Paws & Tales

Ned: Welcome to another episode of my personal podcast, Ned Knows! Today, I’m talking to the creator of Paws & Tales, David Cohl. Well, thanks for being with me today, David.

David Cohl: It’s a pleasure to be here, Ned.

Ned: So, because I’m me, I happen to know that you have written the first-ever Paws & Tales book. Tell me more about that.

David Cohl: I’d love to. It’s called *The Overcomers*, and reading this book will be like reading maybe five regular episodes. The club is in the middle of a big new adventure, and there are new characters being introduced.

Ned: That’s fascinating, David. I have it, though, by good authority, that this book centers around Ned and how he saves the day for everyone.

David Cohl: Well, no, that’s not what the book is about. It is significantly about the struggle against evil that lurks high up in Wild Mountain. If anything, I’d have to say it centers around Stacy.

Ned: What? I gave you really good notes when you were writing this. What happened to all my great ideas?

David Cohl: Well, mostly, I didn’t read them. There was a lot of notes, Ned. In the book I did write, we meet Smidge, a badger who really wants to become someone who will make a difference. And he meets up with Crockett, a genuine overcomer, who begins to teach him how to survive in the woods and how to take care of the miners digging for gold in the tunnels of Wild Mountain.

Ned: Ned knows what this book was supposed to be about! In those notes you did not read, Ned inherits a million dollars, but he does not let anyone know about it, and he sneaks around and secretly helps those in need and uses all kinds of really neat gadgets to fight crime.

David Cohl: I did read that part of the notes, but in this first Paws & Tales book, *The Overcomers*, we follow the club as they begin a new adventure, and we see how Crockett battles bandits and the evil Minion in only the way an overcomer can.

Ned: Well, I did not know that you changed the whole book, David. This is a bitter disappointment. Well, this ends this episode of Ned Knows. Thanks for joining me, David Cohl, who ignored all my notes. I’ll see you all next time for another episode of Ned Knows. Don’t stop tape!

Insight for Living: Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales. Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place, so stay on the trails and stick with me. There’s adventure to be had there, too.

Guest (Male): Come on, CJ, jump!

Guest (Male): It’s too far!

Guest (Female): It wasn’t too far for me!

Insight for Living: Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales. Big doings today in Wildwood. Mr. Rockler is coming to town on the Northern Clipper, the biggest ship ever to come to port. He’s rich and powerful and a train baron, which is to say that his company owns the trains and all the tracks for hundreds of miles around.

Wildwood is all abustle with excitement while the town ladies prepare a welcome party for him. The club has planted themselves firmly on the edge of the pier, fishing poles in hand, in order to get a good look at this rich and powerful man.

Guest (Female): I love Fridays.

Guest (Male): I love Fridays too. I love Friday afternoons better.

Guest (Female): I love Friday afternoons. The only thing better than that is Friday night sleepovers.

Guest (Male): Big whoop. Can’t stand it, can you?

Guest (Female): Just ignore them.

Guest (Male): Yeah, like I want to come to Stacy’s and play dress-up and drink tea.

Guest (Female): Do you think we could make tea? I love tea!

Guest (Female): We got tea! Oh, I can’t wait until tonight!

Guest (Female): Changing the subject, my dad says Mr. Rockler might buy a new steam engine and replace the Cannonball.

Guest (Female): He can’t just replace the Cannonball. That train’s a part of Wildwood.

Guest (Female): Marsha, if he wants to replace the Cannonball, he’ll just do it. When you have as much money as he does, you can do anything you want.

Guest (Male): I wish I was rich. Okay, you get one wish. Could be real, could be make-believe, anything at all. What would it be?

Guest (Male): Oh, I wish I was rich too!

Guest (Male): I’d wish for two more wishes.

Guest (Male): Oh, I want to be rich with two wishes!

Guest (Male): You can’t wish for more wishes. Come on, CJ.

Guest (Male): I wish I were the smartest bear in the world. Then I could invent stuff and then get rich. Marsha would just be rich, but I would be smart and rich.

