[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]
[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 , 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 , 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 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]
ImaginationLand (2018)
Moderator: Maskath3