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[upbeat music playing]
[owl hooting]
Help! I need help!
Help! Help!
How can we be of service?
The children need a story, a new story.
A new story! How exciting!
It is! I'm looking for Horse Play,
the world's only super-duper story delivery service.
Have you seen them?
We are them!
[Barney] You are the fearless word hunters that travel the universe
in search of new and exciting stories?
We are!
[Barney] You fly from foreign lands to alien planets
across vast and dangerous landscapes
in search of unique plots and exciting themes?
That's us.
We seek comedies, dramas, mysteries, truths!
Search for secrets, suspects, and a few hefty clues.
Mix sentences and paragraphs in a word stew
and cook up a brand-new story for you.
Welcome to Horse Play,
the world's only super-duper story delivery service.
The sky is our office, and I'm Axel the airplane.
I'm Scout the horse.
How can we help?
[Barney] The children need a new story.
Let's find one.
Do the children have any ideas?
I was flying through the Enchanted Forest, hunting for my dinner,
when a boy called to me.
I hear owls are very wise
and can find anything in the universe.
Is that true?
Is it true?
Why, yes! Then, the boy said...
The children need a new story. Can you find Horse Play?
Horse Play? Is that a game?
[laughing] You never heard of Horse Play?
Why, they are the only super-duper story delivery service
in the entire universe.
That's us!
I promised the boy I would find you.
As I was about to fly away, the boy yelled after me.
When you find Horse Play,
tell them the children would like the story to begin on the Isle of Flowers.
The Isle of Flowers, a fine choice to begin a story.
Lush landscape filled with field after field
of beautiful, colorful flowers.
[shushing] Quiet!
I think I'm being followed.
So, the story begins.
Once upon a time, there was an owl.
- What's your name? - Barney Owl.
Once upon a time, there was an owl named Barney.
I'm in the story!
Of course! You begin the story
when you talk to the boy with brown hair and freckles.
Barney Owl was flying through the Enchanted Forest
when a boy with brown hair and freckles called out to him.
I heard owls are very wise
and can find anything in the universe.
Is that true?
When Barney told the boy that, yes, owls are very clever,
the boy said...
The children need a new story. Can you find Horse Play?
"Is that a game?" Barney asked the boy.
[laughing] No!
Horse Play is the only super-duper story delivery service
in the entire universe.
The children will love that beginning.
Please continue.
The children wanted the new story to begin on the Isle of Flowers,
a magical land filled with field after field of sweet-smelling blossoms.
[hooting] This is getting good.
Please continue.
The Isle of Flowers is a tiny island
floating in the middle of a blue ocean.
It's home to the most beautiful honey bees.
Excellent description.
If I close my eyes, I can see the Isle of Flowers.
Please continue.
That's all I have.
[hooting] That's it? It can't be!
A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
There's a good guy, and a bad guy,
adventure, intrigue, and excitement.
You're right. To continue the story,
Axel and I must fly at once to the Isle of Flowers.
Yeah, I'm sure we'll find more of the story there.
Everyone has a piece of the plot, you know.
Plot?
The main events that happen in a story, what the story is about.
How do you find new stories?
Are they hatched like an egg?
Buried underground like treasure?
Do you take a pill, drink a magic potion?
[laughing] It is a kind of magic!
We gather plot pieces, sew them together,
and voila, a new story for the children is born.
Sounds exciting!
It is! Off we go!
To the Isle of Flowers!
A horse and an airplane, what a sight!
They fly in the day. They fly through the night.
Axel the airplane steers the course
for his partner and passenger, Scout the horse.
Horse Play is their business name.
Finding super-duper stories is their claim to fame.
[upbeat music playing]
I think Barney the owl was right.
We're being followed.
Let's add that to the story.
It will keep the children interested.
Yes, the boy will ask,
"Who was following Axel and Scout?"
It will keep him wondering what will happen next.
[Victor] Chatty, little Barney Owl.
Too chatty.
Victor the vulture?
You only appear when something smells bad.
[hissing] If it isn't Scout,
the adventure-thirsty, mustang nag,
putting around the sky with his do-gooder tin can sidekick, Axel.
You two losers still peddling your stupor-duper
story delivery service?
We are.
You still destroying and gobbling up troublesome storylines?
Of course, I'm a vulture.
[hissing] Yes.
Now, tell me. What did that old owl, Barney, ask you to do?
[hissing] Never mind.
I'll find out what you're up to soon enough.
Now, fly away before I stick a feather in your engine.
You fly away before I horse kick you out of the sky.
[upbeat music playing]
♪ Fly high Fly low ♪
♪ Soar and away ♪
♪ Super-duper stories will save the day ♪
[humming]
♪ A sprinkle here A sprinkle there ♪
♪ Yellow powder everywhere ♪
♪ Pollinating flowers is what bees do ♪
♪ All to make beautiful flowers for you ♪
Hi there, Bella.
I see you're busy pollinating them flowers.
Howdy, boys. What can I do for you?
[Axel] Honey.
Mmm. My favorite subject!
Anything special about your honey?
Only that it's the sweetest, the tastiest, stickiest of all.
I'd offer you some, but I'm running kind of low.
Low on honey? Oh, no!
- [Bella] Oh, yes! Didn't you hear? - Hear what?
Someone knocked over the bee hives.
The bee hives?
- [Axel] Oh, no! - Oh, yes!
My bee friends and family had to buzz away
and find a new home.
That's just plumb awful.
Did a skunk knock over the bee hives?
How ever did you know?
I smell a whiff of skunk,
see a few black and white hairs in that flower,
spot a paw print in the dirt...
You are amazing, Scout!
Yep, one of them furry, striped varmints found its way right into our hive.
I wonder if Victor the vulture had something to do with this.
You mean that vulture?
He's been circling, flapping his wings.
Hmm. Don't he ever get tired?
Them vultures can stay in the air for hours.
Why would a vulture bother us bees?
He's become part of the story.
A new story! Ooh! What do you have so far?