Guest (Male): I want two riches, one smart, and a wish, and—oh, that’s not right.

Guest (Female): One wish, Goos. Pick one.

Guest (Male): Well, if I can only have one, I would wish for a C on Monday’s spelling test.

Guest (Male): Well, of course, I was going to wish for that too, but then I went for the smart-rich thing.

Guest (Male): If I get a C or better, my folks will take me on a campout. If I don’t get at least a C, I’m toast.

Guest (Female): Go, Ned.

Guest (Male): Well, I would wish that our dam would hold.

Guest (Female): Your dad’s?

Guest (Male): Yeah. The river’s the highest it’s ever been. When he built the dam, he never thought the river would get this high. If it breaks and the river comes rushing through, it’ll wash our house away.

Guest (Male): Hey, here he comes! Which one is Mr. Rockler?

Guest (Female): Look at the camera! Who are all those people?

Guest (Male): That’s his entourage, all the people that travel with him.

Guest (Male): There he is! He looks like a king or something.

Guest (Female): Wow, is that his daughter? Look at that coat. That must have cost a gabillion dollars.

Guest (Female): She must be his daughter. I bet she lives like a princess. I wish I was a princess.

Guest (Male): Yeah, me too. You know, if I had a coat like that, I’d never take it off.

Guest (Male): Welcome, Mr. Rockler and associates. We are so pleased that you have made it back to our fine city. Is this your daughter?

Guest (Male): Yes, this is my daughter, Tiffany.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Wildwood, Tiffany.

Guest (Female): Thank you. It’s my pleasure.

Guest (Male): As mayor of Wildwood, we would like to present you with the key to our city.

Guest (Male): Thank you. Thank you all for your warm and gracious welcome. I have always loved this place, this place of wild beauty and majestic sites. It is my firm hope that as we work toward the future together—

Guest (Female): Father?

Guest (Male): —that we can continue the kind of mutual—

Guest (Female): Father?

Guest (Male): Well, what is it?

Guest (Female): You said that we could get something to eat the minute we got off the ship.

Guest (Female): Tiffany, come with me.

Guest (Male): —that we can continue to work together to improve the commerce—

Guest (Female): Did she just interrupt his speech?

Guest (Male): I can’t believe she just did that.

Guest (Male): If I’d done that to my dad, I can’t even imagine how long I’d be in trouble.

Guest (Male): I’m embarrassed for her.

Guest (Female): If you ask me, she doesn’t seem embarrassed at all.

Guest (Male): So, the little princess is a brat.

Guest (Male): Oh, very sad. If I were a princess, I’d be too busy to be a brat. I’d be sailing on ships and going to parties.

Guest (Male): If I was a princess, I’d do important stuff. I’d make sure that everyone in town had what they needed: food, medicine, whatever. And I’d have a dam built that would never break and Ned’s family would never have to worry.

Guest (Male): Goos, your mom’s talking to Mr. Rockler.

Guest (Male): Yeah, she’s been in charge of the big welcoming committee. She’s been working on this day and night for weeks.

Guest (Male): Okay, they’re off to the train station. I’m bored.

Guest (Female): You’re too young to be bored.

Guest (Male): What does that mean?

Guest (Female): I don’t know. I just hear grown-ups say it all the time.

Guest (Female): Stacy! Girls, let’s be off.

Guest (Female): Sleepover, sleepover, sleepover!

Guest (Male): Oh, brother.

Guest (Female): Could you see everything?

Guest (Female): Saw it all. Did you see the girl?

Guest (Female): I did indeed. Now gather your things.

Guest (Male): This is my first sleepover. I want to stay up all night!

Guest (Female): Say goodbye, girls.

Guest (Female): See you tomorrow!

Insight for Living: They went to Stacy’s house and enjoyed a dinner of cheese pizza and root beer, all served on the finest china dishes. The girls then decided to behave like the most genteel of ladies, but that got boring pretty quickly.

Guest (Male): Where’s my sucker? It was just here.

Guest (Female): If we tie the licorice strings together, we can jump rope with them!

