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  • 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! ♪

  • Whoop, you're going to fall off the shelf there.

  • Oh, thanks very much, Theo.

  • Oh, that would've hurt-- huh, my pride anyway.

  • ( both laugh )

  • Hi, Frank.

  • Here, let me lend you a paw, huh.

  • Oh, and service, too, huh?

  • ( chuckles )

  • So, uh, what is all this?

  • Oh, the usual.

  • History books, books of poetry, folk tales

  • books about our great heroes.

  • Preparing another lecture, Frank?

  • Oh, that I am.

  • Ha, and to think I became a teacher

  • so I wouldn't have to do heavy lifting.

  • ( both laugh )

  • Hey, Gus, you'll love this book.

  • ( Leona screaming )

  • ( crying )

  • Oh-hoh, sweetie.

  • ( sobbing ): Daddy, it was terrible!

  • It was so terrible!

  • It was so terrible!

  • What... what is it, Leona?

  • Yeah, what's the matter, Leona?

  • We were at the playground

  • and Leona's friend Tammy called her a nasty name.

  • Oh, look, I'm sure she didn't mean it, honey.

  • Yes, she did, she did!

  • She... she really hurt my feelings!

  • She meant it, and I'm never going back there again!

  • But... hmm.

  • Watch how a big brother solves

  • his little sister's problems.

  • Go for it.

  • ( Leona sobbing )

  • Aw, Leona, its okay--

  • sticks and stones will break your bones

  • but words will never hurt you.

  • ( sobbing )

  • That's easy for you to say.

  • You're not the one that's hysterical!

  • ( bawls )

  • Ohh.

  • Well, that went well.

  • Yeah, um, I... I got to go.

  • Yeah, yeah.

  • Little girls crying overwhelms me.

  • I'll see you later, huh?

  • I've always thought that "names can never hurt you" stuff

  • was a lot of rubbish.

  • Words can be very powerful things.

  • I was just looking into a book about the very subject

  • and... I'm not interfering, I hope?

  • ( sniffs )

  • Oh, no, no, Frank, go right ahead.

  • Ah, it's a lovely old book.

  • Hey, it's just right here... whoa!

  • THEO: Oh, goodness, Frank.

  • Easy does it.

  • FRANK: Not to worry.

  • Happens all the time.

  • Oh, is that right?

  • There you go.

  • Now, then, "Tales of the Irish Rats, Volume One:

  • How the Rats Were Rhymed Out of Ireland" by Shannon Shamley--

  • a rat of my own acquaintance--

  • and illustrated by John R. Friedman.

  • Lovely artist.

  • Lovely man.

  • Lovely, lovely, lovely.

  • Let's see, now.

  • Ah...

  • FRANK: Long ago in the land of Ireland...

  • there were a hundred kings

  • and every king had his poet.

  • These royal poets were called "bards."

  • The bards composed two kinds of poems:

  • first, eulogies-- poems of praise to flatter the king.

  • BARD: Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter.

  • ( crowd cheers )

  • BARD: Flatter.

  • ( crowd cheers )

  • Flatter.

  • These made the king feel really good.

  • And there were poems that said very bad things

  • about the king's enemies.

  • BARD: Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.

  • ( imitating donkey's hee-haw )

  • BARD: Bad, Bad.

  • ( imitating donkey's hee-haw )

  • These made the king feel really good, too.

  • ( chuckles )

  • The greatest king in all Ireland was named King Conor.

  • Now, one morning, when King Conor came down to breakfast

  • he discovered that his usual egg wasn't there on the table.

  • King Conor made up his mind that a rat had stolen his egg

  • and it made him very angry.

  • He called for his bard Lavarcham.

  • Bard, rhyme me a rhyme

  • that will drive those dratted rats

  • out of Ireland!

  • And Lavarcham began to speak.

  • LAVARCHAM: Rats, nasty, putrid, hideous.

  • Rats, loathsome, vile, invidious.

  • Rats, from your holes-- begone!

  • Ow! That hurts.

  • Pack your bags, Siobhan!

  • We don't have to stay here

  • and be called hurtful names!

  • Rats squalid and sneaking

  • eating garbage and reeking.

  • Rats, from your holes-- begone!

  • ( rats squeaking )

  • ( rats grumbling )

  • Come on, kids, we're never coming back here again!

  • ( rats squeaking )

  • Wretches more noxious than gnats

  • I exile and rout, from Ireland cast out.

  • From your garbage-filled holes-- rats, begone!

  • ( crowd murmuring, rats squeaking )

  • FRANK: They sailed away, swearing never to return.

  • So, Leona, you're not the first to feel very hurt by insults.

  • See, Lionel?

