't so nice, either.

That's what fate means.

Someone's fate is what
happens to them.

Because of
what he did,

Sisyphus's fate was to roll
that rock uphill forever.

HELEN:
And because he broke the rules,

Orpheus' fate was to leave
his wife Eurydice in Hades.

MARTHA:
Forever.

HELEN:
And Narcissus's fate,

because he didn't want to
disturb his reflection...

...was to be
very thirsty.

That's the worst fate of all.

Dry tongue.

Just thinking about it

makes my tongue feel--

(gags)

...dry.

You're making me
feel dry, too.

Let's get a drink.

(Skits barks)

We haven't seen TD
or Truman in days.

That's because they're still
working on TD's version

of a Greek myth.

(barks tentatively)

What's a "version"?

A version of a story is
one way of telling it.

Like your version of how
you ate my lunch.

It fell on the floor!

Anything that falls on the floor
belongs to the dogs.

That's the law.

(Skits whines)
Behind the bush, Skits.

That's your version.

Mom's version is that she saw
you knock it on the floor.

My version didn't say how
it fell on the floor.

How long do you think it will
take the boys to write

their version of a myth?

As long as it takes them to
figure out how to work together.

So we may never
see them again.

(Skits whines)
In the corner of
the fence, Skits!

So Hercules cleaned out
the dirty stables...

No. Next.

We're almost through
the whole book.

What are you hoping to find?

I'm not sure, but I'll know it
when I hear it.

(exasperated groan)

I can't think with the TV on.

(TV clicks off)

Isn't there one myth
with a fun plot?

Or one about airplanes?

There were no airplanes
in ancient Greece.

Oh, wait, how about the myth
of Icarus?

He had a plane?

No, but he flew.

His father built them
both wings from wax.

Interesting.

What's the plot?

TRUMAN:
The plot is Icarus and
his father, Daedalus,

plan to fly away from an island
wearing wax wings.

TD:
Great! Where does Icarus go?

TRUMAN:
Nowhere, really.

TD:
Nowhere?

If I had wings,
I'd go everywhere.

TRUMAN:
Well, Icarus decides to fly up
towards the sun.

TD:
So he flies all the way
up to the sun?

TRUMAN:
Not exactly.

The sun melts his wings,
because they're wax.

TD:
If his wings melt,
how does he fly?

TRUMAN:
He doesn't.

He drops into the sea.

Isn't there one myth
with a happy ending?

At least that one didn't end
with forever.

Keep looking.

We need something with a plot
I can fix up.

So you don't want to tell a
myth, you want to revise a myth.

Does revise mean fix it?

If you revise a story
you change it to make it better.

That's exactly what I want
to do-- make it better.

No forevers and no guys
dropping into the sea.

So, revise the story of Icarus.

He flies too close to the sun...

Right...

But his wings don't melt.

Okay...

And he keeps flying.

Eh.

What's wrong
with that?

Not much of
a story is it?

Keep going.

I need to find the
right one to perfect.

How about the myth of Echo?

Echo?

Yeah.

Echo was a nymph who...

Hang on--
"nymph"?

Yeah.
What's a nymph?

No idea.

Cool. Continue.

I think a nymph is
like a spirit, sort of.

Okay.

They're always ladies
in the pictures.

So anyway, Echo...

So, Echo was a nymph.

I think they were connected
to natural things.

Trees...
(clears throat)

Anyway, Echo was a nymph

and she loved
to talk about anything

that came into her mind.

Not hard to imagine.

TRUMAN:
Echo spoke and spoke
and spoke and spoke.

How now, brown cow?

What's a caboose?

When are we eating again?

TRUMAN:
One day she displeased Hera,

the wife of Zeus.

Hey, Juno,
what do you know?

My name is not Juno!

Uh oh.

TRUMAN:
Hera fixed it

so Echo could never speak
her mind again.

From that day onward,

Echo could only repeat
what other people said.

Like an echo!

That's where the word "echo"
comes from.