Once upon a time, Barney Owl was flying over the Enchanted Forest
when a boy with brown hair and freckles asked him to find Horse Play.
That's you.
The boy said, "The children need a new story.
Can you find Horse Play?"
He also told Barney the children wanted the story to begin
at the Isle of Flowers.
That's why you're here! Please, continue.
The Isle of Flowers is a tiny land floating in the middle of the ocean.
It's a land filled with field after field
of beautiful, colorful flowers.
Excellent description of my tiny home.
Bees love living on the Isle of Flowers.
They buzz around day after day,
pollinating beautiful fields,
so everyone can enjoy red, yellow, and blue sweet-smelling blossoms.
Don't forget orange, green, and my favorite color, pink.
One fine day, the story continues, a vulture...
Victor!
A pesky vulture named Victor talked a skunk
into knocking over all the bee hives on the island.
- Why'd he do that? - We're not sure.
We haven't discovered that part of the story yet.
It's a mystery!
Broken beehives forced many of the bees to fly away from the island,
but one special bee remained,
Bella Bee.
That's me!
Bella Bee buzzes around the Isle of Flowers singing,
her voice as sweet and silky as her honey.
[giggling] Aw! Shucks!
Bella Bee sings about flowers.
♪ A sprinkle here A sprinkle there ♪
♪ Yellow powder everywhere ♪
♪ We bees collect sugary nectar, you see ♪
♪ To bring to the hive and share with the bees ♪
♪ Nectar placed in waxy, honeycombed hives ♪
♪ Passed from bee to bee till honey arrives ♪
Bella Bee has such a soft, lilting voice
anyone who hears it falls into a deep sleep.
While they're asleep, Bella Bee performs magic.
Oh, my!
[whispering] Bella Bee has a secret.
I do love secrets.
Bella Bee spins honey into gold.
That's fantastic!
The children will love a story about a singing bee
who spins honey into gold.
Yeah, but wait just a second!
You go spreading a story about me spinning honey into gold,
and this entire island will be overrun
with greedy gold-diggers.
You have a better idea?
Hmm.
I do!
Why don't y'all go to Lava Land?
Lava Land, an empty planet
with fiery volcanoes constantly erupting,
spewing ash and hot, molten rock.
Fiery and hot, but not empty.
Nog the Hog, the mighty dragon chaser, lives there.
Oh, children love dragons.
I suppose a visit to Lava Land
could move the story along quite nicely.
Bella Bee did not want the story
to be about her spinning honey into gold.
She said there was a much better story to find on Lava Land,
home of the three, fat hogs,
one of them known as the "Dragon Chaser."
The children will love, love, love their new story.
♪ A sprinkle here A sprinkle there ♪
♪ Yellow powder everywhere ♪
♪ Pollinating flowers is what bees do ♪
♪ All to make beautiful flowers for you ♪
[upbeat music playing]
Scout, Axel, I have some exciting dialogue
to add to your super-duper story.
Oink the flying pig!
Children love pigs!
Especially flying pigs!
And superheroes! See my red cape?
After visiting Bella Bee on the Isle of Flowers,
Scout and Axel fly through the sky towards Lava Land.
Suddenly, they see Oink,
the flying pig,
a superhero wearing a bright red cape.
I'm so glad I found you.
You know, "dialogue" is when characters in a story
talk or have a conversation.
Children love a good story with good dialogue.
Well, I have some very important information
to share about Victor the vulture.
Oh, goody! We do need to learn more about Victor.
I know why Victor the vulture destroyed the beehives.
He's following you.
Character development is so important for a story.
Victor the vulture does not want you
to find the children a new story.
He flies around the universe
searching for sad, unfinished stories to eat.
He hates happy endings.
He will do anything to stop them from happening.
That is a very important part of this story.
Oink the flying pig, a superhero,
known for solving mysteries,
and saving animals throughout the universe,
joins Axel and Scout as they fly towards Lava Land.
[laughing] Oh, goody! I made it into the new story!
I'm so excited! [laughing] [snorts]
Oh, but did you say you were flying towards Lava land?
Why, yes!
That's a very dangerous planet!
[Axel] Your cousins live there, don't they?
Do you know the story of the three, fat hogs?
Is that the same as the three little pigs?
Does that story have a fire-breathing dragon?
I don't think so.
Well, then talk to the hogs on Lava Land.
I'll keep an eye on Victor for you.
Be safe and beware!
Oink tells Axel and Scout that Victor is following them around,
because he eats bad, unfinished stories
and hates happy endings.
"Be safe and beware," Oink shouts before flying off into the clouds.
Scout, we can't let Victor stop us from finishing the story.
Don't worry, Axel.
♪ Fly high Fly low ♪
♪ Soar and away ♪
♪ Super-duper stories will save the day ♪
[Scout] Lava Land is a hot, fiery planet.
Volcanoes constantly spew smoky, burning, molten rock
which covers just about everything on the planet, except...
Look, Scout, it's the three fat hogs.
We heard one of you is a dragon chaser.
Correctamundo!
Children love dragons.
Everyone loves dragons.
Where is your dragon?
Can I tell the story?
[snorting] No, let me tell it. I wanna tell it.
I'll tell the story. [laughing]
[clearing throat]
It all started when me and my brothers,
Fog the hog and Log the hog,
heard about a contest on Lava Land.
What sort of contest?
A contest to build the strongest house in the universe,
a house that could withstand fire...
- Lava. - Lightning.
- Meteor strikes! - Rain!
Any house can stand a bit of rain, Fog. [laughing and snorting]
Since my brothers and I have built houses all over the universe...
We are very good builders.
Some of my houses have been featured in "Universal Homes Illustrated."
I built the Mall at the Top of the World.
Very impressive.
To get back to the story,
thousands of contestants arrived on Lava Land
to compete in the contest.
- Including us. - Obviously!
We had two months to build a house.
Then the real contest began.
Two weeks later, only three houses remained standing,
ours.