  • Yeah, I... I see.

  • Yeah, and like the rats

  • I'm never going back

  • to that playground again.

  • Never, never, never!

  • ALL: Leona!

  • No, no, wait, Leona--

  • that's not the end of the story.

  • Listen... ( stammers )

  • It's not here.

  • It's in Volume Two.

  • I'll go get it.

  • Hmm, if words can hurt...

  • Yeah! That's it!

  • "Rats."

  • Hey! It's standing room only for Martha Reader and the Vowelles

  • singing that fabulous short "a"-- "aah"-- sound

  • in the word "hat"!

  • ( Martha singing repeated short "a" sound to rock tune )

  • ( Vowelles respond rhythmically with short "a" sound )

  • ( applause )

  • "Hat."

  • ( making "s" sound )

  • "Sat."

  • ( making "c" sound )

  • "Cat."

  • Pigeon Theater Works presents Walter and Clay Pigeon in Cats!

  • with a special appearance by Barnaby B. Busterfield III.

  • It's a small part, but crucial to the plot.

  • Um, uh...

  • Meow?

  • Uh, yeah, meow.

  • ( both repeating "meow" )

  • ( clears throat )

  • Drat these cats!

  • They're driving me batty!

  • ( crowd applauds )

  • BOTH: Me... ow!

  • Ha, ha, ha.

  • Pigeons-- don't you just love them?

  • ♪ ♪ ♪

  • MAN: ♪ The team called the Madison Cats

  • Had a terrible problem with rats

  • Said the catcher, "Let's see, if we swap R for B ♪

  • We can turn all those rats into bats." ♪

  • ( organ plays "Charge!" theme )

  • And now Timeless Classic Masterpieces

  • presents another chapter from that saga of the sea

  • Moby Duck

  • in which Captain Ahab, with the crew of the good ship Pea Pod

  • continues his endless search for Moby, the great white duck.

  • AHAB ( reading ):

  • "Methinks our long search will soon be over.

  • Arrgh!"

  • Do you see him, Mr. Starbuck?

  • Do you see the duck?

  • Nay, Captain Wacky

  • the seas be having a total lack of duck, so to speak.

  • But there be many whitecaps.

  • And the seas be rough.

  • Arrgh!

  • Wait, Captain!

  • Thar she quacks.

  • Moby, the great white duck.

  • Arrgh! At last.

  • Nay, Mr. Starbuck.

  • That not be Moby, the great white duck.

  • Arrgh!

  • Arrgh!

  • No?

  • Arrgh!

  • No, look.

  • See the print on screen there:

  • Rab... bit, rabbit.

  • Two syllables, two vowels and two big ears.

  • That be Flappy, the fantastic white rabbit.

  • Arrgh!

  • I be sorry, Captain.

  • The seas be making me daffy.

  • Well, like I always say at the end of every chapter...

  • Snap out of it, matey!

  • Moby, the great white duck, be near, very near.

  • Methinks our search will soon be over.

  • Arrgh!

  • And now, some names

  • with the short "a"-- "aah"-- sound in them.

  • And that makes me happy.

  • ( music playing )

  • WOMAN: ♪ Meet Hannah, Ali, Mackey, Stan

  • Alana, Al, Jack and Chan

  • Ralphie, Max... ♪

  • The name is Sam.

  • WOMAN: ♪ And Alfie, Axel

  • And the ram! ♪

  • Here's Patches, Gabbi, Babs and Fats

  • And Satch and Tabby, Gabbi's cats. ♪

  • Alejandro, Manny, Candy

  • Calley, Pandro, Van and Brandy! ♪

  • CHORUS: ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's your name? ♪

  • What's your name, what's your name, what's your name? ♪

  • Enjoy your little moment of fame! ♪

  • ♪ ♪ ♪

  • Here's Nancy, Barry, Vance, King Zack

  • And Lance and Harry, Lance's yak

  • In all these names you'll find short "a" ♪

  • It sounds like "aah," that's that-- good day! ♪

  • Aah. ♪

  • ( singing a cappella in '50s doo-wop style )

  • Heath!

  • Oh, I need your help!

  • Hey, Lionel.

  • You need my help, aid, assistance

  • service, succor, support?

  • Well, come up here and tell old Heath.

  • Up we go!

  • ( laughs )

  • Heath, you've got all the words.

  • I need insulting words that rhyme

  • so I can write a poem like the bards of Ireland--

  • you know-- who wrote to hurt their enemies?

  • Oh... insulting words, huh?

  • Well, let's see...

  • Take your pick, uh, in alphabetical order:

  • ( reading ):

  • Oh, yeah, I love "tacky"...

  • Okeydokey, stop worrying--

  • Lionel is on the job.

