Paws & Tales

Gooz: It’s almost Christmas!

Dave: It is, Gooz. I love this time of year: the music, the cooler weather.

Gooz: And Jesus' day!

Dave: Yes, of course. It is all about Jesus.

Gooz: And the best way to keep that top of mind is to listen to the Paws & Tales Christmas episodes. They’re coming up soon, or you could just hop over to pawsandtales.org and listen to them today and tomorrow and the next.

Dave: That is a great idea, Gooz. The Paws & Tales Christmas episodes are a great way to focus on the giving, the receiving from God, and yes, the remembering that it’s all about Jesus.

Gooz: So put on your woolies, get a cup of cocoa, and snuggle up for some great music and fun. And don’t forget about the cocoa. Super important.

Dave: That’s pawsandtales.org.

Gooz: And cocoa.

Dave: Thanks, Gooz. Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales.

Insight for Living: Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place. If you stay on the trails and stick with me, there’s adventure to be had there too.

Staci: Come on, CJ, jump!

CJ: It’s too far!

Staci: It wasn’t too far for me!

Insight for Living: Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales. It’s another beautiful day here in Wildwood. The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and the sky is so clear you can almost hear the sunshine. And if you stand real still and listen right close, you can hear a low rumbling sound.

Gooz: What was that?

CJ: My stomach. I’m starving.

Gooz: You know what you need, CJ?

CJ: Yeah, I should have brought a sandwich. Mom told me I’d get hungry.

Gooz: No, no. You need a giant pickle. Doesn’t a giant pickle sound real good right about now?

CJ: Mom said, "CJ, when you go for a hike in the woods, you’re going to get hungry." But did I listen? No.

Gooz: I can almost taste it. A big, juicy pickle with lots of peanut butter to dip it in.

CJ: There goes my stomach again. Gooz, I think we better get back.

Gooz: No, no, wait. You need—are you ready for this?—a bologna and banana burrito with horseradish sauce. Oh, yum.

CJ: See that deer? What’s he licking at a tree? I think... Come on.

Gooz: What? What’s he doing?

CJ: Beehive in the tree.

Gooz: Look at the bees flying around. Oh, this is making me nervous. That’s got to be a huge hive. There are bees everywhere. Oh, what if they get mad?

CJ: I know all about beehives.

Gooz: Yeah, yeah, sure, Mr. Big Talker. Remember that you said that when we’re getting stung by a quadrillion bees.

CJ: Don’t get stung if you’re a bear. We’ve got thick hides. I love being a bear.

Gooz: Well, if you look around, you’ll notice that I am a weasel. I am not going anywhere near that hive.

CJ: That deer is going to eat all of it before we can get one lick.

Gooz: Why don’t the bees sting him?

CJ: See how he’s moving slow? He knows what he’s doing. Finally, he’s leaving. I’m going in.

Gooz: Oh, be careful!

Insight for Living: Well, CJ, being a bear, did get his nose into the beehive, and he licked and smacked until he couldn’t eat any more.

CJ: Oh, man. This is unbelievable. This is the best honey I’ve ever tasted.

Gooz: Glad to hear it. Can we go now? I feel like the bees are all just staring at us, deciding if we’re going to get it or not.

CJ: Relax, I know what I’m doing.

Gooz: Oh, that’s giving me a ton of confidence.

CJ: We’ve got to take some of this home. People would pay for honey like that.

Gooz: It’s just honey.

CJ: No, it’s the best honey in the world. Come on, you’ve got to help me go back to the fort and get the wagon.

Gooz: The wagon would be for...

CJ: The hive! It’s loose. A rotten stump, really. I’m taking it back to the fort and we can put the honey into jars and sell them.

Gooz: Oh, no. Now you wait just a doggone minute, CJ. We are not bringing a bunch of bees to our fort.

CJ: But...

Gooz: No way, no sir, no how. The club will definitely vote that one down.

CJ: Okay then, we’ll take it to my house so there’s more honey for me.

Gooz: You’re nuts!

