Paws & Tales

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

Stacy: It is! I'm a little nervous.

Dave: Don't be. You're going to do great. Go ahead and do the first one there.

Stacy: Hey everyone, Stacy 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.

Dave: I just always add the Paws & Tales World Headquarters. It's, I don't know, kind of funny and memorable.

Stacy: Okay. This is exactly what we do here at Paws & Tales World Headquarters.

Dave: It just makes me giggle.

Stacy: 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.

Dave: Nicely done, Stace. You're a natural.

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.

Stacy: Come on CJ, jump!

CJ: It's too far!

Stacy: It wasn't too far for me!

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

Stacy: Okay, everyone got their money?

Ned: Uh-huh. I got 73 cents.

Marsha: Wow! Good job, Ned. I've got 53 cents.

CJ: And here's mine, 40 cents exactly.

Goos: Well, I know this will come as a shock, but I only made 17 cents. I wish I had more. Weasels have never been very good at making money.

Stacy: Oh, it's okay, Goos. You did good. I've got 45 cents, and with what we had before, that makes $3.12.

Ned: Woo-hoo!

Marsha: Hey, not bad!

Stacy: As we planned, we'll keep working and turning in empty bottles until we have $5, and then we'll be able to buy the telescope. As club treasurer, I can assure you that this money will never leave my side.

Ned: Hey, we better get home. There's a storm coming in, and my dad says it's going to be a whopper.

Stacy: Okay. Club dismissed!

CJ: I hate it when you do that.

Stacy: If you knew about treasures, you'd know that they always end meetings like that.

CJ: I hate it when she does that.

Ned: Better run, or you'll get wet! Bye!

Marsha: See you!

CJ: See you all tomorrow!

Insight for Living: As is often the case, Goos got herself a little distracted on the way home, and she got so wet from the rain she couldn't get any wetter. She just strolled along the river in the rain and played.

Goos: What's that? Something's looking all shiny there. What is this? It's a coin! Oh, but with a hole in the middle. Pirate coins have a hole in the middle! I found a bag of pirate coins! I'm rich, rich! Okay, I need the money. Going straight home.

Marsha: It kept me up all night with the blowing and things crashing around. Stacy, look at that one!

Stacy: CJ, don't you do it!

CJ: Woo-hoo! Did you see that one? It went everywhere!

Marsha: Look at me, I'm soaked. I'm wetter than you are. Sorry.

Ned: Uh-oh. Gotta go, see you.

Stacy: Oh, you are going to get it.

CJ: If you run really fast, you might dry off in a couple of hours.

Miss Harbor: Good morning. Good morning, Hugh. Coats on the hooks, not on the floor. Thank you. Good morning. Why did I expect this? Good morning, Miss Harbor.

Goos: Good morning, Miss Harbor.

Miss Harbor: It's damp out there.

Goos: And cold! But it's a dry cold. Have you noticed?

Miss Harbor: Move your chairs by the heater and take off those wet shoes before you catch a cold.

Goos: Yes, ma'am.

Stacy: Yes, Miss Harbor. Thank you. Neatly, please.

Insight for Living: Miss Harbor teaches grades three through six here at the James T. Collins Elementary School. All four classes are in the same room, and it takes more than a little organization and creativity to teach and care for four grades at once.

Miss Harbor: Okay, back to your seats now. We have a lot to do today. Class! Class!

Insight for Living: Miss Harbor is really quite remarkable. She's a quiet, unassuming white-tailed deer, and she's downright shy when she's with other adults. Put her in a classroom of young'uns, and, well, you ain't quite seen teaching like this before. She's been known to teach history wearing a suit of armor.

Miss Harbor: Okay, now settle down and eyes forward. As I'm sure you know, we had quite a storm last night. The worst damage that I know of was the roof of the Shady Days rest home. A rather large section was blown off the roof, and rain poured in most of the night.

Ned: They need to get that fixed quick. My dad says that there's a lot more storms coming this year.

Miss Harbor: Ned, you're exactly right. The problem is that the Shady Days can barely stay in business as it is. They don't have the money to repair the roof.

