The Island of Ned

Gooz: Gooz here! You probably know by now that here in the clubhouse, we have a quest each and every month. A quest is a very fun thing to do. It might be a thing to bake with your folks, a thing to make with a friend, or sometimes it's a thing to record so you can possibly make it onto a real Paws & Tales episode. I have it on good authority that the kids who have the most fun go to the clubhouse every month to find out what the newest quest is. You can do that too. Just log on to pawsandtales.org and head on into the clubhouse for the latest quest and a ginormous ton of other fun stuff too. That's pawsandtales.org. I will see you in Wildwood!
Insight for Living: Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales. Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place. If you stay on the trails and stick with me, there is adventure to be had there too. Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales. Howdy, and welcome to Wildwood. It seems this town is changing some every day. The library, the big and wonderful library that Mr. Rockler is building for the town, is in the final stages of getting done. Folks here have never seen such a building. It is big, fancy, and big. In preparation for the grand opening, Mr. Rockler has asked Miss Harbor for a favor.
Miss Harbor: All right, class. Let's put our math books away.
Gooz: Finally! Math gives me a headache.
Miss Harbor: Gooz, let's keep the commentary to yourself, please. It looks as though the new library will be completed on time, and the town is preparing for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
CJ: The what? Who's cutting ribbon?
Miss Harbor: That's how towns celebrate the opening of something new, like our library. They will have a ribbon across the entrance, and someone special will cut the ribbon, and that will mean that it is open for us all to go in.
CJ: Seems like a waste of good ribbon to me.
Gooz: It sure does. Waste, waste, waste.
Miss Harbor: Mr. Rockler has asked for our help. He wants us all to donate our ribbons.
CJ: He wouldn't! Waste, waste, waste. He's not getting mine.
Marsha: Knock it off, CJ. Gooz, he's just kidding.
Miss Harbor: CJ, all of you, that will be enough. Once you enter the library, there will be large display cases on both sides of the walls. Now, Mr. Rockler has asked for our help in filling them. Each one of you will make a project of any sort that will represent a reason why Wildwood is a wonderful place to live. The best from each grade level will be selected, and it will go on permanent display.
Ned: Forever permanent?
Miss Harbor: Yes, Ned. Mr. Rockler wants future generations to remember us.
Ned: Wow.
CJ: What kind of projects?
Miss Harbor: It could be anything.
Gooz: Like a painting? That would be wonderful! I could paint the ships in the bay.
Miss Harbor: I love that idea, Gooz.
Marsha: What about a nice wildflower display?
Ned: Oh, brother. That would be great for about two days until the flowers died.
Marsha: I meant dried flowers, Ned.
Ned: Well, that would be better.
Gooz: I could paint flowers!
Marsha: No, you cannot. The flowers were my idea.
Miss Harbor: I would like for all of you to think of something that will tell future generations why we love living here. If your project is selected, that is a way for you to be remembered too. It's almost time for lunch. Let's start it a little earlier, and you can think about your projects.
Marsha: Miss Harbor, what will they do with all of the leftover ribbon?
Miss Harbor: Unbelievable.
Gooz: Look! I got cookies. Today I have cookies.
Stace: You always have cookies. Every day you have cookies.
Gooz: So? I guess I'm just a glass-half-full kind of weasel. Oh, look! My cup of milk is half full!
Stace: What would be great is a photograph of the whole town.
CJ: You got a camera?
Stace: No.
CJ: That's a problem.
Gooz: That was rude. I could paint a picture of the town.
Marsha: No, you can't. That was my idea.
CJ: What is it about living here that would make for a winning project?
Stace: He's got an idea. What is it?
CJ: It's growing, building. The best thing about Wildwood? The stories from the cylinders. The stories from the cylinders! That's great!
Gooz: That is a good one. What about the stories?
CJ: The player. I'm going to make a cylinder player.
Marsha: You know how to make a cylinder player?
CJ: No.
Ned: That's a problem. That was rude.
CJ: I'm going to make a pretend player, Stace. It would take a genius to make a real one. I'll go and make a drawing of it. Hey, Mr. Collins had cameras!
Gooz: Yes, he did.