CJ: Okay, I’ll have Staci help me then.

Staci: Where is it?

CJ: A little farther. Just on the other side of the wildflower meadow.

Staci: This better be good. I still have homework to do.

CJ: You’re going to love—hey, wait a minute.

Staci: What’s wrong?

CJ: That deer. He’s back and he brought some friends.

Staci: The tree? That’s the beehive? That’s too big to be a beehive.

CJ: Well, it is. And it’s got the best honey you’ve ever tasted, except those deer are stealing it.

Staci: How could they be stealing it? It’s not yours.

CJ: Well, it’s not fair if they eat it all and I can’t share it with everybody else.

Staci: You’re going to share it with everybody?

CJ: Well, yeah, for a small price.

Staci: Of course. Just wait until you taste it. You’ll see. The bees are everywhere. The deer are leaving. Let’s go.

Insight for Living: Well, it wasn’t easy, but those two bear cubs got that giant beehive on the wagon and back to CJ’s house before bedtime. That night, CJ dreamed of pools of honey and mountains of money.

He was distractible all the next day at school, and as soon as Mrs. Harbor let them out for the day, he took off for his own private beehive.

CJ: 13, 14. Hey, Staci, Gooz.

Staci: Very impressive. That’s a lot of honey.

CJ: 15.

Gooz: What? Are you afraid? I’ve never met an angry bee before, but I bet they would look just like these. I’m keeping my distance.

CJ: I’ve got it all figured out. At a dollar a jar, I’ll have a pile of money.

Staci: You know, CJ, this honey won't last forever.

CJ: Are you kidding? Look at all those busy bees. They keep working and working. They never stop. They just love making honey.

Staci: That’s pretty good.

CJ: The best in the world.

Staci: Can I have a jar?

CJ: Sure. Here you go.

Staci: Very nice.

CJ: That’ll be one dollar, please.

Staci: A dollar? I helped get the hive.

CJ: Sorry, we don't offer any kind of discount for friends and relatives.

Staci: Nobody’s going to pay that much for honey.

CJ: We'll see. I’m going out to set up my honey stand. In an hour, they’ll be lined up around the block.

Staci: So can I have a jar or not?

CJ: I'll make you a deal. If I don't sell all my jars of honey today, you can have one at half price.

Staci: Half price? You're losing it, CJ.

Eleanor: Hi, my name is Eleanor. I’m from Reno, Nevada. Don’t go away, because there’s more Paws & Tales coming right up.

Gooz: Winter is just around the corner.

Dave: Yes, it is. Even in Wildwood, the temperatures are starting to fall.

Gooz: Do you know what the biggest problem in the whole gigantic world is?

Dave: I guess I do not. What is it?

Gooz: What to wear to school! I get so excited about going to school that I don’t plan stuff out very well. I wore my shirt on backwards last week, don’t you know?

Dave: I think I’ve got a suggestion for you. Here is one of our newly minted Paws & Tales t-shirts. It has the Paws & Tales logo on the front, so you’ll never be confused and wear it backwards.

Gooz: That is so clever! Did you think of that? Nice job there, Dave.

Dave: Well, no. It’s just kind of normal.

Gooz: It would be so great if people could just go onto pawsandtales.org and order them in various sizes and all, and get the shirt that will make going to school easy and not all backwards. It’s a real problem, you know.

Dave: Gooz, I think you are a genius.

Insight for Living: Well, CJ decided that he needed a new location for his honey stand. So the next day, he set up right on the platform of the train station.

Ned: Hey, CJ.

CJ: Hi, Ned.

Ned: So how’s business?

CJ: Couldn't be better.

Ned: Everyone’s talking about your honey.

CJ: Really?

Ned: Yeah, everyone loves it.

CJ: Yep, they do.

Ned: Hey, you missed on that one. It's not full. No one’s going to buy a jar that’s not full.

CJ: Think so? I started filling them all like this. I can sell more jars that way.

Ned: You’re charging a dollar a jar for a jar that isn’t even full?

CJ: It's just good business, Ned. You wouldn't understand.