Guest (Male): And if a girl likes a boy, he has to like her back.

Guest (Female): I don’t think you can pass a law like that.

Guest (Female): I can if I’m the princess.

Guest (Female): Okay now, I want to be the princess. Miss Marsha, what can I do for you?

Guest (Female): Well, I think that there should be more time for recess and no more math!

Guest (Female): All right, as princess of Wildwood, I proclaim that recess will be twice as long and there will be no more math, ever!

Guest (Female): Oh, oh, one more thing, Princess.

Guest (Female): You may refer to me as Princess Stacy, please.

Guest (Female): Okay, Princess Stacy. I just wanted to tell you that you have your sucker stuck to the seat of your royal pajamas.

Guest (Female): All right, you bunch of princesses. It’s time to settle down and go to sleep.

Guest (Female): I’m not tired. I’m the princess of Wildwood and I say that we can stay up.

Guest (Female): Well, I’m the mother, and that’s way more powerful than a princess. Everybody under the covers.

Guest (Female): I’m wide awake.

Guest (Female): I’m not even tired.

Guest (Male): I’m sure not tired.

Guest (Female): Oh, I can see that. Everybody in? I’ll pray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all these girls and please keep us safe while we sleep. We love you, Father, and we pray that you will help us to love you more. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now, I don’t want any noise. Goodnight, Princess Goos, Princess Marsha, and Princess Stacy.

Guest (Male): Excuse me, Princess Stacy, but you have a guest.

Guest (Female): You what? Me?

Guest (Male): May I bring in your guest, Princess Stacy?

Guest (Female): Whoa, look at this dress, this room. This is a castle, isn’t it?

Guest (Male): Very amusing.

Guest (Female): I have a crown! I’m wearing a crown! How do I look?

Guest (Male): Beautiful, captivating, and very, very royal.

Guest (Female): Have to say that often?

Guest (Male): Part of the job. Now, should I bring him in?

Guest (Female): Certainly. I’m a princess! I’m a princess!

Guest (Male): Do not jump on the bed, please.

Guest (Female): But I’m the princess!

Guest (Male): That does not mean you can be naughty. Off of the bed.

Guest (Female): Sorry. I’m a princess. I wear a crown!

Ned: We have some parents with me today that would love to tell you what they think about the fun, the biblical teaching, and the music of Paws & Tales. Go right ahead, please.

Guest (Female): Well, I love—

Ned: Bit closer to the microphone, please.

Guest (Female): Oh, sorry. I love that Paws & Tales is fun for kids and parents. I kind of expect my kids learn from the episodes, but so do we.

Ned: I love that! Now, don’t miss an episode of Paws & Tales right here on this amazing station.

Guest (Male): Princess Stacy, I present to you Sir Ned.

Guest (Male): Hey, Stacy.

Guest (Female): Ned, I’m a princess!

Guest (Male): Yeah, that’s why I came.

Guest (Female): Of course. What can I do for you?

Guest (Male): Well, the river is still rising, and I don’t think the dam my dad built can hold on much longer. If it breaks, our house will be washed away.

Guest (Female): Yeah, I remember.

Guest (Male): What?

Guest (Female): I would love to help you, Ned, but I’m not quite sure how.

Guest (Male): Not sure how? You’re the princess! All you need to do is go and ask your dad, the king.

Guest (Female): Oh, right. Well, I guess we know what needs to be done now.

Guest (Male): Yep.

Guest (Female): And that would be to—

Guest (Male): Go and ask your father, the king, for help!

Guest (Female): I need to go ask the king.

Guest (Male): Yes!

Guest (Female): Royal Attendant?

Guest (Male): Yes, Princess Stacy?

Guest (Female): Where’s the king?

Guest (Male): Across the hall, where he always is.

Guest (Female): Ned, he’s just across the hall. Whoa, that’s some door.

Guest (Male): It’s the door to the royal chamber.

Guest (Male): Please, Princess Stacy, the river’s getting higher by the minute.

Guest (Female): Okay, I’m going in. What are you doing? I can’t go in there. There’s hundreds of people, all of them wanting to talk to the king. He’s busy and he doesn’t need to be interrupted by a cub. I’ll come back later.

