Paws & Tales

Dave: I'm ready. Ned?

Ned: No Dave, I have an idea.

Dave: No Ned, just do the script.

Ned: No no, I have it Dave. Beatnik pop poetry. Coloring sheet, happy and free, picture of the others but mostly of Ned.

Dave: That is so weird. Ned, stop. Download a free character coloring sheet for your kids. There are more cast members to come so check in weekly.

Ned: Relax Dave, Dave relax. Relax is Dave.

Dave: Ned, is that a beret? Where did you get a beret? Download a beautiful map of Wildwood, also for free.

Ned: Is it a map of Wildwood or is life a map?

Dave: You're starting to freak me out, Ned. Just log onto pawsandtales.org for these fun things and more.

Ned: Pawsandtales.org, happiness or is happiness pawsandtales.org? So hard to know. That's it, Joel. Stop tape.

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.

Come on, C.J., jump! It's too far! It wasn't too far for me! Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales.

Papa Chuck: Howdy and welcome to Wildwood. There's nothing like the smell of a batch of fresh-baked cookies hot right out of the oven. Stacey's made a whole basket up to give to the new neighbor in town.

It's something she and the club decided to do for any folks that might move into Wildwood. It's a mighty nice thing to do, no doubt about it. There's Stacey right now, knocking on the door.

Miss Grissel: May I help you?

Stacey: Oh, hi. My name is Stacey and I—

Miss Grissel: Are you selling something? I do not purchase anything.

Stacey: No ma'am. I heard you just moved into town.

Miss Grissel: You heard? So it's begun already. The rumors, the gossip. I haven't been in town two days.

Stacey: I'm sorry, I don't—I mean, are you Miss Helga Grissel?

Miss Grissel: Of course I am. What do you want?

Stacey: Well, the club—I mean I, I brought you a basket of cookies to simply welcome you to town.

Miss Grissel: I would ask you to not knock on my door uninvited, especially at this early hour.

Stacey: But Miss Grissel—

Miss Grissel: This conversation has come to an end, young lady. Good day.

Stacey: That was pleasant.

Guest (Children): Mean old Helga came to town. Mean old Helga wears a frown. If you make her mad then she will lock you up and throw out the key.

Miss Harbor: Excuse me, what are you saying?

Goose: Oh, it's a great new jump rope chant, Miss Harbor. Want to hear it again?

Miss Harbor: I heard it just fine. Where did you learn this?

Goose: Stacey made it up.

Stacey: Goose! I made it up about this mean old lady that I met last weekend.

Goose: Stacey told us all about her, Miss Harbor. She actually said no to a basket of Stacey's cookies.

C.J.: I still don't believe it. I've never met anyone that mean.

Stacey: But it's true. She growled at me and slammed her door right in my face.

Miss Harbor: Okay, I understand that part. But did I hear you say mean old Helga?

Stacey: That's the lady's name. She's a wolf that just moved into town. My mom told me that there used to be a teacher named Helga Grissel in Wildwood and she got fired for locking a student in the closet. Hey, do you think that's the same Miss Grissel? Miss Harbor?

Miss Harbor: What? Oh, sorry. All right, time for class. Everyone inside.

Take your seats, class. We have a lot to study. But first I have a question. Can anyone tell me why it's not okay to make fun of others?

Goose: Because I'm rubber and you're glue and whatever I say bounces off of you—I mean, whatever sticks on me then bounces over to you.

Miss Harbor: Thank you, Goose. C.J.?

C.J.: Because you should treat others the same way you want to be treated.

Miss Harbor: You're right, C.J. It's not okay to hurt others, even behind their backs.

Stacey: But what if they're really rude to you even when you tried to be nice?

Miss Harbor: Then you need to show a little grace. We should all be kind and understanding to others even when they don't deserve it.

Stacey: But what if—

Miss Harbor: I was disappointed in what I heard you all saying in the schoolyard this morning. I hope you'll be careful about how you talk about others in the future.

Guest (Children): Yes, Miss Harbor.

Miss Harbor: Okay, now turn in your science books to page 87. Pay close attention as we read because your homework this weekend will be to write two reports: one on this chapter and another on how it applies to our lives in Wildwood.

Guest (Children): Ugh...

Miss Harbor: That's enough. We have lessons to learn so now let's get focused. In fact, I'm going to assign you a third essay. By Monday I want each of you to write 200 words about showing grace to others. Understood?

Guest (Children): Yes, Miss Harbor.

Papa Chuck: Well, the class wasn't too happy that day, but they sat quiet and did what Miss Harbor told them. Then they went home for the weekend with more homework than you can shake a ruler at. But when they got back to school on Monday, well, things had changed considerably.

C.J.: Did you get all your homework done?

