Kitten's Tale, Part 2: Back in My Day

What happened to Kitten?  Did she drown in the swamp when her box broke?  Did Blue the otter rescue her?  How dare the writers leave us hanging on this one?!  Good things come to those who wait.  Please enjoy the conclusion of Kitten’s Tale.  

New words in this episode:

• Overreacting
• Whipper Snapper
• Related
• Disturbs
• Slumber
• Carapace
• Disturbance
• Tranquilizer
• Frond
• Heinous

French Words:

• Cretin - stupid person

Latin Words:

• Chelydra Serpentine - Common Snapping Turtle
• Python Bivittatus - Burmese Python
• Platalea Ajaja - Roseate Spoonbill

Themes:

• Bravery
• Empathy
• Resilience
• Perseverance
• Optimism
• Curiosity
• Overcoming Fears

Songs: 

• Python Attack 
  •  Music Track - Conquer The Battle 1 By Fredrik Ekstrom (Epidemic Sound) 
• I Like Big Fur By Shonda 
  • Music Track - Adapted from Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-lot (No music acapella)

Questions to Ask your Listener: 

• How old is Ted’s father?
• What would Hazel have found time for? 
• What sound do you hear when Ted stops talking? 
• How long can Ted hold his breath? 
• What does Ted catch in his carapace? 
• What is Ted’s solution to getting Kitten’s paw unstuck? 
• What saves Kitten’s paw?
• How long can Python’s hold their breath? 
• What do the spoonbill sisters like to eat? 
• What do the spoonbill sisters make Kitten do before they hear her problem? 
• Why was Dolores in the swamp? 
• How many Chickens long was Dolores? 

Chapters

• 0:00 Coloring Contest Announcement
• 1:06 Theme Song
• 1:28 Kitten's Tale Part 2 Start
• 4:53 Ted
• 10:49 Paw in Peril
• 13:30 Enter the Trappers
• 15:26 Spoonbill Sisters
• 20:10 Dolores's Story
• 26:28 Credits
• 28:08 What are you Bawking about

Transcript

EPISODE 6: KITTEN’S TALE PART 2

Intro: 

NARRATOR:

In our last episode Kitten was sharing with Clucky, the Hens, Hazel and Feral her story of how she ended up at the animal shelter.  If you missed Kitten’s tale, you may want to go back and listen to it before jumping into this episode.  

Now we resume our story where Kitten left off. She had just fallen into the water when her box boat sprang a sudden leak.  

Might play the last few seconds before Kitten goes in the water

BLUE:

 OH No little dude where did you go? The bottom of the box just dropped out.

SPLASHING SFX

Little dude. Where are ya?

CLUCKY:

Oh no Kitten! Did you drown? 

BRIDGET:

Of course not Clucky, she is sitting here telling us the story. 

CLUCKY:

Right!  Good point Bridget

BELLA:

What happened when you went into the water then? 

FERAL:

That irresponsible cretin!  How dare he let you fall in the water. There could be horrible creatures in there! 

KITTEN:

Feral, it was not his fault, the box broke.  It had been sitting in water for a day. Cardboard is not meant to be used as a boat.  

FERAL:

Of course, he should have known this! 

BRIGITTA:

Feral, Blue was obviously trying to help Kitten by pushing the box upstream.  I don’t think it’s really fair to think that a river otter would know that a cardboard box would not last in water.  After all, it brought Kitten down the river.   

FERAL:

My precious Kitten was in danger Brigitta, he should have done more to protect her.  

BRIGITTA:

Really, Feral, I think you are overreacting a bit?  

FERAL:

I am not overreacting.  That means to respond more emotionally or with more feeling than necessary.  I have a lot of feelings about Kitten’s safety and I think this Blue should too.  

BRIDGET:

CLEARS THROAT

Can we get back to the story now?  What did you see when you went into the water Kitten? 

KITTEN:

It was all so sudden. One minute Blue was pushing the box along, then suddenly I was under water and all I could see were murky water and bubbles. I think I faintly heard Blue calling for me but I could not tell up from down. I was frantically pawing at the water when finally my paws connected with something solid.

HAZEL:

Did you hit the bottom? 

FERAL:

Or maybe a rock?