CJ: Why doesn't someone just help them out?

Miss Harbor: That is a wonderful idea. CJ, put the ruler down.

CJ: Yes, ma'am.

Miss Harbor: And helping is exactly what some people are doing. Several of the downtown businesses have already donated money or supplies. Papa Chuck has stopped all his other jobs and is working full-time on the roof.

Goos: Papa Chuck's the best! Papa Chuck! Papa Chuck! Everybody! Papa Chuck! Papa Chuck!

Stacy: All right, Goos, honey.

Goos: Oh, yeah. Okay, quiet everybody, and let's listen to Miss Harbor now.

Miss Harbor: You crack me up. I spoke to Papa Chuck this morning, and he has had to order special nails for the roof. Nails with especially big, flat heads to hold the shingles down. They're not too expensive, and I thought it would be a wonderful thing if we could pay for the nails.

CJ: The third graders are in! We have a whole lot—

Stacy: CJ, we need to talk about it.

CJ: Talk about what?

Stacy: Talk about it. Come in with some ideas tomorrow. Now, let's get out your math books.

Miss Harbor: Have a good afternoon, everyone, and don't forget about your homework assignment.

Stacy: Okay, we need an emergency meeting at the fort, and we'll figure this out.

Marsha: Yes, we will!

Goos: Meeting at the fortress now? Wait, let me—I will meet you there. I just remembered something I need to do. Well, not at the fort, mind you, but somewhere else entirely.

CJ: Come on, let's go.

Insight for Living: Tensions were pretty high between CJ and Stacy. The young'uns all strolled to the fortress, mostly without speaking a word, till they got to the old bridge over Salmon River. All those saved up words, they came spilling out all over the place.

Stacy: CJ, what were you thinking? This money is all we have, and it's a club secret.

CJ: A secret? Since when is it a club secret?

Stacy: I'm the club treasurer, and I say our money's a secret.

Goos: You're on the bridge. What are you doing here on the bridge? You're supposed to be at the fort, therefore not being here.

Marsha: Hey, what's in the bag, Goos?

Goos: Bag? What bag? Oh, it's trash. Of no value whatsoever. Taking it to the trash place.

Ned: The dump?

Goos: The dump! Yes, the dump. I'll see you back here later. I'm going to the trash place, I mean the dump. No need to follow me. I'll be right back.

CJ: You don't own that money, Stacy. We need to take a vote. Marsha, Ned, who thinks we should give the club's $3 to the Shady Days rest home?

Ned: I think that's a good idea.

Stacy: This is not a democracy! I was voted to be treasurer, and I'm in charge of the money!

CJ: You are not. It belongs to all of us. Give it here!

Stacy: It's my responsibility! Give it back!

Ned: Guys, cut it out.

CJ: You're messing with the wrong bear, Stacy.

Marsha: Stop it, you two!

CJ: You are making me so mad!

Stacy: Hi, I'm Shaunt from Virginia. Don't go away, there's more Paws & Tales coming right up.

Dave: Hey everyone! Pop over to pawsandtales.org and download one of the radio scripts we have there. Record yourself on your parents' phone reading it like you're a real actor.

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. Let's start your new career as a radio announcer to the world.

Miss Harbor: Lunchboxes down and take your seats. Class, today we need to talk about a truth that if learned, you'll live your life without reproof.

It's a lesson of trust. It's a lesson of joy. It's a lesson of community. If dismissed, this fact of life will cause calamity. You've got to share with others.

Class: [Singing] There she goes again.

Miss Harbor: Do you hear what I said? You've got to share with others. I see the plague in this land that will spread from the sea to our mountains majesty. Do you know what it's called? It's called the scourge of me.

Ned: I've never heard of it.

CJ: Can you die from it?

Miss Harbor: It can make you sick. It can make you poor. It will make you lonely. You might have it now, the scourge of me, but there's a cure. You've got to share with others.

Stacy: I don't want to share.

Marsha: Scourge of me! How do you know if you have it?

