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  • CLEO ( laughing ): We do.

  • THEO: Oh, yeah, right, we do.

  • Woman: ♪ HEY, NOW... ♪

  • HEY, WOW... ♪

  • HERE'S HOW

  • COME AND READ

  • BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • Chorus: ♪ COME ON

  • COME IN

  • BEGIN

  • THE WORLD AWAITS

  • Woman: ♪ BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • BETWEEN THE COVERS OF A BOOK

  • IT'S TIME TO LOOK BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • BEHOLD THE TALES BEYOND THE TAILS

  • Chorus: ♪ BEHIND THE DOOR

  • BECOME, EXPLORE

  • COME IN BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • BEGIN BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • BE HERE BETWEEN THE LIONS! ♪

  • Man: IT'S BABS CAPLAN!

  • IT IS HER, ISN'T IT?

  • Theo: FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED THERE, ROBERT?

  • GOOD, GOOD.

  • OOH, WATCH YOUR HEADS!

  • I'LL HAVE TO COME BACK FOR THOSE.

  • YOUNG MAN, YOUNG MAN

  • ISN'T THAT THE FABULOUS WRITER, BABS CAPLAN?

  • OOH, WHY, YES, YES, IT IS.

  • SHE OFTEN COMES HERE TO MURMUR AND GESTURE.

  • BOTH?

  • OH, MY WORD...

  • KEVIN, COME QUICKLY.

  • LOOK AT-- I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

  • IT'S BABS CAPLAN!

  • OH, CLEO, LOOK!

  • SHE'S FABULOUS!

  • OH, LOOK HOW SHE'S BEING A WRITER.

  • OH!

  • SORRY.

  • AND THE PAPER-- OH, SHE'S SO GOOD.

  • ( sighs )

  • NEXT TIME I'LL WEAR A HARD HAT WHEN I COME INTO THIS LIBRARY.

  • EVERYONE, COME QUICKLY!

  • IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT, MS. CAPLAN?

  • I AM DONE!

  • MY LATEST STORY IS... COMPLETE.

  • THAT'S ALL?

  • I THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

  • YOU HAD US WORRIED.

  • "THAT'S ALL"?!

  • WHY, THIS...

  • BEING WORRIED DOESN'T MAKE YOU HUNGRY, DOES IT?

  • HMM, A LITTLE.

  • OH, BUT WE JUST ATE.

  • GOOD.

  • "THAT'S ALL"?!

  • WHY, THIS COULD BE

  • THE GREATEST STORY ANYONE'S EVER WRITTEN.

  • UH, MS. CAPLAN, COULD WE BE THE FIRST

  • TO HEAR THE GREATEST STORY EVER WRITTEN?

  • PLEASE?

  • WHY, YES... I THINK YOU'RE WORTHY.

  • OH, HOW EXCITING-- CLEO...

  • GATHER ROUND, GATHER ROUND.

  • ( squealing, then clearing throat )

  • ( loud crash )

  • LET'S FIND SOMEPLACE ELSE TO READ, OKAY?

  • YES, GOOD IDEA, MS. CAPLAN.

  • I THINK... FOLLOW ME.

  • I'M WALKING, I'M WALKING...

  • ( confusion of voices )

  • OKAY?

  • Others: MM-HMM. YES. OKAY.

  • "THE OLD MAN" BY BABS CAPLAN.

  • ( thunder, wind blowing )

  • Babs:

  • IT'S ALL RIGHT, LEONA.

  • WHAT...

  • WHAT WAS THE STORY HE TOLD, MS. CAPLAN?

  • Babs:

  • Leona: OLD MAN... ANOTHER STORY...

  • ( shivering ): OH...

  • ( chuckling )

  • Babs:

  • "IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT..."

  • ( laughing )

  • ( crashes )

  • ( snickering, chuckling )

  • WHAT, WHAT...

  • WHAT IS SO FUNNY?

  • YES, WHAT?!

  • SORRY, NO OFFENSE.

  • I WROTE A SCARY STORY, NOT A FUNNY ONE.

  • WELL, IT STARTED OUT SCARY, BUT THEN...