KITTEN:

I was not sure at first. It was solid and bumpy. Then I think it started to move. I was being pulled by my paw that had caught on what I thought was a rock. All of a sudden my head broke the surface of the water. I could breathe again! 

CLUCKY:

BIG INHALE AND GASP FOR BREATH

OH thank goodness. I was holding my breath. I can breathe again too! 

HAZEL:

BIG GASP

OH Clucky I was doing that too! Were you frightened?  I would have been terrified!  

KITTEN:

It all happened so quickly, I didn’t really have time to be scared Hazel.  

HAZEL:

I think I would have found time. I’m afraid to ask but what pulled you out of the water?  What was your paw caught on?  

KITTEN:

It was a common snapping turtle. 

HAZEL

A Chelydra Serpentine!  Oh My those are known for their powerful snapping jaws and snake-like necks.  They also have ridged shells that can vary from smooth to bumpy! 

GASP

Your paw must have caught on one of the shell ridges!  

KITTEN:

You are right! My paw did catch on his shell. However, he turned out to be a very uncommon character.  

BRIGITTA:

Oh do tell us what happened! 

TED

SNAP, SNAP 

Who disturbs my slumber? 

KITTEN:

WATER NOISES AND SPLUTTERING

Meow, Meow, what? 

TED

What? What does that mean?! You don't know?! Back in my day, people knew what words meant. 

Now, what didn't you understand, missy? 

KITTEN:

I'm sorry. I just fell out of a box, and, um, I can't swim, and you brought me to the surface, and I don't, um... I didn't mean to... dis...dis. Disturb your sl-slumber. What does that mean? 

TED:

It means bother. 

SNAP, SNAP. 

And wake up, interrupt. You woke me up and are now bothering me. Go away. 

KITTEN

Um, uh, uh, okay. Its  just, my paw's stuck on your shell. Um, I- I'll try and go away. But also I can’t swim... do you think you could take me over to that patch of land. 

TED

What do you mean you don’t swim?  You are in the water right now. 

KITTEN

Yes, but my paw is caught on your shell.  You are keeping me from going under.  

TED:

Back in my day....

CRICKETS

KITTEN:

Meow... um are you ok?  

TED:

Huh?  What’s going on?  What are you doing there? 

KITTEN:

I just told you my paw is stuck to your shell.  

SPLASHING

BLUE:

Whoa!  Little Dude how did you end up this far downstream?  

KITTEN:

Oh Blue!  You found me. 

TED:

Who are you young whipper snapper?

SNAP SNAP

BLUE:

Slow your chomp there gramps,  the Kitten and I are bros.  

TED:

You don’t look related. 

BLUE:

No Bro not like brothers bros, like bro bros.  

TED:

What language are you speaking, Otter?  Kids today...

BLUE:

Name’s Blue.

KITTEN:

How old are you, um Mr. Excuse me Turtle?  

TED:

Names not Mr. Turtle. It’s Ted, I’m a common Snapping Turtle.

SNAP SNAP

Mr. Turtle is my father, he’s 102.

KITTEN:

Your father is 102!  How old are you? 

TED:

I’m a spry 85. Just had my birthday last week.  The kids came....

CRICKETS

KITTEN:

Are you still with us Ted? 

TED:

Huh?  You still here? 

BLUE:

What was that dude?  You just stopped talking.  

KITTEN:

Well um...thank you for saving me from the water Ted.  

TED:

I was not trying to.  I was down in the mud in the shallows over there waiting to catch my next meal.  

KITTEN:

You can breathe underwater?  

TED:

No, but I can hold my breath for almost an hour.  

BLUE:

Whoa! I can only hold my breath for about 8 minutes. 

TED:

My cousin in Canada tells me he sometimes has to hold his breath 6 months when he is frozen under the ice up there. 

BLUE:

Gnarly Dude!  

KITTEN:

So then you swim to the surface and take a breath? 

TED:

Nope...

CRICKETS

BLUE:

Radio silence dude. Totally drifted off the radar again….

KITTEN:

So Ted if you don’t swim to the surface how do you breathe?

TED:

My neck is really long and flexible.  I just stretch up and take a breath, then sink back below the water and wait.  

KITTEN:

What do you wait for?  

TED:

Food.  

BLUE:

What do you eat?  

TED:

Pretty much anything that comes along...

