Paws & Tales

Guest (Female - Gooze): Hey, Gooze here. You probably know by now that here in the clubhouse, we have a quest each and every month. A quest is a very fun thing to do, a thing to bake with your folks, a thing to make with a friend. Sometimes it's a thing to record so you can possibly make it onto a real Paws and Tales episode.

I have it by good authority that the kids that have the most fun go to the clubhouse every month to find out what the newest quest is. And you can do that too. Just log on to PawsandTales.org and head on into the clubhouse for the latest quest and a ginormous ton of other fun stuff too. That's PawsandTales.org. I will see you in Wildwood.

Insight for Living: Welcome to the world of Paws and Tales.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place. You stay on the trails and stick with me. There's adventures to be had there too.

Guest (Female - CJ): Come on, CJ, jump!

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): It's too far!

Guest (Female - CJ): It wasn't too far for me.

Insight for Living: Insight for Living is proud to present Paws and Tales.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Howdy, and welcome to Wildwood. We are well into the summer months now. The temperature is going up, and hard as it is to believe, all the kids in town are secretly starting to look forward to going back to school.

This afternoon, CJ and Papa Chuck are on the road to make another delivery to another town, deep in the heart of Wild Mountain.

Guest (Female - CJ): Okay, next trip, I'm bringing a pillow to sit on. Ouch!

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): Not a bad idea. This was supposed to be a shortcut. I've never been through here before. I had no idea the road would be this bad. Hang on!

Guest (Female - CJ): That didn't sound good.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): Wasn't. Go ahead and get out. I got to change a flat tire.

Guest (Female - CJ): Can I have a drink?

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): Catch!

Guest (Female - CJ): How can you have lived all your life in these mountains and never been on this road before?

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): It's a big mountain range, CJ.

Guest (Female - CJ): It's weird here. There's no birds, not even any bugs. Pretty bad when a place is so crummy that bugs don't even come around. You should see this ravine. It's like a desert surrounded by mountains.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): Stay off the edge, CJ.

Guest (Female - CJ): I'll be careful. I wish I could fly. If I could fly, I'd only land to eat and sleep.

Guest (Male - Narrator): While CJ was standing on the edge of a sandy slope, pretending to fly, the sand under his boot moved. Before he had any idea what was happening, CJ was sliding down that sandy slope like he was sledding down a snowy hill.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): Papa Chuck! CJ!

Guest (Male - Narrator): That sandy slope just kept going and going. There was nothing either of them to do except just wait and see where CJ stopped. That cub went all the way to the bottom of the hill.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): You okay?

Guest (Female - CJ): I'm fine! I didn't think I'd ever stop. I'm coming up! This isn't going to work. The sand just slides away. I'll never get up this way.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): I don't see any other way out, do you?

Guest (Female - CJ): No, cliffs all around. Do you have a rope in the truck?

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): I do, but it's not nearly long enough. I'll have to go back to town and get more. A lot more.

Guest (Female - CJ): Well, how long will that take?

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): I don't know. A couple of hours? Any other ideas?

Guest (Female - CJ): I guess not.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): You going to be okay down there?

Guest (Female - CJ): Oh, yeah. I might be bored out of my mind, but I'll be okay.

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): Here, I'll send the canteen down. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Guest (Female - CJ): Okay! Got it!

Guest (Male - Narrator): Back in town, Tiffany Rockler, the daughter of Mr. Rockler, the richest man in town, is doing what she has always done every day since she moved to Wildwood. She is checking for mail at the post office. Now, sure, the mail would be delivered to the hotel where she lives, but for the kind of letter Tiffany's waiting for, that would just be too long to wait.

Guest (Male - Mailman): Afternoon, Miss Tiffany!

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Good afternoon, Mr. Mendelson. Anything today?

Guest (Male - Mailman): Well, let me take a look here. How many of these letters have you gotten since you've come to Wildwood?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Two, just two.

Guest (Male - Mailman): Well, I'm sorry to say that now it's three!