  • ( laughing ): IT GOT FUNNY.

  • ( mocking scary music )

  • NO, NO, LIONEL

  • IT WAS SCARY THE WHOLE TIME.

  • OH, THE OLD MAN...

  • THE... THE THUNDER...

  • THE WINDOW, THE CURTAINS...

  • ( screams )

  • I LIKE SCARY.

  • WHILE IT'S ALWAYS GRATIFYING TO TERRIFY A CHILD

  • I WANT TO APPEAL TO A BROADER MARKET.

  • OH, WHERE DID I GO WRONG, WHERE?

  • YOU KNOW, BABS

  • A GOOD STORY SHOULD HAVE

  • A BEGINNING, A MIDDLE AND AN...

  • ( interrupting )

  • I'M THINKING.

  • HMM, THIS STORY, IT MUST CONTAIN TOO MUCH FUNNY...

  • AND NOT ENOUGH... SCARY!

  • YES, OH!

  • I CAN FIX THAT.

  • LESS FUNNY, MORE SCARY.

  • LESS FUNNY, MORE SCARY...

  • MORE SCARY?

  • YES!

  • SCATTER, SCATTER!

  • ARTISTE AT WORK.

  • I NEED ROOM...

  • ROOM, OH, RIGHT YOU ARE.

  • I'LL GO... THIS WAY.

  • Cleo: COME ALONG, DEAR.

  • HUH? WHAT?

  • OH, OH, OH, SORRY.

  • Announcer: AND NOW, ANOTHER OLD MAN, BARNABY B. BUSTERFIELD III

  • HAS A STORY TO TELL.

  • OH, THANK YOU.

  • THERE ONCE...

  • WE INTERRUPT THIS STORY

  • TO BRING YOU SOMETHING MUCH MORE INTERESTING.

  • WHAT?!

  • AND NOW, LOVERS OF THE VOWELS "A," "E," "I," "O," "U"

  • AND SOMETIMES "Y"

  • GIVE IT UP FOR MARTHA READER AND THE VOWELLES

  • SINGING THE SHORT "A" SOUND FROM THEIR SMASH WORD, "FAN"!

  • ( singing repeated short "a" sound to soul tune )

  • ( song ends; cheering and applause )

  • ( sounding out words in computer-generated voices )

  • ( repeating "r" sound )

  • OH...

  • ( repeating "r" sound )

  • ( making short "a" sound )

  • RA... RA...

  • ( making "m" sound )

  • RAM, "RAM."

  • ( crashing )

  • AND NOW, FUN WITH CHICKEN JANE.

  • TODAY:

  • Woman ( singing ):

  • ( squawks )

  • ( clucking )

  • ( squawking in alarm )

  • ( squawking )

  • ( sounding out word )

  • "SC... RAM."

  • "SCRAM!"

  • Dot:

  • ( squawks loudly )

  • ( crashing )

  • ( squawks sadly )

  • ( squawks pitifully )

  • ( sighs )

  • COME QUICKLY!

  • EVERYONE, COME!

  • QUICKLY.

  • WE'RE COMING.

  • HERE WE ARE.

  • WHAT IS IT, MS. BABS CAPLAN?

  • I HAVE MADE MY STORY SCARIER--

  • MUCH, MUCH SCARIER.

  • OOH, THAT'S GOOD.

  • I HOPE YOU'RE READY.

  • OH, I'M READY.

  • NO, NO, NO... WE NEED SOME ATMOSPHERE.

  • CLICK!

  • MOUSE CENTERING ON COMMAND.

  • CLICK, COULD WE HAVE SOME SCARY MUSIC, PLEASE?

  • INITIATING SCARY UNDERSCORE.

  • ( scary music playing )

  • Babs ( in scary voice ): "THE SCARY OLD MAN"...

  • ( in normal voice ): BY BABS CAPLAN.

  • OH, IT'S SCARY ALREADY.

  • ( thunder, demonic laughter )

  • Babs:

  • ( fighting back laughter )

  • ( laughing uproariously )

  • "IT WAS A DARK...