KITTEN:

Blue do you think you could help me get my paw unstuck from Ted’s shell?  

TED:

Let me take a look...

BLUE:

Dude! Your neck is really long.  You just scoped a full 360 to check out her paw! Legendary man!

TED

I see, you have got your paw stuck in the crack on the rim of my carapace.   

KITTEN:

What is a carapace? 

TED:

Don't they teach you whipper snappers any words these days?  

KITTEN:

I’m only about 8 weeks old, there is a lot I don’t know.  

TED:

Humph! Carapace means hard upper shell. 

KITTEN:

Oh, thank you.  How did you get this crack? It looks like there is a pretty large chunk missing from the edge of your carapace. 

BLUE:

Was it from an epic battle? 

TED:

No, Back in 1900 and 41 when I was a little snapper, my shell was not yet hard...

CRICKETS

BLUE

Ted, Bro, come in bro….we lost ya again! 

TED

Eh?

KITTEN

 You were telling us about how you got the crack in your shell...I mean carapace... then you kinda stopped.  

TED

Right. I was crawling out of my nest and a seagull swooped down and picked me up.  

KITTEN:

Oh My!  How scary! 

TED:

It was! My shell was very soft as I had just hatched.  I wiggled and a small chunk of my carapace broke off.  That darn bird took the chunk with him! 

BLUE:

That sounds gnarly dude! Were you really high?  Did you have an epic wipeout? 

TED:

I did fall back into the swamp, if that’s what you are asking sonny.  I've had that missing piece in my carapace ever since. 

BLUE:

Bummer Dude! 

KITTEN:

I must say I am pretty grateful for the missing piece since if you had not come to the surface, I don’t know if I would have been able to find my way out of the water.  

TED:

I have hooked many tasty snacks in that spot on my carapace over the years.  Fortunately my neck can swivel around that far so I can reach whatever gets caught there. 

SNAP SNAP

KITTEN:

What do you think is the best way to get my paw out?  

TED:

Would you like me to bite it off? That should fix it. I can chomp it in one bite. It will be really fast and then I  get a little snack too.  Everyone wins!

KITTEN:

What? 

BLUE:

Brah, you did not just drop that. You can’t be snackin on her flipper! Bad mojo dude!

KITTEN:

I need my paw!

BLUE:

We gotta find a different line brah. 

KITTEN:

I’m sure if I just wiggle it a little bit... Blue maybe you can use your paws to help me.  Maybe if we were closer to shore where I could get my other paws on the ground.  

TED:

No, I think biting it off is the best thing. It is the simplest solution.  And I’m hungry.  My jaw is really strong and my bite will be quick. 

SNAP SNAP

FERAL:

Mon dieu!!  Did he bite off your paw?  How have I not noticed?!

BRIDGET:

Of course not! Kitten is sitting here with four paws telling us the story.  

BRIGITTA:

Are you sure?  Kitten do you have all parts of your paws?  Maybe she is missing a toe?  Have you ever checked? 

CLUCKY:

No wonder you have never told us this story!  It’s horrible.  Have you been hiding a missing paw for the 4 years we have known you?  

HAZEL:

I think this story is fascinating! I’d describe it as scary, not horrible. Kitten you are so brave. You faced so many things when you were young.

BELLA:

I agree with Hazel, I don’t think the story is horrible either but Kitten what happened to your paw? 

KITTEN:

Meow!  

LAUGHING

I did not lose my paw.  When Ted snapped that last time he was just demonstrating how strong his jaw muscles were.  

FERAL:

Oh that is a relief!  I have admired your paws so often, I feel I should have noticed if there was one missing.  

BRIDGET:

Can you please tell us how you managed to get away with all four paws? 

HAZEL:

Yes, please.  It’s not looking very good.  

KITTEN:

Well all of a sudden there was a disturbance in the water.  

DRAMATIC MUSIC STARTS

TED:

What was that? 

BLUE:

Don’t Know, I felt it too brah.  It felt like something just cruised past me underneath. Creepy vibes man!

KITTEN:

Me too! 

PYTHON:

Sssssso what do we have here?  A Trio of treatsssss!  It issss my lucky day! 

BLUE:

Python!  Bail out man! Don’t stop paddlin!

TED:

Not today Sunny!

SNAP SNAP

You won’t find me in the mud!