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I've got one! Oh, really?

Guest (Male - Mailman): Here you are, deary. Enjoy.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Oh, thank you. Now, remember...

Guest (Male - Mailman): No one will ever hear about it from me. It's still our little secret.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Thank you, thank you so much, Mr. Mendelson.

Guest (Male - Mailman): Oh, poor child. Hope it's good news.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Tiffany ran out of the post office with that letter pressed to her heart. She shot down the alley and found an old crate to sit on, and examined the envelope like it was a piece of fine art.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): She's in Morocco! Maybe we will live in Morocco. This is it! I know it. Now I will get out of this dirty little town.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Tiffany dearest, how are you? I'm fine. Still tired, but getting my strength back steadily.

Guest (Male - Narrator): As Tiffany read the letter, she first suspected, and then, even before she finished it, she knew. It was not the letter she had hoped for.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I'm having ever such a difficult time getting settled here in the city. As much as I want to send for you, things are still in such a state of disarray. It would not be fair to bring you over now.

Guest (Male - Narrator): If Tiffany had had a building fall on her, it would not have hurt her as much. The fragile heart of this little cub was broken.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Mama! I want to be with you. Why can't I be with you? I am trapped. I am alone. It'll be months now. Maybe another year, and I will have to stay here in this wretched little backwater train stop. How's that for sharing my feelings?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Don't you feel better now?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Oh, no.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Well, old CJ has been trying to make the best of a bad situation. He's tried to make a sand castle, but it was so dry, the sand wouldn't stay where he put it.

Guest (Female - CJ): This is nuts! I hate this place!

Guest (Male - Narrator): In exasperation, CJ spun around and sat on top of his failed sand castle. As he did, he saw eyes. Lots of eyes, staring at him from behind the rocks.

Guest (Female - CJ): Oh, boy. This is not good. This is not good at all.

Guest (Female - Mia): Hi, I'm Amelia from Lambertville, Michigan. My favorite Paws and Tales character is Stacy because she is so fun. Wait till you hear what happens next on today's episode.

Guest (Male - Producer): Okay, Gooze, just read the reviews on the new book. Rolling tape.

Guest (Female - Gooze): Okay. Just getting ready now. Okay, this one is from, uh, Willy. I loved reading the book, The Overcomers, um, even though I'm too young to read.

Guest (Male - Producer): Gooze, is that Wally, your little brother?

Guest (Female - Gooze): It might just be.

Guest (Male - Producer): Where are the real notes from the readers?

Guest (Female - Gooze): They may be in my other backpack at home, but these are good ones too. One reader named Gooze Gazri, Gazri says, "I absolutely loved reading The Overcomers. There are battles and silly things, and really important things taught, and it was all really, really fun. I'm reading it to my little brother now, Wallymer, and Wallymer loves it too. Sincerely Gooze, Gazri." The end.

Guest (Male - Producer): Now just say, you can get your copy of The Overcomers at PawsandTales.org today.

Guest (Female - Gooze): What he said.

Guest (Male - Producer): Stop tape!

Guest (Male - Narrator): The eyes belong to a bunch of the raggettys bunch of creatures you've ever seen. They very slowly came out from behind the rocks. They were about twice the size of a raccoon, but they were not raccoons. They looked sick and gaunt, and to tell you the truth, they looked like bones with too much skin on them.

The other distinguishing thing about them is that each and every one of them had a round clay pot, about the size of a pie plate, hanging around their necks from a string.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Are, are you dangerous?

Guest (Female - CJ): Me? Uh, no. Are you?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Goodness, no. How did you get here?

Guest (Female - CJ): I fell, came sliding down from the road up there.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): There's a road up there?

Guest (Female - CJ): Yeah, one of those shortcuts you'd be better off not taking at all.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Shortcut, shortcut.

Guest (Female - CJ): How do you get out of here?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): We've never been out of here.

Guest (Female - CJ): Ever?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Ever. We've been here for generations. There is no way out.