Stacey: Just barely. The science reports weren't too bad but the essay on being gracious was kind of hard.

C.J.: Really? I thought that one was easy. Oh, we'd better hurry.

Guest (Children): Gasp!

Stacey: What is it, Stace? Miss Helga Grissel!

Miss Grissel: What? What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a substitute teacher before? Now take your seats. Miss Harbor will be taking a much-deserved hiatus.

Goose: A what?

Miss Grissel: A vacation. Until she returns, I will be your teacher.

Guest (Male): Hi, I'm Ned from Calgary. One of the many reasons I love Paws & Tales is Ned the Beaver. He just cracks me up.

Ned: 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 paste right here. Just send them into pawsandtales.org. This is so fun.

Papa Chuck: Now if those kids thought school was long on Friday with Miss Harbor, then they must have thought Monday with Miss Helga Grissel was an eternity. You never heard so much complaining. After school they told Papa Chuck about their first day with the new substitute teacher.

Goose: She was awful.

C.J.: She was hard.

Goose: She was mean, mean, mean.

Papa Chuck: All right, calm down. Mr. Peoples, we're going to need some sodas here.

C.J.: We're serious, Papa Chuck. Miss Grissel hates us.

Goose: She just kept telling us everything we did was wrong. And she's mean, mean, mean.

Papa Chuck: Everyone just take a deep breath. Can we hurry with those sodas? Now, one at a time. Tell me all about your day, C.J.

C.J.: Well, first of all, she started the morning by making us all stand up straight and we had to say our names out loud.

Papa Chuck: That doesn't sound so bad.

C.J.: You didn't see it. My name is C.J. Brown.

Miss Grissel: Louder please, I can't hear you.

C.J.: C.J. Brown!

Miss Grissel: You don't need to yell.

C.J.: Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am.

Miss Grissel: Next.

Goose: Goose ma'am.

Miss Grissel: What's your full name?

Goose: Pinky Gungoozler... ma'am, your honor, ma'am. But my friends call me Goose, but you can call me whatever you like—not because you're not my friend or anything, I mean—

Miss Grissel: Next.

Ned: My name is Ned Cleaver.

Miss Grissel: Are you asking me or telling me?

Ned: Telling you.

Papa Chuck: Okay, so Miss Grissel may have a different style of teaching. She's just running a tight ship.

Goose: But you don't know the half of it. It got a lot worse. Miss Gungoozler, repeat that sentence with a proper preposition.

Goose: Prepo-what?

Miss Grissel: Preposition. Surely you're familiar with prepositions: in, by, for, with, to.

Goose: Oh, you mean itty bitty words.

C.J.: I think Miss Harbor said we're going to study grammar and stuff in the fourth grade.

Miss Grissel: It's never too early to learn something as simple as proper grammar, Mr. Brown. If you cannot speak well, people will think you're ignorant. And if people believe you're ignorant, they won't give you the time of day.

No one wants to listen to a bunch of yokels from Halfwit Falls. I am well aware that where we are is Wildwood, Miss Gungoozler. Wow, alliteration, cool. Starting today and for the rest of the week, this class is going to study language skills. We'll get you caught up in no time.

Guest (Children): The rest of the week?

Goose: See, Papa Chuck? No one could be worse than that. Mean, mean, mean.

Papa Chuck: Well, did you learn something today?

Goose: Well, I did make up a new song. I remember things better if I sing them in a song, so I made up a little song about prepositions to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel. Around, across, among, to, against, along, beyond, through, before, behind, above, under, without, after, during, for, about.

Papa Chuck: Okay, I got it. I got it. Okay Goose, I got it.

C.J.: I can't wait until we get Miss Harbor back, and soon.

Papa Chuck: I think you all need to be patient. Miss Grissel may be a bit tougher than Miss Harbor but give her a chance. She can't be all that bad.

Stacey: Oh yes she can.

Papa Chuck: Stacey, I was wondering where you were. What do you think of the new substitute?

Stacey: Miss Grissel hates me.

Papa Chuck: I'm sure she doesn't actually hate you.

Stacey: Yes she does. She made me stay after school for detention. In fact, I have to go to detention all week. It's horrible.

Papa Chuck: Mr. Peoples, can we get another one of those sodas down here? Now, calm down and tell me what happened.

Miss Grissel: Let's review the chapter. And I hope you've been listening. I would hate to tell your parents you haven't paid attention in class. Question one: who was the first mayor of Wildwood? C.J. Brown?

C.J.: Jeremiah Hickory?

Miss Grissel: Correct, Mr. Brown. Question two: what was the first building built in Wildwood? Mr. Cleaver?

Ned: Oh, I know that! It was a jailhouse.

Miss Grissel: Good. I'm relieved to see at least two students have been listening. Question three, Miss Gungoozler. Who was in the original group to settle homesteads in Wildwood? Miss Clammer, is there something you'd like to share with the class?