KITTEN:

Blue help!  He’s taking me under!

BLUE:

Full throttle brah! Be there in a splash! 

SPALSHING

PYTHON:

Ugg!  Thisssss issss when I wissssh I had armsssss. Now just hold sssstill and let me wrap around you... I’m a good ssssswimmer and turtle isssss one of my favorite mealsssss!

KITTEN & BLUE:

GASPING/SPLUTTERING

KITTEN:

You got my paw free!  

BLUE:

Move it brah. That nasty slitherer went for Ted first. I’m going to paddle you to shore. Check out the gnarly timber! I’m going to chuck you over and you’re gonna scale up like a legend!

KITTEN:

But he’ll find us.  

BLUE:

Hit the branches dude! I’m going to draw his line away from you.  Jump dude!

KITTEN:

AHHH

SCRABBLING NOISES/SPASHING/ MUSIC INTENSIFIES

Blue Nooo!  It is after you! Meow!  

MORE SFX

Oh nice move!  You caused the snake to run into a tree in the water. 

MORE SFX

Oh please get away!  Meow! 

SFX OF MENS VOICES

MAN

I see one!  Over there!

WOMAN:

I think it is after something.  

MAN:

Do you have the tranquilizer ready?  It looks like a big one. Maybe 10ft long.   

WOMAN:

All set!  Go around to the left, I’ll try the right.  

SFX DART GUN NOISE

I hit it! 

MAN:

I see it slowing down.  

WOMAN:

Quick, let’s grab it before it goes under.  We don’t want it to drown. 

MAN:

Pythons can hold their breath for 30 minutes. 

WOMAN:

I’m not sure if that is true if they are knocked out.  

MAN:

Good point. Did you see if it caught the otter it was chasing?  

WOMAN:

I don’t know.  I hope not.  I like Otters.  

MAN:

Did you hear a cat meowing? 

WOMAN:

I don’t think so but there was a lot of commotion.  Come on let’s go collect the snake then we can take a look around for other things.  

SWAMPY FOOTSTEPS AWAY

KITTEN:

Oh Blue I hope you are ok. Meow.

MUSIC TRANSITION

SFX SPOONBILL NOISES. CLACKING.  

HAZEL:

Wait, Kitten, what happened with the Python bivittatus?  Did Blue get eaten?  

FERAL:

How did you get out of the tree?

BRIDGET:

What are those weird noises you are making?  

KITTEN:

I am getting there.  The people walked off to go get the python and they were gone for a while. I was up in the tree too frightened to move or make a sound.  

Everything happened so fast and Blue and the Python were moving so quickly I did not see what happened to Blue when the people shot the dart at the big snake.  Blue and the snake moved so fast they were out of sight of my tree.  The people were soon out of sight too and all I could hear was the water and the insects. 

I must have dozed off because the next thing I remember, my fur was dry and sticking up all over and I was hearing these strange birds making noises below my tree.  

SHAWNDA:

Oh my Cod!  I’m like totally buggin’

LONDA:

Like me too! Shawnda!  This little patch of shore is like full of my favorite water beetles! 

RHONDA:

Eww beetles Londa!  As if!  Oh my Cod! I just snagged a little minnow. At least you found a spot with some variety.  

SHAWNDA:

Stop being like such a hater Rhonda. You eat beetles too.  

RHONDA:

Not if I can like help it. Like Gag me with your spoonbill!  

HAZEL:

Oh those must be Platalea Ajaja or the Roseate Spoonbill.  They are  a large wading bird known for its pink plumage and distinctive spoon-shaped bill. 

BELLA:

Thanks Hazel that helps me picture them better.  

HAZEL:

No problem

KITTEN:

Yes Hazel, they were spoonbills, three sisters, and I peaked up around the frond on the palm tree I was in. 

CLUCKY:

There was a frog up there with you too? 

KITTEN:

What? No.  Frond is what you call the big leaves on a palm tree. 

CLUCKY:

That makes more sense. 

KITTEN:

The spoonbill sisters did not appear to be dangerous so I thought I would climb down and see if they could help me figure out what happened to Blue.  I started to climb down the palm but slipped and landed with a plop.  

CRASHING SFX

SHAWNDA:

Oh my Cod!  What was that? 

RHONDA:

Oh my Cod!  Londa look at that cute little fluff ball! 