  • AND STORMY AND SCARY..."

  • ( laughing ): OH, GOLLY...

  • OH, WHAT'S EVERYBODY LAUGHING AT?

  • IT WASN'T SCARY.

  • OH, WELL, ACTUALLY IT...

  • NO.

  • NO.

  • BUT I SAID ABOUT EIGHT "SCARYS."

  • NARRATIVE CONTAINED PRECISELY SEVEN "SCARYS"

  • INCLUDING THE TITLE.

  • THE "SCARYS" MADE IT FUNNIER!

  • ( laughing )

  • "FUNNY" DOES NOT COMPUTE.

  • NO, THE "SCARYS" MADE IT SCARIER.

  • THANK YOU, CHILD, BUT...

  • I JUST HAVE TO FACE IT, SCARY IS NOT MY OEUVRE.

  • WHAT ELSE CAN I WRITE?

  • WHAT, WHAT?

  • OH, BABS, THERE ARE

  • LOTS OF DIFFERENT STORIES YOU COULD WRITE

  • LIKE, UM... ACTION!

  • ACTION, YEAH!

  • ( growling )

  • LEONA!

  • WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

  • ( muttering )

  • ( chuckling )

  • OR... ADVENTURE!

  • OH...

  • OR... ROMANCE.

  • OH...

  • ( sniffs )

  • ( sneezes )

  • ( giggling )

  • OR SCIENCE FICTION.

  • SCIENCE FICTION?

  • YEAH, ALIEN CREATURES FROM ANOTHER PLANET

  • WITH SPRIMS ON THEIR HEADS

  • AND WE COULD GET BREELS FROM THE BLALALALALING PLANET!

  • YEAH, AND CREATURES FROM, UM...

  • ANOTHER PLANET.

  • ANOTHER PLANET.

  • Babs: ANOTHER PLANET?!

  • YES, THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT!

  • SCATTER, SCATTER, ARTISTE AT WORK.

  • AND THIS TIME, WHY NOT TRY HAVING

  • A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND AN END?

  • YES.

  • NICE TOUCH, CLEO.

  • OH, I'LL SEE IF I CAN WORK IT IN.

  • Both: GOOD.

  • EVER TELL YOU ABOUT MY ROSE ALLERGY?

  • Cleo: NO.

  • AND NOW, ANOTHER OLD MAN, BARNABY B. BUSTERFIELD III

  • HAS A STORY TO TELL.

  • OH, THANK YOU.

  • THERE ONCE...

  • WE INTERRUPT THIS STORY

  • TO BRING YOU SOMETHING MUCH MORE INTERESTING.

  • WHAT?!

  • LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

  • THE FABULOUS VOWELLES AND THE FANTASTIC JOHNNY CONSONANTI

  • WILL BLEND THE ( making short "a" sound ) SOUND

  • OF THE VOWEL "A" WITH THE ( making "n" sound ) SOUND

  • OF THE CONSONANT "N"

  • IN A SMASHING PERFORMANCE OF THEIR HIT WORD, "AN"!

  • ( singing short "a" sound )

  • ( makes "n" sound )

  • ( music builds and ends )

  • ( wild applause and cheering )

  • AND NOW ARTY SMARTYPANTS WILL READ FOUR WORDS

  • WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER!

  • THANK YOU.

  • MAY I HAVE A "BUILD THE EXCITEMENT" DRUM ROLL, PLEASE?

  • ( drum roll, applause )

  • THANK YOU.

  • OKAY.

  • "AN"...

  • "PAN"...

  • "PLAN"...

  • "PLANET."

  • "AN," "PAN," "PLAN" AND "PLANET."

  • THANK YOU.

  • ( applause )

  • Audience: LOOK OUT!

  • IT'S OKAY.

  • MY SMARTYPANTS ARE PADDED.

  • ( thud )

  • OOH!

  • OOH...

  • ARTY! ARTY! ARTY!

  • ( footsteps echoing )

  • ( gasps )

  • GREETINGS!

  • SALUTATIONS!

  • HOLA!

  • HELLO!

  • HI!