What happened to the other 2,997 houses?
Once a day, we never knew when,
a fiery dragon reared its head
out of the volcano right behind me.
A fiery dragon? Oh, no!
Oh, yes! A fiery dragon leapt out of the volcano,
aimed his fiery breath at a house, and...
[inhaling] Whoosh! The building was set on fire.
Some houses melted. Others burned to the ground.
Burned to the ground!
- Oh, no! - [Nog] Oh, yes!
Only our three houses were left standing, my house.
- My house. - And my house.
The story of the three, fat hogs.
I see only one house.
What happened to the other two houses?
[snorting and laughing]
I built my house out of the strongest wooden logs.
It was very beautiful,
the best looking house of all.
- It was very beautiful. - It was very beautiful.
Day after day,
the dragon flew above my house,
blowing fire, singing...
♪ I'm a fierce, fiery dragon ♪
♪ You're a big, fat hog ♪
♪ I open up my mouth ♪
♪ Breathe fire on your logs ♪
♪ Don't expect your house to last ♪
♪ You silly, porky swine ♪
♪ I destroy all houses in my path ♪
♪ And yours will not survive ♪
[laughing]
The dragon threatened to burn down your house?
Oh, no!
Oh, yes!
His fiery breath swept across the logs of my house
until they caught fire.
I told you not to build your house out of logs.
Wooden logs burn.
Yeah, yeah! [grumbling]
Know-it-all! [grumbling]
Then, the dragon flew toward me,
and I ran into Nog's house
just as the flames were about to devour me.
How exciting!
The next day, that dragon came for my house!
I ran outside, thinking he could not burn my house down.
As he flew toward Nog's house, the dragon sang...
♪ I'm a fierce, fiery dragon ♪
♪ You're three big, fat hogs ♪
♪ I open up my wide, red-hot lips ♪
♪ Burn up those fire-proof bricks ♪
♪ Now, don't think your solid house will last ♪
♪ You silly, porky swine ♪
♪ I destroy all houses in my path ♪
♪ Even yours will not ♪
♪ Survive ♪
[Log chuckling]
Concrete and iron rods are strong.
They shouldn't catch on fire.
True! But Fog the Hog is lazy.
He mixed batches of cheap concrete and worked quickly,
making fun of me for building my house brick by brick.
His house lasted two days
before the dragon fire destroyed it.
Don't rub it in, Nog!
The dragon chased me!
But just before his fire reached my hog tail,
I ran into Nog's house where I was safe.
The next day, the dragon roared through the sky,
then flew right over my house.
We peered through the window,
watched him come, breathing fire.
As he flew toward Nog's house, the dragon sang...
♪ I'm a fierce, fiery dragon ♪
♪ You're three big, fat hogs ♪
♪ I open up my wide, red-hot lips ♪
♪ Burn up those fire-proof bricks ♪
♪ Now, don't think your solid house will last ♪
♪ You silly, porky swine ♪
♪ I destroy all houses in my path ♪
♪ Even yours will not ♪
♪ Survive ♪
[Log laughing]
He opened his mouth, and out flew flames.
But instead of the house catching on fire,
the dragon sneezed.
Again and again,
the dragon opened his mouth to spit fire on Nog's house,
but all he did was sneeze, and sneeze, and sneeze.
[Nog] That silly dragon flew away in tears.
A story with a moral!
A housing-building contest on the remote planet Lava Land
attracted 3,000 entries.
Every day, a dragon leapt out of a fiery volcano,
breathing fire on each of the houses built.
After several days, only three houses remained.
Each one belonging to one of the three, fat hogs.
[Nog] What's a moral?
The moral of a story is meant to teach a lesson.
It often has a message of right and wrong, good or bad.
Nog the hog won the contest.
He built the strongest house in the universe.
He won because he was smart and wasn't lazy.
No matter how hard the dragon tried,
he could not burn down Nog's house of bricks.
The three fat hogs were safe. [laughing]
And the moral of the story is...
[snorting] Wait!
I may have cheated a bit.
- Cheated? Oh, no! - [Nog] Oh, yes!
I discovered a secret.
A secret?
[snorting and laughing]
Most fire-breathing dragons are allergic to hot chili peppers.
So, I planted some in garden pots on the roof of my house.
[snorting and laughing] Every time the dragon flew by Nog's house,
the smell of chili peppers clogged his fire-sinuses.
[Log] That dragon sneezed and sneezed
until he was so stuffed up
he couldn't breathe fire.
Nog is one smart hog.
And that's the story of the three fat hogs.
[laughing] A dragon with a stuffed nose!
That'll make the children laugh!
It is a funny story, and it has a plot twist.
Uh...
What's a plot twist?
Where's the dragon now?
He couldn't stop sneezing. [laughing]
He was so stuffed up, he left Lava Land for good.
Never did figure out it was my chili peppers.
Nog the hog was a very clever swine.
He not only won the house-building contest.
He tricked the dragon into leaving Lava Land
by planting hot chili peppers,
a plant most dragons are allergic to,
right on the roof of his house.
Nog the hog chased the sneezing dragon away.
[laughing] It's fun when a story makes you laugh.
The children love to laugh.
[Log] Do you need some more funny bits for your story?
Do you know where we can find some?
Go see Dumpty Donkey.
He's always telling a story that makes you laugh.
[upbeat music playing]
[Scout] ♪ Fly high, Fly low ♪
♪ Soar and away ♪
[laughing] Our super-duper story is growing better...
♪ In every way ♪
[Axel] Look, Scout, it's a hot air balloon.
[Scout] With a bunny rabbit flying it!
Ahoy there! I'm Sounder Rabbit.
Either of you two fellas heard of Horse Play?
We are Horse Play. I'm Axel the airplane.
I'm Scout the horse.
You two are the super-duper story delivery service?
[Axel] That's us.
[Sounder] I've been looking all over for you.
The children want the story to have a mystery.
We was just in Lava Land.
Lava Land, huh?