Guest (Female - CJ): Well, there will be in a couple of hours. Papa Chuck, my friend, is coming back with a long rope, and we can all climb out.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Climb out. What is? We can climb out? No, we can't do that.

Guest (Female - CJ): Why not?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): No, Albert. It's 2 o'clock. Finally, it's 2 o'clock.

Guest (Female - CJ): What happens at 2 o'clock?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): It's time to drink water.

Guest (Female - CJ): Why do you drink water at 2 o'clock?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): It helps to ration it out.

Guest (Female - CJ): So, you don't have much water.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): We don't. So, we only drink at nine, two, and nine at night. That was good.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Very good.

Guest (Female - CJ): You're done? You couldn't have had more than a sip.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): It's all we have.

Guest (Female - CJ): Well, here, have some of mine.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): What is that?

Guest (Female - CJ): It's a canteen of water.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Water. Is it full?

Guest (Female - CJ): It sure is. Here, have some.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): I've never seen anything like that. I would like a drink. Mortimer. Mortimer.

Guest (Female - CJ): It's okay. Here, hold out your jug.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Look at it! It's crystal clear! That's enough, thank you. Oh, my. Oh, my. It isn't bitter or dirty. I would like a drink. Leon C. Leon C. Can I have some water please? Yes, it's my first one, too. There's plenty for everyone.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Tiffany has found her way home and into her very large bed. Her father's staff then did what they always do when Tiffany feels poorly. They sent for a doctor. Not Doc Lowell, mind you, a specialist from Frontera.

Guest (Female - Doctor): Well, Tiffany, you don't seem to have a fever.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I told you that myself.

Guest (Female - Doctor): Everything, temperature, heart rate, skin color, everything seems normal. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): How can you say that? How can you stand there and tell me that I am fine?

Guest (Female - Doctor): Every patient I have ever had...

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Did you go to medical school? I am not like every patient you've ever had. I'm not like any patient you've ever had. I am a Rockler! I am a category unto myself! You must be a fool! There most definitely is something wrong with me, and if you don't think so, then you're fired!

Guest (Female - Doctor): I stand corrected. There is clearly something wrong with you.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I should say so!

Guest (Female - Doctor): Keep this compress on your forehead and try to get some rest. I'll be back shortly.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Idiot! I can't rest! I am ill! I have a broken heart. How can I ever rest? I may never rest again.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What is going on?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Ah, you must be Tiffany Rockler. I'm the doctor.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I didn't think you'd be here till tomorrow. Are you the specialist?

Guest (Male - Doctor): I should say so! And today the specialist is having a two-for-one special. If I take out your tonsils, I'll take out your appendix for free.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What?

Guest (Male - Doctor): It was just a joke, sweetheart.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What is your name again?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Oh, yes, I'm Dr. Manchestinovich. Sit back. You look terrible.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Yes, yes, I do. No one else thinks so, but I do.

Guest (Male - Doctor): What do they know? I'm a doctor and I think you look terrible. I can say it with authority because I spent many years training at the, the, the doctor place.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Medical school?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Medical school, of course. Medical school. How could that? I'm going to need to give you some tests.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): The nurse took my temperature.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Oh, yes, thermometer is fine for some things, but not for what you have.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What is that?

Guest (Male - Doctor): This is a solameter. Place this in here over your heart.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What does a solameter do?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Now sit very still while I look deep into the... Oh, my goodness, this is terrible!

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What?

Guest (Male - Doctor): My socks don't match. I hate it when I do that.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What kind of a doctor are you?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Oh, my goodness. My dear, your soul. I've never seen anything like it before.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What is it?

Guest (Male - Doctor): I have never in my years of practice seen such a high level. My dear, you have foolish pride syndrome.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What?

Guest (Male - Doctor): It would seem that you've been gorging on shallow praise, possibly for years. Do you pressure or intimidate others into saying nice things about yourself?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): No. Almost never. Maybe.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Mm-hmm. Here, put this strap around your head. Good, hold it there.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What will this do?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Mm-hmm, just as I thought. Would you look at this dial, amazing! Amazing!

