Paws & Tales

Guest (Male): Hey everyone, Gooz here from Paws & Tales. I think it's time for you to become famous, and I have just the plan to get it rolling. Pop over to pawsandtales.org and download one of the radio scripts we have there. Record yourself on your parent's phone reading it like you're a real actor.

We have several scripts for you to choose from. Then, just have your parents go to pawsandtales.org and head on into the clubhouse and upload it there. We'll use some of them inside an actual episode. So record it serious, or record it silly. We're going to love it either way. Get your radio script at pawsandtales.org and let's start your new career as a radio announcer to the world.

Insight for Living: Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales. Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place. If you stay on the trails and stick with me, there's adventures to be had there too. Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales.

Guest (Male): Howdy and welcome to Wildwood. It's finally here. They've been waiting and counting down the days for months, and it's here. Today is the first day of summer. Now, on top of all the adventures and excitement that just naturally comes with summer, today is particularly exciting.

You see, Miss Harbor asked him, and old Captain Gus agreed to teach sailing to as many of her students as there will be. That is the reason CJ and Ned are trudging along, heading to the beach of Tranquility Bay on this, the first day of summer.

Guest (Male): Now, I want to learn to sail as much as the next fellow, but at eight o'clock in the morning on the first day of summer? Will the ocean still be here at ten o'clock? I think so.

Guest (Male): My point exactly. Oh, look at those clipper ships. I love ships. I especially love huge clipper ships that have sailed around the world.

Guest (Male): Which one you think is ours?

Guest (Male): Well, knowing Captain Gus, it's the biggest and fastest one of them all.

Guest (Male): Oh, do you think it's that one? The Continental?

Guest (Male): I bet it is. The Continental. Wow, I feel all salty and sailor-ish just looking at it.

Guest (Male): Looking at her. They call ships "her." I bet she's been around the world. I bet she's been in hurricanes and even outrun pirates.

Guest (Male): Yeah, pirates. Oh, I can't wait to set sail and steer her out to the foamy sea.

Guest (Male): Hey there, fellas. Morning to you.

Guest (Male): Morning, Captain Gus. Shiver me timbers.

Guest (Male): What?

Guest (Male): It's sailor talk. Shiver me timbers.

Guest (Male): In all my years of sailing, I've never heard anyone say that.

Guest (Male): Well, that's embarrassing.

Guest (Male): I love the Continental, Gus.

Guest (Male): Oh, do you now?

Guest (Male): Nice transition, Ned.

Guest (Male): I try to help when I can. I bet she's been around the world, even outrun pirates.

Guest (Male): That she has. Not another like her on this part of the globe.

Guest (Male): I can't wait to stand at the helm and drive her into the wind.

Guest (Male): Well, CJ, you don't drive a ship. You steer a ship.

Guest (Male): Drive a ship. Really, CJ?

Guest (Male): Ned.

Guest (Male): And we won't be boarding the Continental at all.

Guest (Male): I thought you were going to teach us to sail.

Guest (Male): Oh, I am. We're going to start in this.

Guest (Male): That? In that?

Guest (Male): Yep. It's a dinghy.

Guest (Male): A dinghy? Captain Gus, I would like to make a few observations. One, this dinghy is sitting on the sand. And secondly, there's a huge hole in the dinghy that is sitting on the sand. And thirdly, I can barely bring myself to say the word "dinghy."

Guest (Male): Excellent observations, Ned. We're just going to start here, learning some basics. And you'll get used to the word in no time.

Guest (Male): We're just going to start here and practice. Then we'll do some real sailing.

Guest (Male): Thanks for clearing that up, CJ.

Guest (Male): Well, once we get some of the basics out of the way, we'll board that dinghy over there.

Guest (Male): Oh, good. Another dinghy.

Guest (Male): That's as good a dinghy as I have ever seen.

Guest (Male): Oh, you didn't think I was going to teach you to sail on a cutter, did you?