While you were busy traveling all over the universe,
I fell victim to a robbery.
A robbery? Oh, no!
Oh, yes!
Someone has been stealing Farmer McAdoo's vegetables.
Stealing vegetables? Oh, no!
Oh, yes!
Farmer McAdoo works hard in his garden.
He plants seeds, and waters, and feeds, and pulls weeds.
As he works, he chants,
"I plant it. I grow it. I pick it. I eat it."
Growing them vegetables is hard work.
It is. Farmer McAdoo is very angry,
because someone stole all his vegetables.
He wants to catch the thief.
What's that in your hot air balloon basket?
Looks like carrot tops.
Oh, this? It's just a little snack.
Will you take us to Farmer McAdoo's garden?
Me? Sorry. I'm in a hurry.
But it's easy to get there.
Take a right, then a left. Uh, then a right, then a left.
Go straight. Turn around.
Land, and it's right there.
Thanks, Sounder.
We'll find out who stole Farmer McAdoo's vegetables for you.
♪ You grow it, you pick it You pick it, you eat it ♪
♪ You don't steal it ♪
As soon as Axel and Scout leave Lava Land,
they meet up with Sounder,
a rabbit flying a bright red-and-yellow hot air balloon.
"The children want the story to have a mystery," Sounder tells them,
then give them one to solve.
Someone stole Farmer McAdoo's vegetables!
Hey, don't forget to add, "You grow it. You pick it.
"You pick it. You eat it.
You don't steal it."
[hissing] Such an interesting story so far!
But be careful. Don't let it get out of hand.
[chuckles and hisses]
I just want you boys to know I'm here waiting, just waiting
for you to drop a story line, confuse the plot,
introduce one character too many,
and I'll greedily gulp, guzzle, gorge,
and gobble all your mistakes.
We've been following Victor.
Victor convinced Stunt the airplane to help ruin your story.
[Axel] My cousin Stunt?
The most talented acrobatic airplane in the universe.
I've seen Stunt perform amazing aerial tricks.
He can spin, swoop...
Why would Stunt team up with Victor?
Now, we have two mysteries to solve.
Mystery one, who was stealing vegetables from Farmer McAdoo?
Mystery two, why is your cousin Stunt,
the most acrobatic airplane in the universe,
working with Victor to destroy our new story?
Which mystery should we solve first?
Let's go to the farm field.
Sounder Rabbit rides away in a gust of wind.
Seconds later, Oink flies by.
They've been following Victor and discovered he's working
with Stunt, Axel's cousin, an acrobatic airplane, to ruin the new story.
Now, Horse Play has two big mysteries to solve.
Stories are like bright, white, fluffy clouds
floating through the universe.
Gigantic, white spaces waiting to be filled in.
By endless pools of imagination.
[squealing]
I love finding new stories.
So, let's get on with this one.
Axel and Scout bid Oink goodbye and head for the farm field.
We'll keep an eye on Victor.
[upbeat music playing]
♪ Soar high Soar low ♪
♪ Up, up, and away ♪
♪ Two important mysteries must be solved today ♪
When solving a mystery,
it's best to find out why a crime was committed.
Aw, that's easy.
Farmer McAdoo's vegetables were stolen because someone was hungry.
Did you notice the carrot tops
sticking out of Sounder's hot air balloon?
Don't bunnies always eat carrots?
He was in an awful hurry.
Is he a suspect?
He is! I'm not sure if Sounder Rabbit was telling the truth.
You mean that cute, little bunny rabbit lied?
Sounder Rabbit was acting very suspicious.
Separating lies from truth is how you solve a mystery, Axel.
We need to gather more clues, talk to more suspects.
That's how we'll find out who done it.
Look! Down there! It's Dumpty Donkey.
Do donkeys eat vegetables?
They sure do.
[Axel] Let's see what he knows.
Hey! Was hoping someone would stop by today.
I got one doozy of a story.
Yeah, we're here to solve a mystery.
My story is more exciting.
I got adventure, drama, even a big, old gator!
Oh, but I'm being rude.
What's this mystery you gotta solve?
A while ago, we were flying through the sky
when Sounder, a bunny rabbit, flew by
in a bright red-and-yellow hot air balloon.
He told us the children want the new story to have a mystery.
Then he said Farmer McAdoo's garden vegetables were missing!
Scout spotted some leafy, green carrot tops in the balloon,
and Sounder was in a hurry.
So, he's a suspect.
Hee-haw! [laughing]
Not much of a mystery!
You already solved it.
Sounder Rabbit stole Farmer McAdoo's vegetables.
- [Axel] What? - Sounder Rabbit tricked us.
He stole Farmer McAdoo's vegetables,
sent us to the farm to find the thief,
then made a fast getaway in his hot air balloon
filled with the stolen carrots, corn, and cucumbers.
Sounder Rabbit tricked us?
- Oh, no! - Oh, yes!
The famous Horse Play duo deceived, duped.
[laughing] Hee-haw!
[ethereal music playing]
Stunt, what are you doing here?
Is it true you're working with Victor the vulture?
I wanna be in the story, cuz.
The children will love an airplane
that flies in loops, nosedives, and forms flips high in the sky.
But the children didn't ask for a story about stunt planes.
I'm not here to be a main character.
Just a minor one.
I'm Victor's assistant, his partner in crime.
[Victor] That's right, Axel.
Your cousin, Stunt, is working for me.
The children love bad guys,
and I'm here to demand you give me some of this story.
[Stunt] Yeah, give Victor a few scenes, and we'll fly away...
- for a while. - [Axel gasping]
Give you the story? What for?
I wanna eat it, of course!
That's what vultures do to silly storylines and bad dialogue.
We devour it bit by bit until it's no more.
This story isn't that silly, and I kind of like the dialogue.
It's okay, Axel.
[sighing] I hate to admit it,
but the story does need a major edit.
A mystery with only one suspect,
and the one suspect a cute, little bunny rabbit who is guilty.
That's not a very good story for the children.