CJ: I'll ask Mrs. Collins if I could borrow one. I'll take a picture of the whole town from Fortress Rock.
Stace: That's a great idea. A painting, a photograph, and a mock cylinder player.
Ned: I thought he was going to build a pretend player.
Stace: It's the same thing. What are you going to do, Ned?
Ned: Oh, nuts. I have no idea.
Insight for Living: Every kid in school went home that day planning and dreaming about what they'd make for their project. Every kid except Ned.
Gooz: See you tomorrow, Ned. Don't worry, you'll think of a project, and it'll be the best one too.
CJ: Absolutely. Think big, Ned. You can win if you think big.
Ned: Oh, sure I can. Except for Gooz, who paints like Rembrandt, and Stace, who will take a great picture of the town, and CJ, who had the best idea of them all. Why does he always have to do that? He'll win, and he'll be remembered in this town forever. No one, no one will even remember that Ned Cleary even existed.
Guest (Male 1): It shouldn't be that way. It doesn't have to be that way. No, not at all.
Ned: Great. You can just leave.
Guest (Male 1): Not me. I'm here to help.
Ned: Like you did last time? How is that hand?
Guest (Male 1): Dandy, except for the red stain that won't go away. I'm sorry to hear that, but it wasn't my fault, you know.
Ned: How can it not be your fault? Look, CJ doesn't need to win this.
Guest (Male 1): You know about the project?
Ned: It's all anyone is talking about. Well, all I need to do is come up with a project that will outshine everyone I know. CJ always wins, and Gooz is talented.
Guest (Male 1): You are the smartest one of the bunch, aren't you?
Ned: Yes.
Guest (Male 1): Then go with your strengths, son. Use your brain power. What is CJ going to make?
Ned: A mock cylinder player. A pretend player. There are these phonographic cylinders in the Collins mansion and I know about them.
Guest (Male 1): Well, if a smart fellow like you were willing, it would be hard.
Ned: What would be hard? What? What would be hard? You're driving me nuts! Make what?
Guest (Male 1): A real cylinder player. One that really works.
Ned: It would take a genius to make one of those. Hey, there you go, son. Now the wheels are turning.
Guest (Female): Hi, I'm Haley from Georgia. One of the many reasons I love Paws & Tales is Ned the beaver. He just cracks me up.
Guest (Male 2): So, Joel, I'm Tiffany's agent.
Joel: Really? I didn't know she had an agent.
Guest (Male 2): When she gets here, she needs the script.
Joel: Sure, right here.
Guest (Male 2): A spray of geraniums. Excuse me?
Tiffany: Greetings, support staff. I'm ready to go. Is tape rolling? Good. Is this the script? I may ad-lib a bit. I am Tiffany Rockler from Wildwood. I have come to encourage you all to get a copy of the very first Paws & Tales book ever, The Overcomers. How was that?
Guest (Male 2): So inspiring, Miss Tiffany.
Joel: Just stick to the script, please.
Tiffany: The Overcomers is a wonderful continuation of the grand story of Paws & Tales. This is better: a continuation of the original story arc. How's that?
Guest (Male 2): I have chills, goosebumps!
Joel: Story arc is too technical. Please stick to the script.
Tiffany: To get a copy of your own, just log on to pawsandtales.org. You are going to love all the adventure, the fun, and the great teaching that Paws & Tales is famous for. Wait, Manny, where are my geraniums? There are supposed to be geraniums in here!
Guest (Male 2): I'll go and do something. Stopping tape.
Insight for Living: Ned took a hold of the idea to make a real cylinder player, and he wouldn't let it go. The problem was, he wanted to make it for all the wrong reasons. He was doing it out of anger and pride, a terrible combination. He turned his basement into a laboratory of sorts, and the only reasons he ever came out were for supplies and when his mother made him eat and go to school. Wasn't anything wrong with wanting to make a real player, but the way he was going about it was a sin.
CJ: Hey, Ned! We waited for you on the road for about ten minutes. I thought you were staying home sick.
Ned: I wanted to, believe me.
CJ: We're starting a game of kickball. Come on.
Ned: No thanks. I need to do some reading.
CJ: Still working on your secret project? Let me see.