  • ( chuckles )

  • HEATH THE THESAURUS HERE

  • WITH TEN DIMINUTIVE, SMALL, SHORT, ITTY-BITTY

  • LITTLE TINY WORDS THAT POP UP

  • IN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO READ OR WRITE.

  • ( laughs )

  • ( music featuring saxophone playing )

  • ( singing )

  • TEN SMALL WORDS GOT TO LEARN BY SIGHT. ♪

  • THEY'RE TEN SMALL WORDS FOR TO READ AND WRITE

  • GOLLY, GEE, HERE'S "THE" AND "TO" ♪

  • MERCY, ME, HERE'S "A" AND "YOU" ♪

  • ♪ "IN" IS A WINNER ANYONE COULD LOVE

  • HEY!

  • TIP YOUR HAT TO "THAT" AND "AND" ♪

  • ♪ "IT" IS A HIT AND "IS" IS GRAND

  • AND THERE'S NO WORD I'M FONDER OF THAN "OF" ♪

  • LET ME TELL YOU NOW... ♪

  • READ THESE WORDS EVERY CHANCE YOU CAN, OH... ♪

  • TEN SMALL WORDS, AND I'M THEIR BIGGEST FAN

  • TEN SMALL WORDS, AND I'M THEIR BIGGEST FAN. ♪

  • ( song ends )

  • YEAH!

  • ( chuckling )

  • ( crowd cheering )

  • Gawain: EXCELLENT!

  • GAWAIN HERE ONCE AGAIN AT BLENDING FIELDS

  • WHERE TWO BRAVE KNIGHTS IN ARMOR

  • WILL CHARGE TOGETHER AT HIGH SPEED AND MAKE A WORD.

  • COMPETING TODAY, WE HAVE SIR "D"...

  • ( crowd cheers )

  • AND ON YOUR RIGHT, SIR "ANCE."

  • ( cheering )

  • BLEND ON, DUDES!

  • ( crowd cheering )

  • Gawain: "DANCE"! EXCELLENT!

  • THAT'S GAWAIN'S WORD FOR TODAY.

  • AND THIS IS GAWAIN SAYING

  • DON'T FORGET TO DANCE BY AGAIN.

  • SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON...

  • AND NOW, BROADWAY LEGENDS FAITH PRINCE AND WALTER BOBBIE

  • WILL SING THE SOUND OF THE LETTER "A" IN THE WORD "HAM."

  • ( singing short "a" sound )

  • ( harmonizing on short "a" sound )

  • ( both speak short "a" sound back and forth )

  • ( both laughing )

  • ( audience cheering, applauding and whistling )

  • AREN'T THEY SMASHING?

  • Chorus: ♪ WHAT'S COOKING WITH THEO AND CLEO

  • CHECK OUT WHAT'S COOKING! ♪

  • HAM!

  • OH, BOY, OH, BOY, OH, BOY.

  • ( sniffing )

  • CLAM, WHOO, YEAH.

  • ( sniffing )

  • Y-Y-YAM!

  • WHOA.

  • ( sniffing )

  • OH, CLEO!

  • WHOA, CLEO, MY LITTLE MEAT DUMPLING.

  • ( kissing )

  • LET'S GET STARTED.

  • OH, RIGHT AWAY, THEO, MY WILDEBEEST JERKY.

  • WHOA...

  • WHAT'S COOKING TODAY IS...

  • ( Cleo cracks pointer )

  • Cleo:

  • MY FAVORITE.

  • ( chuckles )

  • Cleo: ONE-- ( cracks pointer )

  • "GET RID OF THE YAM AND CLAM."

  • GOOD-BYE, YAM.

  • GOOD-BYE, CLAM.

  • ( slurps )

  • MMM...

  • TWO--

  • ( cracks pointer )

  • "SLAM THE HAM."

  • HAM...

  • ( chuckling )

  • ( groaning )

  • ( loud thunk )

  • ( panting )

  • SLAMMED.

  • OH, THEO

  • YOU ARE SO BIG AND STRONG, MY LOVE.

  • WHOO...