So... we have to give Victor part of the story?
Poor, metal-headed horse-face.
Don't be so hard on yourselves.
It's the rules.
It's part of a story. You gotta edit,
cut it out, toss it, and find something better to replace it.
[upbeat music playing]
Hey! Was hoping someone would stop by today.
I got one doozy of a story.
What kind of story?
It's very exciting!
It's got adventure, drama,
even a big, old gator!
Picture this.
It begins with a long, wide river.
The long, wide river flows
for miles, and miles, and miles.
[chuckles]
On one side of the river, there is not very much to eat.
On the other side of the river, there lies a field
of tall, green grass, fruit trees,
and soft earth to dig holes for burrows.
Grumpy is a mean, old gator.
Anyone who tries to cross his river gets trapped
between his mouth full of very sharp teeth
and is never seen or heard from again.
Oh, my! This is a scary story.
The children like scary stories...
as long as it's not too scary.
Let me tell it.
Um, unless you wanna tell it.
Please, continue.
So, living on one side of the river is three
of the most unusual friends
a story ever did see.
One is a goofy-looking rat with bobbly, green eyes,
two big, old front teeth,
a long set of whiskers,
and a growling stomach.
[Dumpty Donkey] This here is Clack the rat,
a nickname he got,
'cause he makes this real loud clacking sound with his teeth
when he gets nervous.
This second friend in this unlikely trio is Hopper,
a wide-eyed frog
with long, thin arms
and a mile-wide smile.
The third friend is a rather smart horse,
who, come to think of it, looks a lot like you, Scout.
Only his name is Harry.
Food was getting scarce on their side of the river,
and day after day, these three unlikely friends
dreamed about crossing to the other side
where delicious fruit and berries grew
on green, grassy slopes,
but they knew if they tried,
Grump Alligator would jump out of the water and eat them.
Eat them? Oh, no!
Oh, yes!
So, the three friends huddled behind a big, old tree
with long, hanging branches
so Grumpy couldn't see them.
One summer evening, there was a huge storm.
Thunder, and lightning,
strong winds, and heavy rain.
A bolt of lightning struck near the weeping willow and lit the three friends.
Exposed, they cringed in fear,
thinking Grumpy would climb onto the riverbank and eat them.
But instead, it was Grumpy that cringed in fear.
[groaning] Lightning!
The dark sky! Oh, it can't be!
A very scary storm coming after me!
The next evening, as the sky grew dark,
another storm rumbled on the horizon,
and the friends hatched a plan.
[Clack] Grumpy Gator, Grumpy Gator, I know you're there.
If you let me cross the river, I'll save you from a scare.
[laughing]
How can you,
a wee, little rat,
save me, a big, fat alligator?
There's going to be a lot more lightning tonight.
If you let me pass to the other side of the river,
I will use my very loud clacking teeth
to scare away the storm. [clacking]
That is a very loud, annoying sound.
Does it really scare away lightning?
It does.
If you let me pass to the other side of the river,
I will save you.
Then, Clack, you rat,
I will let you pass.
[chuckling] But when the skies clear,
I will eat you really fast.
As the storm grew closer,
Hopper Frog leapt to the riverbank.
Grumpy Gator, Grump Gator, come up for air.
Let me hop across the river, and I'll save you from a scare.
Grumpy Gator surfaces from the water
where he was trying to hide from the incoming storm.
How can you, a skinny, silly frog, save me,
a big, fat alligator,
from a lightning storm?
Hopper From sprang off the rock, leapt above Grumpy's head.
I'm a very special frog who can jump really high.
I'll snatch those lightning rods right out of the sky.
Help me, skinny frog, and I will let you pass. [chuckling]
But tomorrow, I'll sneak out of the river and eat you in a flash.
Hopper Frog croaks,
hops from rock to rock,
crosses the river, and reaches the other side.
As the storm blows in,
lightning flashes across the sky.
As Grumpy cringes, Harry the Horse trots to the river bank.
Grumpy Gator, Grumpy Gator,
swim on over here.
I'm a big, healthy horse
who can help you with your fears.
How can you, a...
delicious-looking,
tasty horse... [chuckling]
help me get over my fears?
Grumpy Gator was so hungry
he forgot about the rat and frog,
slipped back into the water,
and swam towards Harry Horse,
dreaming about the satisfying meal
he was about to eat.
But before he could reach the shore,
a huge crack of thunder
rattled his scales.
Grumpy shook with fear.
Chase the lightning away, and I will let you go.
But tomorrow, I will eat you...
[chuckling]
nice and slow.
But Harry did not offer to scare the lightning away.
He did not try to cross the river.
Instead, he held his head high
and waited for the next lightning strike.
Grumpy Gator, alligator,
scales so fast and strong,
swim to me, my tasty dinner.
Don't keep me waiting long.
[laughing]
Grumpy Gator was so scared,
he swam fast and far
and was never seen or heard from again.
And the three friends were able to cross the river,
back and forth, and up and down
whenever, wherever they wanted,
and they lived happily ever after.
The children will love that story. [laughing]
It's kind of like a scary fable,
folk tale, and adventure all rolled into one.
I'm so glad I could take you
to the middle of the children's new story.
Is it the middle of the story already?
Time to see the mermaid!
Cassandra the mermaid who lives beneath the sea?
[Axel] That's the one.
She always grants us three story wishes.
Can't wait to hear them. Good luck!
♪ Soar high Soar low ♪
♪ Up and away ♪
♪ We're off to see the mermaid ♪
♪ Three stories, she'll relay ♪
- [crunching] - What's that sound?
It's Victor. He's eating the edited part of our story.
[Axel] The part about Sounder Rabbit?
He's so noisy.
Vultures are very noisy when they eat.
After Axel and Scout visited the farm fields
to solve the mystery of Farmer McAdoo's missing vegetables,
they learned Sounder Rabbit lied to them.
He was the one who stole the vegetables.
This led to a story edit
where Victor Vulture with his assistant, Stunt the airplane,
ripped the chapter out of the children's new story.