Ned: No, you cannot see. Get away!
CJ: Calm down, Ned. Wow, Ned. What's wrong?
Ned: Nothing! Everything! I'm focused, okay? I just need you all to leave me alone. You'll see what I'm working on when it's on permanent display in the library. Then you'll see. Then you'll all see!
Gooz: I'll see what? Bonkers, totally bonkers. What was that all about?
Marsha: Ned's all mad about something. I don't know. Hey, look what CJ got!
CJ: This, my good citizens, is a real camera with real film in it.
Gooz: Shiny buttons. Very nice. How many shots in it?
CJ: Well, plenty. But it's the developing part that's the problem. Each print, that's what we call the pictures, each print costs money. I'm only going to take a couple of pictures and have them developed. I'm going to go up and take the shot of the whole town after school.
Gooz: I want to come!
CJ: You can come. I want to get one of the club, too. Marsha, Ned, come here! I got the camera!
Marsha: Whoa, this is so exciting! When do you have to give it back?
CJ: Mrs. Collins decided to take care of it. I don't think she cares when.
Marsha: You have a camera? Wow!
Gooz: Let me see. That is so great!
CJ: Line up over there, in the light. Marsha, your coat.
Marsha: What's wrong with my coat?
CJ: Will you work with me here? The coat has got to go. Ned, your sweater too. And I need you in the back.
Ned: Sure, in the back. That's where I always am, isn't it? Everyone get in front of old Ned.
Gooz: But you need to be in it too. Should we get Miss Harbor to take it?
CJ: Nope. It has its own timer on it. Get ready! Ned, quit looking like someone just stepped on your tail. Smile, everyone! That's it!
Gooz: That's it? What did you expect? I don't know. A flash of light, smoke, something. I don't think it worked.
CJ: It worked. Ned, you want to see the camera?
Ned: Sure, let's have a look.
Gooz: Maybe we could take a picture of Ned's secret project.
Ned: You will not!
CJ: Ned, he was only kidding. Relax.
Ned: You'll see. You'll all see.
Gooz: Ned, look at your arm.
Ned: My arm? Oh, no. Oh, no!
Gooz: Ned, the stain's moved all the way up your arm. What have you done?
Ned: Leave me alone! I haven't done anything. Give me back my sweater. I just need everyone to just leave me alone. I don't need any of you. I am an island.
CJ: He's out of control. This is bad, very bad.
Insight for Living: Ned would not even so much as talk to anyone in the club. So on he worked in his dark and stuffy basement, getting more tired and even more angry.
Ned: This is wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! What's missing? Something's not right.
Guest (Male 1): Gracious, son. What seems to be the problem?
Ned: The problem? This place is full of fumes from that varnish. You need to keep the window open, son. Look at my arm! Look at it!
Guest (Male 1): Gracious, son. It's worse.
Ned: Yeah, it's a lot worse. I think it gets worse when I'm doing something, something that I shouldn't.
Guest (Male 1): Oh, I find that very unlikely. Wow, look at your player!
Ned: I'll never get it to work. I can't do it! I've made five trips to the Collins mansion. I've made drawings, I've made more drawings. I keep missing things. I'm running out of time, and I can't keep doing this.
Guest (Male 1): Well, that is a problem, if ever I seen one. What if you just borrowed the real player and brought it here?
Ned: I asked.
Guest (Male 1): You asked Mrs. Collins?
Ned: Yes, I did.
Guest (Male 1): And she said no?
Ned: It's the only one she has. If it broke, that would be the end of listening to the cylinders. It's too risky. She did let me take one of the cylinders, though, to test with.
Guest (Male 1): But she said no to the player? I didn't think Mrs. Collins said no to anything. She let Stace borrow that camera.
Ned: Yes, she did.
Guest (Male 1): I don't know. Doesn't seem right. Doesn't seem fair.
Ned: It does not.
Guest (Male 1): Well, I guess they're going to beat you after all. Shame, a real shame.
Ned: No! They haven't beaten me. All I need is a real player.
Guest (Male 1): Where are you going, son?
Ned: None of your business! I don't need you. I am an island.
Guest (Male 1): Don't do anything foolish.