Ned: No, I understand. You’ve lost it, CJ. See you.

CJ: Yes, ma'am. Can I help you?

Guest (Female): A dollar for a jar of honey? You’ve got to be joking.

CJ: No, ma'am. Just one lick and you’ll be stuck.

Insight for Living: Yep, CJ’s business was booming. His friends might not have liked it, but as CJ was now fond of saying, "You can’t argue with success." But Staci was right. CJ was somehow acting like a different bear cub, doing and saying things he would never think of doing and saying before.

CJ: Money, money, money. Thank you, ma'am. Be sure to come back tomorrow. I am a money machine. One jar, please.

Guest (Female): Just one jar. Think of the children. One jar will do, young man.

CJ: Fine. Next. Some folks can be so rude.

Insight for Living: CJ could hardly stop and take a breath. He was so busy selling his honey. Now, no one could hold it against him that he was doing a mess of business, but along the way, he sort of forgot himself. He started to get greedy and selfish.

Guest (Male): Excuse me, son. Could you spare a jar or two? I can't pay you now, but...

CJ: Sorry. No money, no honey. Next.

Guest (Male): It’s not for me. It’s for...

CJ: I'd love to help, but I've got lots of folks who have been waiting a long time here. Sorry to bother you.

Mr. Mozey: Hey there, CJ.

CJ: Hey, Mr. Mozey.

Mr. Mozey: If you can handle it, I’ll buy 50 jars.

CJ: 50? Whoa.

Mr. Mozey: I'll take them and sell them on the train for a dollar and a half. Can you handle it?

CJ: I'll have to go get more jars. How about tomorrow afternoon?

Mr. Mozey: You know where to find me.

CJ: 50 jars to one customer. It's started. Next I’ll need to hire some kids to fill the jars. This is going to be great.

Insight for Living: With his head in the clouds, CJ went off to get himself more jars.

CJ: Good afternoon, Mr. Crawford.

Mr. Crawford: Oh, yeah, afternoon, CJ. What can I do for you?

CJ: More jars. I need more jars.

Mr. Crawford: Well, you must be doing better business than anyone in town.

CJ: Yeah, well, with a good product and hard work, anything is possible.

Mr. Crawford: You’re an inspiration to us all. How many jars this time?

CJ: 50.

Mr. Crawford: 5-0? 50?

CJ: Yep. Can you handle it?

Mr. Crawford: Just barely.

CJ: Do you have 50?

Mr. Crawford: I've got plenty of jars, CJ. I was thinking, maybe we should become partners.

CJ: Partners?

Mr. Crawford: I could sell you my honey. It would be better than me setting up a stand and it would bring customers into your store.

Mr. Crawford: Shouldn't you be out playing baseball or something?

CJ: What?

Mr. Crawford: Go be a kid, CJ.

CJ: Have it your way. Man, this is too much. I’ll have to come back for the others later. Hey, Mr. Crawford. Staci, help me carry these to my house.

Staci: You want a mere child to help you with your business? Come on, I'm in a hurry.

CJ: All right. See you later, Mr. Crawford.

Mr. Crawford: See ya. Need help with the door?

CJ: I got it.

Staci: So what's the big hurry?

CJ: This is big. Mr. Mosley, the conductor, wants to buy 50 jars of honey. 50.

Staci: Do you have that much honey?

CJ: Oh, yeah.

Staci: How much have you sold?

CJ: Almost 40 jars. With this order, another 50. That’s 90 bucks.

Insight for Living: The more CJ talked, the more it was clear that he was so busy thinking about the money and how to get more that he couldn't think of anything else. The closer to the beehive they got, the more irritated Staci became.

Staci: Have you been listening to yourself? It’s all about you and your stuff. You haven’t once thought of stopping and being with us. If it doesn’t make you more money, you don’t want anything to do with it.

CJ: When I get this order filled, I'll come out and we can play a game or two.

Staci: Well, I’m sure we’ll feel very special. There, I’m done. See you later. Thanks.