It was upsetting,
but it had to be done.
Dumpty Donkey told them a scary story
about a hungry rat, frog, and horse
who tricked a grumpy alligator
into letting them cross a wide river,
so they could eat the fruit and grass on the other side.
Everyone lived happily ever after. [chuckles]
Now, Horse Play...
The only super-duper story service in the entire universe,
must dive into the ocean, swim beneath the sea,
and find Cassandra the mermaid,
who can grant them three story wishes.
Ready, Scout?
Ready.
[splashing]
I forgot how beautiful it is down here.
Axel and Scout sail through the water,
admiring the fish and coral,
while searching for Cassandra the mermaid,
who can grant them three story wishes.
[Cassandra] A tale spun here, a tale spun there.
Story treasures everywhere.
Mermaids call up from the deep memories the sea doth keep.
Axel and Scout, what brings you to the sea?
The children.
We were hoping you would grant us three story wishes.
Come closer, my friends, and I'll tell you three tales.
So, close your eyes and imagine a hen and a hare.
Once upon a time, there was a hen named Henrietta.
She was the chattiest, friendliest animal on the farm.
She hosted birthday parties, always helped animals in need.
Every morning, she sang the same song.
♪ Gather round, my farm friends ♪
♪ Feathered, fleeced, or furred ♪
♪ Come, one Come, all to celebrate ♪
♪ Our super-happy herd ♪
Yes, everyone loved Henrietta.
Everyone except...
Harvey Hare.
Harvey was an old, grouchy, long-eared rabbit
who lived in a hole near the chicken coop.
He had lost all his family years ago
and had become quite selfish and downright unsociable.
He hated hearing Henrietta Hen cluck laughing with the other farm animals.
He couldn't stand her sunny, friendly disposition.
He would pop out of his hole whenever there was a party and yell...
Keep away from my hole, you noisy, scrappy hen!
Your constant clucking hurts my ears.
Your coop, I want to rend.
One day, Harvey Hare awoke to the sound of laughter,
and decided he had to do something about it once and for all.
He jumped out of his hole, and hopped in front of Henrietta Hen.
I challenge you to a race.
If I win, you have to move to the other side of the farm.
If you win, I'll dig a hole near the road,
and you'll never see me again.
Henrietta Hen was shocked.
She had no idea Harvey Hare was so angry.
I'll race you on one condition.
If I win,
you have to promise to attend all my parties and social events
for one full year.
[grunting] Okay, you're on.
We race from here to the road.
Now, everyone knows that a hen can't possibly run as fast as a hare.
Still, Henrietta, always positive, didn't listen
to the other animals who said she had no chance of winning.
I'm one of your closest friends.
Please call off the race. You can't possible win.
Where will you move? Where will you go?
But Henrietta wouldn't listen.
News spread fast.
And on the day of the race, all the farm animals gathered around the chicken coop.
Harvey Hare took off in a shot,
leaving poor Henrietta covered in dust.
Still, she kept on strutting, egged on by the other animals,
her skinny, chicken legs moving as fast as they could.
Harvey Hare ran at a comfortable pace.
Halfway to the road, he reached a fish pond.
Thirsty, he bent over to lap some water and caught his reflection.
Could that face really be mine?
Is this what happens over time?
Who is that sad, scowling hare?
Is it me, that creature with a mad, angry stare?
Mesmerized by his image, Harvey grew sad, then tired.
And before long, he fell asleep.
Henrietta was getting tired.
She clucked to keep herself awake.
Cheered on by her farm friends, she kept on going.
Oh, no! Did I fall asleep?
Harvey Hare woke to hear the farm animals cheering.
He hopped as fast as his strong, rabbit legs could carry him
in time to see Henrietta Hen about to cross the finish line.
In one big leap, he tried to catch her,
but it was too late. Henrietta won.
The next day, Henrietta Hen approached Harvey Hare.
I know you promised to come to my parties for a year if you lost the race,
but I won't hold you to it.
Just come to one party just once.
Harvey Hare, taken aback by Henrietta Hen's kind offer,
reluctantly attended the next farm party.
And guess what? He liked it.
It took quite a few months,
but slowly, he came to know a lot of the farm animals,
and he was never lonely again.
The children like when stories have a happy ending.
So do I.
Can you tell us another?
Let me think.
Have I told you about the cow and the bull?
[lowing] I'm sick of having to struggle
to find a bit of grass.
I'm hungry.
I need more to eat.
The grass is always hard to find this time of year.
Another month or two, the ground will warm, the spring rains will come,
and a lush field of grass will grow beneath our feet.
Every year, you say that,
but it's not true.
The last few years, our meadow has been dry.
We're running out of grass to eat.
The next day, Toughie awoke with an idea.
He told Pearl to walk to the edge of the meadow, climb the steep hillside,
and venture through the dark forest.
Beyond the forest lies a farm.
I'm sure the farmer there will trade your milk for seeds.
We will plant those seeds
and grow more grass.
Reluctantly, Pearl agreed.
She walked and walked until she reached the edge of the meadow.
Wearily, she climbed the hillside
and looked back over her beloved meadow.
In the distance, she could see Toughie,
his huge bull body moving through the dry field.
Sighing, she continued to walk into the forest.
The woods were dark, and she grew afraid.
But Pearl knew she couldn't return to the meadow without seeds,
so she kept on going.
In the distance, she saw a goat grazing in a rich field of grass.
Oh, my! What a beautiful field of grass to graze in!
Sure is!
Name is Nicky. Help yourself.
Pearl was so hungry from her journey
she happily joined the goat for a nice meal.
Between bites, she told Nicky her problem.
No need to find the farmer.
I'll trade you some milk for some magical seeds.
Magical seeds?
Powerful magic!
Plant two of these seeds, and you'll soon have a blanket of grass
like the one you're standing on.
[Nick laughing]
Plenty for you and a big bull like Toughie to eat for months.
But beware!