  • Leona, here's what you got to do.

  • You go to that playground

  • and just like the king's bard

  • you walk right up to your enemy, uh... Tammy, and you say...

  • ( reading )

  • Wow, "tacky malefactor."

  • You know, I don't approve

  • of your suggestion, Lionel...

  • No, but good word power.

  • It doesn't rhyme.

  • Well, yeah, but when Tammy hears it

  • she'll never come back to that playground again.

  • No... I could never say anything to hurt someone.

  • It's... it's just not me.

  • Come on, Lovey, let's go somewhere

  • where we can be ourselves for a while.

  • ( all sigh )

  • Wait, I think the answer is in that story that Frank read.

  • Those bards made up another kind of poem

  • besides the insulting ones.

  • Yes!

  • Eulogies...

  • poems of praise!

  • Yeah!

  • Come on.

  • Oh, yeah.

  • We could make up a poem

  • that says really nice things about Leona

  • like, Leona's not just nice, she's... she's...

  • Click?!

  • Yes?

  • We need some words

  • that rhyme with "fabulous."

  • Sorry, there is only one rhyme for "fabulous"...

  • "tintinnabulous," which means sounding like bells.

  • This is going to be one short poem.

  • ( clears throat )

  • And now, a eulogy entitled "Leona."

  • To see a cub who has no match

  • Just steal a glance at Leona

  • ALL: ♪ Her eyes more bright than any lamp

  • She is the champ, yes, she's Leona

  • Leona, you're perfectly fabulous

  • Your laughing and sounds tintinnabulous

  • Though poetic we wax, these are the facts

  • There's no small animal as enchanting as Leona... ♪

  • ENSEMBLE: ♪ Leona... ♪

  • ( cheering and applause and flashes popping )

  • So, Leona, you feel better, huh?

  • Oh, yes.

  • Thank you, everybody.

  • Oh, that was very soothing.

  • I feel better.

  • Yay!

  • We did it!

  • Now you can go back

  • to the playground, huh?

  • Oh, no, I'm not going back to the playground.

  • ALL: You're not?!

  • Well, why not?

  • I thought you said you felt better.

  • I do, but I can't go back to any place

  • where I'm not wanted.

  • ( sniffing flowers as others sigh )

  • Pretty flowers.

  • ( music begins )

  • MAN: ♪ If you can read A-T, "at" ♪

  • Then you can read "cat" and "chat" ♪

  • And you can read "bat" and "brat" ♪

  • And you can read "drat" ♪

  • CHORUS: ♪ See, I got you reading with me

  • All you need is a little A-T ♪

  • If you can read A-T, "at" ♪

  • Then you can read "fat" and "flat" ♪

  • And you can read "sat" and "scat" ♪

  • And you can read "splat" ♪

  • See, I got you learning with words

  • Don't you love every "at" that you've heard? ♪

  • If you can read A-T, "at" ♪

  • Then you can read "pat" and "hat" ♪

  • And you can read "rat" ♪

  • And you can read "bat" ♪

  • ♪ 'Cause you can read "at." ♪

  • ( pronouncing ): "R... at."

  • "Rat, rat."

  • ( squeaks )

  • ( laughs nervously )

  • "T... t... tle."

  • "Rat... tle."

  • "Rattle, rattle."

  • ( rattling )

  • "R... rattle."

  • ( rattling to samba beat )

  • "Rattle."

  • "Rat."

  • "Ra..."

  • ( making "g" sound )

  • "Rag."

  • "...ag."

  • ( making "t" sound )

  • "Tag."

  • ( cheering )

  • 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 T...

  • And Sir Ag.

  • ( cheering )

  • Blend on, dudes!

  • ( cheering )

  • "Tag"! Excellent!

  • That's Gawain's word for today!

  • And this is Gawain saying don't be a drag.

  • I'll see you next time on...

  • ( pronouncing word ): "T... a... g..."

  • "Tag."

  • "Ta..."

  • ( making "n" sound )

  • "Tan."

  • "...an."

  • ( making "p" sound )

  • "Pan."

  • ( making "t" sound )

  • "Pant."

  • ( making "s" sound )

  • "Pants."

  • ( music begins playing )

  • Hey!

  • Oh, yeah!

  • Listen up, you guys and gals, go and round up all your pals

  • Gonna teach you a brand-new dance

  • You can do it with your mother

  • You can do it with your brother

  • Your uncles or your aunts

  • Dance very, very spunky, you can do it with a monkey

  • Or an ant hill full of ants

  • Doesn't matter if you're klunky

  • You'll be hip and you'll be funky

  • When you dance in smarty pants

  • Watch me now! ♪

  • Hey, ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah... dance in smarty pants. ♪

  • One more time!

  • Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah... dance in smarty pants. ♪

  • Well, snakes may wriggle, and hyenas, they giggle

  • And horses like to trot and prance

  • But no creature anywhere can quite compare

  • To a dancer in smarty pants

  • It really doesn't matter if you're skinny or you're fat

  • Or you practice in advance

  • Just put on a smarty record

  • And some trousers that are checkered

  • And dance in smarty pants ♪-- just do it!

  • Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah... dance in smarty pants. ♪

  • Take it home now!

  • Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Yeah, ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants

  • Ooh, aah-- ♪ is it over yet?--

  • Dance in smarty pants. ♪

  • "A..."

  • "Rats."

  • ( all sigh )

  • Now, Leona, you don't have to go

  • back to the playground

  • until you're good and ready.

  • I'm never going back

  • to the playground...

  • never.

  • But, Leona...

  • Well, that didn't work.

  • I don't know what else to do.

  • Hmm, we could force her

  • to go back to the playground.

  • ( straining )

  • Bad idea!

  • Oh, got it.

  • Oh, Leona?

  • Where'd she go?

  • Leona, darling...

  • There you are.

  • Do you want to hear the rest of the story?

  • LIONEL: She might as well, she's not going anywhere.

  • THEO: Yeah, let's hear it, Frank.

  • It's called Tales of the Irish Rats.

  • Volume Two...

  • The, uh...

  • The rats came back?

  • That's right, the rats came back.

  • Rap your little ears around this.

  • Oh, okay.

  • That ship of banished rats hadn't sailed but half a league

  • when one young rat got angry.

  • Up on the prow of the ship she leapt

  • and made a grand oration!

  • Rats, I can't believe my ratty eyes.

  • What's wrong with us?

  • We're Irish rats, aren't we?!

  • ( rats muttering )

  • And what does it mean to be rats?

  • We... we live in holes and eat garbage.

  • Yes, we live in holes and eat garbage

  • and that's something to be proud of!

  • RATS: Huh?

  • The rats had been so hurt by that poem of insults

  • they couldn't believe their ears!

  • Those holes are our holes!

  • Are we going to abandon our holes

  • every time someone says something to hurt us?!

  • ( rats grumbling )

  • And that garbage is...?

  • It's our garbage, eh?

  • Well, no, it's someone else's garbage

  • but it's we who eat it after they're done with it.

  • That's... uh, recycling.

  • And we help the planet.

  • I think rats are fantastic, and who disagrees with me?

  • ( rats discussing )

  • They'd heard so many bad things about themselves

  • that the rats had forgotten that it wasn't all true.

  • And who agrees with me that rats are fantastic?

  • ( rats cheering )

  • Some words are hurtful and may make you feel bad

  • but they're just words after all.

  • We shouldn't let them stop us

  • from going where we want or following our dreams.

  • She's right.

  • It's our garbage, yeah!

  • Let's go back!

  • And, no, it's not our garbage.

  • RATS: Oh...

  • FRANK: With that, the rats turned their ships around

  • and sailed back the way they'd come.

  • To the shore they swam

  • and back to the castle they went.

  • ( rats shouting )

  • And that's how the rats came back to Ireland.

  • The end.

  • There, that's the whole story.

  • And the moral of the story is...?

  • That... just because someone says something that hurts

  • and makes you feel bad

  • shouldn't stop you from going where you want to go

  • and doing what you want to do

  • and following your dream to sit in the sand.

  • Mmm...

  • ALL: What?

  • In the sandbox!

  • In the playground!

  • Come on, Mom

  • let's go to the playground.

  • To the playground!

  • Yeah!

  • All right, it worked, Frank.

  • ( laughs )

  • Hmm...

  • I like playing in the sandbox.

  • Me, too.

  • And I like it, too.

  • To the playground!

  • To the playground!

  • And now we return to the exciting conclusion

  • of Pigeon Theater Work's presentation of... Cats.

  • ( both meowing loudly )

  • Uh...

  • Meow?

  • Yeah!

  • ( yelling )

  • ( scream )

  • ( applause )

  • Oh, thank you.

  • ALL: Thank you.

  • BARNABY: You're too kind.

  • There are games and stories at the Between the Lions Web site:

  • pbskids.org, or America Online keyword: PBS Kids.

  • And that's why he's called... ♪

  • "Cliff... Hanger."

  • Right!

  • Help a friend get wild about reading.

  • It's cool!

  • Way cool!

  • "When last we left Cliff..."

  • ♪ ♪ ♪

  • [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: Between the Lions is funded in part by...

WOMAN: ♪ Hey, now... ♪

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