Guest (Male): You’re not very good at this princess thing, are you?

Guest (Female): I’ve had a rough day here. You think that because I’m wearing a crown and a prom dress, the king will just make all those people wait while I ask him for a favor?

Guest (Male): You’re the princess, daughter of the king, his little girl. There’s nothing more important to him than you.

Guest (Female): You don’t just barge in on your dad when he’s talking to people. I’ll get in trouble.

Guest (Male): If I may jump in, you are quite right about not interrupting your father when he is busy. But the king is not just your father; he is your Heavenly Father. It’s quite different. Your Heavenly Father is always waiting for you to come and talk to him, anytime, day or night.

Guest (Female): Yeah?

Guest (Male): He wants you to come to talk to him. Now act like a princess and get in there!

Guest (Female): Whew, I’m going in.

Guest (Male): Presenting the king’s daughter, Princess Stacy!

Guest (Male): Stacy! Glad you could come. Come on, come on up. Come.

Guest (Female): Nice throne.

Guest (Male): I’m glad you came, really. So, what can I do for you, sweetheart? How about a kiss? That’s right.

Guest (Female): Well, I hate to bother you like this.

Guest (Male): Stacy, I am the king. I take care of everything in the kingdom, but when you come to talk to me, I am here to talk to you.

Guest (Female): Whoa. I—well, it’s about Ned. You see, his dad built a dam to keep the river from flooding out their house. Well, the river has never been higher, and the dam is about to break. Can you help him, Dad? King?

Guest (Male): Princess Stacy, because you have asked, I will certainly help Ned’s family.

Guest (Female): Wow, just like that? I didn’t think it would be that easy. I guess I just thought I would have to—

Guest (Female): Stacy! Girls, time to get up. Breakfast is ready. Good morning, sleepyheads.

Guest (Female): Mom, you wouldn’t believe the dream I just had.

Guest (Female): Really?

Guest (Female): I was a princess and I asked the king to help me, and he just said yes. Wow!

Guest (Female): How fun. You know, I wish I was a princess. Well, you know you are. You all are princesses because you’re Christians. God is your Father, your Heavenly Father.

Guest (Male): Oh, that would make us all heavenly princesses!

Guest (Female): Indeed it does. Now, we have eggs and we have bacon and we have chocolate oats for all the royalty in this house.

Guest (Male): I love sleepovers. I had a dream too!

Guest (Female): Oh, really, Goos? What was yours about?

Guest (Male): I dreamt I went into my sock drawer and I opened it slowly, and I found the socks I wanted!

Guest (Female): Okay, everyone wash up.

Guest (Female): You dream about socks?

Guest (Male): Not every night.

Insight for Living: The girls had a sumptuous breakfast and put Stacy’s room back in order. And then, as a good hostess, Stacy walked the two girls home.

Guest (Male): Thanks for the sleepover, Stacy. I had a really good time.

Guest (Female): Thanks for coming. Hey, see you later, Goos!

Guest (Male): See you later! Mom! Mom! I’m home!

Guest (Female): I wonder what the guys are doing. Probably working on the fort. I’ve got to study for that spelling test. If I don’t get a good grade—

Guest (Male): I know, you’re toast.

Guest (Female): Oh, burnt toast. You know what? I’m going to pray that you get an A on your test. I’m going to ask my Heavenly Father that you get an A.

Guest (Male): Whoa, I never got an A in spelling before. Oh, that would be great. If I came home with an A in spelling, do you know what my folks would do?

Guest (Female): I don’t.

Guest (Male): Well, it’s never happened before. I’ll just have to tell you what they did after they do it. Hey, Stacy! Goos!

Guest (Female): What happened?

Guest (Male): The dam broke!

Guest (Female): Oh man!

Guest (Male): No, it’s all right. We moved everything out this morning.

Guest (Female): But your house! I prayed!

Guest (Male): Mr. Rockler bought our house last night. He paid us enough that we can build a better house higher up so the river will never be a problem for us again. It’s a miracle!