Guest (Male): No. How silly would you have to be to think that?

Guest (Male): Hey, Multi. I bet he's going to teach us on the Continental.

Guest (Male): I bet he will. I love big ships. Just being here makes me feel all sailor-ish. Welcome, fellas.

Guest (Male): Hey, Captain Gus.

Guest (Male): Top of the morning, Captain Gus. Top of the morning. Is that supposed to be sailor talk?

Guest (Male): Yes, it is. Everybody knows that. Oh, good. All three of you are here. This is certainly a surprise.

Guest (Male): Morning, CJ. Hey, if you're going to sail, shouldn't you be wearing a patch over your bad eye?

Guest (Male): That's enough, Barnacle Brain.

Guest (Male): Barnacle Brain. That backfired, didn't it?

Guest (Male): Thanks anyway, Ned. Eight o'clock in the first day of summer. I haven't warmed up yet.

Guest (Male): All right, fellas. Okay, that's enough. Everyone gather around the dinghy now. We'll get started.

Guest (Male): But it's on the sand, and there's a hole in it.

Guest (Male): We'll start out here on the basics, and then we'll move on to that dinghy over there. You didn't think we'd sail the Continental, did you?

Guest (Male): Well, sort of. I am bitterly disappointed. I'm sorry. I think I need some alone time.

Guest (Male): Back in town, Papa Chuck is working away again in the Collins mansion. As is typical, he is trying to do a job by himself that should be done by two or more. Today, he is going to get some help, but this day will not end up anything like he imagined.

Sometimes God has bigger plans than we do. That's one good reason to be ready at all times to do God's work.

Guest (Male): Okay, just stay right there till I get this nail in. That's just great. Hello there.

Guest (Male): Papa Chuck?

Guest (Male): Yeah. What can I do for you?

Guest (Male): My name's Dylan, and some folks at the general store said you might be in the market for some help today.

Guest (Male): As a matter of fact, I just might. You in construction?

Guest (Male): Yeah, I'm in construction. And I'm in cooking and gardening and about anything else folks will pay a fair wage for.

Guest (Male): Well, today I only need your construction skills.

Guest (Male): They are at your command.

Guest (Male): Let's start by getting this length of molding up. Just grab that end and hold it up until... Got it. Go ahead. You okay?

Guest (Male): I'm fine.

Guest (Male): One second longer. Got it.

Guest (Male): The nail's flush and you didn't even touch the wood. I'm guessing this is not your first time swinging a hammer.

Guest (Male): It's not. I've driven a nail or two in my time. Where are you from?

Guest (Male): Oh, everywhere and nowhere. I'm what you might call a seeker of freedom. I just go from town to town. You ready for this one?

Guest (Male): Yep. Okay, here we go.

Guest (Male): I sort of make up my own rules and go wherever the wind may blow.

Guest (Male): Sounds like you've had some adventures.

Guest (Male): That is actually the goal of my life. I've been in swamps and on mountain tops. I've sailed the seas and nearly died from thirst in the desert. Freedom is what life is all about. I mean, no offense, friend, but yours is a life of "have-tos." I've lived a grand life of doing only what I want.

Guest (Male): No offense taken. Ready and lift. You have a flaw though, in your point of view.

Guest (Male): Really? And what is that?

Guest (Male): You assume that I'm not doing what I want to do. I'm freely pursuing the ability to be an excellent craftsman. And I've chosen the freedom to practice my craft for years. Now I have the freedom to drive a finish nail flush without touching the surface of the wood. That's a freedom that you don't have.

Guest (Male): You, my friend, are a worthy adversary.

Guest (Male): And you, my friend, get ready and lift.

Guest (Male): All right, fellas. Now that we've got that covered, it's time to hoist the sail. In this bag is our sail. Hugh, I want you to start pulling it out. And as it comes out, you all step in and help. Good. Oh, if we're not careful, it'll be a tangled mess.

Guest (Male): Hey, look what I found.