MAYBE MUSIC (RAPPED TO BABY GOT BACK)

I like big fur and I can not lie. 

Our feathers just help us fly. 

But when a creature walks in with fluffy fluffy fur, 

I just want to pet them! 

LONDA:

Like where Rhonda?

SHAWNDA:

 OH my Cod! like see it! You are like right, it's so fluffy I could like die!

LONDA:

Like where are you looking Shawnda?

RHONDA:

Like over by the palm tree Londa.

LONDA:

Oh I like see it! Like totally fluff-tastic! 

SHAWNDA:

Like gag me with your spoonbill, that word is heinous! 

RHONDA:

Like totally agree Shawnda. Fluff-tastic? Like, what were you thinking Londa? 

LONDA:

Like whatever! 

KITTEN:

Umm... excuse me.  I was hoping maybe you could help me? 

LONDA:

Oh my Cod! It like talks

SHAWNDA:

Oh my Cod! You fur is so fly! 

RHONDA:

Like what do you need help with little fluffy one? 

KITTEN:

Well I’m....

SHAWNDA:

Wait before we hear your like problem we must like take a selfie! 

KITTEN:

A what?

RHONDA:

Oh you are like totally right!  Gather round our fly little furry friend.

SHUFFLING SFX

LONDA:

Strike a pose

KITTEN:

A pose?

SHAWNDA:

Yeah, like one wing out and bills up! 

RHONDA:

Ok like selfie click

KITTEN:

Selfie click?

LONDA:

Now like other wing up, get my good side.

RHONDA:

And selfie Click! 

KITTEN:

What exactly is a selfie click?

LONDA: 
Like all the cool girls do it.

RHONDA:
Yeah like at the pier? All the totally rad girls make their excessive duck faces and like take a trillion selfies. 

SHAWNDA:
How do you not know about selfies? Like oh my cod, you like living under a rock or something? It’s like so iconic, y’know? 

LONDA:

Like totally.

KITTEN:
I feel like there’s a bigger piece I’m missing here.

SHAWNDA:

Like whatever, Ok but that’s done now, so like spill. 

KITTEN:

I don’t have anything to spill. 

LONDA:

No, like tell us your problem. 

KITTEN:

Oh, ok. Well I’m lost...

SHAWNDA/RHONDA/LONDA:

AHHH

KITTEN:

Also, my otter friend Blue who was helping me, may have been eaten by a big snake.  He swam off that way... 

RHONDA:

Like Snake? 

LONDA:

Like around here?  

SHAWNDA:

Do you think it’s like still around? 

MAN:

(From afar) The truck is parked a little past that palm tree. 

WOMAN:

That palm tree by those spoonbills?  

MAN:

Yeah head that way.  

SHAWNDA:

Sorry little furry friend we have to like fly.  

LONDA:

Humans are coming this way!  

RHONDA:

Like good luck!  

FLAPPING AWAY

KITTEN:

Meow! Wait!  I can’t fly! Meow! Meow

FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING

MAN:

I told you I heard meowing.  

WOMAN:

Let's set the cage down for a minute.  I hear it now too. 

MAN:

There by the palm tree. A little grey Kitten! 

WOMAN:

Oh poor thing!  How did it get all the way out here?  

MAN:

Who knows?  We better take it to the pound.  There is no way it will survive long out here. 

FERAL:

Mais bien sur!. So that is how you ended up in the pound.  I always knew you were brave...

BRIGITTA:

But wait!  Did you ever find out what happened to Blue? 

BELLA:

Did you ever find out?  

KITTEN:

Actually I did.  

CLUCKY:

How did you manage that? 

KITTEN:

Well the trappers, who were very nice by the way, they set me in the back of their truck while they loaded up the Python in the back.  She was really sleepy but I was able to talk to her a little bit while they packed up.  

FERAL:

I’m afraid to ask, did he get eaten?  If so, I feel like maybe Brigitta was right and I should have spoken about him more kindly.  

KITTEN:

The conversation went like this...

HISSING SNORING

KITTEN:

Excuse me.  Could you wake up?  I need to know what happened to my friend.  Did you hurt him?  

DOLORES:

What are you rambling about?  Can’t you ssssee I’m sssssleeping? 