Stacey: No ma'am.

Miss Grissel: You passed a note to Miss Gungoozler while I was asking her a question. Please stand and read the contents of your little missive with the rest of the class.

Stacey: I'd rather not.

Miss Grissel: You will stand up this instant and you will tell us exactly what you wrote to your classmate.

Stacey: Please Miss Grissel, I can't.

Miss Grissel: Then Miss Gungoozler will stand up and read the note for you.

Stacey: No ma'am, that's not necessary. I was just telling Goose that—

Miss Grissel: Miss Gungoozler, read the note aloud to the class. Chin up. Speak clearly.

Goose: Goose, I think—I love the way she makes the little smiley face over her eye... Read the rest of the note. Goose, I think that you better be good or she might... oh... Miss Gungoozler... or she might lock you in the closet.

Miss Grissel: That was uncalled for, Miss Clammer. You will spend the rest of the week in detention after school at your desk. Understood?

Papa Chuck: Stacey, that's not like you.

Stacey: If she hadn't been so awful about it. I didn't mean for her to see the note.

Papa Chuck: You wrote something very hurtful.

Stacey: But it's true! I heard she was fired because she locked a student in the broom closet.

Papa Chuck: Hold on Stacey. You heard about something that happened a long time ago. I've heard that story myself but I wasn't there. I don't know what happened and neither do you. But I do know this: someone thought she deserved a break.

Stacey: She deserves a break? She's the one that needs to give us a break.

Papa Chuck: Well, until Miss Harbor returns, she is your teacher and she deserves your respect. You kids know better than to be saying mean things about people and spreading rumors.

I think you should all be doing some serious praying about how God wants you to behave towards Miss Grissel.

Stacey: I know Papa Chuck. But she thinks I'm a good-for-nothing hooligan. She hates me. I don't think I can face her again.

Papa Chuck: That's why you need to be praying about this tonight. And tomorrow, well, tomorrow you'll need to go to school and take whatever comes your way.

Stacey: I knew you were going to say that.

Ned: Hey everyone, Goose here for Paws & Tales. I think it's time for you to become famous and I have just the plan to get all 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.

Papa Chuck: Now if those kids thought school was long on Friday with Miss Harbor, then they must have thought Monday with Miss Helga Grissel was an eternity. You never heard so much complaining.

After school they told Papa Chuck about their first day with the new substitute teacher. Saturday morning came and Stacey headed off to pay a visit to Mrs. Shuffleby. On the way she passed the school and couldn't help but get to thinking about mean Miss Grissel and what she might be planning for them all on Monday.

Just as Stacey rounded the corner, she noticed the door was wide open and a familiar face was inside.

Stacey: Miss Harbor! Am I glad to see you.

Miss Harbor: How nice, Stacey. How was last week?

Stacey: I can't wait to have you back. Miss Grissel has been an awful substitute. She was mean and cruel and—

Miss Harbor: Now wait a minute, Stacey. Why don't you tell me what happened?

Stacey: She gave me a whole week's detention for some dumb little thing.

Miss Harbor: What dumb little thing?

Stacey: I kind of wrote something about Miss Grissel locking Goose in the closet.

Miss Harbor: Oh Stacey, you didn't.

Stacey: I know it wasn't nice but she was treating us like we're monsters.

Miss Harbor: Stacey, you don't understand. Miss Grissel used to be my teacher.

Stacey: Really?

Miss Harbor: I was her best student. I never got into any trouble either. But then one day... Miss Harbor? Yes Miss Grissel? Where are the tests that were on my desk? I haven't seen them ma'am. Is that so? You're the only student who's been in here the last half hour.

Yes ma'am. I've been finishing my homework early so I can go to my game. I saw those tests on my desk before I left this room. I'm sorry, but I don't know where they are ma'am. If you're not going to tell me the truth, then I'll have to give you a detention.

But I am telling the truth. I'm disappointed in you, Miss Harbor. I expected more honesty from a student like you. Miss Grissel, please! I'll be late for my game. My team needs me. It's the championship.

What's important, Miss Harbor, is telling the truth. Now, you'll put yourself to good use by cleaning the windows and sweeping the floor. Oh excuse me, do you have a moment to chat Miss Grissel? This isn't fair. I'll be right out Mrs. Shuffleby. The brushes and broom are in the closet. If you finish in time, you can go to your game.

Stacey: So she did lock you in the broom closet. What a mean—

Miss Harbor: No Stacey, that's not what happened.

Stacey: But if she didn't do it then—

Miss Harbor: It wasn't until a few weeks later that I discovered quite by accident something very interesting about this classroom. Here, let me show you. Why don't you go over to the broom closet and open the door?