Guest (Female): I can’t believe it!

Guest (Male): Why would a rich guy want your house?

Guest (Male): He doesn’t. He wants the land. He wants to build a new boat dock there with the train track that goes right to the pier. He’s not going to replace the Cannonball either. He wants to be able to bring the lumber down the river and load it on a train and carry it to the big ships in the bay.

Guest (Female): Thank you, Father.

Guest (Male): I’ve got to tell the others! See you!

Guest (Male): I can’t believe it. Stacy, God answered your prayer.

Guest (Female): I know. Goos, get ready for your A in spelling.

Insight for Living: Well, the rest of the day was abuzz with the good news of Ned’s family. The entire church service was dedicated to thanking the Lord for His good care of us all. But then Monday came and with it the dreaded spelling test. Miss Harbor graded the test after lunch and handed them out at the end of the day as the kids went out the door.

Guest (Female): Have a good afternoon, everyone, and don’t forget about your homework assignment.

Guest (Female): Goos, wait! What’d you get? Is it an A?

Guest (Male): I got a D-minus. Almost an F. I am in such big trouble.

Guest (Female): But I prayed!

Guest (Male): So did I, but either we did it wrong or God wasn’t listening. I am toast. No butter, no jelly, just plain burnt toast. Charcoal, really.

Guest (Female): I don’t get it.

Ned: Hey, Stace, I’m helping out today, so I’ll direct you whenever you’re ready.

Guest (Female): Hey everyone, Stacy here from Paws & Tales. We’ve had kids from all over the country send in their announcer recordings, and they are heard every day on the program. But we haven’t heard one from you!

Ned: Yeah, really good, Stace, but this time with a little more pathos, please.

Guest (Female): Oh, Ned. Just head over to pawsandtales.org and pop into the clubhouse to get one of the announcer scripts.

Ned: That’s a good start, Stace, but I need some more sparkle, please. Give me more sparkle.

Guest (Female): I don’t even know what that means. Record yourself on your parent’s phone and send it into us so we can get your voice heard around the world. That’s pawsandtales.org. This is so exciting!

Ned: Well, let’s think about your motivation on this. Good job! Stopping tape. Wait, I’m directing this! Do not stop tape, Joel! Do not stop that tape!

Insight for Living: Well, Stacy was as troubled as she’d ever been. She was troubled all evening and she was troubled right into a fitful slumber. She’d prayed and it seemed that God was just not listening.

Now when you’re terribly confused like this, it’s a good idea to weigh out the things you do know from the things you don’t. You don’t know why God didn’t answer your prayer, but you do know that He is a loving Heavenly Father that wants only the very best for us.

Guest (Male): Presenting the Princess Stacy!

Guest (Male): How are you, sweetheart? That’s a girl. Now, what’s on your mind? Tell me.

Guest (Female): Sir, King, Dad, please let Goos get an A on her spelling test. You could make the D-minus a mistake and have it changed. I told her I would talk to you about it. She would be so happy, and she’d be able to go on the campout.

Guest (Male): Well, no, I’m not going to do that.

Guest (Female): Why? You’re the king. You can do anything you want.

Guest (Male): But you see, I don’t want to give Goos an A.

Guest (Female): Don’t you like Goos?

Guest (Male): Oh, yes, I love Goos more than you could ever imagine. That’s why I will not give her an A. There are reasons, some of which you would understand and many that you would not.

Guest (Female): But she won’t be allowed—

Guest (Male): You must remember that I am your Father. I will not allow something to happen to any of my children that is not the best for them. I will not answer your request like you’ve asked me to, but because you’ve asked, I will answer it another way. You just need to trust me. I’m your Father.

Guest (Female): Stacy, it’s time to wake up, sweetheart. I’ve already let you sleep too long.

Guest (Female): Oh, I’m so frustrated.

Guest (Female): Well, you haven’t been awake for ten seconds. How can you be frustrated?

Guest (Female): I prayed for Goos to get an A on her spelling test and she got a D-minus. Why would God do that?