Do not plant more than two seeds at one time.
This grass is very magical and grows very fast.
Pearl traded her milk for 10 seeds
and walked back through the forest,
down the hillside, across the meadow until finally reaching Toughie.
Exhausted, she told him what had happened.
Impatient, he scratched at the small sack the goat had given her.
Patience, Toughie! We can only plant two seeds at a time.
Okay! Don't have a cow fit!
Give me two seeds.
Toughie tossed the seeds on the ground.
The next morning, Pearl and Toughie awoke
to find short, stubby patches of grass covering the meadow.
Toughie nibbled a few bites, growled, unsatisfied.
What kind of magic is this?
You were fooled, hoodwinked.
Two seeds are not enough.
The next day, Pearl and Toughie awoke
to a blanket of beautiful, green grass.
See? I told you.
[munching]
Mmm!
Delicious!
Toughie ripped the new blades of grass out of the ground and ate and ate.
Then he ate some more.
Pearl joined him hesitantly.
Relieved when the day ended, and nothing had happened.
The following day, they awoke to find an even thicker field of grass
that tickled their hooves.
Toughie and Pearl enjoyed the day grazing.
Toughie ate, and ate, and ate, happily munching,
and then he ate some more.
On the third day, they awoke to find the grass had grown even more.
Now, it was as high as their knees.
What did I tell you, Pearl?
Look at all this grass.
The grass is growing too fast, Toughie.
We should have listened to Nicky the goat.
We planted too many seeds at once.
Let's leave the meadow and find another field.
The grass there might not be sparse,
but come spring...
[mooing]
Nonsense! I'm not going anywhere!
The grass is tall, and lush, and yummy.
[chuckling]
Stop worrying and enjoy it.
But Pearl could not stop worrying,
and Toughie could not stop eating.
He ate, and ate, and ate, and then he ate some more.
No matter how much he ate,
every day, they awoke to find the grass had grown taller.
In one day, the grass grew to their shoulders.
The next day, the blades of grass reached their mouths.
Pearl was alarmed.
She begged Toughie to move to another field,
but Toughie refused.
Look, Pearl,
I don't even have to move my mouth.
I just open it and eat.
The following day, they awoke to find the grass so high
Toughie had to raise his head to eat breakfast.
Pearl knew she had to do something.
She tried to convince Toughie to accompany her to the farm to see Nicky the goat,
hoping he could reverse the spell,
but Toughie refused.
Busy gobbling up ever blade in sight.
Sadly, Pearl left.
She walked and walked,
and when she reached the edge of the meadow, she climbed the hill.
Looking out, she could not even see Toughie.
Toughie, can you hear me?
The grass was so high it swallowed the meadow.
Toughie was nowhere in sight.
Exhausted, Pearl walked through the forest
towards the farm where she had met the goat.
Nicky, I'm so glad I found you.
The grass has grown so high in the meadow. We cannot see out.
It's so tough we can barely get our teeth through it.
I warned you not to plant more than two seeds at a time.
I told you they were magical seeds.
I know. We made a mistake.
Please help us.
You were impatient, greedy.
Now, the only thing you can do
is to leave the meadow forever
and be happy to dine on the short, stubby patches of grass
until spring rains arrive.
Pearl walked as fast as her cow legs would allow her,
hoping to find Toughie and convince him to leave the meadow.
She walked and walked until she reached the hillside overlooking the field.
Gazing out, she gasped
as she saw the green grass had withered,
leaving dying leaves weeds in its place.
Toughie, can you hear me?
Pearl called again and again, but Toughie didn't answer.
She was about to give up hope
when the crackling crunch of dead leaves caught her attention.
Toughie tromped toward her.
Toughie, are you okay?
You were right, Pearl. I was impatient, greedy.
I should have listened to you.
I promise if you let me walk with you
to find another field,
I will eat the sparse, stubby grass
until spring rains come.
I will be happy with what we have
and shall never complain again.
[moos]
Yes, my dear Toughie,
let's walk as far as we must to find another field.
But don't make a promise you cannot keep.
For just as the spring rains will turn our dry meadow into a blanket of grass,
you will always find something to complain about.
Why, what a fun, little tale!
Do you have another?
I have one more tale for your new story.
Then, you must promise to leave and find your own ending.
[Scout] New story endings are easy to find.
It's the middle of the story that requires the most work.
Then close your eyes.
I will grant your last wish
and help you travel to another story.
How sad!
Is this a really sad story?
[Cassandra] Don't interrupt.
One day, a storm capsized a boat.
Strong tides carried the only two survivors to the exotic jungle,
a loyal, obedient dog and a smart, sassy cat.
The cat's name was DeeDee,
a Siamese cat with bright green eyes
and a very sarcastic disposition.
The dog's name was Rex,
a happy, friendly animal with a sunny disposition.
Of all the islands in all the world,
I have to wind up on this one with a big, slobbering dog.
That I am.
Name is Rex. What's your name?
Ugh! DeeDee. Now, go away. I wanna be alone.
Why? We are lucky to have each other.
[scoffs] There's no "we", you foolish dog.
I'm a cat. We're lone animals.
Now, go away!
For days, the cat avoided the dog,
thinking she would do better on her own.
But this jungle was dangerous,
and DeeDee soon found herself looking for Rex.
She didn't have to look far, since Rex was lonely
and had been following her, tracking her scent.
The children will love this story.
Many boys and girls have pet cats, and dogs, or both.
If we want to survive this jungle,
we have to work together.
Meow. I told you. Cats don't like the word "we".
[barking] Okay.
But I am very thirsty.
Maybe just this one time,
we could work together to find some fresh water to drink.
[meowing] I'm thirsty too.
In fact, DeeDee the cat was so thirsty
she knew she would not last long
if she didn't find fresh water to drink soon.
Any suggestions?
You're a cat.
You can climb to a high branch of one of these trees
and see where we might find a fresh lake or pond.
DeeDee thought this was an excellent idea.
She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it herself.