Guest (Male): Hey, put that stick down and help me with this.

Guest (Male): It's not a stick. It's my hook. Shiver me timbers.

Guest (Male): Multi, no sailor ever says that. Please. Help me. This is heavy.

Guest (Male): Handle it carefully. Now, if your canvas gets damaged, you may never be able to sail back home.

Guest (Male): Multi, quit messing around and give me a hand.

Guest (Male): All right, I can't give you a hand, but I can give you a hook. Look out. Hey, stop. Oh, Multi. This is bad.

Guest (Male): Ned the Beaver here. Did you know that we have a big blank wall in the clubhouse that needs to get filled up? So how about this? Parents, take a photo of your child listening to Paws & Tales wherever they happen to listen. It could be comfy places, funny places. You know we'd love to see them.

And I will personally post these photos on that blank wall for all to see. Got some tape right here. Just send them into pawsandtales.org. This is so fun.

Guest (Male): The day had taken on a little less of an air of adventure than the boys had planned on. And now they were all sitting on the edge of a dinghy that is sitting in the sand with a big hole in its hull while they sewed up the torn canvas.

Guest (Male): Ow, my finger's bleeding. When are we going to actually sail? This is boring. I thought we were going to be skimming across the water by now, but here we are sewing.

Guest (Male): I like sewing. Sewing something that's ripped is not unlike building a bridge or repairing a broken relationship. By sewing, I feel like we're helping to make the world just a little bit better than it was before.

Guest (Male): What is wrong with you?

Guest (Male): What, CJ? Help me here.

Guest (Male): Oh, well I...

Guest (Male): He means that you are a nutball and should not be permitted to speak out loud anymore.

Guest (Male): Well, I didn't really mean that.

Guest (Male): I second Multi's statement.

Guest (Male): Oh, stop your bickering. Whatever happened to the carefree days of summer? We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves, doing whatever we want.

Guest (Male): Yeah, summer is about freedom and playing.

Guest (Male): So what you're wanting is freedom, is it?

Guest (Male): Yes, exactly.

Guest (Male): There is the freedom to choose the pleasure of the day, and then there's the freedom to be disciplined and to work hard to learn a thing that'll give you a different kind of freedom, a better kind. To play all the time, to just go after the pleasures of the day, might feel good at the time.

Guest (Male): I remember it fondly.

Guest (Male): But fellas, every day, every minute of every day, you are building who you're going to be. If you're lazy and selfish all the time, well, you'll wake up one day to find that you've turned into something you never wanted to be.

Guest (Male): All right, Dylan, cut this just proud of the line. Proud?

Guest (Male): Cut it a little bit long. I know. Some folks have called me selfish and lazy, but I don't have time for those sour folks who don't have the courage to go after life on their own terms. Dylan, are you okay? Yeah, it just happens sometimes. Sit down and catch your breath. This is not just a cold. You need to get that looked at.

Guest (Male): Done that.

Guest (Male): What'd they say?

Guest (Male): Consumption.

Guest (Male): Really?

Guest (Male): It's true. I've not much time left.

Guest (Male): Well, what are you doing here? You need to be with your family.

Guest (Male): And loved ones?

Guest (Male): Yeah.

Guest (Male): You see the downside of the kind of life I've lived is that I don't have any loved ones, family or otherwise. Some time ago I realized that to be free, to do the things I want to do and go to the places I want to go, I couldn't have all the normal good things in life. Alas, I'm alone in this world.

Guest (Male): No, no you're not. I'm here. You're not alone.

Guest (Male): I'm in your way, keeping you from finishing your job. You should just be sending me on my way.

Guest (Male): But you see, I have so much freedom, I don't have to do that.

Guest (Male): And just what does that mean?

Guest (Male): Dylan, I'm a Christian. Because of that, I have the freedom to not be selfish. I'll finish this job another time. I'm getting you to Doc Lowell's.

Guest (Male): I would absolutely send you on your way.