Guest (Female): That’s quite a question first thing in the morning. I don’t really know all the whys. But I talked with Goos’s mom at the welcoming celebration for Mr. Rockler, and she said that Goos hasn’t studied for weeks.

All her grades are going down and she still won’t study. Now that she’s gotten a bad grade, she’ll have to go straight home from school and study until dinner. Maybe that’s what she’s needed: to get some discipline in her life.

Guest (Female): How’s that going to help if she just doesn’t study?

Guest (Female): Well, her mom has quit several of the committees she’s on, and she’s going to be home to see that Goos does indeed do her homework. God knows what He’s doing, sweetheart. Now get going before you’re late for school.

Guest (Female): I still think she should have gotten an A.

Insight for Living: Even though Stacy decided to stay frustrated on that matter of the spelling test, in a couple of weeks, she saw for herself how quickly Goos got her grades back up with her mom’s help.

Guest (Male): Stacy! I got a B! Not a C, not a C-plus. I got a B, a big, bright, button-busting B! That’s the best grade I’ve gotten on a spelling test in a long time.

Guest (Female): Okay, spell taxi.

Guest (Male): T-A-X-I.

Guest (Female): Good. House.

Guest (Male): H-O-U-S-E.

Guest (Female): Not bad. Spell insect.

Guest (Male): Umm, E-N-S-C—oh no, that’s not—B-U-G. Bug. That’s the reason I didn’t get an A, you know.

Insight for Living: With the news of Goos’s improvement, Stacy was beginning to see that this was working out better than she’d thought it would. What Stacy didn’t know and couldn’t appreciate is what Goos really needed was not an A in order to go on one camping trip with her family.

She needed time with her family every day. In God’s special way, He answered Stacy’s prayer better than she had hoped. Not only did Goos’s mom quit some things to be home in the afternoon, her dad quit working late so he could be home for dinner every night.

Guest (Female): You want to catch up with the guys and tell them?

Guest (Male): Later. I’m going home to show Mom. She’s going to be so excited. This is going to be incredible! I-N-K-R—this is going to be great! G-R-E-A-T! Come on, she’s going to have snacks!

Guest (Female): You crack me up.

Insight for Living: Sometimes that’s the way God works. He may not give you what you ask for, but because you’ve asked, He does, every time you ask, give you what’s best.

I’m a kid of the kingdom. I’m a kid of the kingdom. I’m a kid of the kingdom of the King of kings. He’ll even listen to the little things. I’m a kid of the kingdom. I’m a kid of the kingdom. So there’s no doubt my King is looking out for me.

It’s a crazy world and we’re often told but I call on my King and I promise you he’s my Dad so we’ll get right through. I’m a kid of the kingdom. I’m a kid of the kingdom. I’m a kid of the kingdom of the King of kings. He’ll even listen to the little things. I’m a kid of the kingdom. Look at me. I’m a kid of the kingdom. Family tree. So there’s no doubt my King is looking out for me.

Take it, fellas. I’m so glad that the Lord reigns. I know, I love to run in the puddle. No, Goos, I mean He reigns over His kingdom, and that makes all the pretty flowers grow. Goos, He’s the King of the universe. He reigns, R-E-I-G-N-S. He reigns over the universe. Whoa, that’s a lot of water. Oh, Goos.

The Lord of all is His Majesty. He cares about bears of little bears like me. Then He works in ways only He can do. There’s no one else I’d rather be related to. I’m a kid of the kingdom. Yes, that’s me. I’m a kid of the kingdom. I’m royalty. I’m a kid of the kingdom of the King of kings. Boy, I really love the way that rings.

I’m a kid of the kingdom. He told me so. I can trust my King indeed. He takes requests and no or yes, He’ll always grant me what is best. So there’s no doubt my King is looking out for me. Yeah!

To order a copy of today’s program, *The Princess*, just log on to pawsandtales.org. *The Princess* was written and directed by David Cohl. *Kid of the Kingdom* was written by Sandy Howell. Music was by John Campbell, and our sound designer was Eric Basil. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production.