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What is it?

Guest (Male - Doctor): You've got a terribly low level. And of course, that's what would have to happen with the foolish pride syndrome.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What?

Guest (Male - Doctor): You have almost no love levels.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): That's not true! I have a lot of love. I love my mother and my father.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Of course you do, sweetheart, but this test tells us how much love you have coming in. The foolish pride syndrome is blocking the inflow of love. The very thing you need most you're not getting. You're not letting others love you.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): But I...

Guest (Male - Doctor): Oh, this is bad. This is the worst I've seen. Worst I've ever heard of. Hey, I wonder if this could get me into a medical journal. This could be big.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Do you have medicine for me?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Why? Are you not well?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I have foolish pride syndrome and low love levels!

Guest (Male - Doctor): Yes, yes, of course. All that to say that your soul is very sick. You don't need medicine for that.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): You said it is serious!

Guest (Male - Doctor): I'd say it's critical. But medicine won't do you any good for this. It's quite simple, really. God has a lot of healing planned for you, cause, as I mentioned before, you really are a mess.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Okay, I got that.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Yes, well, you need to have some things healed first before deep healing can begin. The first thing God wants to heal you of is loneliness.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Yes, I could use some of that.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Well, for that to be healed, you need to give up your foolish pride.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Okay, how? How do I get that fixed?

Guest (Male - Doctor): You don't fix it, you get rid of it. Let it go, sweetheart! Quit protecting yourself by being mean all the time. Let others get to know who you truly are. You need to find a friend, or friends, that you can tell your thoughts and fears to.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I can't do that.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Why not?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): If people really knew who I was on the inside, they would...

Guest (Male - Doctor): Not like you?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Well, yes.

Guest (Male - Doctor): Sweetheart, that's happening anyway, isn't it?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): But it's on my terms. It feels, it's just safer to just be mean.

Guest (Male - Doctor): That's why your soul is shriveling up inside. Some will decide they don't like you, but some will. God has a gift here for you, but you have to take it. He has good friends out there just waiting. I know he does.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Do you really know?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Of course I know. I'm a doctor. I think I know everything. You have to be open with your friends and let them know you. God will use them to be the start of your healing. To not accept this gift from God would be, what's the medical term? Nuts! You'd have to be nuts not to accept this healing. You cannot get better until you humble yourself and let others know you.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I need to let others know me?

Guest (Male - Doctor): Your foolish pride is making you sick. It's a prison you've made for yourself. It feels safe, but God has better for you. He has freedom for you. Healing. You must get rid of this foolish pride. You must, at all cost, no matter how scary it may feel, you must let it go.

Guest (Female - Marsha): Tiffany, are you asleep?

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Ah!

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What? You? What do you want? What are you? What are we talking about? I just had the strangest...

Guest (Female - Marsha): Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing, and I and I wanted to invite you over to my house tonight for a cookie party. The whole club will be there. Well, it's nothing fancy like you're used to, but we'll bake chocolate crinkles and sugar cookies and we'll just have fun. You know, just, just friends.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Really? What, uh, do you all just, um, what do you do at one of these little get-togethers?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Well, we just, you know, play and bake and eat and tell stories and talk, you know, normal stuff.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): I've never been to a party like that. What will I talk about?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Well, like what you did today and what you like, and what you think about school and church and stuff, you know, just be yourself.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): What do I wear?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Just normal play stuff.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Marsha.

Guest (Female - Marsha): Oh, yeah. Um, an old pair of overalls.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Overalls?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Or whatever you want.

Guest (Female - Tiffany): Yeah. Okay. I guess that's what I need to do. Humble myself. Be myself. In overalls, no less. I'd be happy to come to your cookie party.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): I have never tasted anything so good. Wonderful! I can't remember the last time I wasn't thirsty.

Guest (Female - CJ): You're kidding.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): We must get back to the falls.

