06x07 - Duncan and Dolores

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Here, kitty.

Here, kitty, kitty.

Nadji.

Hi. I'm looking for nadji.

He must have slipped away.

I don't know where he is.

Nadji.

Where did you go, kitty?

Mmm, catnip--

The finest-quality
cat-catching equipment.

It's an herb,
and cats love the smell of it.

Nadji. Nadj?

Nadji, where--

Ah, there you are.

I knew you couldn't
hide from me for long.

Surprised?

This is nadji,

A full-grown bengal tiger.

And this is his trainer
and best friend,
peter gros.

We're at marine world
in vallejo, california,

Where big cats are trained
to let us get close.

It's all right
to pet him?

This is the end
to pet.

We avoid this end,
the biting end.

Tigers are known
for their stripes.

This is a bengal tiger.

What are his stripes for?

His stripes
are camouflage,

As is hide
on most animals.

He has
the same markings
on his flesh.

Really?

[Mmrrr]

He's making noises,
like he's talking.

We have
a tiger language.
We both speak tiger.

Do tigers have
different personalities,

Things they like
and dislike?

He doesn't
like having
his ears touched

Or having you
touch his paws.

[Roar!]

He's telling me
to let go!

Remarkable.

We've been together


We know each other
very well,

And we have
a strong bond.

He lets me know
he loves me

By making
a chuffing noise

Which is the equivalent
of a house cat purring.

[Makes chuffing noise]

That's a happy sound,
sort of a greeting.

It's obvious
that peter and nadji
have a great relationship,

But they had to
work at it.

So do people
who have cats as pets.

That's what the characters
in duncan & dolores
found out.

One day, fay and dolores
saw a sign.

"I want that cat,"
said dolores.

"He's cute
and just my age."

"But animals run away
from you, dolores," said fay.

"I want that cat,"
said dolores.

"Ahh. Poor duncan,"
sighed fay.

The next day,

Duncan was delivered
in a case.

[Doorbell rings]

"Now you are my cat.
You will play with me."

Duncan sh*t out of the case

And disappeared
under a cabinet.

"Oh, dear.

It's starting already,"
said fay.

Later that night,

Fay said,
"come to bed, dolores."

"I'm sitting here
till duncan comes out."

"Just leave some food
by the cabinet," said fay.

"I'll leave this note
to show where I am."

"Oh, brother."

Two days later,
duncan reappeared.

Dolores said,
"I'm so glad you came out!

We can play dress-up."

"Cats don't play dress-up,"
said fay.

"Duncan does.

"Today I will wear
a beautiful cape,

And he can wear
this lovely hat."

Duncan didn't want
to play dress-up.

"I understand, duncan.

"You would rather
do tricks.

"I will throw this ball,
and you will bring it back.

Go get it, duncan!"

Duncan didn't want
to do tricks.

[Meow]

"Here, duncan,"
called fay softly.

"You don't have to do tricks."

Duncan walked over to fay
and sat in her lap.

[Meow]

The next morning,

Dolores said,
"duncan doesn't like me.

He likes you
better than me."

"He's afraid of you,"
said fay.

"Duncan afraid of me?
How silly!

"You're not afraid of me,
are you, duncan?

"How come you always
play with fay?

"You never play with me!

It isn't fair!"

"It would be quieter
around here

If you'd leave
that poor cat alone."

"That's fine with me,"
said dolores.

"I have better things to do
than chase that fat cat."

[Meow]

Dolores made a hiding place

With chairs
and an old blanket.

Then she had tea
with martha and mabel.

She did not ask duncan
to join them.

After tea,
she played the piano

And refused to notice duncan.

[Meow]

And when she took her nap,

She hugged her teddy bear,

Not duncan.

[Meow]

Later she painted.

[Meow]

"Now look
what you've done!"

Duncan rolled the paintbrush
toward dolores.

It stopped at her feet.

"Why, thank you, duncan,"
said dolores.

Duncan purred softly.

"Duncan sat
on my easel today,"

Dolores said
later that night.

"Really?" Said fay.

"He brought me
my paintbrush."

"That's nice," said fay.

"Look, fay,"
whispered dolores.

[Meow]

"Look at duncan.

"His chin on my neck
really tickles.

"Fay?

Duncan really likes me!"

[Meow!]

"Uh-oh."

Ha ha ha ha!

Dolores discovered
duncan wanted to be
her friend.

He just needed a chance
to be himself.

But making friends
with 500-pound tigers,

Now, that's a real challenge,

And it begins
when they're just cubs.

Hi. My name is mary fleming.
These are my babies.

My job is to care
for these babies.

This is madras,
a 2-month-old white bengal cub.

Now he weighs 15 pounds.

When he's grown,
he'll weigh about 500 pounds.

This is deli, madras' sister.
She weighs 17 pounds.

When she's grown,

She'll weigh
between 250 and 300 pounds.

She gets cranky sometimes.

You're ok, you're ok.

Even though
these cubs are small,

I always have to remember
that they are tigers.

[Grrr!]

Now they have baby teeth,

And they try
and tear everything up.

When they're a year old,
they get adult teeth.

When they put
their claws out,

You have to tell them no.

They automatically
retract their claws.

Eventually they learn,

And when we say no,
they'll retract their claws.

You are a brat.

We teach these cubs manners,

Just like you teach
your kitten at home.