Miss Harbor: Let's say that this side of the room has all the food you need, and this other side, y'all are hungry. What are you going to do?

Class: [Singing] We've got to share with others!

Miss Harbor: Yes, you are. You're going to share with others. You've got more clothes, you've got more food than you could ever need.

And for those who don't, I stand up here to plead. We're going to share with others. Let me hear it again.

Class: [Singing] We're going to share with others!

Miss Harbor: But if you're sick with scourge of me, it's a fearful thing. You want to go it alone. You want it all for yourself. You want to grab it and keep it and hide it and share with nobody that you know.

You want to get them and have them and hold them and love them and stack them so your pile can grow, but while you sit there with your hands full of your treasury that you just won't share, but you'll have this misery.

You'll find you've turned all of your friends into your enemies. And the cause will be you've got the scourge of me.

Ned: Sounds like when someone gets real selfish.

Class: [Singing] They've got the scourge of me!

Miss Harbor: The scourge of me. Hmm. Stacy, sound like anybody you know?

Ned: Knock it off, Ned. I'm not being selfish.

Goos: So what if a girl kid I know has it? What can she do about it?

Miss Harbor: That'll be tonight's homework assignment. In the morning, let's hear your ideas on how someone who is behaving selfishly can become a generous, giving person. I'll see you all tomorrow.

Stacy: Money can sure mess with a person's head. It's only $3.

Ned: Actually, it's $2.47 after spilling it into the river.

Marsha: Oh, she can make me so mad sometimes.

Insight for Living: Ned is pretty much like most of the beavers you've met. He is a no-frills, just the facts and let's get it done now kind of guy.

Ned: What do you think Goos has found this time? She sure is keeping it a big old secret, as much as Goos can keep a secret.

Marsha: I'm not sure, but it's not just some shiny rock this time. She's acting especially strange.

Ned: I need a little something. Want to go to the pharmacy and get an ice cream cone?

Marsha: Is this a trick question? It feels like a rainbow sherbet day.

Goos: I'm rich, I'm rich! Yo-ho-ho and a pirate's treasure for me. Now that I'm rich, I can do anything I want.

Oh, but I need to keep it a secret, or everybody will want my money. I'll have to keep a low profile. I'm so happy, I'm so rich.

I'm very happy and rich. I'm happy because I'm rich and I'm rich because—wow—because of all this money.

Insight for Living: While Goos is enjoying her treasure by herself, unwilling to share with others and therefore unable to enjoy it with others, Stacy and Marsha are headed for the old folks home—the Shady Days rest home—to do some thinking out loud with Papa Chuck.

Stacy: Papa Chuck! Where are you, Papa Chuck?

Papa Chuck: Up on the roof! Hi Stacy, Marsha. Hey, could one of you girls toss me that tape measure down there?

Marsha: Sure thing, Papa Chuck. Here you go!

Stacy: Papa Chuck, I need to ask you about something.

Papa Chuck: Well, I can't stop working. Looks like a storm's coming in tonight, and I need to get this hole covered or there'll be more rain inside than there is out. Why don't you stand on that wagon over there, and you can talk to me while I'm working?

Stacy: You bet! But be careful of the table with the nails on it.

Marsha: Sorry about that, Papa Chuck! It was an accident.

Papa Chuck: That's okay, Marsha. Why don't you put everything back while we're talking?

Marsha: Okay, this was here, this was there.

Insight for Living: Marsha's about the sweetest young moose you'd ever meet. She means well, but she has a real problem keeping herself under control.

She's been on a growth spurt now for better part of a year. The downside is all her growing is mostly taking place in her legs. The fact is, she's mostly leg.

Most of the time when she wants to go left, it takes so long for the message to get to the end of her hooves that she ends up knocking something over before the going left can take place.

Marsha: I thought you were done with the roof.

Papa Chuck: Well, I should be by now. I ran out of the right kind of nails. The ones I've got, the heads are too small, and when the wind blows, the shingles pull right through. I'm just trying to get this tarp in place temporarily.