Stacey: Okay.

Miss Harbor: I remember clearly on that afternoon, I heard Miss Grissel walking outside to speak with Mrs. Shuffleby. Now watch what happens when I quickly open the school doors. The door closed itself!

Miss Grissel and Mrs. Shuffleby must have chatted for quite a while. Afterward when Miss Grissel looked back in the classroom and didn't see me anywhere, she naturally assumed that I had finished sweeping and gone home.

By the time someone heard me crying in there, it was too late. The game was over. Our team had lost. I was angry. My team was upset. The whole school was mad. Before I could set the story straight, everyone in town believed the rumor that Miss Grissel had locked me in the closet. She was gone before I realized what had happened.

Stacey: So Miss Grissel got fired because everyone thought she locked you in the closet?

Miss Harbor: It was just the straw that broke the camel's back. She had been pretty mean to everyone in town. Plenty of parents had complained about her to the school board. They were just looking for one good reason to let her go.

Stacey: But still, what she did wasn't fair. Didn't she kind of deserve it anyway?

Miss Harbor: Even though she was always tough on her class, maybe even too hard sometimes, she really cared that we were learning. It wasn't until I was older that I realized it.

Stacey: I don't get it. How could you like a person who's not very likable?

Miss Harbor: Stacey, that is why I gave the class that assignment on grace. Miss Grissel needs God's grace just as much as you and me.

Stacey: But Miss Grissel didn't say a kind word all week.

Miss Harbor: That's the wonderful thing about grace, Stacey. God shows us favor even though we don't deserve it. Just think about how unkind we are to God when we disobey Him.

And yet He still loves us and forgives us. And Miss Grissel needs to receive grace as much as you and I need to give it.

Stacey: I don't think she's had much practice receiving grace.

Miss Harbor: You may be right. When I found Miss Grissel was back in town after all these years, I needed to do for her what God would do for me.

Stacey: What do you mean?

Miss Harbor: Well, I asked the school board to let Miss Grissel substitute while I took a few days off.

Stacey: Oh, you gave grace to Miss Grissel.

Miss Harbor: Exactly. Perhaps you should think about doing the same thing before it's too late. I know that showing grace can be hard, Stacey, but receiving it is just as hard, sometimes even more so. But we all get better as we go.

Stacey: But you are coming back, aren't you?

Miss Harbor: Of course. But I think I need to give Miss Grissel another day or two. Don't you think?

Papa Chuck: Well, Stacey did a lot of thinking and praying over the weekend. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't bring herself to like Miss Grissel. But she knew Miss Harbor was right. So first thing Monday morning, she headed off to school a little bit early.

Stacey: Excuse me, Miss Grissel?

Miss Grissel: You're here early. I hope you don't plan on earning yourself more detentions this week.

Stacey: No ma'am. I just... well, see I—

Miss Grissel: Stop staring at the floor, Miss Clammer. Stand up straight, look me in the face and state your business.

Stacey: I just wanted to tell you that I talked to Miss Harbor. And well, she told me that you used to be a really good teacher.

Miss Grissel: Used to be? I've been a teacher for many years, young lady. Some of my students have gone on to become doctors and engineers.

Stacey: What I'm trying to say is, I wrote a card to thank you for teaching our class. And well, teaching me so much in the last week. So anyways, I'm sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning. If it's all right, I'll just sit at my desk and read until class starts.

Miss Grissel: Miss Clammer? You may think this is a very nice thing to do for a strict old lady. I know I'm not the friendliest old wolf in the world. I have my ways and others have theirs. For your information, this is not the nicest thing a student has done for me.

Stacey: Oh.

Miss Grissel: It's only the second nicest thing.

Stacey: May I ask what was the first?

Miss Grissel: When Miss Harbor gave me a second chance. Lord knows I didn't deserve it.

Stacey: Miss Harbor's very nice.

Miss Grissel: Yes, she is. And this is a very kind thing you have done for me. Thank you, Miss Clammer. Anyway, if that basket of cookies is still available, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

So long as they're not dry and crumbly. There's nothing worse than giving someone a basket of cookies that are all dry and crumbly. Do you understand?

Stacey: Yes ma'am.

Papa Chuck: Yep, God's grace can be a wonderful thing. None of us deserves it, but the Lord pours it on us anyway. Best of all, it's something we can pass along to others. It's sort of like showing folks just a little bit of what God is like.

Insight for Living: To order a copy of today's program, Miss Helga Grissel, just log on to pawsandtales.org. Miss Helga Grissel was written by Jeff White and directed by Eric Baesel. Our script supervisor was Phil Lollar.

The song A Little Grace was written by Sandy Howell and Shelly Spee. Music was by John Campbell and our sound designer was Jerry Swafford. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production.