Guest (Female - CJ): The falls? You have a waterfall?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Yes, it is our source of water. Hope Falls. We've counted on it generation after generation. You can put some water back in your canteen. Follow me.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Well, CJ followed that little group of creatures to the source of their very survival. Hope Falls.

Guest (Female - CJ): This is it. This is Hope Falls?

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Yes, it is. Here, let me run some water back into your canteen.

Guest (Female - CJ): It seems kind of brown.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Yes, this time of year, it gets like that. It's bitter at first, but you get used to it.

Guest (Female - CJ): You all need to climb out with me. About a mile south is a lake, and you can drink all you want and swim and even splash around till you're tired. Then you can nap on the grass. Wake up and start all over.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): What's a lake? What's swim? Has anybody heard of a lake before? I don't have...

Guest (Female - CJ): You just have to believe me! This is not the way you have to live. Any time now, a rope will come down, and you can all come up with me.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): We could never leave Hope Falls. It is the only thing we can trust. We must drink every few hours, or we will die.

Guest (Female - CJ): You won't die! Because there is a lake up there. I don't want to be rude or anything, but you all seem like you are not very healthy. You haven't had enough to drink, ever. And your Hope Falls, it's a dirty little trickle of bitter water.

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Stop! Don't say that! Get off! Get off! CJ! Here comes the rope! Oh, my! Oh, my!

Guest (Male - Papa Chuck): What is this, Papa Chuck?

Guest (Female - CJ): Look out!

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Help me! Come on! Help me! My water jug is getting in the way. I can't make it.

Guest (Female - CJ): You don't need it anymore. Get rid of it! You have to let it go!

Guest (Male - Small Bear): Garth Emo!

Guest (Male - Narrator): Look out! Help! Come on, help me!

Guest (Male - Small Bear): These are delicious! Why have I never had one of these before?

Guest (Female - CJ): More! I need more! Crinkles?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Chocolate crinkles.

Guest (Female - Gooze): Whoa! I love the sugar cookies, but I adore the chocolate crinkles. What's better? To love or to adore? Oh! I can put a sugar cookie between two chocolate crinkles to make the best cookie in the entire universe!

Guest (Female - CJ): Gooze, you cracked me up.

Guest (Female - Marsha): So, finish CJ, then what happened?

Guest (Female - CJ): Well, they splashed around for hours until they were exhausted. Now they're trying to talk the others into coming out of the ravine.

Guest (Female - Gooze): You mean, some wouldn't come out?

Guest (Female - CJ): I know it sounds crazy. Some of them are so afraid, they would rather live with a crummy safe thing, instead of have a great new thing.

Guest (Female - Marsha): That's like not wanting to get out of prison.

Guest (Female - CJ): I know, that's what I said.

Guest (Female - Gooze): So, where's Tiffany?

Guest (Female - CJ): That's just what I was thinking.

Guest (Female - Marsha): I thought this party was for her.

Guest (Female - Gooze): Well, it's supposed to be. I guess she had something come up.

Guest (Female - Gooze): Dumb question time!

Guest (Female - Marsha): Oh, all right, dumb question time!

Guest (Female - Marsha): Okay, Gooze, what is it this time?

Guest (Female - Gooze): What is the happiest memory you have where cookies were involved?

Guest (Female - CJ): Cookies?

Guest (Female - Marsha): Okay, I'll go first.

Guest (Male - Narrator): Well, Tiffany's cookie party was a resounding success. They laughed, ate chocolate crinkles, and got to know each other a little better than before. But because she was just too afraid to humble herself and come, they did it all without Tiffany, the one who needed it the most.

Insight for Living: To order a copy of today's program, Let It Go, Let It Go, Let It Go, just log on to PawsandTales.org. Let It Go, Let It Go, Let It Go was written and directed by David Carl. The song, Let It Go, was written by Sandy Howell and Mark Edward Lewis. Music was by Tim Hosman, and our sound designer was Eric Basil. Paws and Tales is an Insight for Living production and a proud supporter of Keys for Kids Radio.