CJ: How about a jar of honey?

Staci: Oh, okay.

CJ: And only 50 cents for you.

Staci: You’ve got to be kidding.

CJ: Nope. Half price for you.

Staci: I help you carry the thing here, I help you carry the jars here, no one else gets half price? You’re out of control. You’ve got greed all over you. Keep your honey.

Insight for Living: Down deep, he knew just what Staci had been talking about, but he stuffed it down and started the filling of 50 jars. The problem was that he had taken so much honey out of that hive that there wasn't anywhere near enough left for 50 jars.

CJ: This is taking forever. Come on, you guys. I need more honey. I need 50 more jars and I need them now! You lazy bunch of bugs! All right, I’m coming in!

Ned: Come on in.

Staci: Hi.

Ned: Hello, Staci. What are you up to?

Staci: CJ’s bonkers.

Ned: More than usual?

Staci: Totally. You’ve got to do something.

Ned: What do you suggest?

Staci: I’m thinking a good smack in the head.

Ned: You think that would help him?

Staci: It would make me feel better. He’s changed. All he thinks about is money.

Ned: I know. The problem is how to get a fellow to change his mind about something when he doesn’t want to change.

Staci: It would need to be something big.

Ned: Probably.

Gooz: Hey, guys, come quick! CJ got stung by about a quadrillion bees!

Staci: Bees can't hurt a bear.

Gooz: They can if he’s allergic! Come on!

Eric: Hi, I’m Eric from Calgary, Canada. On Saturday mornings, I listen to Paws & Tales on the radio in my pajamas with my brother. We love it, and I hope you will too.

Staci: Hey, is this your first time recording a promo?

Guest (Female): It is. I’m a little nervous.

Staci: Don’t be, you’re going to do great. Go ahead and do the first one there.

Guest (Female): Hey, everyone, Staci here from Paws & Tales. What if you could help kids around the world hear about the great love of God for his children? We do it in a fun way, full of music, laughter, and storytelling that makes kids want to listen.

This is exactly what we do here at Paws & Tales world headquarters. To help out with a donation of any size, just jump over to pawsandtales.org and click on the donate button. We have lots more to do, and we could really use help to get the word out. Thanks for stepping up and being a part of the club.

Staci: Nicely done, Stace. You’re a natural.

Mom: CJ, you’ve got company.

Staci: Hey, guys. Hi, CJ.

Ned: How are you doing?

CJ: Okay.

Staci: You look okay.

CJ: Yeah, well, I feel pretty bad.

Ned: What happened?

CJ: I was all mad and I needed to get 50 jars of honey, and it wasn’t coming out. I started to tear the beehive apart.

Gooz: But it’s okay because he knows all about bees.

CJ: I’m ignoring you right now. Not surprisingly, the bees got a little irritated. I kind of dived into the stump and started scooping up honey when they attacked.

Staci: They didn’t sting your face. You look fine.

CJ: No, they didn’t sting my face.

Ned: Oh, I see. Maybe we should go now, girls.

Staci: Where did they sting you?

Ned: I know. Let’s go out and let CJ get some rest.

Staci: Your mom said that you were all swollen.

CJ: All right, they attacked me from behind. They stung me through the pants, okay? Now you know. Who would have thought a grizzly cub could be allergic to bees? It’s humiliating.

Ned: It would be inappropriate now to laugh, huh?

CJ: Very.

Gooz: I guess he knows a lot more about bees now than he did before.

Ned: Outside, girls. Now. Get some rest, pal. I’ll see you in the morning.

Insight for Living: Well, CJ went to sleep with the firm hope that things would get better in the morning. He was about to be sorely disappointed.

CJ: I can’t go out there.

Mom: You can. Just walk slowly and sit down gently. Now go on, have a good day.

CJ: Yeah, like that’s going to happen. My kiss?

Gooz: Hey, there he is. Oh, great.

Staci: Hey, CJ, how are you feeling?

CJ: Been better. Look, let’s make a rule. No jokes about bees or pants or...

Gooz: Are bees in pants?