Stacy: The nails are what I wanted to talk to you about.

Papa Chuck: I know. CJ came by already.

Stacy: What did he tell you?

Papa Chuck: Pretty much the whole story. $3, tug of war, money in the river, everyone mad at each other. About cover it?

Stacy: He thinks in such simple terms. The world is really a pretty complex place.

Papa Chuck: Well, it certainly can be.

Stacy: We have—the club, I mean—$2.47 that we raised to buy a telescope.

Papa Chuck: Having money can be a tricky thing. The Bible says that if you want to be great in God's kingdom, you've got to be a servant of all. If you're a Christian, that's kind of our job description—to serve God and others.

Stacy: But we can serve God better if we have lots of money, right?

Papa Chuck: Stacy, God doesn't care how much you've got. He just wants you to share whatever you have.

Goos: I've got the scourge! I can't stand it anymore. Goos! Here, here it is, take it!

Papa Chuck: What were you doing in there?

Goos: Well, I put it in the storm drain, but I'm done with it. I'm giving it all to the Shady Glady rest home.

Papa Chuck: Goos, what have you got there?

Goos: Oh, it's the pirate treasure I found. But take it! I've got the scourge of me. Oh, take it all!

CJ: Hey guys, Goos found a pirate treasure! CJ, CJ, come here. You won't believe it!

Stacy: Would you look at that.

Goos: Oh, I thought it would make me happy, but I'm lonely. I feel selfish, and I think I slipped a disc. I've got the scourge of me and I don't know how to cure it.

Marsha: Wow, look at that bag. Is it really gold?

Ned: There must be a kabillion dollars in there. Yeah, but after taxes it's not really—

Papa Chuck: Let's have a look. This is very generous of you, Goos. Let's take a look at these gold doubloons. Well, they're really just pirate coins. Is it true? About the treasure?

Guest (Female): Let's see the gold coins.

Guest (Male): You can build a whole new building with that!

Class: [Singing] For Goos is a jolly good weasel, for Goos is a jolly good weasel, for Goos is a jolly good weasel, that nobody can deny!

Goos: And it's just my way of saying thank you to all the people who—what? What's wrong?

Papa Chuck: Well Goos, those coins—they're buttons. Your gold doubloons are brass buttons.

Stacy: Stacy here from Paws & Tales. Hey Dave, so that Flat CJ, Ned, or Goos? I don't get it.

Dave: Well, we're asking kids to download a coloring sheet of their favorite Paws & Tales character from our website, pawsandtales.org, and color it in.

Then we're asking them to send in a photo of them holding it up so we can show it off to the world.

Stacy: That's so fun! Go to pawsandtales.org and pop into the clubhouse to upload.

Guest (Female): Hi, I'm Karina from Ozark, Missouri. My favorite Paws & Tales character is Goos because she is so funny. Wait till you hear what happens next on today's episode.

Papa Chuck: Will you men give me a hand with that tarp? It's not secure yet.

Guest (Male): Yep, sure will! Be right there.

Goos: They're not buttons! I've seen pictures of pirate coins before and they have one hole in the middle just like this. Buttons have at least two holes, you silly!

Guest (Male): Those are defective buttons the general store threw out. A bunch were made with only one hole by mistake. I was taking them to the dump. We knew they fell off the truck on the way, we just didn't know where.

Goos: I know where. My treasure is a bunch of defective buttons.

Papa Chuck: Goos, come inside, you're getting soaked. Thanks fellows, that should hold it. What are you all doing out here? Get inside!

CJ: Goos, I got your buttons!

Stacy: I forgot my money! You had it by the storm drain.

CJ: Car coming! Oh, everybody stop, look, and listen!

Stacy: Hey, where's the money?

CJ: Gone. Washed it right down the storm drain.

Papa Chuck: All right everybody, get inside.

Goos: I can't believe I was being so selfish with defective buttons.

Papa Chuck: Goos, come here. Wrap up in this and warm up by the fire.

Ned: I got five buttons here on my coat. I bet I could buy a new house.