Guest (Male): I guess you don't have as much freedom as I have. Lean on me.

Guest (Male): I never wanted to become this pathetic, self-centered wretch that no one cares about. It just happened.

Guest (Male): Well, Gus finally repaired the torn canvas and the boys finally made it into the dinghy that was actually in the water. Then things got interesting.

Guest (Male): Now sit still. There's no keel on this boat. If you keep wiggling and moving around this much, some of you are going to go right overboard over the side for sure. Now, face the bow.

Guest (Male): Bow? Why, certainly. Thank you all for the applause.

Guest (Male): Ned, sit down.

Guest (Male): He told me to bow, I'm bowing. Knucklehead overboard. Save me. Save me. Or I suppose since the water's only three feet deep, I could just stand up. Oh no, I'm getting blown by a hurricane. Help. All hands on deck. Begin rescue operations. All see you, here I come. Splash in the face. Sorry, Captain Gus.

Guest (Male): This couldn't be harder with a bunch of monkeys. Get back in the boat.

Guest (Male): Sorry, Captain Gus, but this is the...

Guest (Male): I know, I know. The first day of summer. I get it.

Guest (Male): Yeah, this is hard and a lot of work. We just wanted to swim a little, cool off. Why can't we shove off and go sailing? Why can't we just go wherever the wind blows?

Guest (Male): Go wherever the wind blows?

Guest (Male): Yeah, that sounds fun. Let's do that.

Guest (Male): Sounds good to me.

Guest (Male): I'm just going to stay quiet on this one.

Guest (Male): Sailing a ship is just about 100% not going where the wind blows. Sailing, especially a ship like the Continental, is about deciding where you want to end up. Say to Tahiti.

Guest (Male): Ooh, that sounds lovely. Let's go there.

Guest (Male): A sailor plots a course. He studies the wind and he uses it to get him to Tahiti, even if the wind is blowing in the opposite direction.

Guest (Male): You're kidding. How can you sail against the wind?

Guest (Male): It's called tacking. Now if you let your ship just go wherever the wind blows, you're going to end up either crashed into a reef or starved to death on the open sea. A sailor wants to get to the end of his journey more than he wants to sleep or play or go swimming.

When he gets there, he'll be able to do all of those things on top of having the thrill of sailing the open sea. Now, are you ready to continue our lesson?

Guest (Male): Yes, Captain Gus.

Guest (Male): Aye, aye, Captain. What? Sailors say that.

Guest (Male): And the rest of you fellas?

Guest (Male): I would love to go to Tahiti.

Guest (Male): Me too. But I think it would be easier to just buy a ticket.

Guest (Male): That's a good one. You, sir, are guilty of mutiny, high treason, and poor comic timing.

Guest (Male): Really? I thought my timing was pretty good.

Guest (Male): You scoundrel. Now you must walk the plank. Ned, sit down. You're rocking the boat.

Guest (Male): Yeah, Ned, walk the plank.

Guest (Male): What's with the plank anyway? I know how to swim, so why is the plank so bad?

Guest (Male): Because you get eaten by sharks. And you too, Hugh. And me too. No more sailing lessons for me. I'm just going to swim to Tahiti. South, my good friend. Tahiti is south. Goodbye, Captain Gus. Thanks for trying. Bye, see you later.

Guest (Male): Wait a minute.

Guest (Male): What?

Guest (Male): We all ate less than 20 minutes ago. We'll get cramps. What is wrong with you? We'll probably be eaten by sharks anyway. Yeah, so wary and... Hey, what happens if the shark goes swimming right after he eats?

Guest (Male): You can't be serious.

Guest (Male): I'm serious.

Guest (Male): Multi, you are not normal.

Guest (Male): Define normal.

Guest (Male): I'm fine, I'm fine. I just lost my breath is all. You'll be wanting to get this piece...

Guest (Male): All right, you're going to stay with me and my wife Cindy. We have a nice spare room.

Guest (Male): I might just take you up on that. I could use a couple of nights in a soft dry bed.