  • ( chuckles )

  • THREE--

  • ( cracks pointer )

  • "RAM THE HAM."

  • ALL RIGHTY.

  • OKAY.

  • RAM THE HAM!

  • ( grunts )

  • ( groans )

  • HMM.

  • FOUR--

  • ( cracks pointer )

  • "COOK THE SLAMMED AND RAMMED HAM

  • FOR TEN MINUTES."

  • ONLY TEN MINUTES?

  • WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE RECIPE SAYS.

  • WELL, MAYBE JUST THIS ONCE WE COULD...

  • Both: NAH!

  • ( chomping )

  • AND NOW, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S TIME FOR THE ADVENTURES OF SAM SPUD

  • PARBOILED POTATO DETECTIVE.

  • Potato: THE NAME IS SPUD, SAM SPUD.

  • I WAS WORKING LATE ONE NIGHT.

  • THE "FLASH, FLASH" OF THE NEON SIGN OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

  • WAS ABOUT TO DRIVE ME CRAZY

  • WHEN THERE WAS A KNOCK AT MY DOOR...

  • WHO'S THERE?

  • Gruff voice: BININI.

  • BININI?

  • WHAT'S A "BININI"?

  • OH, I GET IT.

  • THOSE VOWELS SHOULDN'T BE Is, THEY SHOULD BE As.

  • "BANANA," NOT "BININI."

  • WHO'S THERE?

  • BANANA.

  • THAT'S BETTER.

  • BANANA WHO?

  • WHO'S THERE?

  • ORANGE.

  • ORANGE WHO?

  • "ORANGE" YOU GLAD I DIDN'T SAY "BANANA"?

  • THE GUY THOUGHT HE WAS BEING FUNNY.

  • I TOLD HIM IF HE HAD SOMETHING JUICY, HE'D BETTER SPILL IT.

  • SUDDENLY, IT ALL CAME GUSHING OUT OF HIM.

  • AS A MATTER OF FACT...

  • UH-OH...

  • ( coughing and gurgling )

  • OH, DEAR!

  • Boy: MOM!

  • THERE'S A TALKING POTATO AND HE'S GOT NO MOUTH

  • AND HE'S DOING KNOCK-KNOCK JOKES.

  • Mom: THAT'S OKAY, DEAR.

  • IT'S EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION.

  • I'M SURE IT WILL HELP YOU IN SCHOOL SOMEHOW.

  • THE "UN" PEOPLE.

  • WEARY OF ALL THE RHINOS SLIDING DOWN HER BANISTER

  • UNFLAPPABLE LITTLE MONICA MAXWELL HAS PACKED THEM ALL

  • INTO A GIGANTIC TRAVEL SACK.

  • BUT WAIT A MINUTE.

  • WHAT'S THIS?

  • OH, NO!

  • IT'S THE EVIL "UN" PEOPLE.

  • THEY'RE PUTTING AN "UN" IN FRONT OF THE WORD "PACKED."

  • MONICA'S SACK HAS BECOME UNPACKED.

  • THOSE DREADED RHINOS ARE LOOSE AGAIN.

  • BUT BE NOT SAD, LITTLE MONICA.

  • THE HEROIC "RE" PEOPLE ARE HERE.

  • LOOK!

  • THEY'VE REROUNDED UP THE DREADED RHINOS

  • AND REPACKED THEM IN MONICA'S TRAVEL SACK.

  • THANK YOU, "RE" PEOPLE.

  • YOU'RE FABULOUS!

  • ( scribbling furiously )

  • AH! DONE.

  • COME QUICKLY!

  • EVERYONE COME! QUICKLY!

  • ( screams )

  • WE'RE HERE.

  • DID YOU WRITE A SCIENCE FICTION STORY?

  • ( grumbles )

  • I DIDN'T WRITE A SCIENCE FICTION STORY.

  • ( lions groan )

  • I WROTE THE GREATEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY EVER WRITTEN.

  • WOW!

  • HEY, HOW ABOUT THAT, HUH?

  • WE NEED SOME ATMOSPHERE.

  • HEY, THAT'S MY LINE!

  • MMM...