KITTEN:

Please the Otter you were chasing. Did you hurt him? 

DOLORES:

That Otter was fasssst.  He would have made a good ssssnack.  

KITTEN:

So you didn’t catch him. 

DOLORES:

No, he got away.  I wasss about to catch him when I felt a ssssharp poke in my back.  Then I got really sssssleepy.  

KITTEN:

Oh he got away!  Oh thank goodness!  

DOLORES:

Why would a kitten care about an Otter?  

KITTEN:

He was my friend.  He was helping me find my way home.  

DOLORES:

Home... I had a home once (long sss) 

KITTEN:

You did?  How did you end up out here?  

DOLORES:

I wasss called Doloresss.  I had a home with a boy.  He bought me from the pet ssstore when I was very ssssmall... Just over 2ft long.  

KITTEN:

That must have been a long time ago, you are much bigger now. 

DOLORES:

No it wasss not.  Burmesssse Pythonssss, which is what I am, grow very fasssst.  That was the problem.  

KITTEN:

Why is growing fast a problem?  

DOLORES:

It was a problem for Timmy’s Mom...  Timmy was my boy.  My firsssst year with Timmy was ssssspectacular.  He brought me lotsss of my favorite foodsss and he would take me out of my habitat to play.  He was alwayssss giving me thingsss to squeezzzze.  He loved to watch me wrap around thingssss and squeezzzze them.  Hisss favorite was water balloonssss.  He would fill them up with warm water and I would wrap around them.  I would squeezzze them till they popped.  He loved that.  

KITTEN:

That sounds nice.  What happened?

DOLORES:

The first year I lived with Timmy. I grew to ssssix feet in length.  By year two,  I was almossst eight feet long.  Hissss mother sssaid, I wasss too big and had to go.  Sssshe was worried I might hurt Timmy.  But I would never do that...I did try to squeezzze the dog one time but that is because it would not sssstop barking.  After that Timmy’ssss Mom decccccided I had to go. 

KITTEN:

So they let you go in the swamp?  

DOLORES:

Not exactly...sssshe had lined up a zoo to take me.  I was to be a pet on display. Timmy was very upsssset.  He did not want me to go.

KITTEN:

How did you feel about it?  

DOLORES:

I wasss ssssad to be leaving Timmy, but the zoo did not sssound that bad. 

KITTEN:

So then what happened?  How did you end up out here?  

DOLORES:

Timmy was really upssset.  He did not want me to go... he could not convinccccce his Mom to let me ssssstay.  He decccccided that he’d rather let me go in the wild then to have me taken away.  He opened his bedroom window and then he took me out of my habitat and brought me to the window.  He ssssaid he wanted me to be free.  I did not want to go.  I curled around him in a big hug.  Then he threw my dinner out the window.  He said it was a meal for the road.  I gave him one last squeezzze then I was off.  

KITTEN:

How long ago was that?  

DOLORES:

It’s hard to know. I don’t have anyone keeping track of time for me.  It hassss been a while, when I left I was only 8 feet long and now I am 13 feet long.  

KITTEN:

Wow!  How long will you get?  

DOLORES:

Hard to know, but I’ve met a few pythonssss over 18 feet long.  

BRIGITTA:

SNIFFLES

That is just so sad!  How could they just put her out in the wild to fend for herself?  

CLUCKY:

She’s a giant snake, it does not seem like she had a problem fending for herself.  She was huge!  Do you know how long 13 feet is?  A chicken is like 6 inches wide.  You would need 26 chickens standing next to each other to be as long as that snake!  

FERAL:

And don’t forget it tried to squeeze the dog.  

KITTEN:

She would have eaten, Blue, Ted and I if she had gotten the chance too.  The only reason she was talking to me was because she was tired from the medicine she was shot with and in a cage.  

HAZEL:

I can not believe you talked to her Kitten!  

KITTEN:

I had to find out if she had eaten Blue.  

BELLA:

So you never saw Blue again? 

KITTEN:

No.  The trappers cleaned up and took me to the pound.  After that I was adopted by Maddox and Blue never visited the pond we lived by in Florida.  I think of him sometimes.  

FERAL:

You do?  What do you think? 

KITTEN:

I think I am very grateful for the help he gave a little kitten.  He saved me more than once and his actions led me to meet all of you.  

END CREDITS