Ned: Don't tell me what to do. No one tells me what to do.
Insight for Living: While Ned was on his way to, well, steal the player from Mrs. Collins, the rest of the club was having an emergency meeting in the fort.
CJ: He's acting like a creep. I think we should just let him be a creep.
Stace: He does this sometimes, and he always comes back around. It's the way he is. We should just let it pass.
Marsha: Well, he is being mean, and I don't want to be around him right now.
Gooz: Guys, what about the stain? What about the scarlet stain on his arm?
Marsha: I don't know. It's worse.
Gooz: Don't you get it? He's going down a dark path right now. When he does that, the stain spreads.
Stace: So he sins and the stain gets bigger? Oh, come on. That doesn't make sense.
Gooz: We can't just leave him alone. He's going down bad. He needs our help, or things could get very bad.
Stace: Gooz, how bad?
Gooz: The kind of bad that I'm afraid will hurt him for the rest of his life.
Guest (Male 1): Hello out there. Hello, sir. Are you awake?
Guest (Male 2): I do not require sleep. What do you have for me?
Guest (Male 1): Really? Never need sleep? Not even Friday nights? Boy, I do. By the end of the week, I'm exhausted and...
Guest (Male 2): What do you have for me?
Guest (Male 1): Oh, yes. Good news, very good news. It's going just like you thought. That boy has a lot of pride, I'd say. Says he's an island.
Guest (Male 2): He said that? Excellent. As long as he stays by himself, he is mine. Is he getting the player?
Guest (Male 1): He is this very moment. I expect he'll have it back in his basement within the hour. But then what? How do we destroy it?
Guest (Male 2): Is Ned working with the chemicals you suggested?
Guest (Male 1): Oh, yes. The place is just filled with fumes, what with the varnishes and the cleaners and all.
Guest (Male 2): You need to be sure that there is a deep pile of rags soaked with those chemicals on the ground before you. You have two red balls.
Guest (Male 1): Oh, yes. I see them right there.
Guest (Male 2): Put one of them under the rags, and you will have five minutes before it bursts into flames and burns the player into ash.
Guest (Male 1): Wow, like a time bomb or something. Oh my, I should think that would do it. That'll catch the whole house on fire, too, don't you think?
Guest (Male 2): Yes, I believe it will.
Liam: Hi, I'm Liam from Colorado. My favorite Paws & Tales character is Ned because he is so smart. Wait till you hear what happens next on today's episode.
Joel: Okay, Gooz. Just read the reviews on the new book. Rolling tape.
Gooz: Okay, just getting ready now. Okay, this one is from Willie. I loved reading the book, The Overcomers, even though I'm too young to read.
Joel: Gooz, is that Willie, your little brother?
Gooz: It might just be.
Joel: Where are the real notes from the readers?
Gooz: They may be in my other backpack at home, but these are good ones too. One reader named Gooz Gathery says, "I absolutely loved reading The Overcomers. There are battles and silly things and really important things taught, and it was all really, really fun. I'm reading it to my little brother now, Wallie-Walliemer, and Walliemer loves it too. Sincerely, Gooz Gathery." The end.
Joel: Now just say you can get your copy of The Overcomers at pawsandtales.org today.
Gooz: What he said. Stop tape.
Ned: Is it ready?
Guest (Male 1): I think so. Now you've got to try it sometime.
Ned: Yeah, I guess so. Now, son. Now! Item 93 is a rather crude oil lamp.
Ned: Nuts! It's wrong!
Guest (Male 1): What's that?
Ned: Terrible! We just carved a groove in the cylinder. I think the arm is too heavy.
Guest (Male 1): Was that Mr. Collins?
Ned: Yeah, it was. Now, if I use a rubber band... no, a counterweight. Yeah, counterweight.
Guest (Male 1): That was Mr. Collins. Curious. Why? What did you expect?
Ned: I don't know. I just thought he would sound more evil.
Guest (Male 1): Mr. Collins? Who have you been talking to? He was a great man.
Guest (Male 1): Well, that's what you say. Hey, be careful with that stuff! Ever so sorry. Here, I'll wipe it up. Throw me some rags, will you? Won't take but a minute to get this whole mopped up. Where can I put these wet rags?