  • CUE SCIENCE FICTION THEME.

  • ( eerie music begins )

  • Babs: "THE OLD MAN FROM ANOTHER PLANET"...

  • ( echoing ): PLANET... PLANET... PLANET...

  • BY BABS CAPLAN.

  • ( eerie singing )

  • Cubs: COOL!

  • ( thunder )

  • Babs ( reading aloud ):

  • ( wind whistling )

  • I THINK I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

  • SHH! I DON'T.

  • ( wind whistling )

  • "THE END."

  • SHOCKED YOU, DIDN'T I?

  • YEAH!

  • MY STORY HAD A BEGINNING, A MIDDLE AND A SHOCKING END.

  • WELL... THAT'S TRUE.

  • IT IS?

  • YEAH.

  • MY GREATEST TRIUMPH!

  • THANKS TO YOUR ASTUTE INPUT.

  • I AM DEDICATING MY STORY TO THEO AND CLEO.

  • APPLAUSE FOR THEO AND CLEO!

  • YAY!

  • NO, NO, IT'S NOT NECESSARY.

  • NOT NECESSARY AT ALL.

  • THEN I'LL DEDICATE IT TO ME.

  • Both: MUCH BETTER.

  • OH, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

  • NEXT I'LL WRITE A WESTERN BOOK--

  • YES, THE OLD MAN FROM OUT WEST.

  • AND THEN AN HISTORICAL BOOK-- THE OLD CAVEMAN.

  • AND THEN A TRASHY BOOK--

  • THE OLD GARBAGE MAN.

  • OF COURSE!

  • OH, OH-OH-OH! YOU KNOW WHAT?

  • WHEN I GROW UP, I'M GOING TO BE A WRITER JUST LIKE BABS CAPLAN.

  • OH...

  • Theo, Cleo and Lionel: JUST LIKE BABS CAPLAN?!

  • WELL, ALMOST JUST LIKE HER.

  • LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN TO THIS.

  • ( clears throat )

  • "IT WAS A BRIGHT AND SUNNY DAY

  • "AND THE YOUNG CUB HAD A STORY TO TELL

  • AND THIS IS THE STORY SHE TOLD."

  • Both: VERY GOOD, LEONA.

  • NO, NO, WAIT-- I'M NOT FINISHED YET.

  • I'M NOT FINISHED.

  • "IT WAS A BRIGHT AND SUNNY DAY

  • "AND THE YOUNG CUB HAD A STORY TO TELL

  • AND THIS WAS THE STORY SHE TOLD..."

  • AND NOW, ANOTHER OLD MAN, BARNABY B. BUSTERFIELD III

  • BACK ONCE AGAIN, WITH A STORY TO TELL.

  • THERE ONCE WAS A... MAN...

  • HMM.

  • A GREAT MAN, WHO KNEW WHAT HE WANTED AND ALWAYS GOT IT

  • AND THAT MAN'S NAME WAS BARNABY B. BUSTERFIELD III.

  • Announcer: THE END.

  • WHAT?!

  • NO, THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING!

  • I JUST... AAH, NEVER MIND!

  • THERE ARE GAMES AND STORIES AT THE BETWEEN THE LIONS WEB SITE:

  • pbskids.org, OR AMERICA ONLINE KEYWORD: PBS Kids.

  • Theo: READING TO CHILDREN EVERY DAY CREATES WARM FAMILY MEMORIES

  • AND IT HELPS THEM BECOME BETTER READERS.

  • HELP A CHILD GET WILD ABOUT READING.

  • BE A DESIGNATED READER.

  • ( laughing )

  • HI, DAD!

  • I'M READY TO GET WILD.

  • ♪ ♪ ♪

  • [Captioned by The Caption Center WGBH Educational Foundation]

  • Chorus: ♪ BETWEEN THE LIONS... ♪

  • BETWEEN THE LIONS... ♪

  • Woman: ♪ COME IN BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • BEGIN BETWEEN THE LIONS

  • BE HERE BETWEEN THE LIONS! ♪

CLEO ( laughing ): We do.

Subtitles and vocabulary

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