She quickly jumped onto one of the jungle's giant trees,
grasped the bark with her claws,
and nimbly climbed the branches
until she reached the top of the tree.
At once, she saw a fresh, glistening lake
not too far from where they were.
But when DeeDee tried to climb down, she couldn't.
She couldn't get down?
- Oh, no! - Oh, yes!
DeeDee had been a house cat and didn't have much outdoor experience.
While her sharp claws allowed her
to scurry up the tree trunk quite easily,
they didn't work as well when she turned to climb down.
Rex craned his neck to see her.
- You okay? - I'm not sure how to get down.
Why not do exactly what you did going up the tree
only in reverse?
You mean climb backwards?
Why not?
DeeDee tried Rex's suggestion and was on the ground in no time.
Maybe you aren't such a worthless dog after all. [meowing]
From the high tree top, I spotted a freshwater lake not far from here.
[sniffing]
I think it's this way, but I don't smell it yet.
Point me in the right direction, and I'll find the lake.
We dogs have a highly sensitive nose,
a great sense of smell.
Rex, nose to the ground, followed the cat's lead,
and soon enough, his great sense of smell led them right to the lake.
Rex lapped the water with his tongue, slobbering, splashing
while DeeDee delicately drank the water until she had her fill.
Now, I'm hungry.
Me, too.
I would love to eat a big chunk of meat.
Although, a mouthful of grass would fill me up as well.
I don't eat plants, but I do love meat.
We have many differences,
but we also share many of the same traits.
We are both mammals. We have fur.
We drink milk when we're babies.
But we're also very different.
You slobber when you drink. I'm very delicate.
I can climb and jump. You can't.
I have a better sense of smell and more teeth.
But it is our differences that can help us survive the jungle.
I hunt at night, so I can find us food when you're sleeping.
I'll prepare breakfast.
And I prefer to hunt during the day.
You will never go to bed hungry.
Once Rex and DeeDee celebrated their individual strengths,
they began to work together.
Many years later, they were rescued from the jungle,
but neither of them forgot each other,
nor the power of their teamwork.
Now, that's a tale with a moral!
[Cassandra] The end.
I liked that story too.
Now, it's time for you two to resurface
and find a happy ending for your new story.
The children are waiting,
and I can't wait to hear what happens next.
[upbeat music playing]
Sorry, cuz, time for me to chase you down.
Can't let you end the story. Victor is getting hungry.
We gave you all the story you're gonna get, Stunt.
Out of our way, Stunt.
[Stunt] No can do.
Come on! Don't be greedy.
You boys got most of the story.
You don't really want one of them silly, happy endings, do you?
Let me end the story...
by eating it.
- That was a close one, Scout. - Sure was.
We'd better finish this story as fast as we can.
Where are we? They blew us off course.
No matter. Stories are like taffy.
There's always another way to twist it.
Let's end at the Enchanted Forest.
Why, that's brilliant! We'll end the story where the story began.
Full circle!
Barney Owl was flying through the Enchanted Forest
when a boy with brown hair and freckles called out to him.
We'll find the boy and our happy ending.
♪ Fly high Fly low ♪
♪ Soar and away ♪
♪ We must find our happy ending ♪
♪ And save the day ♪
Before we find the boy, let's end with something fun.
Yes, I love Fantasy Island.
We always find a new character here.
His tail is like a baby T-Rex.
His head kind of looks like a giant lizard.
His scales are like a snake.
Children love new dinosaurs!
Especially dinosaurs with wings that can fly.
Let's go see if he's friendly.
[dragon sneezing]
Hey, I'm Axel. This here is Scout.
We're Horse Play,
the only super-duper delivery story service in the universe.
We're about to deliver one of our super-duper stories
to a boy who lives nearby in the Enchanted Forest.
We were looking for one more character to end the story.
Then we spotted you. Children love dinosaurs.
I'm afraid the children won't like me.
- Why not? - No one likes me.
The dinosaurs tease me because I'm not big enough.
The lizards laugh at me because they think I'm too big to be a lizard or a snake.
It's hard being me.
Aww! Cheer up!
You might not be as big as the other dinosaurs,
but there is only one of you in the entire universe.
Children love finding new dinosaurs. Come with us.
Axel, wait! He's not a...
[sneezing]
A dinosaur that roars fire.
[laughing] Cool!
Now, we have every story element we need
to find the boy and finish this here story.
I'm not a dinosaur. My name is blue, and I'm...
I know who you are. I was about to tell Axel.
You know?
You was about to tell me what?
Blue is the dragon who flew away
from the three fat hogs on Lava Land.
You are pretending to be a dinosaur
so no one will suspect who you really are.
How did you know?
I heard you sneeze.
I'd recognize that sneeze anywhere.
It's humiliating.
I can no longer call myself a dragon.
Yes, you can. Don't you see?
You're a fierce, fiery dragon,
not a scaly dinosaur fake.
You open up your mouth, and the whole world quakes.
You breathe fire on your enemies and chase them all away.
You're a real dragon hero who just saved the day.
I did, didn't I?
There's nothing wrong with your dragon fire.
You just had a stuffed nose.
Come with us. The children love dragons.
And they'll especially love you,
because you saved the story.
You've given them a happy ending.
Where's the boy?
Did you tell him we found the children a new story?
Horse Play, Axel and Scout!
Super-duper story deliveries at your service.
Are the children ready to hear their new story?
Oh, yes! We can hardly wait. Please, begin.
Once upon a time, there was an owl named Barney.
That's me!
Barney Owl was flying through the Enchanted Forest
when a boy with brown hair and freckles called out to him and said,
"The children need a new story."
And here it is.
It's always good to begin and end a story with a hearty laugh.
[laughing]
[Barney] A horse and an airplane, what a sight!
They fly in the day. They fly through the night.
Axel the airplane steers the course
for his partner and passenger, Scout the horse.
Horse Play is their business name.
Finding super-duper stories is their claim to fame.
[upbeat music playing]