The first thing they learn
is the word no.

No. Good boy, good boy.

You have
to learn that, too.

I can get rough, too.

Sometimes you have to be
a little rougher than they are

Just to teach them.

When I do this,
it relaxes them.

It has to do with how the mother
would carry them around.

She carries her baby
by the scruff of the neck.

When they're real young,
they go catatonic.

That way she can move them.

We try and copy that.

It relaxes them
and makes them feel secure.

When they get too big
for me to handle,

I turn them over to peter gros
on tiger island.

Tiger island is where
older cats exercise.

Pat's giving rakhan meat
for standing up,

Something he might do
in the wild

On a tree
to sharpen claws.

It's fun for the cats

To be able to play
in the water

And have the handlers
act like another tiger.

Oh! Good girl!

Good girl, jai.

Aah!

Pet the fat white one, too.

Hi, sam.

The tigers love
to jump on you from behind

When you're not looking.

They love to knock you down
and lick you in the face.

Good girl.

They have very large paws
to house their claws,

But they know
not to use the claws.

Even though
it looks dangerous,

It's really
a very controlled situation.

We never forget
these tigers are wild animals.

They have wild instincts,

Even though we have
a nice rapport.

We don't want them
to get too excited,

So the cats, even though
they're having a good time,

Know that
there's still a limit.

Here's the ultimate reward--

After the tiger jumps on him,
he lays down,

And pat will talk to him.

You can see that they still have
a wonderful bond.

Cats are well-known
for their unique personalities.

They can be coy, confident,
friendly, or finicky.

People are
so fascinated by cats

That a broadway musical
was created about them.

The actors and actresses
in that show

Go through an amazing
transformation.

See you later, loni.

Bye, scott.

Hi. Come on in.

I have an hour
to get ready.

This is where
loni ackerman, the actress,

Becomes grizabella,
the glamour cat.

Grizabella
is an old cat

Who was once
very beautiful.

The best part
is becoming her.

The first line
to becoming grizabella.

I look at my pictures

To see exactly
where the little snout is.

Now I'm creating
a cat base.

I use grease paint,
a special theatrical make-up.

It's very smooth.
It's fun to use.

It kind of starts
the magic of the cat.

This shade will
make grizabella look old.

Ok, here comes the nose.

This is one
of my favorite parts.

More cat.

Now I put the eyeliner on.

My eyes are beginning
to stand out, like cats' eyes.

Before, they were just
human eyes.

This is where
I give grizabella her glamour.

Hiss!

When my make-up and hair
are ready,

I know it's showtime.

Ok, cats,
half-hour call.

Half-hour
to get ready.

All my life, I've dreamt
of being on broadway.

When I'm on-stage,

Everything comes together--

My make-up,
my costume, my voice.

I am a cat.

♪ Touch me ♪

♪ It's so easy
to leave me ♪

♪ All alone
with the memory ♪

♪ Of my days in the sun ♪

♪ If you touch me ♪

♪ You'll understand
what happiness is ♪

♪ Look ♪

♪ A new day ♪

♪ Has begun ♪♪

[Applause]

Cats have been the inspiration
for many great ideas,

Including books.

If you liked
duncan & dolores,

Here are some
to tickle your whiskers.

But don't take
my word for it.

Of course,
you could take his.

Hi. My name is
erica siegal.

I read this out-of-the-ordinary
book called puss in boots.

This story is about a man
with a cat named puss.

When puss wears
his boots and hat,

He feels smart
and very brave.

He outsmarts animals, people,
and even the king.

He does this to help
his master become great.

This story has
a surprise ending,

But I won't
spoil it for you.

You'll have to read it
for yourself.

Hi. My name is
adam alexander.

I just read a book about a cat
who dreams of flying

And how he gets his wish.

It's called cat & canary.

Cat is very funny
and adventurous.

Cat finds a kite
tied to a tv antenna.

He takes it off
and soars.

I could imagine myself
flying over the city.

Canary and his friends
rescue cat in an amazing way.

How? Read the book yourself
to find out.

I thought
this book was funny,

And the cat was the most
unusual one I've ever heard of.

Can you imagine
having a moon tiger

Come take you
to magical places?

That's what happens
in the story called moon tiger.

In this story, there's
a little girl named jessica.

She imagines a moon tiger

Takes her
on different adventures.

She flies to the jungle
and follows gorilla tracks.

When jessica
and the moon tiger come home,

The tiger sees jessica's brother
and says, "should I eat him?"

Jessica thinks a second

And decides her little brother's
not so bad after all.

I'm jordana.
I really enjoyed this story.

When you want
to use your imagination,

Read moon tiger.

It's hard to believe

This little guy will grow up
to be a 500-pound tiger

With his own distinct markings
and personality.

All cats
have an exotic quality

That some of us
just can't resist.

Big or small,
I love them all.

See you next time.

Want to go for a walk?

Let's go for a walk.

Come on.

Today's reading rainbow books
are

Duncan & dolores
by barbara samuels,

Published by
bradbury press.

Puss in boots
by charles perrault,

Retold and illustrated by
lorinda bryan cauley,

Published by
harcourt brace jovanovich, inc.

Cat & canary
by michael foreman,

Published by
dial books for young readers.

Moon tiger
by phyllis root,

Illustrated by
ed young,

Published by
henry holt and co., Inc.