Ned: The trash can over there is fine.
Guest (Male 1): Oh, yeah. That'll do nicely. Oh yes, very nicely indeed. Hey, Ned, you down there? Got to go, son. See you later. Close the window behind me now.
Gooz: Hey, it's kind of creepy down here.
Ned: Who said you could come down here?
Stace: And hello to you, too. Your mom told us we could come down.
Ned: Well, I guess it's too late for you guys to do anything about it anyway.
Stace: About what? Oh, fumes down here are terrible. You shouldn't be down here.
Gooz: Look, Ned. We brought our projects. Stace has her photo of Wildwood. Look!
Ned: Yeah, great.
Gooz: Look! I painted a... well, I started to paint the bay, and then I painted the mountains, and then I decided to paint something completely different.
Stace: What is that?
Ned: That is my project.
Gooz: You made a mock player, too?
Ned: Oh no, I made a real player.
Stace: No kidding. It really works?
Ned: Almost. It will by tomorrow when we turn in our projects.
Gooz: Hey, what's this? Will you quit poking around in my stuff? That's the player. Mrs. Collins' player! Did she say you could take it?
Stace: She said you could take the camera.
Gooz: You stole Mrs. Collins' player!
Ned: I did not! I just borrowed it.
Gooz: This is not a good place to be right now. The fumes and stuff. We should get out of here.
Ned: But I wish you would get out! Get out now, all of you! My player is on permanent display. You will all see that I'm not just any old...
Gooz: The trash can! Maybe!
Ned: Get out! Everyone get out of here before the whole place goes up! Oh, no! What have I done? Stace, what are you doing? Stace, get away from that!
Stace: If I can just put the lid on the trash can, maybe!
Gooz: Good thinking, Stace! We've got to get it out of here. Grab it! It's hotter than a stove. Here, Stace, use the towels as hot pads. Okay, let's go!
Marsha: Be careful! Okay, look out! Watch out for the steps!
Stace: Ned, are you okay?
Ned: I almost burned my whole house down.
Gooz: But we're here, Ned. We're not going to let that happen.
Marsha: Look out the window! They got it into the yard!
CJ: Come on, Stace! Just a little further! Stace, you okay?
Stace: Yeah, you?
CJ: Just barely. You guys okay?
Gooz: Fine. But Ned's lawn will never be the same.
Stace: Ned, you okay?
Ned: I've been stupid and mean, and I stole from Mrs. Collins. What have I done?
Insight for Living: Well, in all of the scrambling around in Ned's basement, Gooz's painting was ruined, and Stace's photograph of the town had been stepped on and torn. Ned apologized to the club and even to Mrs. Collins. The stain on his arm went back down to only his hand. But since he just could not humble himself enough to repent and ask forgiveness from God, the stain remained on his hand just like it was before. Since most of their projects had been ruined, the club had a special meeting and decided how they were going to handle the project problem.
Miss Harbor: Good morning. Well, good morning, all of you. What brings you all in so early?
CJ: We are presenting our project.
Miss Harbor: Fine. You can just set them up on the counter. Now make sure your names are on them.
Marsha: We only have one project.
Miss Harbor: But you all were working on one.
Ned: Yeah, well, we had a little accident. Some of them got wrecked.
Miss Harbor: I see.
Marsha: So we voted on what was left, and we want... well, we all voted on this one.
Miss Harbor: A picture of you all?
CJ: It was the only other picture I took.
Ned: And we decided that the thing we like best about living in Wildwood is our friends.
Miss Harbor: I think that this is wonderful. And since it is the only project turned in by the third-grade class, this will go on permanent display.
Ned: Yeah, we know. We want future generations to know about our friends.
Miss Harbor: I have a feeling that future generations will indeed know about you all. I just have a feeling.
Insight for Living: To order a copy of today's program, The Island of Ned, just log on to pawsandtales.org. The Island of Ned was written and directed by David Carl. The song "Once Become Two" was written by Sandy Howell and Mark Edward Lewis. Music was by Tim Hosman, and our sound designer was Eric Basil. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production. And thank you, Julie. We miss you.