This is great!

We could fix this!
Then what happens?

Echo could only repeat what
other people said...

(whispers):
forever.

Ugh! You know how I feel
about forever!

But in this case,
it's fun.

Fun?

Echo, echo, echo,
echo, echo, echo.

Imagine me doing
that forever.

How would you change it?

I would revise it
so after minutes

everything's back to normal.

That wouldn't be revising,
exactly.

Why not?

When you revise something,

you make it better.

This sounds more like you're
altering it.

"Alter it" means the same as
"change it?"

Yeah.

Only if you alter something,
that can be good or bad.

I don't want
to alter a myth.

That's good.

I want to revise a myth.

Let's find one we
can really perfect.

Nothing with
"forever" in it.

How about King Midas?

Everything he touched
turned to gold.

Forever?

(groans)

Okay, then... Medusa.

Anyone who looked at
her face turned to stone.

Forev...
Yes!

Forever!

Where are you going?

I give up.

You'll have to alter a myth
without my help.

I think doing this will
probably take you...

Take me what?

Forever!

Ugh, how did I not see
that coming?

It's too quiet.

TV ANNOUNCER:
Stay tuned-- our classic comedy
marathon continues all day.

I've got it!

They all think I can't perfect
a Greek myth.

Wait'll they see this.

¿Dónde está TD?

I thought you and TD
were working together.

He's not done yet.

Meanwhile, I will perform
my own adaptation

of Phaeton and the
chariot of the sun.

I thought we were performing
mitos-- myths--

not adap-whatsis-es.

I am doing a myth.

It's just my own adaptation
of a myth.

An adaptation just
means you take a story

and do it in a
different way.

I adapted the story
from the book

into this thrilling
live performance.

I will be playing Phaeton.

Here you see the chariot
of the sun.

It belongs to
my dad, Helios.

Jake is the hot sun.

(babbles)

What is he doing?

Those are the sun's hot rays.

MARTHA:
We're flying horses.

Every day we pull Helios's sun
chariot across the sky until...

Martha, don't give
the story away.

...Phaeton sneaks out
and takes the chariot.

But it turns out he's too weak
to control us horses,

so we run wild,
and we scorch the earth.

Shhh! Shhh!

Shh! Shh!

Sorry.
It was an accident.

I got excited
because it was so good.

TD:
Are you ready for

the greatest revision
of a myth ever?

(gasping):
I don't believe it.

TD! Did you really finish
adapting your myth?

It took a while but I finally
perfected the plot.

Want to see?

Oh, sorry, Truman.

You can finish
what you're doing.

No, go ahead.

Maybe it'll help them forget
what they just heard.

Great idea.

This is the myth of King Midas.

TD:
King Midas had
the golden touch--

anything he touched
turned to gold.

A wooden nickel is worthless.

TD:
Bling!

But now it's solid gold!
(laughs)

TD:
As awesome as that power seems,
it could also be a problem.

Excuse me,
King Midas...

TD:
Bling!

Anyone who touched him turned
into gold, too.

It's also a curse.

TD:
This is the myth of Medusa.

Her power?

Anyone who looked at her would
turn to stone.

Excuse me, would you like
a nice can of alphabet sou...

TD:
Clonk!

Just looking at Medusa's face
would turn a person to stone.

Like it's not bad enough
having snake hair.

TD:
On November , Medusa met
Midas at a Parthenon party.

He couldn't look at her,
she couldn't touch him.

Then they got married.

And that's why this adaptation
is called, "I Love Medusy"...

starring Medusy Dog
and Kingy Midas.

(sitcom music plays)

(giggles)

Got your attention, didn't I?

ALL:
Uh-huh.
(barks)

This is not your great-great-
great-great-great grandmother's

version of ancient Greek myths,
huh?

ALL:
Uh-uh.
(barks)

Medusy, I'm home!

Don't look at me.

You don't have to tell me twice.