CJ: None. All right, what are we going to talk about?

Staci: A little sympathy here?

CJ: Sorry. We slowed down here a little. I need to find that deer family. Have you seen them?

Gooz: Seen them hanging around the train depot. Going to come with me?

CJ: Okay. Sure.

Guest (Male): But if we can just get to Frontera, I can get the money. That’s the problem.

Guest (Male): I just can’t give tickets away. I’d get fired.

Guest (Female): I got sick. We lost our tickets. My husband needs to be at his new job on Monday or he might lose it. Can’t take a chance on us. We need a miracle.

Guest (Male): Well, you know, no one wants to help you more than me, but...

CJ: Excuse me.

Guest (Male): Yes?

CJ: Hi, I’m CJ.

Guest (Male): CJ, we’re a little busy right now.

CJ: I want to help you. I’m sorry I was so rude yesterday. I was being kind of greedy and selfish. I’d like to do this by myself, thank you.

Gooz: Sorry.

CJ: I was being greedy and selfish. If you would let me, I’d like to buy your tickets to Frontera.

Guest (Female): That would be almost 30 dollars. You have that kind of money?

CJ: Yep, I do.

Guest (Male): I’ll pay you back.

CJ: I wish you wouldn’t. I talked about this a lot last night with my dad. I want to do this.

Guest (Male): Thank you, son.

CJ: Here, just have it all. About 35 dollars.

Guest (Female): You’ve done a wonderful thing.

Guest (Male): The first in about a week. Have a good trip.

Guest (Female): Sweet cub.

Guest (Male): Yes, he is. Why do you think he walks like that?

CJ: Slow down, you guys!

Guest (Male): Store up your treasures in heaven,

where moth and rust won't destroy.

Where thieves can't break in and steal them,

they're yours forever to enjoy.

There's a mansion for you on Pearly Avenue,

just imagine how much that's worth.

And so store up your treasures in heaven,

by giving them away on earth.

Whoa, some people say you give till it hurts,

but I don't think you should.

You gotta give, give, give and then give some more,

until it feels really good.

While you're yucking it up, collecting a buck,

don't forget all that Jesus said.

Keep your eye on the Lord because he's our reward,

and in heaven no one's in the red. Oh no.

So store up your treasures in heaven,

where moth and rust won't destroy.

Where thieves can't break in and steal them,

they're yours forever to enjoy.

There's a mansion for you on Pearly Avenue,

just imagine how much that's worth.

And so store up your treasures in heaven,

by giving them away on earth.

Whoa, don't be greedy.

When someone else is needy.

God's gifts are better, so much better,

than all the money in the world put together.

So when someone you know or someone you don't needs a quarter, a dollar or two,

hey, give it with joy because boy oh boy, has God got something better for you.

Eternal gifts untold, more precious than gold,

can't you hear the angels sing?

And when God says well done, my faithful one,

well, that's the big cha-ching!

Hey, so store up your treasures in heaven,

where moth and rust won't destroy.

Where thieves can't break in and steal them,

they're yours forever to enjoy.

Now there's a mansion for you on Pearly Avenue,

just imagine how much that's worth.

So store up your treasures in heaven,

by giving them away on earth.

Come on everybody, oh store up your treasures in heaven,

where moth and rust won't destroy.

It's where thieves can't break in and steal them,

hey, they're yours forever to enjoy.

Now there's a mansion for you on Pearly Avenue,

just imagine how much that's worth.

So store up your treasures in heaven.

Oh yeah, store up your treasures in heaven. That's what Jesus said.

Store up your treasures in heaven.

Oh, by giving them away on earth. Yeah!

Insight for Living: To get a copy of today’s program, The Honey Buzz Principle, you can place your order online at pawsandtales.org. The Honey Buzz Principle was written by Jeff White and directed by David Carl. Our script supervisor was Phil Lollar.

The song Treasures in Heaven was written by Sandy Howell and Matt Maguire. Music was by Tim Holsman and our sound designer was Jerry Swafford. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production.