Guest (Male): I mean from now on.

Guest (Male): From now on? I can't be doing that.

Guest (Male): Of course you can. Folks stay in one place all the time. You'd be surprised.

Guest (Male): There've been times when I really wanted to settle down and make a life for myself. Couple of times I even thought about getting married.

Guest (Male): Really? Why didn't you?

Guest (Male): I'd lived for no one but myself for so long, it became a bit of a habit. I wanted a normal life, but it seemed like a lot of drudgery and hard work, and I was afraid of all that I'd miss out on.

Guest (Male): Pleasures of the day. Doesn't seem all that smart now, does it? This freedom of yours to do only what you want didn't really work, did it?

Guest (Male): You know, my freedom actually got me trapped. I wanted a normal life, but I couldn't escape my freedom. Dylan.

Guest (Male): Dylan, without Christ, you won't get anywhere near those pearly gates. You've got to take care of things now.

Guest (Male): Well, I can see that I've outstayed my welcome. Thanks for all you've done and for all you've tried to do for me. You're possibly the finest person I've ever met. But I can feel the wind blowing and I got to be off. Thanks again for everything.

Guest (Male): No more drills, Gus. I'm pooped.

Guest (Male): Me too.

Guest (Male): You fellas know that before you can really sail, there are things to learn, things to practice and get good at.

Guest (Male): Yes, but it's harder than I thought. Maybe I'm not cut out for the sea. Boys, can you stay clear of the boom?

Guest (Male): Yes, sir.

Guest (Male): And can you secure a line?

Guest (Male): Yes, sir.

Guest (Male): Hoist the sail.

Guest (Male): Yes, sir.

Guest (Male): That's not a question. That's an order. Hoist the sail.

Guest (Male): We're going out? Are we going to sail?

Guest (Male): Well, not unless you hoist the sail. Let's get the lead out, men. We're going to hoist the sail. Hoisting, sir. Tie it off, Ned. Aye, aye, Captain. Whoa, did you feel that? Look at us. Look, we're moving. Coming about, boys. Whoa, look at us go. CJ, you want to steer?

Guest (Male): Yes, sir.

Guest (Male): All right then, take the helm.

Guest (Male): Ned, I know. You've got the helm.

Guest (Male): Let it out just a little, Ned.

Guest (Male): Aye, sir. Whoa, did you feel that? We are flying. Whoa, this is the best. I feel so free. Yeah. Free. I've never felt like this before.

Guest (Male): Oh, you worked for it, boys. You gave up one kind of freedom for another, a better kind. There's a life lesson to be had here, boys. Learn it well. Coming about. Coming about.

Guest (Male): I was living for the moment, always took the easy way, but it never seemed to get me past the shore. Then I started looking forward, made a plan and worked toward it. Now I'm flying across the breakers and I hear the ocean's roar.

Sailing free, I know where I'm going because God's with me. I'm not drifting wherever the wind is blowing. I've charted the course, it's full speed ahead. Now I know what it means to be sailing free.

You can spend your whole life running from the love that God's above, thinking life will ask too much of you each day. But you'll know when you start giving that a life of love's worth living, because there's nothing like the feeling when you give yourself away.

Sailing free, I know where I'm going because God's with me. I'm not drifting wherever the wind is blowing. I've charted the course, it's full speed ahead. Now I know what it means to be sailing free. Because joy waits for me wherever He leads, and that's what it means to be sailing free. A different world I see, sailing free. There's a change in me. I'm sailing free. Now I know what it means to be sailing free because God is leading me. I'm sailing free.

Insight for Living: To order a copy of today's program, "A Cage Called Freedom", just log on to pawsandtales.org. "A Cage Called Freedom" was written and directed by David Carl. The song "Sailing Free" was written by Sandy Howell and Bob Sobel. Music was by Tim Hosman and our sound designer was Jerry Swafford. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production and a proud member of the hiskids.net alliance.