Goos: Oh, I'm so embarrassed.

Papa Chuck: Listen up here all of you. There will be no making fun of Goos or anyone else. Son, what do you say?

CJ: Sorry, Goos.

Goos: I can never go back to school again.

Papa Chuck: I know some of you folks have given both time and money to the roof project. But do you realize that Goos gave everything she had?

Goos, look at me. That was a great thing you did out there. You made a great sacrifice. It doesn't matter that it wasn't gold.

God doesn't want your money, He wants your heart. And you gave your heart in a big way. I'm proud of you, and I think you've made God smile.

Goos: You really think so?

Papa Chuck: I do. Oh yeah, we're getting some cocoa and cookies set up over here for you guys. Should be ready in just a minute or two.

Stacy: She gave up all she had, and I wouldn't give up a few dollars.

Goos: You had it too! You had the scourge of me. I'm so embarrassed. I don't think—wait a minute, I don't think I have it anymore! I'm cured!

I don't have the scourge. I'm scourgeless! Why don't I have the scourge of me anymore?

Papa Chuck: You shared what you had. You're not quite cured. You both need to apologize to your friends and ask forgiveness from God.

Stacy: Maybe someone else should be club treasurer.

CJ: Oh, oh! I could do it. I could do it.

Stacy: Okay, the snacks are ready!

Marsha: Oh, sorry!

Papa Chuck: Okay, snack cleanup time.

Stacy: Maybe Ned should be treasurer.

Insight for Living: Well, the rain moved on and everyone pretty much headed on home, except for Papa Chuck who worked on the roof well into the night.

Goos and Stacy did apologize for their selfishness and asked forgiveness of God. And y'all ought to know by now that whenever you ask forgiveness from God, it gets forgiven.

The next morning on their way to school, the cubs heard Miss Harbor ringing the school bell, but not from the front step of the schoolhouse like she usually does.

Stacy: Where's that coming from?

CJ: I don't know. Over there? Something's going on. Let's go!

Goos: What's happening? Where's everyone going? Come on, let's find out.

Guest (Male): Hey, have you seen it?

Ned: What?

Guest (Male): The roof! Go look at the roof!

Stacy: Oh no, did it get wrecked again?

Marsha: Wow, would you look at that!

CJ: I don't get it.

Stacy: Oh Goos, look at the roof! Goos, Stacy, come here! Congratulations Goos! Couldn't have happened without you.

Goos: I don't get it.

Papa Chuck: Goos, come here and see it up close. Here, get on my shoulders.

Stacy: She doesn't get it. Goos, all those defective buttons you gave, Papa Chuck used them to hold down the shingles. He put a skinny nail through the hole of the button.

He used them like a washer. The skinny nails with the little heads are now skinny nails with very large heads.

Goos: So my worthless, defective buttons?

Papa Chuck: They were perfect for holding down the shingles.

Stacy: It's beautiful, really. Look how the sun makes them sparkle.

Marsha: It looks like gold from here.

Papa Chuck: Now little lady, you and Papa Chuck have done a wonderful thing here. For as long as I live, when I look up and see the morning sun shining off those buttons on the roof, I'll remember that a little weasel gal gave everything she had to help us stay safe and out of the rain.

Goos: It was just a bunch of buttons.

Papa Chuck: That's the best part about sharing. God takes what you give and turns it into a blessing for others and for you.

Maurice: Excuse me, excuse me, pardon my interruption. I would like to make a donation to the roof project.

Papa Chuck: Well, thanks Maurice.

Maurice: Well, while I was installing a skylight for Genevieve—

Papa Chuck: You agreed to a skylight?

Maurice: It's a very painful subject, please let me go on. I heard a great rushing of water outside. When I ran out, the water had passed, and right there before me was this: $2.37.

Stacy: That's very generous of you, Mr. Maurice.

Insight for Living: To Have and Give Not was written and directed by David Carl. The music and lyrics for Share with Others was written by Sandy Howells and Billy Martin. Music was by John Campbell, and our sound designer was Eric Basil.