(rim sh*t, laugh track)

Oh, I just washed my snakes and
I can't do a thing with them.

(rim sh*t, laugh track)

That sounds like
an ancient joke.

Well, this is ancient Greece.

And speaking of ancient grease,

what's that stain
on your chiton?

Ah! Don't touch me!

You don't have
to tell me twice!

(laugh track, applause))

You recorded
laughter?

What version of Greek myths
has recorded laughter?

In ancient Greece,
there was this thing

called a Greek chorus.

This is my version of that.

Well, don't
stop now!

I have to go to the palace
for the big show.

(whiny):
I want to go
to the palace.

(laugh track)

Medusy, you know you
can't go to the palace.

I'll see you later.

I bet I can sneak in and be part
of the big show.

You with me?

(snakes hiss)

(laugh track)

TRUMAN/MIDAS:
Okay, my loyal subjects,

your king is here.

Start the sho... oh-oh-oh...

Oh!

TRUMAN/MIDAS:
Hamena, hamena, hamena!

What happened?

Everybody is turned to stone!

Stone?!

Medusy!

I know you're here somewhere.

Here I am.

Medusy! What did you do?

I snuck in disguised
as a dancer

and then everybody looked at me
and they all turned to stone.

Waaaaaaah!
(laugh track)

Well, be more careful
or we'll run out of Greeks.

So you're not mad at me?

I can't be mad at you.

Medusy, you're the greatest.

(hums sitcom-like theme song)

I am so glad the Greeks
lived centuries ago

and didn't see that.

TD, were you watching
TV while you did this?

How'd you know that?

That may be the
weirdest version

of anything
I will ever see.

Oh no, I think seeing that may
have done something to Martha.

Martha?

I loved it!

Can you do it again,
with the music and all?

Of course!

Gather 'round.

Skits wants to see it, too.

(Skits barks)

This is the myth
of King Midas.

Thanks to
television,

someone has
finally succeeded

in adapting Greek myths
for dogs and babies.

Hey, check out this song!

♪ You've got a report
that's due next week ♪

♪ It doesn't work,
you're almost out of time ♪

♪ Don't toss it out;
edit it instead ♪

♪ You can still
make your report shine ♪

Hmm, "The dog licked
the boy's face."

♪ Change a word,
maybe erase a line ♪

♪ Rethink, rephrase
a sentence or two ♪

♪ It's called "revising" ♪

♪ So listen up, we'll tell you
what you should do ♪

♪ If you want to make it better
just revise it ♪

♪ Don't start all over,
just revise it ♪

♪ Don't just compromise--
revise ♪

How about:

"The shaggy black dog slobbered
all over the grumpy boy's face?"

♪ Don't just compromise--
revise ♪

I am now a bigger fan of Greek
myths than any dog I know.

(cell phone ringing)

Did you hear
all the words?

Here are some
of them again.

Hello?

Myths are stories about
heroes and adventures.

The moral of a story is
what you learn from it--

about what you should
or should not do.

A version of a story is
one way of telling it.

That was about
our flight home.

What time does it leave?

It doesn't.
There's no money left.

Start walking.

MARTHA:
See you next time!

♪ Who's that dog? ♪

♪ Who's
that dog? ♪

♪ Dog, d-d-dog, d-dog. ♪

That dog is Decota.

He's a puppy.

My name is Belle.

I got Decota at MSPCA Angell.

Sometimes people can't
properly care for a pet,

so they bring it
to the adoption center,

and they help find the pet
a new home.

This is what I found.

WOMAN:
Do you want to take
that dog for a walk?

Yeah.

WOMAN:
So you're all set.

You can bring Decota home.

BELLE:
I like taking care of him.

Puppies need exercise.

(toy squeaking)

The best thing about
having a puppy is

that you have someone
to play with.

♪ He's a dog... ♪
♪ Dog, d-d-dog, d-dog. ♪

To dig up some more fun words
and games, visit pbskids.org

or check out your local library
for the "Martha Speaks" books.